While recent studies show that the acceptance of evolution is the #1 reason for youths rejecting the Christian faith, the most often cited excuse for adults is pain, suffering, and death in the world. Both of course have an abundance of available evidence countering the alleged reasons for discrediting the Bible and related faith in God, but too many people either aren't exposed to this material or choose to remain skeptical out of a willful choice of the heart, rather than reason. I've found that false, man made religions have many serious flaws or deficiencies that cannot be reasonably answered by the proponents of that faith. For instance: Mormonism cannot refute it's complete lack of archaeological evidence for the Book of Mormon or fraudulent history of its Book of Abraham. Jehovah's Witnesses cannot refute the multiple false prophesies of end times documented by its founders Charles Russell and Joseph Rutherford. Atheism cannot refute its naturalistic inconsistencies with present known laws of science - like a big bang model that contradicts the Law of Causation and 2 Laws of Thermodynamics, a start of life from non-life model that contradicts the Law of Biogenesis, an evolutionary DNA process of life that contradicts the Laws of Information Theory, and an evolutionary survival of the fittest mandate that contradicts our presence of a conscious. Christianity is different, as would be expected if it is in fact true. While there is more criticism (and persecution) charged against it than any other faith in the world today, the past 100 years of apologetics work has produced an immense amount of material addressing all of the supposed Bible contradictions and philosophical, theological, and scientific issues. The more we learn from archaeology, history, science, manuscript discoveries, and scriptural textual analysis, the more the Bible shines as true. So how's this tie to the point of pain, suffering, and death in the world? It's just one of the many excuses used by unbelievers to justify their unbelief. We HAVE answers to this major issue, just like the other issues, but the skeptic rejects the answers because of a commitment to a world view. To someone with an open heart to the existence of God, the multitude of answers to pain and suffering in the world may not bring relief to a broken heart from a lost one, but it can provide a rationale to it that allows a logical faith. In no case, is the Christian expected to set aside reason for faith. The two go together, and not "liking" the answers to a tough Bibilcal issue, does not rationally effect a no-existance for God. For any believer or fence sitting prospect struggling with this particular issue, I have several good articles to share. A few hours on the topic, learning the various reasons for evil, pain, and suffering in the world, should provide some helpful understanding and faith reconciliation.
God's word is perfect. It's the mistranslations and doctrinal mistakes of men that cause confusion. That was done on purpose, of course, by the original deceiver and his minions. These questions are easily answered but the answers not generally well accepted as they fly in the face of modern customs and understanding.
The Father is Well Pleased, and Planned, to Reveal the ANswers (Salvation and Healing) to little children, as Jesus says "this is His Good Pleasure So To Do". Same with Salvation and Healing today.
@Jeff Elohim Just what IS Salvation and Healing? These are not concretely viable conditions, but rather rhetorilogical ones? Can a Heathen such as I avail himself of their wonders? Frank
@Frank Sanoica Context A Brother who Sins …Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them. ” Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?”… Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times! Berean Study Bible · Download "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish." At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
My understanding is with God all things are possible including the impossible for man. Jesus said we are forgiven by grace, the jews also had a verse about changing your ways, though your sins be like scarlet, as far as the east from the west, north from the south, I will forgive you, if you change. my Para quote. Jesus’ answer is the basis of the gospel: "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God" (Matthew 19:26). Men are saved through God’s gifts of grace, mercy, and faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Nothing we do earns salvation for us. It is the poor in spirit who inherit the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:3), those who recognize their spiritual poverty and their utter inability to do anything to justify themselves to a holy God. The rich man so often is blind to his spiritual poverty because he is proud of his accomplishments and has contented himself with his wealth. He is as likely to humble himself before God as a camel is to crawl through the eye of a needle. I also studied that we are fallen angels and put down here for our rejection of Gods way. I do know without a doubt there is a spirit world. How much we will know is a question of mine.
None of us here have any hard facts on all the bible stories....My grandson raised pretty non religious but went to church with his dad and other grandmother and then it all stopped as the elders are gone now and now I hear he is seeking and wanting Jesus as his friend, I believe this is from his yrs at Pepperdine Univ...he can do what he wishes in this arena... I don't suppose it can hurt
I Jerusalem in the center of the earth's landmass? https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=f361...sZW0tY2VudGVyLWVhcnRoLXBhcnQtb25lLTQzMw&ntb=1
Last night on Coast to Coast, a bible prophecy guy talked about the end, the rapture etc....I know none of this stuff as I was not raised with the bible. Author Benjamin Baruch shared biblical prophecy and warnings of war coming to the US. Followed by "ET hybrid" Ismael Perez on the galactic and cosmic history of Earth. I believe I'd rather believe what I heard at a Cal Tech lecture with Steven Hawking and Michael Shermer with the Skeptic Society. On Michael Shermer https://michaelshermer.com/articles/why-i-am-an-atheist/ I
I don't know what the Rapture is and don't feel like reading about, if we get raptured, we do, and again what does that mean? j
I haven't conducted a poll, but I would think that most Bible scholars do believe in the Rapture. That seems to be the best interpretation for 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, where Paul writes: “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.”
Makes me wonder how I would be today if I was raised in a bible world... The 10 Commandments were my teachers....
During my high school years, my step-parents had me go to church every Sunday. I became the only Usher during the early morning Service, as well as turning the sanctuary lights off and on when the Pastor went to his podium to give his Message. During Navy Boot Camp/Basic Training, I took the job (Protestant Petty Officer) of gathering all my fellow Protestant sailors together on Sunday morning to go to church. After that, I basically had nothing to do with church/Christianity until I met my wife in early 2000. We have gone to church together a number of times, including Cowboy Church. Since the Pandemic, we have not, but have watched on tv. For my birthday, years ago, my wife bought me a Men's Devotional Bible and I often read that. We have the movie, Left Behind (2014), and to me, it's very scary, but could happen.