I've been a Christian all my life, spent almost every Sunday at church and currently have been going to church for the last 2 years every Friday and Sunday. Lately I've been questioning God although I know I shouldn't. It's just I've been told that I'm to take the bible literally. There's so many unanswered questions that I have been asking but my teachers either give complicated answers or avoid the question in general. If we deserve hell in the first place than why do people in third world countries and millions of people around the world never have a chance to know Jesus Christ, they all go to hell, eternal suffering it makes no sense I would think they would rather not be created in the first place than suffer in hell eternally. Also cavemen and primitive people have been proven to be in existence yet Adam and Eve were supposedly the first to be created. What about dinosaurs, and Noah's Ark? Are we suppose to believe that all the animals in the world were put on a ship and saved?
2007-12-09 16:51:03 · 41 answers · asked by DavidC 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Congratulations. You are beginning to awaken from the brainwashing. Your teachers cannot answer your questions because they have no answers, only parroted dogma.
Continue to ask questions and you will be fine.
2007-12-09 17:01:45 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 1⤋
Now you're beginning to question. Keep asking questions, and find your own answers. Don't continue to allow someone else to tell you what the answers are. Seek and you will find what you are looking for. And the bible can't explain dinosaurs, so don't even try. Is Noah's Ark any more unreasonable, than creation, or the rapture, or the anti-christ crap? Seriously, it's like reading a badly written Steven King novel when you read the bible. The bible flies in the face of evidence, people will deny physical evidence they see with there own eyes to believe what is written in that book, and in the same breath ask why the muslims are so radical about the quran. Are they serious? Keep asking questions, appeal to rationality, use logic, ask if anything they say makes sense. If it does, great you have your faith back, you will have a great life, if it doesn't great, you have a great life.
2007-12-09 17:15:21 · answer #2 · answered by abiogeek2 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You start out by saying that you have been a Christian all your life and are faithfully going to church. Just because your parents are Christian and have taken you to church doesn't make you a Christian. According to the Bible, John chapter 3, you have to be BORN AGAIN, to BECOME a Christian.
To be a Christian, is to have a RELATIONSHIP with God, it's not a matter of performing religious duties and do good works. First you have to enter that relationship and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and then you will grow in baby steps. Read the story of my journey with Jesus, you might find it helpful. http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-6BOVXXkhcqh8fhnycMvIWvmoG6ol?p=30
As to the dinosaurs, all scientists have found is fossils. And these fossils could have been dinosaurs that were buried during the Flood.
Read your Bible every day, start with the New Testament and ask God to help you understand it and apply it to your life. The more you read it, the more you'll see the greatness of God and the more your faith will be strengthened.
Most of the Bible can be taken literal, but there is also FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, but using your common sense you will find out when it is meant literal and when it is used figuratively.
2007-12-10 03:57:30 · answer #3 · answered by Friend of Jesus 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you better believe those people have the same choices you have. don't you believe those people haven't heard about Jesus. the question is what will they do after they hear about Him? Genesis chapter 1 verse 1-25 tells the order by which God created everything. Genesis chapter 1, verse 26 tells the blueprint of the making of man. No. I hope you don't believe that all the animals in the world were put on a ship and were saved. That's not what the Bible said. According to the Bible, there were animals put in the Ark one male, and one female of every kind except the fish. These were the animals to be saved from the flood. Now the fish were not put in the ark because they won't drown in the water. Think about it...God didn't have to do things that way. He could have just spoke them into existance like He did everything else. But as you know learn by sight and experience. The things He spoke into existance He did it because He wanted us to trust Him for things as well as experience things. Keep the faith. Keep on believing in God until you die. God will reward us for trusting Him to the end. He wants us to love Him forever. That's how long He loves us.
2007-12-09 17:17:17 · answer #4 · answered by use 2 b lost 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Question everything.
The bible can not be taken literally. If it is then it is wrong. The bible is contradictory and in places just plain wrong. For example the bible states that bats are birds, that hares are ruminants and that PI-3.0. That the Earth is a circle (a disk, not a globe) and that it rests on pillars and has four corners.
I would invite you to consider exactly why you believe in god, and what actual evidence that you have for god's existence.
There are historical references to dragons, people definitely used to believe that they existed. Today we have no evidence for their existence. They would break a few laws of physics if they did exist as described. Because of these reasons and others we have classed them as mythology, along with the Greek gods, Leprechauns, the Norse gods, unicorns, the Aztec gods, etc.
Ask yourself why the Christian god is any different from all these other mythological beings.
2007-12-09 17:07:25 · answer #5 · answered by Simon T 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Searching for the answers will strengthen your faith. We should be able to give a reason for the hope that we have. Learning of God is a life long, wondrous process. Challenges arise.
For example, we know dinosaurs existed. Does science have all the answers and the absolute truth ? Absolutely not. Science is built on evidence which leads to theories.
'Dinosaurs' appear to adorn the artwork on pottery of several old cultures and civilized peoples. They could have been drawing what they saw.
Science has bones, evidence, etc, but not all the evidence has come in, and science is biased in the agenda they are working towards. Science has been known to do circular reasoning and complete reversals on their theories.
Next, there are two camps of theologians on hell...is it eternal punishment, or an absolute death of the soul.
These are the kinds of things you will search out, but hold to the gospel of Christs redemption, for all the peripheral questions (dinosaurs, arks, hell) have no bearing on where you spend eternity.
I've enjoyed the search, I don't have all the answers, but I am stronger now in knowing that God is a fact.
As He said, "I AM"
2007-12-09 17:10:19 · answer #6 · answered by I have a bear spot 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
From your comments, you may have a belief that there is a god, but you don't have any faith in God.
Going to church doesn't "make you" a Christian. If you really want to get to know God you will have to begin to trust Him. If you don't believe the things that He has told you in His written word, you will never get to know His promises or power....and never become a Christian.
Rom 10:17-18
17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
"Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world."
(from New International Version)
James 2:19
19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder.
(from New International Version)
2007-12-09 17:30:18 · answer #7 · answered by deanr610 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You do need Help. Your Faith is shaken.
All this years in churches, what have you been doing? Chasing girls or studying the Bible. Did your Pastor teach you fairy tales or the word of God? Were you listening ?
Look at you, being in the circle and yet a stranger to the understanding of the words of God, no wonder you are slipping.
Be truth full to yourself and ask whether you really believe the Holy Book. If you doubt it and find it difficult to accept than even if you go to Church for another 10 years, you will still remain as you are now.
It is up to you whether to remain in Faith or in your knowledge. Will your knowledge carry you to better understanding or more question. Don't turn your face on God, you will be more thirsty for knowledge.
2007-12-09 17:15:52 · answer #8 · answered by Kingdomchild07 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Hi
The use of shouldn't in the sentence about questioning is interesting don't you think?
I will ask you this and you must think hard if you want the true answer.
Are you Questioning God or The Bible?
People will tell you that they are the same thing!
But your question has arisen inside you!
Do you really think that the words of men and a book written by men could ever represent the true God!
Lose your religion and you will find your faith!
FTWR
2007-12-09 23:08:35 · answer #9 · answered by Sly Fox [King of Fools] 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
questioning your faith is not a bad thing.. you are simply questioning what you've been brought up with, and finding out what your truly believe. instead of taking everything at face value. this is going to make your faith stronger. Keep Questioning and join a Bible study where you can ask questions like that and really explore. i went through a time that i really questioned my faith, and what i believed and why. i came to the conclusion that i believe (most) of what's in the bible, some things i haven't really decided yet... and i don't know if I'll come to a conclusion. Praying might also help you to come to a conclusion about what you believe, just be patient in waiting for an answer.
2007-12-09 17:02:03 · answer #10 · answered by beachy211135 2 · 3⤊ 2⤋
The Word of God states that, "It is unto the glory of God to conceal a matter and unto the glory of kings to search it out." What that means to me is that to really know God, you gotta' have and ask some questions. The Bible does not include every detail of God's creation. It even declares that itself, about the details of Jesus' life on earth. The Word of God is shrouded in mystery. God is the revealer of mysteries and desires to show great things to those who will search with a pure heart. Some things in the Bible are meant to be taken literally while others are figurative and symbolic. The Holy Spirit of God is the One who clarifies It's truthes to our hearts,minds, and souls. We don't come out of the womb deserving God's judgement. Neither does He hold people accountable who have not heard, though every effort is being made to get the Word of God to all peoples. God is merciful and gracious. And has made every provision for Salvation to save us. He is not looking for the opportunity to judge or punish us. Hell was created for satan and his demonic followers. Personally, I believe there was life on this planet before Adam and Eve. The Word of God describes the earth as being formless and void and that darkness covered the face of the deep. Since when has God ever created anything 'formless and void'? Not all the animals went on the ark, only the ones that God sent to Noah. As they got off the ark, God blessed them and 'indirectly' multiplied them. Since He is the Designer & Creator of all living things, He is more than able to protect or recreate whatever He chooses. There is no need to toss out your faith for a few questions. I should think it is much mor valuable than that! Jesus paid for it with His life, The validity of your salvation nor the wisdom of God, do not hinge on man's limited perception. Seek God with all your heart, mind soul, and strength, with a pure heart, to know Him personally, not just about Him. Knowing him on an intimate level is the greatest treasure you could ever discover! Sincerely, Rose
2007-12-09 17:49:05 · answer #11 · answered by God's Fountain Pen 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋