Here is a interesting question? Which is preferable to you, monotheism or polytheism? Your answer can include some variation, of course. What I am interested in is why do you prefer one over the other? Does it matter to you if the religion you prefer is true? Why or why not?
Archive for Religion
An Age Old Question that No One Asks Anymore
What is evil? This from the New York Times brings this question a bit more into focus.
Are the events (the sexual assaults) that happened on campus earlier this semester evil or unfortunate acts excused (at least by the perpretrator) because of mitigating circumstances.
Are Christian Creationists a Threat?
And if so, to whom? Thanks to Al Mohler for some thoughts on this subject. What are your thoughts?
What change(s) in Christianity is most needed?
When I asked a few days ago about the hypocrisy and judgmental attitude of Christianity, I received an interesting comment saying that Christianity should clean up its act. I don’t doubt that there are others who feel the same way but what should be “cleaned up”? How should it be done? What would be the end effect if Christianity was cleaned up as you think it should be?
God’s View of Women
What is God’s view of the sexes? Does Christianity accurately portray this view in its teachings? If not, then where has Christianity gotten it wrong? Do all Christians view women the same and if not, why have they come to different conclusions about the woman’s place in society?
What is your attitude toward Christianity?
Here is a post on a recent study by the Barna Group and comments on the study by Time Magazine.
Would you call American Christianity hypocritical and judgmental? Why? Or would you use some other word to describe American Christianity?
Another question on prayer
If you were asked to teach someone to pray, how would you go about it? What would be the content? What would be your method?
Why does the church exist?
What purpose does a church serve? To change society? To alleviate pain? To eliminate evil? To evangelize the world? Some other purpose?
Does God answer prayer? If He does, why doesn’t He answer immediately?
When does God delay answers to prayer?
Have you ever thought of the prayers in the Bible that God delayed answering and why he delayed the answer?
1. Daniel 11 – In this case, the delay was a vital part of Daniel’s prophecy. God delayed to confirm that the kingdom of Greece would follow the kingdom of Persia.
2. Matthew 15:23 - We find that Jesus at first did not answer the Syrophoenician woman’s prayer but again there was a purpose. Jesus (as well Matthew and Mark in their gospels) used this situation to show the difference between outward and inner righteousness.
3. Psalm 13, David asks four times, how long? There is no answer given in the Psalm but we do find that David continued to pray anyway and expressed confidence and joy in the Lord because he knew God personally as a merciful God.
4. Psalm 89:46, Ethan also asks “how long” but in this case knows that the reason is based on Israel’s unfaithfulness. See also Deuteronomy 32:19 and Zechariah 1:12ff.
5. Job 13:24, Job expresses in this chapter the same sentiments as David did in Psalm 13 but unlike Ethan in Psalm 89, he is not certain why he is not being heard but is simply speculating.
6. Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 had his answer denied or at least delayed until after his death when his thorn in the flesh certainly was removed. Why? That God’s strength would be made perfect in weakness.
7. Revelation 6:9-11 – The martyred saints’ answer to their prayer is to be delayed until the last saint is martyred.
8. There may be others. Can you think of any?
Follow-up on Suffering Question
Response to Question of the WeekFrom R.B.
God does not allow suffering, we allow suffering. Everyone in every
aspect of life thinks they suffer, when in actuality we are as best as
we can be since we are alive. God only created us, we create ourselves.
Thanks R.B. for your response! Feel free to respond to his or my comments, even if you choose not to try to answer the question.
I do have a couple of follow-up questions, R.B. If God does not allow suffering, then why doesn’t he try to stop it? If “…in actuality we are as best as we can be since we are alive”, is suffering just a state of mind and not real? You certainly do not allow humankind to cop out of his situation. What is the best way in which we can “…create ourselves?”
