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In order to be totally fair and unbias,I want to begin this blog by approaching this subject from a skeptics or non-believers perspective.
One of the main reasons some people are initially so turned off,guarded and eventually end up hostile towards Christianity(and then so determined to invalidate it) is because of the judgmental and extreme way some Christians and preachers approach them.Some of these people resistant to Christianity already feel shame over things they may have done which might be one of the things that keeps them from turning to God to begin with. So, Being judged is the LAST thing they need to feel.(I'm against this particular approach and I'm a Christian,my self! lol So it's completely understandable when people become resistant when they hear a preachers barking at them, saying they will go to hell if they don't accept Christ)But,seriously,Believe it or not, despite their approach, there ARE sincere Christians who have pure intentions(I know there are some non-believers who might be reading this thinking "yeah right") But there are. Unfortunately, some are a little overzealous and focus more on WHAT Jesus taught than HOW He taught it. In this overzealous attempt to reach people, some Christians seem to forget love and compassion--which is the basis of Christianity-- and switch gears right into aggression and judgement mode(I mean Judgmental in a very negative way. You all know the kind of people I'm talking about.The ones who are all like "You're a sinner! you're going to hell!! Repent!! bark! bark!" lol) This makes Christians come across as self-righteous and arrogant and it gives the impression that ALL Christians are like that. As if we have never made a mistake in our lives lol. And to non-Christians,this can sound very hypocritical.Even worse is, it gives the impression that God is nothing but an angry,vengeful tyrant. This aggressive approach only frightens people away. And, it can effect someone for the rest of their lives to the point where they become emotionally guarded and resistant to Christians or Christianity resulting from that experience.Especially,if they have an experience like that at a young age. And,unfortunately, children are sometimes present when a preacher is preaching one of his or her "fire and brimstone" sermons. I know there are many reading this that have had that type of experience as a child. And,as a Christian,myself, I'd like to apologize. That is wrong and shouldn't happen
I was having a discussion with one of my fellow Christians about this particular approach. She was all for it. She felt that today's society NEEDED this aggressive approach. Then,I suggested something to her--I asked her to put herself in the shoes of someone who has been kicked around,abused(emotionally,physically and/or sexually) their whole life. And,because of that, has no reason or desire to even consider the existence of a loving benevolent God. And imagine someone persuades you to come to church and the person preaching is one of these hell fire preachers we had been talking about. Then I asked her--Do you believe that hearing that preacher will attract that person to or repel them further from God than they already are? She,then, agreed that that way of preaching may not be the best approach to use on everyone.
On behalf of non-believers,here is another question I would like to ask my fellow Christians to clear up this confusion and misconception people have about REAL Christianity-When did Jesus ever judge(Without a very good reason) persecute or even raise His voice in anger or aggression during His ministry? The only time He ever raised His voice and got ticked off was when He caught the money changers and other people committing immoral acts and corrupting and disrespecting the Temple in Jerusalem(Understandably so. Because, this was His Father's house. How would you like it if someone came into your home--or even any public establishment. It doesn't necessarily have to be a church-- and began selling drugs,prostitution and so forth? And the things people were doing in the Temple were just as wrong in those days as they are today). So, that would upset even the kindest, most gentle person.Anyway,the rest of the time Jesus approached people with love and compassion no matter who they were,how they treated or reacted to Him or whatever they did wrong. In fact, When people were about to stone the prostitute, He was the one who stopped them and said "Let he that is without sin cast the first stone". Immediately they all dropped their stones and walked away. Why? because they knew they weren't perfect either. EVERYONE has sin in their lives whether it's a sin everyone knows about or one you keep hidden in your closet. NO ONE is perfect. Then Jesus goes on to tell the prostitute "You've been forgiven.Go and sin no more." No lecture,nothing. And this was a prostitute. This wasn't a woman who just stole something. I'm not saying one is worse than the other. Because,like I said in another post--all sin is equal in the eyes of God. No sin is worse than another-contrary to popular opinion.They're all equally bad whether it's stealing or adultery. And,the great thing about that is, every sin is equally forgivable. But, if every sin is equal in the eyes of God, why do we as Christians JUDGE people more according to the level of the sin (as if there even is such a thing) instead of evaluating and getting to know the person who did it? It's US who put labels and levels on sin and determine which sin is greater than another. God is fair and balanced and treats every sin the same.
God focuses on the heart of the person, not on their particular sin. But, For some reason, some of us Christians tend to get very aggressive(and throw stones,figuratively speaking) right away before we even get to know the person.(I think, for some of these people,it's some sort of self righteous power trip). This is not the way Christ would want His people speaking for Him. This is why I don't approve of ministers like John Hagee. I know many Christians admire him and think of him as one of the greatest evangelists of our time. But,I'm sorry, even being a Christian, myself, I can see why so many people find his way of ministering extreme and controversial and why they would be turned off. He's the "poster-pastor" for the term "over zealousness" lol. Sure, he uses humor at times to "lighten the mood". But, most of the time, he is very aggressive and in your face.
Of course, there are some very stubborn and hard headed people who are set in their ways and who won't listen no matter what because it either contradicts everything they were brought up to believe(or not believe) or it challenges their way of life. And they are threatened by that. And,maybe some of those people need that aggressive approach. An example of this is the way teachers who are strict with students who are uncooperative and constantly disrupt the class. And those same students,later, thank those teachers for being strict with them because they came to understand that it was only because those teachers cared and wanted them to reach their full potential. We've all had teachers like that and we've all had those moments of that realization. THAT, I can understand. But, this aggressive approach I'm talking about should ONLY be used as a LAST resort, not an introduction. Because it makes a VERY negative first impression. It would be like those teachers I mention barking and yelling at his or her students before they even do anything wrong.
Jesus taught with patience, love, and compassion-not aggression. I think one of the first things we need to be taught as Christians is-"Know your audience". In order to effectually and SUCCESSFULLY minister to someone, you have to evaluate and get to know the type of person you are talking to before you begin to minister to them to see whether you are dealing with a person who is willing to listen to what you have to say or someone who is stubborn and disrespectful. For example if you come across a person who is even REMOTELY open and receptive to the message you are trying to send them and you immediately rip their head off with the whole "Hell fire and Brimstone" approach, you are just going to scare that person off lol. Or, they will turn on you and start to retaliate with vulgarity and insults. Which only gives that preacher MORE reason to use an even MORE aggressive approach. How is that reaching people for Christ??? That's only going have that person walking away with an even more negative opinion towards Christianity than before. Which, I think is a VERY legitimate reason for that person to be bitter and hostile towards Christianity. I totally understand. Because I would probably react the same way if I were not a Christian already and was treated the way a lot of so-called "Christians" treated non-Christians. And on behalf of those people-I apologize.
The real shame of it is that, this anger,bitterness and resentment that is caused as a result of the mistreatment of Christians towards non-Christians also encourages people to attempt to dispute the validity of Christianity as a way of dealing with the bitterness they have against it. And then, in turn, give other people the wrong impression about it, discouraging THEM to give it a chance. And that chain of negativity will just grow and grow and grow. Which is the complete opposite of what we want to happen. As the old saying goes "You attract more bees with honey than you do with vinegar." And many Christians use vinegar haha.
But,at the same time, to all the non-Christians reading this,remember-every group of people(Including Christianity) whether it's a faith,a club or any other organization- has a few bad members (some more than others. I mean,look at Congress. And don't get me started on Obama lol) To judge an entire group of people based on a few bad ones is the very definition of discrimination and the foundation on which racism is based on. The majority of Christians out there don't intentionally mean to hurt or offend anyone. But it happens. Christians are human too and make mistakes. Which is why our salvation depends not on how good WE are, but how merciful GOD is by sending His son to die for us.
Anyway, when someone comes up to you to talk about God, don't automatically assume you will be treated in the way I'm talking about. Because, again, not all preachers are like that. There ARE Christians out there who know how to speak and relate to people. Besides,If you are really honest with yourself, most of the time, the only people who react defensively are those who know that what they are doing is wrong or have something to hide. I've reacted that way a few times myself and it doesn't help anything. If you do come across a preacher like the ones I'm talking about, just keep looking and find someone you are comfortable with and can relate to. Because,like I said, Christians are people too and make mistakes. And I guarantee, if you look around, you will find someone who has been through some of the very same (or similar)circumstances that you've gone through and who will understand :-)
In conclusion-- Please don't allow a bad experience you've had with the kind of people I am talking about discourage you from attempting to get closer to God. Just remember that no matter how someone approaches you about God, try and look past their "approach" to the core message they are tying to get across. Because, the "approach" may be rough. But, the message is what is important. And it is the most important message you will ever hear. God bless you:)
If Christians reading this think this comes across as a bit harsh, just imagine how harsh we come across to non-Christians. Kinda gives you a fresh perspective.I just believe that,in order to,efectually,minister to non-believers, we have to make an effort to nunderstand why they feel the way they do. Only then, can we reach them on a more personal and long-lasting level.
This is a question frequently asked by non-Christians TO Christians. Often it's an attempt to stump Christians. Thereby, invalidating Christianity. But, sometimes, it's asked in a genuine effort to learn more about the Bible and the Christian faith. And I thought this would help.In fairness and respect,I must ask that,before you read this, you do so with an open heart and mind. Not with a cynical attitude made up that the Bible is false. If you want people to take your faith(or lack of faith) seriously, you have to be willing to do the same. God bless
Proving whether something is true or not is called apologetics. This word is derived from the Greek word “apologia,” which means “to defend.” There is an entire site called Clarifying Christianity filled with apologetics—proofs and explanations for many Christian-related issues. The focus of this blog is the proof supporting the accuracy of the Bible. After all, if the Bible is not true or if it is filled with errors, Christianity would only be a “blind faith”—something people believe without any evidence to support it.
However, Christianity is not a blind faith. It is the only religion that can prove itself, and a main source of that proof is the Bible. Although it is becoming less common, there are still people who tell others that they follow Christianity “because it feels right” (or use wording like that). This is unfortunate, since there is a lot of evidence supporting Christianity. The existence of all that evidence is one reason I started this blog. We want people to learn about the solid evidence that supports their faith, and have a place that collected that evidence so they can show it to others.
By the way, if you would like some reference materials that are a little more portable than a computer with an Internet connection, a book I recommend is "Know Why You Believe" by Paul Little. This book is available in larger bookstores and most Christian bookstores. Also, the Tucson Community Church recorded a seminar called “Knowing The Facts Behind The Faith.” It is available on DVD and VHS video (NTSC format). If you are interested in purchasing a copy, you can get one directly from the church that produces them at the Tucson Community Church website. They also handle international orders.
There is a great deal of scientific evidence that supports the Bible. Enough that we have a separate page to discuss this proof alone. If you would like to see our science page, click on this sentence.
One of the strongest arguments for the accuracy of the Bible is its 100% accuracy in predicting the future. These future predictions are called “prophecies.” The Old Testament was written between approximately 1450 BC and 430 BC. During that time, many predictions of the future were recorded in the Bible by God’s prophets. Of the events that were to have taken place by now, every one happened just the way they predicted it would. No other “sacred writing” has such perfectly accurate predictions of the future.
Of these prophecies, the most striking examples are the predictions about an “anointed one” (“Messiah” in Hebrew) who was to arrive in the future. About 4 BC, a miraculous event occurred—a boy named Jesus was born to a virgin named Mary. You can read His story in the book of Luke. Starting at age 30, Jesus fulfilled more and more of these prophecies written about the Messiah. His fulfillment of these prophecies was very spectacular: Jesus gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk, cured those who had leprosy, gave the deaf hearing, and raised people from the dead! These miracles and others were done many times in front of thousands of witnesses for three years. About 30 AD, Jesus was crucified (a prophecy) and died (a prophecy). Three days later he rose from the dead (another prophecy), after which He was seen by over 500 witnesses. Since these prophecies were written down at least 400 years before they happened, there is no doubt that the Bible’s writers were inspired supernaturally—by God. To examine these prophecies yourself, click on the link below.
There are many prophecies that can be proven through archaeology, especially prophecy dealing with entire nations. Typically, when God declared judgment on a nation, He would send a prophet to announce to the citizens why He was judging them and what He was going to do to them if they continued their evil behavior. On occasion, God would also tell the citizens how He would reward them if they started doing what was right. The book of Jonah records a case where the Assyrians stopped doing what was evil as a result of Jonah’s short prophecy. This is what God wanted, and God did not punish them as a result of their change of heart. However, most often the people would jeer at God’s prophet and continue their bad behavior—later becoming recipients of the exact punishment that God threatened.
Like other prophecy recorded in the Bible, these predictions support the supernatural inspiration of the Bible. The prophecies recorded in the Bible came true in such a detailed way that they could not have been predicted by chance. Further, archaeologists have evidence that these prophecies were written down many years before they were fulfilled, proving that they were not falsified documents claiming to be prophecies that came true. (The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls stopped the majority of that talk.) Although an entire web site could be filled with this information, I will provide one example—the foretelling of the destruction of Edom and its capital city of Petra.
Click here for an example of fulfilled prophecy dealing with nations
Both the Old and New Testaments are strongly supported by manuscript evidence (the evidence of early hand written copies). The famous Dead Sea Scrolls are one example of the Old Testament evidence. These documents came from the “library” of a settlement founded at Qumran before 150 B.C. and abandoned about 68 A.D. Some of the manuscript copies were made during that period, and some were written earlier (third century BC) and brought to the settlement. Ignoring spelling-oriented (orthographic) changes and similar small differences, the Dead Sea Scrolls match the Hebrew text behind today’s Old Testament, in spite of the passage of over 2,000 years (where one would expect errors to creep in).
Over 20,000 known manuscripts document the New Testament text. This makes the New Testament the most reliable document of antiquity (a document written before the printing press). These manuscripts vary in size from a part of a page to an entire Bible (Old and New Testaments). The earliest New Testament manuscripts date from the second century (100-199) AD These manuscript copies were written in different languages by people of different nationalities, cultures, and backgrounds. In spite of all those differences between them, the New Testament texts all agree. (That is, those differences that we do observe between these hand written documents are occasional changes in the spelling of names or isolated cases of missing or changed words. Still, since we have so many copies, it is obvious to anyone but the hardened skeptic can that they all represent the same text.)
Note: Those minor differences that do exist between the Old and New Testament manuscripts are interesting for academic reasons. They are the topic of a future “in depth” Clarifying Christianity page. (It is currently about 10,000 words long and still under construction—stay tuned.)
Special proof exists for the New Testament, since Christians were strongly persecuted by both the Jews and the Roman government. If the New Testament writings were false, these two groups would have produced a great deal of evidence to stop the growth of this “sect.” None exists. Further, the New Testament writings (before they were assembled into the “book” we call the New Testament) circulated during the lifetimes of thousands of people who had actually seen Jesus’ miracles and other historic events. No one ever refuted the New Testament writings as “fairy tales.”
Secular history supports the Bible. For example, in The Antiquities of the Jews,book 18, chapter 3, paragraph 3 the famous historian Flavius Josephus writes:
“Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works—a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.”
In 115 AD, P. Cornelius Tacitus wrote the following passage that refers to Jesus (called “Christus,” which means “The Messiah”) in book 15, chapter 44 of The Annals:
“Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.”
(This is one of my all-time favorite songs. Many of you have heard it. It gives a real and necessarily graphic account of the Crucifixion in a way that I challenge any skeptic to not be moved by,in some way. It is so vivid that,if you close your eyes,you can,literally, see what Jesus went through, right in front of you.)
Violently they grabbed his arms,
As they tightly strapped each wrist,
With a hellish look stood a strong armed soldier,
Whip clenched in his fist,
Laced with chips of bone they beat him hard,
From his shoulders to his feet,
And it sliced right through his olive skin,
Just like razors through a sheet,
Countless times the blood splattered,
As each in-human lash was given,
Several times his knees gave way,
As his flesh just hung like ribbons
And surprisingly he turned his head,
Though the words he used were few,
The soldiers face turned pale,
When he said "This blood is for you",
Uncaringly they tossed a garment,
Across his weakened form,
And his blood pressure fell deathly low,
As the crowds began to swarm,
They forced him to carry his cross up-hill,
As his face they punched and smacked
All the splinters from the criss crossed beam dug deep into his back
Through lack of sleep and dehydration,
His tongue began to swell,
And weakened by his loss of blood,
This prophet-teacher fell,
When he did some blood splattered
On a man named Simons shoe,
As he bent to wipe it off,
The prophet looked and said
"Simon this blood is for you",
This blood can save a soul,
Heal the sick, mend a heart,
This blood can give you access,
To the very throne of God,
And it still can go the distance,
Through the pain to where you are,
This blood is for you,
The blood of the lamb,
Then they pounded a spike,
Through the bones in his wrists,
Bursting arteries, and veins
And as they dropped the cross in the hole they dug
His body convulsed with pain
Through an agony and torment
That never a soul shall find
He tilts his face towards heaven
With full control of his mind
With more love then any human heard
Before that time or since
He made a statement that to this day
Makes the strongest skeptic wince,
He cried "Father, God forgive them for they not what they do."
And as he gave his life for those lost in sin
He was saying
"This blood is for you!"
This blood can save the soul,
Heal the sick, mend the heart,
This blood can give you access,
To the very throne of God,
And it still can go the distance,
From the pain to where you are,
This blood is for you,
(If you're lost and alone, and your mind is confused)
This blood is for you,
(If you feel like you have been hurt and abused)
This blood is for you,
The Atoning cleansing blood of the Lamb
This blood can save the soul,
Heal the sick, mend the heart,
This blood can give you access,
To the very throne of God,
And it still can go the distance,
From the pain to where you are,
This blood is for you,
The blood of the lamb,
This Blood is for you,
The Blood of the Lamb.
People these days have the attitude of "I'll be nice to you if you're nice to me"(especially on fubar haha). But that's a pretty arrogant immature and entitled attitude. The truth is, in order to recieve kindness and respect, you have to show it. Because the only one you can control is yourself. If you live life with an "I'm gonna get them before they get me" attitude(which is essentially what "If you're nice to me,I'll be nice to you" translates into) you are judging someone by a first impression. What SEEMS like something rude or mean may not always be the case. So you have to get to know the person before you make that judgment.Otherwise, you'll spend your life with an emotional wall up and miss out on getting to know some really great people and creating life long friendships. Sure,there are some rude people out there. But, they are still people. And every person deserves respect and kindness. And if you follow the golden rule, which is "treat others the way you want to be treated", you just might change that person's heart. So, be the bigger person and show love,kindness and compassion to those who may not necessarily deserve it. Because you don't know the kind of life they may have had. They may have gone through things in their lives which caused them to be bitter,hostile and guarded. And,like I said. you have the power to potentially change that person's heart and their lives. There's no greater reward than knowing you made a difference in someones life. God bless:-)
Most Christians believe that there are no such thing as ghosts or unrested souls. There are only Angels and demons,period. Because the bible says "it is appointed that man dies and then comes judgment"- Hebrews 9:27.After that,it mentions nothing about people staying behind.They either go to Heaven or Hell. Not, necessarily, based on the kind of life they've lived. But, based on whether or not they've accepted the sacrifice God made by sending His son to die for us for the mistakes we've made(As it says in Ephesians 2:8,9 and 10-"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.")However, I've found a couple of other scriptures in the bible that support the theory that there are still spirits of the dead who still await judgment till the second coming of Christ.(for example 1st Peter 4:5, 2nd Timothy 4:1, among others). And in Revelations, it's says that Jesus will return to judge,both,the living AND the dead. Even, Jesus, Himself, when He appeared to the Apostles after being crucified and was asked "are you a ghost?", surprisingly, didn't show any sign of being angry, offended or, even, surprised. He simply said " Ghosts do not have flesh and bone as you see I have.". All this information,only, confirms to me that the bible does acknowledge that there are still spirits of those who have passed away who have not gone through judgment yet and won't until the second coming of Christ(some call it "purgatory". Although the term "purgatory" is not scriptural, the verses I've mentioned support the idea that there is, not necessarily a "place", but a state of being, in which people who have passed away are caught between Heaven and Hell, awaiting judgment. Whether it's because they suffered a sudden and very traumatic death or some other reason we can't explain. Then there are scriptures that strictly forbid communing with the dead and, because of this very clear Scripture, many Christians refuse to acknowledge the paranormal. However, what do you do in cases where there is no provocation and innocent people are still being attacked?Like they say "who ya gonna call?" haha. There needs to be people(who are grounded in faith) to investigate these things and learn about them in order to help those being attacked.
As for the program, "Ghost Adventures". I am fascinated by the paranormal and love the evidence that The Ghost Adventures Crew- Zak,Nick and Aaron gather(because it validates life after death.Which,therefor, validates the existance of God.Because, if there is a place we go to after death,there must be a Higher Power to govern over it.) And I commend them for their efforts in trying to help the living from being attacked by evil and violent forces. However,one thing that bothers me about their methods is the lengths they will go to in order to gather information and evidence. I know Zak says that he knows the consequences for his provocation and the rituals he is willing to take part in and subject himself to in order to gather his evidence. But,does he really? I mean, the Satanic rituals, the Voodoo Rituals, witchcraft. There is NOTHING he won't do to gather evidence. It's like playing spiritual Russian Roulette with your soul. You never know the real and eternal danger you are putting yourself in. Not only physically.But, spiritually. And does he acknowledge that the health problems he's having may not only be from the environmental conditions he puts himself in(I'm sure that's a big part of it), but also, they may be from angry spirits and demons he,willingly,opens himself up to? As a Christian, I'm okay with "observing" and "investigating" paranormal events and activity as long as your intention is to learn from the experience or help those being attacked or tormented(in fact,I've witnessed a few things my self.Some good,some bad).But, interfering and provoking something,when you don't even know what kind of spirit you are dealing with can be extremely dangerous. Observing and provoking or interfering are 2 different things. I believe that is what the Bible forbids. And the effects this can have on you doesn't just last for the rest of your physical life. They can follow you into the after life as well. That's why Amy Allen from "Dead Files" get's furious when she hears that someone has been trying to contact the dead for their own amusement or, even when it's to help the living who are being tormented without any knowledge or experience with what they are dealing with.You NEVER provoke spirits. You not only put yourself in serious danger, but you torment them. As Amy Allen once said in one of the Dead Files episodes- each time you do that,you are putting that spirit through the pain they felt when they died, over and over.
Then again,I question Amy Allen's methods as well. She,very often,mixes religions by telling her clients to call in warlocks,shamans,priests,etc, to cleanse their home. I respect everyone's individual beliefs. But, not onlt is it unecessary to combine them all to take care of a ghost or demonic infestation, it's also potentially dangerous. A smart medium would say to have someone who is part of their clients' individual beliefs come and cleanse the house. And what really surprises me is that the clients,often, agree to have ANYONE-whether it's a Wiccan, a Priest,a Shaman, or whatever, to come cleanse the house. I've even seen episodes where,even, a Christian family agrees to have a Warlock cleanse their home! That's like pouring gas on a fire. Again,I respect everyone's beliefs, but you shouldn't mix them. That can do more harm than good. Because different beliefs conflict with one another. And you can't have peace in the midst of conflict)
I've been asked whether I would be scared to stay in a place that was haunted,overnight.I admit,I'd be a little freaked out.However,I know I am protected by a higher power :) Anyone else have thoughts on this?
(I feel it's only fair to warn those reading this-This is a very very long post. So, if you don't really enjoy reading long post, just ignore it. If you are interested in reading it, make sure you have a fair amount of time to spare, haha.And PLEASE comment if you do God bless)
I know this blog will seem extremely long to everyone.However,when you consider the fact that I'm trying to address the questions of the thousands of people who could potentially be reading this,I hope you understand and appreciate why. Besides, if you are serious about wanting to know more about the Christian faith, a long, detailed blog shouldn't stop you. In fact, I hope it will intrigue you and help you. That's why I wrote this-to help people. I don't claim to have all the answers. This blog won't have all the answers. All it is intended to do is keep your mind and perception open to RECEIVE possible answers. Because without an open mind, learning anything is impossible. I put a lot of thought and spent a long time studying,researching and taking notes of many different people's point of view so that I can be as accurate and unbiased as possible. So just bare with me and give it a chance:) And please read this entire thing very carefully before coming to any conclusions.
It's probably best to begin with the definitions of Atheism and Agnosticism. Because,otherwise, nothing I say in this blog will have any credibility.
An Atheist is one who believes that there is no deity. Whereas, Agnostics just don't believe the existence of any deity has been proven or disproven one way or the other(the exact definition is "a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god"). Or, to put it simply- they don't know. Which means they are open to, and sometimes even welcome, the possibility that God does exist. I admire and respect an Agnostics willingness to say "I don't know". I give them a lot of credit for that. Because, sometimes that is the most intelligent thing a person can say. I think the first step to true wisdom is admitting that we don't know everything. And it is their willingness to admit this fact that makes them much easier to talk to and more open to this subject than most Atheists are because, unlike Agnostics, most Atheists are convinced they have it all figured out. Which makes them come across as very arrogant. As if they are more educated and intellectual and Christians(or anyone who believes in a higher power,in general) are nothing but ignorant, superstitious people who rely on blind faith. And many of them usually get very angry,hostile, threatened and/or defensive when you even so much as bring up the subject of God. Some will even take their aggression and hostility so far as to insult, criticize and harass people who do believe in God or even blame the God they CLAIM they don't believe in on the evil that is in the world(usually in an attempt to justify their reasons not to believe in God and their disdain for anyone who does). I've had people who have done that on this blog in the past.The truth is, as an Atheist, it is your prerogative and your right to disagree and not believe anything in this blog. However, you relinquish/forfeit that right when you take it to the point of mockery and insults. I just have a question to those people who get hostile and defensive when the subject of God is brought up--why show hostility or defensiveness towards someone about a deity you claim you don't believe exists? If you think about it, by doing so, you only validate it's power and influence over you. Thereby, validating it's existance. So if you don't believe it exists, or if you disagree with anything in this or any of my blogs,state your opinion in a civil and appropriate manner. Otherwise, don't let it get to you. Ignore it and move on.
Now,I would like to list a few of the main reasons people have not to believe in God, oppose the Christian faith or religion in general. Let's begin with the argument that most of the greatest wars in history have been fought because of religion. Especially Christianity. I recently added this argument and placed it at the top of the list because I started to notice that this is one of the top arguments people pose against Christianity and religion, in general. I can understand why people would make that argument. However, when you really go back and think about it, those wars really weren't about religion. Religion is just the topic- a reason to hide behind to justify the root cause of war.(or to put it bluntly-An excuse) And that root cause is the greed and corruption of man. People can’t blame that on God or the Christian faith itself. We have free will to do good or evil. Wars are fought because of greed, corruption and lust for power of the people acting on their OWN FREE WILL- that is the issue, not religion. So a case that is built around the fact that most wars are fought "In the name of religion", doesn't hold water. (Besides, if you are going to use war being the result of religion, you have to include all religions. Singling out Christianity,as people too often do, just isn't right. And,frankly, just plain ignorant) God is about peace and love. And religion is one of MANY reasons people justify war. Until HUMANITY can get over itself and get over it's lust and greed for power and corruption, war will always exist.
I've said more than once--it's ironic that when terrible things happen such as war,hunger or violence, people are quick to blame God instead of holding themselves or society accountable.(Of course, those are people who at least acknowledge His existence at all. But, the only way they acknowledge Him is as a scapegoat). Yet, when something incredibly good happens that has absolutely no natural explanation, they don't give Him any credit. That's when they want to take the credit for themselves whenever possible. Or, they quickly and desperately reach for some obscure natural explanation(or create one when none is found).
I admit, there are some legitimate reasons for some people to have some hostility and resentment towards Christians and the Christian faith. Such as, being mistreated in the past in some way by someone who calls themselves Christian but misinterprets,corrupts and/or twists God's teachings in order to run their own personal selfish agendas.(people like Warren Jeffs, David Koresh, Marshall Applewhite, Jim Jones and Doug Perry-leader of "Fellowship of the Martyrs" who I recently found on Youtube. He basically tells you that if you are not willing to martyr yourself for Christ or do things they tell you to do, you are not a true Christian. Which is a defining characteristic of a cult. And any True Christian knows is completely contradictory to God's word because Christ already paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we wouldn't have to. The only thing we are required to do to be saved is repent and ask forgiveness and accept what Jesus Christ ALREADY did FOR us.) But some people like to use God's word in order to manipulate vulnerable, hurting people who are willing to follow ANYTHING or ANYONE in an attempt to have a closer relationship with God. And that is how extremist groups and cults get their power. But that is NOT Christianity. I can't stress that enough to those who see that and use it as a reason to oppose the Christian faith. As it says in 1st John 4:1(as well as other verses in the bible) "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
To make my next point,I'm going to look at Christianity from an Atheists point of view for a second.(Just playing "Devil's Advocate" here haha) I know there are concepts and parts in the bible that seem extremely fantastic, irrational and illogical. I'm not a Creationist or a Biblical Literalist- I don't take everything in the bible literally. But, put the Bible aside for a minute and think of all the things we accept as fact. Things we once thought were impossible or preposterous but have now learned to be true through science. But it took someone's faith to believe something was true or possible in order to take the steps to prove it--flight, space exploration, etc. Even the fact that the earth was round sounded fantastic and illogical at one time(and this was a time when people thought we were at the peek of human knowledge). But, it was eventually proven and is now accepted without question. In fact, now, what we find illogical and ridiculous is that we once believed the earth was flat lol. The point I am trying to make is that there are many things, aside from the bible and Christianity, that we accept and know to be true because someone, somewhere once had the faith to take the steps needed to prove it. Just "what if" Jonah from the bible was, in fact, inside a whale for 3 days?(actually, in the original Hebrew texts of the bible, it was just called "a great fish". But, over time, people started to refer to it as a whale.) Scientist and theologians have now theorized that the "great fish" spoken of in the book of Jonah may have not been a whale, or even a fish at all. But, in fact, a type of submarine. Because the original Greek and Hebrew texts of the bible describe many surfaces such as brass and metal within "the great fish" that suggest that it was really some sort of underwater craft. Think about it, in biblical times, people described things the only way they knew how at the time. So "a great fish" was probably the best way they knew to describe what they saw. And God is the source of ideas and insights that are needed for science to progress. So it makes sense that He would possess technology that would be needed to create something like that long before we did. Science means knowledge, and true science always agrees with the observable evidence. As I mentioned in my blog "The Bible is not outdated"-Scientific foreknowledge found only in the Bible offers one more piece to the collective proof that the Bible is truly the inspired Word of the Creator. Scientific research continues to unfold the wonders and mysteries of our universe. Interestingly, there is one book that has anticipated many of these scientific facts. That book is the Bible. Many of these facts were penned centuries before they were discovered.All I am saying is that, before you make it up in your mind that everything in the bible is rubbish, do some digging. You just might find out that what seemed impossible and illogical at first glance was, in fact, entirely possible after taking a closer look.
Then there are REAL Christians who have pure intentions but they focus more on WHAT Jesus taught than HOW He taught it, and that only turns people away. And this question is for my fellow Christians- where in the bible did Jesus ever judge, persecute or even raise His voice during His ministry? the only time He ever raised His voice and got angry was when He caught the money changers defiling the Temple. But, for some reason, some of us Christians tend to get very aggressive in our ministry right away before we even get to know the person. I think one of the first things we need to be taught as Christians is-"Know your audience". In order to effectually minister to someone, you have to evaluate and figure out the type of person you are talking to before you begin to minister to them. Because, if you come across a person who is even REMOTELY open and receptive to the message you are trying to send them and you immediately begin with the whole "Hellfire and Brimstone" approach, you are just going to scare that person off. Or, like I said, they will turn on you. That is how many Christians immediately begin talking to people. Which, again, I think is a VERY legitimate reason for that person to be bitter and hostile towards Christianity. I totally understand. Because I would probably react the same way if I were not a Christian already and was treated the way a lot of so-called "Christians" treated non-Christians. And on behalf of those people-I apologize.But, we have to remember-every group of people(Including Christianity) whether it's a faith,a club or any other organization- has a few bad members( some more than others. I mean,look at Congress. And don't get me started on Obama lol) And to judge an entire group of people based on a few bad ones is the very definition of discrimination. Some of these people don't intentionally mean to hurt or offend anyone. But it happens. Christians are human too and make mistakes. Which is why our salvation depends not on how good WE are.But how merciful GOD is by sending His son to die for us.
Which brings me to another group of "so called" Christians- those self righteous, holier than thou morons who think that being a Christian makes them better than everyone else and gives them the right to judge. Let me just get one straight- we are ALL sinners and ALL fall short of the glory and grace of God. Including Christians. No one is perfect. The only thing that makes us worthy of God's grace is the blood of Christ that was shed on a cross 2000 yrs ago. So, again to those who have been mistreated and judged by those type of so-called Christians, I apologize.
Also, there are those who are quick to debate and refute any evidence or information they are given that proves God's existence without giving it serious thought.Trying to talk to someone like that is like trying to talk to a drunk person-But, instead of alcohol, their minds are clouded by their own pride(pride in believing they have everything all figured out so they can say for a fact that God doesn't exist) and stubbornness. Or,like I said, past mistreatment by those calling themselves Christians. So, anything you tell them goes in one ear and out the other. And some Christians handle that by being more aggressive in their approach. Which only causes that person to become even less open to Christianity.
I think a persons refusal to believe in God or ANY higher power, besides the ones I already mentioned, has a lot to do with the fear of accountability. You see, If there is a higher power, it means we have to be accountable to that power. And, let's face it, most people these days avoid accountability whenever or wherever possible. It also means that we are not in control of everything as some people like to think. And that scares and threatens some people. So they'd rather not believe in it. Personally,I'm GLAD we're not in control of everything.If we were left to our own devices with no guidance from any higher power whatsoever, this world would sink into self destruction much faster than it already has.
Some refuse to believe in God out of guilt and fear of judgment. Perhaps they have done something so terrible in the past that they feel they are beyond redemption and unworthy of God's grace and love. But,trying to escape judgement by, simply, refusing to believe in God is like trying trying to escape the law by choosing not to believe in the judge. It just doesn't work that way. Besides that, God's judgment comes AFTER we die and is for things we haven't confessed and asked forgiveness for.(of course, everything we do has it's consequences-whether for good or bad. And God will allow us to reap the consequences of our actions either as a lesson to learn or a reward) When you go to God and ask for forgiveness for something you did, He's not focusing on your sin. What God is focused on at that point is what is in your heart-your integrity based on how long it took you to come to Him and ask to be forgiven. And God is so much more than judge. He's our Father who loves us more than we as humans could ever comprehend. As human beings, our love for one another is conditional and has it's limits. But God's love is unconditional and has no limits. So, for those of you beating yourselves up over something you did-you should know that what ever you do cannot separate you from that love and is not bad enough to be unforgivable. However, you have to be willing to ASK for that forgiveness. God can give you anything. But, we have to be willing to humble ourselves and ACKNOWLEDGE Him and that He has the authority and power to forgive us in order for that to take effect. Our problem is not that what we did was so terrible that God can't forgive us. It's that it was so terrible in OUR eyes that we aren't able to forgive OURSELVES. Until we stop putting ourselves and our judgment about ourselves above God's authority, His forgiveness will never give us the release from the guilt that it was mean't to give us.
People who don't believe in God like to argue that the God Christians believe in is just a vengeful, angry tyrant who takes joy in taking His wrath and anger out on people. But,if that's what they think, they haven't read the whole bible. Which is another thing many people who don't believe in God are good at- they only read what supports their ideas and reasons not to believe in God. Everything else is just an inconvenience so they, simply, discard it.) The reason being that,once they they decide they have enough information to confirm that which they believe to be true, they stop processing any more information because they weren't really,sincerely, looking for reasons to believe in God,they were looking for reasons NOT to. More of the bible is about God's love than His wrath. His wrath only comes in when our stubbornness and pride cause us to turn from Him. Because when we turn from God, we deny ourselves His love and protection which allows us to be easily deceived and tempted to do things that will cause harm to ourselves and others.(The recent shootings and bombings in the U.S. are tragic examples of that) So, it only makes sense that God would be angry when that happens. When things like that happen, people ask "Where was God?". But the real question should be "where were we?". We kicked God out of our schools and prohibited prayer and bibles in most places. So, it's no wonder things like that happen. The simple fact is that you will never have all the answers about God and His existence and His purpose for why things happen. But that is no reason to give up. Not everything in life is always clear and easy to understand. Getting your education seems difficult and even pointless at times. But, is that a legitimate reason to give up? no. And, in the end, you are given something priceless that no one can take from you-knowledge. Christianity is a life long journey. It's not something you can give up on the moment it doesn't work for you, you don't understand it or when you find something that (at first) invalidates it. Because if you keep digging, you'll eventually find out that what you thought invalidated it actually confirms it. And at the end of that journey, you get more than you could ever imagine and that no one can take from you. Also, when we deny the existence of God, we deny ourselves a great friend in our times of loneliness and need.
By now, some of you are thinking "this blog is too long and not worth reading." At the beginning of this, I acknowledged it is quite long. And, Some people have told me that the reason some people won't finish reading it or won't read it at all, is because of that. But, if a person was genuinely determined to find answers,they would read anything no matter how long it is. Unless of course, like I said, it ends up not supporting their ideas and what they already believe to be true. If that's the case, then it's just not worth their time. The fact that it's too long is just a convenient excuse. I'm not claiming to have all the right answers. I just think that when someone really wants to know more about something, they shouldn't let the fact that it's too long, stop them from from getting the information they seek. I really hope more people take 10 or 15 minutes out of their busy schedules give it a chance. Because this is, certainly, a subject that is worth the time:)
Last and, certainly not least,there are those who only believe in God at their own convenience-that is, when it benefits them. For example, a person might say "okay,God, if you do exist" followed by a laundry list of demands. And then when that person doesn't get what they want when they want it, they say "See? He doesn't exist." What those people don't understand is that God answers prayer based on what will benefit us in the long run.Not based on what we want or think we need at that immediate point in time.
The following is a conversation I had with an Agnostic woman about Christianity. The question behind it was not really whether God existed or not, so much as the question of- "if" God did exist and you had to live by a certain set of morals and guidelines and did not accept the gift offered to you that would save you from the consequences that go with breaking them(which, in the case of Christianity, that gift was Jesus Christ being beaten and crucified on a cross for your sin.), would you deserve those consequences? And in Christianity, the ultimate consequence is Hell. But, the ultimate reward is eternal life through Jesus Christ. No other deity in any other religion has ever paid the price for salvation by laying down their life as Christ did(which, as I said in my blog "Christianity:Religion Vs Relationship", is one of the main things that separates Christianity from religion). And this conversation was not meant to start a debate or win a battle either.It wasn't even mean't to convert the person right then and there. All this conversation was mean't to do is leave the person with something to think about. When you do that, the person will examine his or her own life and make up their own mind. Which is what effectual teaching is meant to do. Not cram the lesson or message down anyone's throat. Some may feel that that's what I did here. However,she didn't. A few days later, she came back to me and said that, after giving our conversation a lot of thought and digging deeper into Christianity on her own, she gave her heart to God.That was the ultimate goal. Although this woman didn't really give much thought as to whether God existed one way or another, she was very receptive and thought very carefully about this conversation. I wish more non-believers were like that.
Now,here we go.
Me-"Do you think you're a good person?"
Her-"Sure, I consider myself a good person."
Me-" Well, may I ask you a few questions to see if that's true? And, just to be fair,I will pose these same questions to myself."
Her-"sure, why not?"
Me- "Have you ever told a lie?"
Her response- "sure,who hasnt?"
Me- "So have I. So,what does that make us?"
Her response- "liars”
Me- "have you ever stolen anything?even the smallest little thing?"
Her response- "yes".
Me-"Me too. So,what does that make us?"
Her response-"thieves"
Me- "Have you ever used God's name in vain?" (and that means using His name as a cuss word.)
Her response- "sure. Every once in a while"
Me-"well that is called blasphemy. I'm guilty of that too. Have you ever looked at a person with lust? (And I'm not talking about your husband. Because I want to make something clear-Lust, in itself, is not a sin. Because, what is lust? Lust is an intense desire or craving. Lust is only a sin when you are "too generous" with it and express it towards more than one person and to those you don't have any genuine feelings for and a deep monogamous commitment with. In fact, it can actually be a good thing within the confines of a loving,monogamous relationship. And it is actually essential for a healthy marriage. If you're married, I have to assume you genuinely love your husband. So he doesn't count haha). Have you ever looked at a person, besides your husband, with lust?”
Her response- "yea."
Me- "well,God says that when you look at someone with lust(who is not your husband or wife), you have already committed adultery with them in your heart. So,By our own admission(I didn't accuse you of anything.You admitted to all this yourself and so did I.Especially lust. I'm a guy,so I can't get away with that one myself haha)-By OUR admission, we are lying,thieving,blasphemous,adulterers at heart. So, do you still think you are a good person?"
Her- "Well, if you put it in those terms. I suppose not. But, wait, some of those are really minor faults. We're not bad people if we slip every once in a while."
Me--" Well, who is to say which fault is greater than another? are you measuring sin by your own standards, the standards of the world or the standards of God? In God's eyes all sin is equal. No sin is lesser or greater than the other. It is always difficult and dangerous to attempt to list sins according to their degree of seriousness. In the most basic sense, all sins are equal in that they all separate us from God. The Bible’s statement, “For the wages of sin is death …” (Romans 6:23), applies to all sin, whether in thought, word, or deed.At the same time, it seems obvious that some sins are worse than others in both motivation and effects, and should be judged accordingly. Stealing a loaf of bread is vastly different than exterminating a million people. Sins may also differ at their root.Theologians have sought for centuries to determine what the essence of sin is. Some have chosen sensuality, others selfishness, and still others pride or unbelief. In the Old Testament, God applied different penalties to different sins, suggesting variations in the seriousness of some sins. A thief paid restitution; an occult practitioner was cut off from Israel; one who committed adultery or a homosexual act or cursed his parents was put to death (see Exodus, chapter 22 and Leviticus, chapter 20).In the New Testament Jesus said it would be more bearable on the day of judgment for Sodom than for Capernaum because of Capernaum’s unbelief and refusal to repent after witnessing His miracles (Matthew 11:23-24). The sins of Sodom were identified in Ezekiel 16:21 as arrogance, gluttony, indifference to the poor and needy, haughtiness, and “detestable things.”When Jesus spoke of his second coming and judgment, he warned that among those deserving punishment some would “be beaten with many blows” and others “with few blows” (Luke 12:47-48). He also reserved His most fierce denunciations for the pride and unbelief of the religious leaders, not the sexually immoral (Matthew 23:13-36).However, remember that whether our sins are relatively small or great, they are all equal in that they will all place us in hell apart from God’s grace. The good news is that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins and the sins of the whole world at the Cross. If we will repent and turn to Jesus in faith, our sins will be forgiven, and we will receive the gift of eternal life.
Her response- "well,I guess I would deserve to go to hell, when you put it that way. But, I don't believe my God would punish me so severely as to send me to hell."
Me-“ 'Your' God? What you're doing there is creating your own God that fits your particular lifestyle. Anyway, God does not punish us by 'sending us to hell.' That's just a poor excuse some people use not to believe in Him--they say Christians operate by using the fear that God will send them to hell in order to get them to believe in Him. But, the honest truth is that, by doing wrong and CONTINUING to do wrong while knowing the consequences, hell is a self-inflicted punishment. We can't blame that on God. Saying that God 'sends people to hell' is like a criminal who repeatedly breaks the law blaming the judge for, eventually being sentenced to life in prison. Or blaming a mother who persistantly warns their child not to run into the street and they do it anyway, resulting in a fatal accident. And simply choosing not to believe in God to escape His judgement is like choosing not to believe in the judge to escape the law-It simply doesn't work that way.
I hope this all Helps.Once again,I am not trying to judge you in any way(As a Christian, I am held to these same standards as I just mentioned. In fact, maybe even more so since, by talking to you about this, I am held to an even higher standard. As a Christian I have to practice what I preach.So if I am judging you,I bring judgement on myself if I don't hold myself to that accountability).I am just giving you an idea of how Christianity works and something to think about. And, I know God's judgement may seem harsh by today's standards of morals and values. However,if you carefully examine everything we've talked about with an honest heart, you will see just how fair and just God's judgement is. (and,let's face it-today's standards of morals and values are so pathetically low, they are nearly non-existent).And God's rewards for obeying His commandments far out-weigh His punishments for breaking them. Even though I dont know you personally,I care about you(If I didnt,I would not have taken all this time to discuss this). And I care about your eternal destiny.You have already considered the fact that I may be wrong. But,just this once,consider that I might be right. Because if your right and I AM wrong,you really have nothing to lose.However,If I am right and you are wrong,that means you have everything to lose.And I dont want you to suffer the consequences of what I am talking about. Remember,God gave everyone a way out-All we have to do is believe and accept what Jesus did on the cross. Once you've done that, God says "I will cast your sins as far as the east is to the west ." Of course, that doesn't give you a free pass to keep on living the same life you were before. You have to play your part in your own salvation.Does this mean you can never sin or fall again and if you do, your going to hell?Absolutely not. All it means is that you have to watch the things you do and TRY your best not to fall again. If you do, you have the assurance to know that you can always go to God and He will forgive you.That is IF you go to Him for forgiveness. God doesn't ask for perfection. All he asks for is humility-which means humbling yourself and admitting what you did was wrong and asking for forgiveness:-)"
Now,in everyone's opinion, does this sound preachy or judgemental?Much of this was written using common sense and simple reasoning based on morals and guidelines anyone should live by whether you believe God exists or not. Remember,the conversation started at "Now here we go." Everything up to that point was just an introduction to the conversation. If anything after that seemed judgmental, I would welcome any suggestions as to how I can improve on getting the point across (within reason). Because this was not meant to be judgmental, just informative. And I care about each and every person I talk to about this. So I would be more than willing to accept any suggestions (whether it's from Christians or non-Christians) as to how I can get my point across without offending anyone. I think I, pretty much, covered every possible scenario in which anyone would be opposed to Christianity. Of course, there is the argument that God just plain does not exist, period. But, before you make that conclusion, carefully examine every other alternative reason I listed in this blog. And HONESTLY ask yourself-- "do I have a legitimate reason not to believe in God or is it just an excuse?" After that, If I missed something, I would be glad to hear from anyone who wants to discuss another reason. I will not, however,alter the core message. And I won't apologize for sharing my faith or beliefs either. But I do want to learn how I can communicate with non-believers better.God bless:) Any questions,comments or suggestions?
This is one of the questions, most frequently, asked by those who don't believe in God and use it as a "reasonable" justification not to. But the answer is simple. The fault doesn't lie on God, His lack of desire or innability to rid the world of pain in suffering. The fault lies on us.
Most of the suffering in this world need not be, but is brought about by the wickedness of mankind. Mankind could easily rid this world of most of it’s suffering if it were not for our selfishness; our sin. We are allowed by God to continue in our selfishness and sin because of our freewill. God is not a dictator.He will not force us to believe in,love or follow Him. God has given mankind this freedom in order to show mercy and forgiveness to those who will choose to repent. When God created this world it was all “very good”, until sin entered. God’s purpose is to redeem repentant mankind from our sin and to then provide for our eternal welfare. Pain and suffering are allowed to continue because mankind’s freewill continues. Why doesn’t God intervene and take his freewill away? Because, again, God is not a dictator, that would prevent His entire purpose for creation. God’s desire is for us to use our freewill to choose rightly and to be redeemed. There have been times when God has intervened in the sufferings of the world. Many more times than we know, He has brought relief in a supernatural way, or relief by His hand extended through His children. Christians have been His means of demonstrating His concern and His love to a sinful and suffering world.
Non-Christians are't the only ones who suffer. Christians also suffer. Of course, their suffering is very different than the non-Christians. Christians sometimes suffer for doing good (1 Peter 3:17). Persecution and tribulation are a real part of the Christians life as they stay true to the faith (Acts 8:1, 2 Corinthians 12:10, John 16:33). Sickness and affliction also strikes Christians (Philippians 2:25-27, James 5:14). Why does God allow His people, as do lost people, to experience these things? Why doesn’t He intervene? I believe He does, every time. His intervention may not do away with the suffering, but it does bring grace in the form of strength for the situation. Consider the many thousands of Christians who have been tortured for their faith. His grace was with them, even to the point of death. They suffered greatly, but not alone. And none have suffered so greatly as Christ who was beaten,spat on,given a mock coronation with a thornbush crown placed on His head and then suffer an agonizing death on a cross which he hung on for hours. And what makes Jesus' death on the cross the most painful death in history wasn't so much that He died and rose again. Because most people argue that if Jesus was God,what makes his sacrifice so great?He could EASILY endure it and then come back from the dead. So it's really not a sacrifice. But that's not what makes His sacrifice so great. It's that,not only did He suffer PHYSICAL pain. He also took the sins of the world into himself. Which means He suffered through the pain of everything we have ever gone through-sickness,disease,rape,emotional abuse,every kind of pain you can think of, He suffered all at once. That was the only way He could pay for those injustices--to endure them, Himself.Through the suffering of God's faithful followers,His presence was there to sustain them (Romans 8:35-39, Hebrews 11:32-40). The same is true for Christians who suffer sickness, affliction, abuse, or any of the many situation that the world, the flesh or the devil may bring their way. The Lord never said that we would never endure pain or suffering, just the opposite. But He did say that He would never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Also, He invites us to cast all of our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7). The Christian suffers much the same as the rest of the world, but he has God’s help.
Recall the account of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). God’s grace was on Lazarus as he lay begging at the rich man’s gate. God didn’t heal him or make him rich, but God did sustain him. Could it be that he was there with purpose? Perchance, to give the rich man an opportunity to respond—to repent of his selfishness. Oh, the many opportunities that have been missed.
I realize that,not everyone will agree with this(although,when you look at it in the perspective presented here,I can't understand why anyone wouldn't) but,to each their own.I,for one, am passionately against it for many reasons. Unfortunately my stance on abortion is the less popular one. But, I'm willing to fight for it anyway. It takes more courage to fight for what you believe in. Even though it may not be what's socially popular. People need to realize how morally and ethically wrong abortion is no matter what your spiritual background is or whether you even have a spiritual background. That is irrelevant. Because, like I said,it's not a beliefs issue,it's a moral and ethical issue. I just ask that you read this with a clear mind and an empathetic heart.Look deep down and search your conscience. Especially if you are a young woman facing an unplanned pregnancy and are considering abortion as an option. It may seem like a good option to you. But, the child has already been conceived and, although that child wasn't planned, it still has the right to live no matter what the circumstances were that brought it into the world. Life is not an option, it's a right.
Some people aren't necessarily for abortion. They're just indifferent; ignoring the issue as if it doesn't exist or will just go away on it's own. Because they fear the backlash that comes with standing against something they are,strongly, opposed to. But,this issue cannot be ignored forever. And it won't end until more of us take a stand against it. Life doesn't just begin at birth.Science proves that life begins at conception. So,when you think about that fact, abortion is,basically, just a socially(and in most places,legally) sanctioned form of genocide. So,keep that in mind while reading this.
I recently saw a CNN report on a tragic story about a woman whose boyfriend tricked her into taking an abortion-inducing drug after she told him she was pregnant. The boyfriend is now facing first-degree murder charges for killing the unborn child. He told his girlfriend that his father, a doctor, had prescribed her an antibiotic for an infection. In reality, he gave her an abortion-inducing drug, and the pregnancy was terminated.
This story is undoubtedly tragic, and the boyfriend deserves to face punishment for first-degree murder. However, the undercurrent of this story is working against the tide of abortion-rights advocates. Note with me the inconsistency of the logic of our laws and of abortion advocates.
The pregnancy of this woman was terminated by her boyfriend, the supposed father of the child. Since it was against the will of the mother, the boyfriend is being charged with first-degree murder. However, if the woman had terminated the pregnancy herself, it would have been perfectly legal and perhaps even applauded by abortion advocates. Even if the abortion had been against the will of the father, the mother would have been within her legal rights to have an abortion.(Does anyone else see the contradiction or inconsistancies here?!)
Why is this a problem? The charge of first-degree murder implies the pre-meditated killing of innocent human life. It implies value in the life that is lost. In this case, it is the life of an unborn child.
What makes an abortion elected by the mother any different? The charge of first-degree murder cannot be levied against the boyfriend for any physical harm incurred by the mother. Instead, it is directly centered upon the loss of life for the baby. The attorneys may even argue that the life was taken against the will and rights of the unborn child. In the same way, abortions performed according to the will of the mother take the life of an unborn child against his/her will and rights. Why is it murder for the boyfriend to induce an abortion and not when a woman chooses it on her own?It makes no sense,whatsoever.It's ridiculous and sick. How can any logical,morally sound human being think otherwise?I think this story is only one of the many excellent examples of the twisted logic people use to justify abortion. Anyone with any thoughts on this?Please keep your responses limited to short paragraphs.Makes it much easier to give clearer and more acccurate responses. Then that will lead to an on-going dialogue. Which is why I write my blogs to begin with.God bless:)
If it wasn't for Bruce lee, people like Jackie Chan,Chuck Norris, Jet Li, Jean Claude Van Damme and so on, would not be the martial artists they are today because their styles all originate from his. Bruce Lee paved the way for all of them. If it wasn't for him, the doors that were open for martial arts in America would have remained closed. Beyond martial arts, he remains to be one of the greatest philosophers this world has ever known. He even developed his own martial arts style. How many martial artists today can say that? He broke through racial and traditional barriers that no one was ever able to do. He says, and I quote "Martial arts solidifies what was once fluid and is nothing but blind devotion to the systematic uselessness of routines that lead nowhere." And those words go beyond martial arts. The same can be said about race,religion, politics, and other arts. This world could accomplish a lot if we applied those words to every area of our lives.
In order to be fair in the debate about matters of faith, it's not just the Christian who must be called to the witness stand. Even those who dispute or who otherwise persist in voicing skepticism about Christianity have some questions to answer. In fact, considering the evidence, it no doubt requires more faith to stand outside the circle of those who believe than to join it. To ensure integrity, therefore, on the part of even my readers who are not yet believers, here are a few issues about which you too should be able to give an account.
(BEFORE YOU DISPUTE ANYTHING IN THIS BLOG POST,PLEASE CLICK ON EVERYTHING HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE AND EXAMINE THAT INFORMATION CAREFULLY AND HONESTLY)
1.How do you explain the high degree of design and order in the universe?Even the "Big Bang" would not create the complex design and order of the universe. It would just be random chaos. The word "bang" in itself,implies this. Since when did order and complex design come from an explosion of any kind???
2.How do you account for the vast archaeological documentation of Biblical stories, places, and people?
3.Since absolutely no Bible prophecy has ever failed (and there are hundreds), how can one realistically remain unconvinced that the Bible is of Divine origin?you will find a list of 60 of these prophecies here- http://www.bible.ca/b-prophecy-60.htm
4.Explain David's graphic portrayal of Jesus' death by crucifixion (Psalm 22) 1000 years previous to crucifixion being established as a form of capital punishment?
How could any mere human pinpoint the birth town of the Messiah seven full centuries before the fact, as did the prophetMicah?
» Read the “God's Story” account of Micah describing the Messiah…
Account for the odds (1 in 10 to the 157th power) that even just 48 (of 300) Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in one person, i.e Jesus.
» More about statistical odds surrounding Jesus Christ Go
» What messianic prophecies were fulfilled by Christ? Answer
» More about messianic prophecies
How was it possible for the Old Testament prophet Isaiah to have predicted the virgin birth of Jesus (Isaiah 7:14) 700 years before it occurred?
» Read the “God's Story” account of the prophets describing the Savior
» Is the virgin birth a myth?
5.How can anyone doubt the reliability of Scripture considering the number and proximity to originals of its many copied manuscripts?
» Read about the importance of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls /Discovering the Bible videos explain the manuscript evidence and much more
6.If the Bible is not true, why is it so universally regarded as the 'Good Book'?» How can I know if the Bible is true?… / Is the Bible truth or tabloid? /Can the Bible be infallible if it is written by fallible humans?
Are you aware that the Old Testament alone claims to be God's inspired word at least 2600 times?
Did you know that the Bible has been the number one best-seller every year since the 1436 invention of the Gutenberg printing press?
» The Bible—an amazing book…
7.Why have so many of history's greatest thinkers been believers? Have you ever wondered why thousands of intelligent scientists, living and dead, have been men and women of great faith?
8.How do you account for the origin of life considering the irreducible complexity of its essential components?
» Learn more about the origin of life…
9.How can the Second Law of Thermodynamics be reconciled with progressive, naturalistic evolutionary theory?» Second Law of Thermodynamics - Does this basic law of nature prevent Evolution?…
10.How do you reconcile the existence of human intelligence with naturalism and the Law of Entropy?
11.Why does the Bible alone, of all of the world's 'holy' books, contain such detailed prophecies of future events?» Learn more about the Bible…
12.Is it possible that your unbelief in God is actually an unwillingness to submit to Him?
» God's plan
13.Are you aware that every alleged Bible contradiction has been answered in an intelligible and credible manner?» More about Bible contradictions…
14.What do you say about the hundreds of scholarly books that carefully document the veracity and reliability of the Bible?
15 Why and how has the Bible survived and even flourished in spite of centuries of worldwide attempts to destroy and ban its message?» Recommended resource: The Indestructible Book (video)…
16.How do you explain the empty tomb of Jesus in light of all the evidence that has now proven essentially irrefutable for twenty centuries?» Is the resurrection a myth? / Did Christ really rise from the dead? /Were the witnesses hallucinating?
17.If Jesus did not actually die and rise from the dead, how could He (in His condition) have circumvented all of the security measures in place at His tomb?» Did Jesus really die? / How did Jesus die? / What is crucifixion?
18.How can one realistically discount the testimony of over 500 witnesses to a living Jesus following His crucifixion (see 1 Corinthians 15:6)?» Maybe the witnesses were just seeing things?…
19.Is your unbelief in a perfect God possibly the result of a bad experience with an imperfect Church or a misunderstanding of the facts, and therefore an unfair rejection of God Himself? » Why should I consider Christianity, if all Christians are hypocrites? / What kind of world would you create? / How did bad things come about? / Why do the innocent suffer? / Does God feel your pain? / Goodness of God / Is God fair? / How can a God of love send anybody to Hell?
20.How did 35-40 men, spanning 1500 years and living on three separate continents, ever manage to author one unified message, i.e. the Bible?» Can the Bible be infallible if it is written by fallible humans? / More about the congruency of the Bible / The Discovering the Bible videos explain the amazing authorship of the Bible and many other evidences
21.Would you charge the Declaration of Independence with error in affirming that "all men are endowed by their Creator…"?
