Q & A for Today

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mattrose
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Q & A for Today

Post by mattrose » Thu May 20, 2010 5:20 pm

My men's group is trying to put together some personally made pamphlets for use in evangelism. We're trying to give initial responses to some of the questions that non-Christians may have about Christianity. The trick is to be both CONCISE (people won't read books) and CONSIDERATE (give a genuine/thoughtful answer to the question). Here are the questions we've tackled so far...

Who made God? How can God just exist?
Did God show favoritism by choosing Israel?
If they find life on other planets, is Christianity false?
Why are there so many denominations?
Can you prove that Jesus actually existed?
What about those who have never heard?

Of course, you may not agree with our suggested answers. But I was hoping some of you could give some feedback on what we've come up with so far. We do 2 Q&A's per pamphlet, so each of them has to be about 500 words or less!

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mattrose
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Re: Q & A for Today

Post by mattrose » Thu May 20, 2010 5:20 pm

Who made God?
How can God just exist?

The Question
Most people take it for granted that everything has a cause. If the kitchen stinks, it may be because someone left leftovers on the counter or forgot to take out the trash. But we all agree that there is a reason why the kitchen stinks!

Christians often point out that creation also has a cause. Creation exists because a Creator created it. If you were to find a working watch in the middle of the desert, you would never claim that the wind and the sand just happened to put it together. You’d reason, rightly, that someone had made the watch. The world is much more complex than a watch and so it is reasonable to think that someone made the world as well. This evidence for God is sometimes called the design argument.

But a skeptic might respond, “If the design of a complex creation makes you think there is a designer, then who made God? After all, surely a being like God is more complex than a watch or even a world!” In fact, this is the very argument made by one of the world’s most famous atheists in his best selling book The God Delusion.

But it is also a question asked out loud by little children and, we suspect, pondered by thoughtful adults. Who made God? How is it possible that God has simply always been?

The Answer
If you’re looking for a short answer to the first question (who made God?) then the answer is nobody. God is, by definition, the un-made Maker, the un-caused Cause, the un-created Creator.

But how can this be? How could someone so complex simply exist? The first question is answered by the doctrine of God. The second question wants to know the details.

The important detail here is the wording of the problem. It is not technically true that everything has a cause. Scientifically, we can only insist that everything that has a beginning has a cause. Big difference!

There is plenty of evidence that the universe had a beginning (even most atheists will now grant this point). So what do they think caused the universe? Most would suggest something called Big Bang Theory. But who/what caused the big bang?

It becomes obvious that something had to exist originally without a cause. Christians call this something a Someone: God. God is someone who had no beginning and, therefore, needs no cause. God is eternal. Granted, God’s eternal existence is hard to fathom, but that shouldn’t be surprising. After all, God is awesome!

To our minds, it makes a lot more sense to believe in an eternal God than to believe in eternal matter. What do you think?

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Re: Q & A for Today

Post by mattrose » Thu May 20, 2010 5:22 pm

Did God show favoritism by choosing Israel?

The Question
The Bible says that God does not show favoritism (Romans 2:11), but this seems to contradict the fact that God specifically made a covenant with the people of Israel in the Old Testament. As a British journalist once wrote: How odd of God to choose the Jews. Is this an inconsistency?

The Answer
Most everyone who thinks God’s fairness is brought into question by the covenant made with Israel fails to understand two realities:
1) The purpose of the covenant
2) The definition of true Israel

The purpose of God’s covenant with Israel was never to heap blessings on them alone. God said to Abraham, I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:2-3). Israel was chosen for the purpose of reaching the whole world with the good news of God’s love.

By Jesus’ day, many of the Jewish authorities had forgotten this commission to be an access point between God and humanity. Rather, they viewed their selection as a mark of superiority or special privilege. Christians often make this same mistake in regard to their calling, but this mindset was never God’s intention.

Furthermore, it is important to understand God’s definition of what makes someone a true Israelite. Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel, was not chosen on the basis of blood or culture. He was chosen on the basis of faith (Romans 4:3). What makes someone a true descendant of Abraham is not that they have the same DNA as Abraham, but that they have the same faith!

One day Jesus was speaking to physical descendants of Abraham who thought they were part of the covenant on the basis of shared blood and culture. Jesus recognized that they were Israelites in the natural sense (John 8:37), but then questioned whether or not they were Israelites in the spiritual sense (John 8:39). By the end of the conversation, Jesus declared that their true father was actually Satan (John 8:44)!

Paul, too, recognized that some Israelites were only Jewish in the flesh (Romans 2:28, 9:6), but that it was much more important to be a Jew by the Spirit (Romans 2:29). If we have faith, we are truly Abraham’s children (Romans 4:16). It doesn’t matter if we are Jews or Gentiles, if we have faith in Jesus Christ, we are heirs to the promises (Galatians 3:26-29).

When Peter came to know these truths, he was able to say: I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right (Acts 10:34-35).

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Re: Q & A for Today

Post by mattrose » Thu May 20, 2010 5:23 pm

If they find life on other planets, is Christianity proven false?

The Question
Most atheists believe in aliens and it is quite consistent for them to believe in this way. Atheists generally believe that, if the conditions are right, life can emerge from non-life without the aid of a divine being. Add to this the enormous size of the universe and, from their perspective, there must be E.T. life somewhere(s) beyond our present day vision.

If we are alone it would be very difficult for atheists to explain why that is. But is the reverse true? If we do find life on other planets, would that be hard for Christians to handle?

The Answer
Those atheists who think the discovery of life on other planets would somehow disprove Christianity (or religion in general) have always perplexed thoughtful theologians. Neither the lack of life nor the abundance of life would be a shock to the Christian worldview. Let me explain.

Suppose we never discover life on other planets (or somehow proved that it didn’t exist). This shouldn’t surprise Christians since we do believe that the creation of life requires a divine source. Since we aren’t told that God created life on other planets, it is quite possible (maybe even probable) that it doesn’t exist.

On the other hand, the Bible doesn’t tell us everything that God has ever done. It is written to the people of earth. Since we know God was fond of the idea of creating various forms of life on this planet, it wouldn’t shock us at all if God has also created life across the universe.

Thus, both possibilities seem to fit within the Christian worldview. And it seems that both possibilities are fascinating.

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Re: Q & A for Today

Post by mattrose » Thu May 20, 2010 5:23 pm

Why are there so many denominations?

The Question
Christians claim love and unity. But when we look around town, we see all sorts of churches divided from one another. If Christians can’t even get along with each other, why should one be interested in what they have to say about love and unity, let alone God?

The Answer
We have neither the space nor the brainpower to give justice to a complete answer for this question, but there are a few important realities to keep in mind.

First, we have to make sure that we aren’t seeing division where there is really only the appearance of division. Just because there are distinct pieces of property in a geographical area doesn’t mean the Christians in those locations are necessarily divided from each other.
Many churches have good relationships with other local churches in their neighborhood. In such cases, the appearance of division due to separate locations is simply deceiving.

But let’s be honest, a lot of the apparent division between supposedly Christian churches is more than superficial. Many people have visited a church only to hear negative comments about the church down the street or across town. It’s a real problem.

In short, it’s a people problem. Some pastors have joked that leading a church would be great if it weren’t for the people! The truth behind the joke is that a church is, among other things, a group of flawed human beings.

One specific problem is the abundance of nominal (in name only) Christians in churches. A true Christian is someone who is a follower of Jesus Christ (who did indeed call His people to love & unity). But it is easy for individuals or entire groups to label themselves as Christians and yet not really be followers of Christ. Such people might bring division and give Christianity a bad reputation. They often do.

A second explanation has to do with the fact that even genuine Christians sometimes sin and bring division. This is what Paul was addressing in 1 Corinthians 1:11-13. The people of the church were quarreling and aligning themselves with different church leaders (like Paul, Apollos or Peter). Paul’s response was to remind them that they were all to be followers of Christ.

Christianity today struggles with something similar to the Corinthian context. There are people who are more aligned with men like Luther, Calvin or Wesley than they are with Christ. I find it very hard to see a significant difference between the two situations. It was a shame then and it is a shame today.

In sum, then, the answer to the question is quite complex. In most ways, it is a downright shame that Christianity is so marked by visible division. Even if the problem of nominal Christianity went away, genuine Christians must learn to better maintain unity in the face of genuine differences over disputable matters. Christians agree on the basic points of belief and this should provoke a spirit of unity.

As hard as it may be, you shouldn’t let people who are just pretending to be Christians determine your thoughts about genuine Christianity. And, even though it may be even harder, you shouldn’t let the inconsistent behavior of some Christians influence your thoughts about what Christ is really like.

The church, as we see it, is collection of people who call themselves followers of Christ. In many ways, it is a broken institution just like most/all other institutions in this world. But within that institution, there are many authentic followers of Jesus who are truly interested in His kind of love and His kind of unity.

Maybe you can be part of the answer to this important question!

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Re: Q & A for Today

Post by mattrose » Thu May 20, 2010 5:24 pm

Can you prove
that Jesus actually existed?

The Question
It has recently become popular among atheists and skeptics to bring into question the very existence of Jesus. Can we really be confident that there actually was a historical person in the 1st century that corresponds to the character Christians claim as their forgiver and leader? Or is Jesus just another legend that developed over time without any real basis in reality?

The Answer
Before we begin to provide evidence of Jesus as a historical figure, we should stop and ask ourselves what kinds and what degrees of evidence we should expect to find for a 1st century character like Jesus.

It would be easy to over-estimate Jesus’ fame amongst his contemporaries. In fact, his public ministry lasted less than 4 years. During this time, his travels only extended about 120 miles north to south and about 30 miles east to west. There were no TV interviews, podcasts to download from the internet, and he never self-published a book.

In a sense, then, we should be quite surprised to find any evidence of a 1st century Jewish teacher who died in the beginning years of his ministry. But in another sense, if Jesus really was God in the flesh, did miracles, and rose from the dead, one would think he would leave behind a historical trail!
Indeed, Jesus left a large literary legacy. The problem is that most atheists and skeptics deny that the bulk of these documents are admissible as evidence on the grounds that they were written by believers (for example, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John).

But we should question this automatic dismissal of the Gospels. Indeed, believers wrote them, but these believers were also Jesus’ contemporaries and, in many cases, eyewitnesses to the events of his ministry. Very few ancient figures have as much written of them by contemporaries as Jesus.

Even if we dismiss the Gospel records, though, we are not left without evidence of Jesus’ existence. As a matter of fact, we have confirmation of Jesus’ life from 2 major Roman historians (Tacitus and Suetonius) and 1 major Jewish historian (Josephus) from the late 1st century.

Truth be told, even if we only accepted antagonistic sources like those mentioned above, we would still know the following pieces of information about Jesus:

1) Jesus was a 1st century figure
2) Jesus taught in Palestine
3) He performed extraordinary works
4) He was sentenced to death
5) Some claimed he rose from the dead

Thus, when we speak of Jesus as a historical figure, we are on solid ground. To question his existence is valid, but the investigation yields clear results. His historicity is beyond reasonable doubt.

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Re: Q & A for Today

Post by mattrose » Thu May 20, 2010 5:25 pm

What about those
who have never heard?

The Question
The Bible clearly states that Jesus is the only way to God (John 14:6), the only name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12), and the only means to eternal life (1 John 5:11). But what about people who have never even heard of Jesus? Do they miss out on God, salvation & eternal life just because they were never presented with the necessary information? If so, isn’t that unfair?

The Answer
There are 2 issues involved in this question. First, certain people are being thought of as innocent due to level of ignorance. Second, God’s justice is being disputed. Both issues require a closer look.

Before accusing God of injustice, we should be clear about the levels of ignorance and innocence attached to the persons in question. According to the Bible, just because a person has never heard of the story of Jesus doesn’t mean they haven’t been given information about God.

The Bible says that the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). In other words, creation itself points to a Creator. Paul says that God’s existence and even some of God’s attributes can be clearly discerned from creation (Romans 1:20).

But beyond creation pointing to the existence of a Creator, we also have a conscience that points to the Creators moral standards. Across the globe a general sense of right and wrong is agreed upon.

Because people have creation and conscience pointing them toward God, even people from isolated tribal groups are without excuse when it comes to responding to God’s natural revelation.

The question becomes, if a tribal member did respond positively to creation and conscience, could they be saved despite their ignorance of Jesus? The Bible doesn’t address this question directly, but the answer may very well be yes!

If God chooses to save such a person, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they found some other way to be saved than by Jesus. It may simply mean that Jesus saves them despite their ignorance of His name. Just because they were ignorant of Jesus doesn’t mean Jesus was ignorant of them. The Bible says that Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). If they were seeking truth, they were seeking Jesus all along!

In the end, we can trust that God will make the right decisions. God knows our limitations. He will judge people according to how they have responded to the revelation they did receive (Proverbs 24:12).

Not all Christians would agree with this response to the question. But from our point of view, this answer makes the most sense of God and the relevant Bible passages.

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Re: Q & A for Today

Post by steve7150 » Thu May 20, 2010 6:38 pm

Who made God?
How can God just exist?







I think it's a question of logic and philosophy and outside of the biblical answer there is no concrete way to answer the unanswerable. So to me i just accepted God as logical one night when i looked up at the stars and just knew.
Ultimately does'nt logic simply demand that at some point there must be a First Cause of everything even if we don't have the capacity to understand the details. We live in a material universe and material things are not infinite ,even most atheists would agree to this. However since God is invisible and Spirit he is not from a material substance , he is of a substance unknown to us therefore his eternal substance is beyond our understanding. So it boils down to logic and a persons philosophy of life.

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Re: Q & A for Today

Post by mattrose » Thu May 20, 2010 10:31 pm

Yes. That's what I think too. There must be a first cause, and it makes more sense to me that the first cause would be an immaterial being than a material thing.

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Re: Q & A for Today

Post by steve7150 » Fri May 21, 2010 7:22 pm

Even if we dismiss the Gospel records, though, we are not left without evidence of Jesus’ existence. As a matter of fact, we have confirmation of Jesus’ life from 2 major Roman historians (Tacitus and Suetonius) and 1 major Jewish historian (Josephus) from the late 1st century.





True but the militant atheist will deny either that the letters are authentic or else he will deny the references in the Roman letters really refer to Jesus since he is called something like "Cristos".
There is also a reference to him in the Talmud where they derisively call him "Yeshu" , spitefully refusing to use his real name. They even acknowledge his miracles but claim Satan gave him the ability. They claim he tried to lead Israel astray.

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