Qualms about Christianity/what does God think about rationality?

Question

This was inspired by another question I saw on YA. Someone said that their biggest problem with religion, especially Christianity was that is wants ignorance rather than knowledge in a sense, and that it avoids rationality. I am a very rational person and I always think why things are the way they are...

My perfect God would not classify murder and simple lust as equal sins. My mind says one is much worse than the other, but to God it's just labeled "sin." I would want my God to accept gay people and to think about people's circumstances--we are not all perfect and there is a HUGE difference between today's world and biblical times. They just cannot be compared. But I want to be saved and I do believe Jesus is son of God.

Any thoughts, I don't really know exactly what I'm asking... so might as well provoke discussion.

I'm not up-to-snuff with all my Bible stuff, but I also heard the Bible said it was wrong to plant crops in the wrong season. Sounds like nonsense... I mean, I feel scared if I'm being judged on how I plant my crops. But I'll follow if I must...

Answer 1

The whole reason we need Jesus is because we are not perfect.

As far as sins not all being equal, the Catholic church does not believe all sins are.

God accepts gay people, murderers, and all kinds of sinners. If you mean your god would say that homosexuality is not sinful, well that is different.

If you really do want to be saved and you believe Jesus is the Son of God, all you need to do is open your heart to Him. Read His Word. Pray. Ask for guidance. Seek those who know Him and let them help you understand - not just on YA, but real mentors in your life.

Here's an illustration I sometimes use to help people understand sin better. God is love. He can't have sin in His presence. Sin is doing something that misses the mark of what God has in mind for you. Imagine that every time you sin (and, yes, every sin is the same in this illustration), I put a black dot on your skin with a tattoo needle. What would you look like? You would be covered in "sin." Because sin can't be in God's presence, you'd have to go to hell, where God is not. But if you had a way to cover or remove that sin, you could get into heaven. Jesus can remove that sin, and He's the only one who can. All you have to do is ask.

Atom74 - The rest of the world? I don't think you speak for even 10% of the world. An overwhelming majority believe in gods.

Answer 2

Rather than spouting off, you would do well to observe Prov 29:11: "A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards."

God, who created you mind with it's abilities, does not promote irrationality (nor punish those of low intelligence), but if you read the gospels you will see Jesus appealed to mens mind, logic and reason in examining the evidence He provided, and that justified a step of faith (which we all take in normal life) .

And as history shows, the more Biblical Christian religion is then the more truly educated men will be. The vast majority of the first schools were started by Christians, and if you are all familiar with great evang. preachers such Spurgeon or J. Edwards, etc., you know they were great intellects.

And God does not classify all sins as equal, but as the 10 commandments show, and Rm 1 describes, the chief sin is idolatry, as all other flow from that, and then there is a progression of others, with approval of rampant homosexuality, which is more a result of sensual lust and is very destructive to society*, signifying the last formal stage of degeneration.

If all nations obeyed the Bible as applied under the New Testament if would be Heaven on earth. By doing the opposite lusts increase and misery will result.

"If truth be not diffused, error will be; if God and His Word are not known and received, the devil and his works will gain the ascendancy; if the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will; if the power of the Gospel is not felt throughout the length and breadth of the land, anarchy and misrule, degradation and misery, corruption and darkness, will reign without mitigation or end." - Daniel Webster

See positive effects of being born again here:

http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/amazing/
http://www.truthsaves.org/testimony/
http://www.christian-faith.com/truestories.html
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4136610474021109864
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3682855866783766146
http://www.shelovesgod.com/library/testimonies.cfm
http://breadsite.org/topics.htm

Answer 3

I do think that God is rational. After all, the whole universe operates under unchanging laws.

What I think you're getting at is the nature of sins. "All sins are equal" is not a Bible verse. In fact, the Old Testament prescribes different punishments and rituals depending on the sin. However, the nature of sin is that it separates us from God. That is the way in which sins are equal.

Suppose you betray your spouse. Does it really matter if it was a sexual betrayal, or an emotional one, or who it was with? More than likely, all these scenarios will cause a huge amount of distance between you. Hopefully that analogy helps you some.
<3 Kelsey

Answer 4

i think that is an awesome and honest question!
I like Donald G's answer.
i do want to add however that You have to remember there were some changes made when Jesus died for our sins.....yes the Bible says all sin is equal, but understand He does think about it like you do, he has the ability to filter, but He also has the ability to forgive what you may perceive as the absolute worst -the unforgivable and not just the little stuff . i hope that makes it clearer, but what i am saying is i see it as a plus. if i murdered i would receive the same love and forgiveness. God always knows our hearts and where we are spiritually and mentally, He doesnt like to see us conscious of sin and repeating those behaviors, however i believe we must know it is sin for it to be a sin that hurts Him more deeply. If you pray about what is sin and what is not like homosexuality as you said, i believe God shows you in your heart and from His word what you need to know, and thats why we need a personal relationship with Him, and not just listen to others.

Answer 5

Let's take a breath for a second......

Sin is not behavior per se. Sin is not living a life as it was intended by God. In that sense, all sin is the same - we have failed to live life as it was designed. That does not mean that all behavior is equally depraved. Serial murder is 1000 times worse in its effects as lusting after the girl next door may be. However, since they both reveal a tendency to consider myself first rather than the well being of others (even third parties), they are both sin and represent a flaw in our living.

Christians sin, but they are not condemned because the tenor of their lives is such that they 1) own their faith in God, and 2) want to live as closely to that faith as possible.

And so, God does consider peoples' life circumstances as we try to live as we were made to live.

Answer 6

Life is the way it is because men try to rationalize a God who is much wiser then they. What makes perfect sense to me is that the world would need to have many different venues then the venues that speak of God only.
Otherwise choosing God above all others would not be a free will choice.
I am glad you are not God because you compromise your positions to make things politically correct. The one true and Living God, Jesus Christ, is so rational and sound that he will never change his ways to please others.
Ask yourself this question, "Do I love God enough to forsake all other ways but his?"

Answer 7

Your "perfect" God is not God.
Your definition of "perfect" does not match His. Therefore, your god is a false one, based on human values rather than His values. (And please don't be upset by my answer, many think the same way as you do. People often let society dictate how they feel about sin, rather than look to the scriptures for a pure definition of it. )

Example: Many Christians believe that homosexuality is an abomination. Interestingly enough, so does God. BUT, God also says that any breech of His commandments is an abomination. So, which breech is the worst? People put a value system on sin so that their own doesn't seem as bad as someone else's

God loves rationality. He also loves grace, mercy and forgiveness. But He warns us about the deceitfulness of our own hearts.

Answer 8

Firstly there are far more murders in Biblical times than now. You just sit and watch it in your living room and have access to the whole planet. Crime and murder are actually lower than medieval times, by a few-fold. And rational means you gauge your life with your five senses and your perception of the world around you. So no you have an irrational view if you think there is some all knowing deity ion the sky judging us all and who made the world. Quite contrary to scientific rationale.

I don't want to burst your bubble but that's what Christianity is, a small self enclosed bubble where sure, in it makes sense. But to the rest of the world is far too magical and mystical to be scientifically plausible. Sorry to be mean.

Answer 9

I sounds like the only God that exists...is not the God for you......

although man always thinks what he believes makes sense to him........man is inherently irrational.......and is not as rational as he thinks he is.....he is also inherently weak and lustful and corrupt.......He is also not as smart as God....so why go by what he says?

God is more rational than any of us....we need to trust his judgment, and not our own tainted personal opinions....after all He created the world...he must know what he is doing and what will work well, and what will not work well.....He has standards of holiness we need to meet to be acceptable to Him.....and these standards have good reasons behind them.....

Answer 10

You are trying to create YOUR perfect God, when it is God who created you. I do not understand everything about God but I don't have to. I am a mere human being, He is God. How can I even expect to understand all of His ways... because they are not my ways. That still doesn't mean I don't have to respect His authority as the Creator. He's perfect... I'm anything but!