2007-03-01 04:46:35 · 36 answers · asked by NHBaritone 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Doctrine of election.
As relates to salvation, there are a couple of theological concepts worth mentioning. Arminianism sees the choice of Christ as impossible, apart from God's grace; and the freedom to choose is given to all, because God's prevenient grace is universal (given to everyone). Therefore, God predestines on the basis of foreknowledge of how some will respond to his universal love ("conditional"). Think of Arminianism as John 3:16 for anyone who so believes.
In contrast, Calvinism views "universal" grace as resistible and not sufficient for leading to salvation--or denies "universal" grace altogether--and instead supposes grace that leads to salvation to be particular and irresistible, given to some (the elect) but not to others on the basis of God's predestinating choice ("unconditional"). Think of Calvinism as John 3:16 for only the elect God has chosen before time began.
2007-03-01 04:57:50 · answer #1 · answered by Ask Mr. Religion 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
-Jesus reserecting
-Creationism (I believe in evolution and do not take this literally, although I do believe God played a role in evolution)
-The immaculate conception
-Miracles
-Why the events of Adam and Eve are applied to all mankind forever (i.e. we are born sinners).
-Some inconsistancies.
P.S. I am a Christian myself.
I personally feel that since MAN translated the Bible, we may have translation errors and even personal input from the opinion of these translators to convey the meaning they felt was right. For example, God is always depicted as "male", although he is considered by many to be genderless. Hierarchical society at the time would have led translators to classify God as male.
As a science minded Christian, I do admit that the Bible probably should be read with a grain of salt. However, the basis of the Bible is to provide rules and regulations to help us live a good life and honor God, and it holds up very well in that regard.
I am not saying that I do not believe in the events in question, just that it is a stretch for me to do so. However, I also have an open mind, and realize that God can defy the laws of physics and biology. He designed them! IF the Bible is correctly translated, God has made it so our lowly minds cannot wrap our heads around how these things are possible. That is the basis of faith,, right?
2007-03-01 05:00:28 · answer #2 · answered by reginachick22 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most definitely the Trinity. I can't comprehend that God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus are one and the same, yet Jesus is the Son of God. The Bible even states that only the Father knows when Jesus will return, not the Son, nor the Holy Spirit.
The so-called "lost books" of the Bible also confuse me.
(Excluding the Book of Mormon, because I think of that as completely ridiculous.) How do you know what to believe? I understand that God would only have us love one another, but how do you discern the Word of God through man, when it is so difficult?
2007-03-01 04:54:11 · answer #3 · answered by Adam 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
To someone who does not believe, I would think, the way things seem to contridict each other. Example: The God of the OT seems to be (to some) very different than the God of the NT. But there are other more specific examples.
I tend to think that these contridictions fall into one of two categories: 1. God was speaking to a person or people concerning a specific instance, 2. Translation errors (whether intentional or unintentional).
2007-03-01 04:58:53 · answer #4 · answered by Tonya in TX - Duck 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No doubt: The Most Holy and Blessed Trinity!
We believe in one God. This God is trinitarian. That is to say, God includes three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But if He is three persons, how can He be one God? This is the greatest mystery that the human mind can absorb. It does not perplex only us. We are not the only ones who cannot understand by rational means the great mystery of the Holy Trinity. Great wise men and the great Fathers of the Church had the same problem. One Father of the Church, St. Augustine, studied the mystery of the Holy Trinity and although he was at his wits' end, he still could not comprehend it. One day he was walking on the sandy beach by the ocean. There churned in his mind the mystery of the Holy Trinity. He was talking to himself: "One God, but three Persons. Three Persons--not three Gods but one God. What does it mean? How can it be explained? How can my mind take it in?" And so he was torturing his mind and beating his brains out, when he saw a little boy on the beach. He approached him to see what he was doing.
The child had dug a small hole in the sand. With his little hands he was carrying water from the ocean and was dumping it in the little hole. St. Augustine asked, "What are you doing, my child?" The child replied, "I want to put all of the water of the ocean into this hole." Once more St. Augustine asked, "But is it possible for all of the water of this great ocean to be contained in this little hole?" And the child asked him in return, "If the water of the ocean cannot be contained in this little hole, then how can the Infinite Trinitarian God be contained in your mind?" And the child disappeared. He was actually a little angel.
2007-03-01 04:55:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is not difficult. Don't make it sound like a simple difficulty. It is imposable for an intelligent human being to wrap their mind around any of that nonsense. Christians have to be so tightly wrapped in their cocoons of ignorance afraid of loosing their little piece of la la fantasy land if they dare to reason. They actually fear their fantasy boogie man Satan will jump out and take a bite of their butt if they dare to have a logical thought.
2007-03-01 04:57:47 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That God required His son to be tortured and killed before God would relent of burning all humanity in hell forever because Adam and Eve ate fruit without permission, and that no matter how evil we are in life, on our death beds we can come to faith in Jesus and get away with it all.
I believe it is called "The Atonement" and it paints a most horrific and irrational picture of a God that demands innocent blood because his ego has been wounded, while encouraging murderers from Constantine the Great to Ted Bundy, to rape, pillage and murder their whole lives and use their "Get of Hell Free Jesus Card" the day they die.
Humanity is supposedly wicked and evil, but if someone crucified their kid because the kid next door took a cookie from the cookie jar without permission, we wouldn't think, "What a great parent! Wish that was my parent! Gosh, maybe I should worship that parent?"
2007-03-01 04:56:41 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
For me, it's the cannabalistic side of Christianity. The ceremonial eating of Jesus' flesh and drinking of his blood! Remember, in the Catholic cult, when the priests bless the host and wine a miracle called "transubstantiation" is believed to take place, during which the wine and crackers are LITERALLY, PHYSICALY transformed into Jesus' flesh and blood.
Not only is this preposterous, but it's grotesque.
2007-03-01 05:02:03 · answer #8 · answered by grammartroll 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
impressive dream yet permit's be real...it is in no way going to take place. There are different hassle-free approaches to ward off sexually transmitted illnesses. and additionally you seem suggesting that in the time of basic terms "real" Christians wait till marriage - human beings of alternative religions do besides, you be responsive to.
2016-10-02 04:50:45 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why so many different types of Christians and why they do battle with each other rather than spreading the Good News.
2007-03-01 04:52:12 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋