Ask A Christian

[SirJamesaford]

I just dont get what he said...

[PANZERCATWAGON]

He's saying that if I had seen how some other Christians have behaved that he's seen I would believe he is a hippy of Christians too.

I think.

[{LAW} Gamer_2k4]

Evolution and creation are both compatible with Christianity and the Bible. The Genesis is not to be taken literally, it's a religious text, not a science one. It was a book some guys wrote to explain the basic points of the relationship that exists between God and the creation, between man and women, etc.

So basically, you just pick and choose which parts of the Bible you think are literal, and which are metaphorical?  So you can feel completely justified in becoming a serial killer, simply because "Thou shalt not murder" can be interpreted as a metaphor?

If you don't agree with parts of a religion, maybe you SHOULDN'T BE IN THAT RELIGION.  You don't just get to say "Nah, God didn't really mean that part."  Never mind that the Bible continues to make references to a six day creation, or the flood, or the fall of man, or Abraham, or anything else in Genesis.  Never mind that the Bible says that ALL scripture is the inspired work of God.  "I don't like it, so it can't be true."  Good luck with that argument anywhere else.

[LtKillroy]

Well, I think that the 6 days God created the world in IS metaphorical like Jesus' parables and the entire book of Revalation. It does not say how the world was made and I think the time was kind of a metaphor. But, on the other hand, it does say 6 days, so many think that just means 6 24 hr days. Personally I don't think it matters very much and I wasn't there, so I don't know and neither do you.

[Requiem-]

First off, it's nice to see that you're making this post and putting so much effort into it, better than christians who don't want to have anything to do with violence, or discussions about their beliefs. I'd applaud you if I could

Anyways:

How can christians (does that have to be with a capital C?) believe in life after death? Personally I do not believe in any kind of reincarnation, meaning heaven, or reincarnation as the buddhists describe it. For me, death is pretty scary, I just imagine it as being black, and losing all your senses... really scares me sometimes, and I don't really know how to describe it. On the other hand, I do believe that religion can be something to hang on to, something that answers questions there's no pinpointed answer for. But tell me, do you really believe in reincarnation? The classical story about going to heaven when you've lived well, and hell if you've been "bad", sounds pretty naive to me. Death just scares me, I cannot describe it.

Date Posted: July 20, 2007, 12:56:08 PM

Where was the garden of eden located?

How did God make eve from Adams rib when science suggests that males evolved from mutating from females?

I think I remember that the Garden of Eden was located in heaven, and God "banned" (lol) them from that place, and threw them down to Earth. Not sure though.

[Graham]

First off, it's nice to see that you're making this post and putting so much effort into it, better than christians who don't want to have anything to do with violence, or discussions about their beliefs. I'd applaud you if I could

Anyways:

How can christians (does that have to be with a capital C?) believe in life after death? Personally I do not believe in any kind of reincarnation, meaning heaven, or reincarnation as the buddhists describe it. For me, death is pretty scary, I just imagine it as being black, and losing all your senses... really scares me sometimes, and I don't really know how to describe it. On the other hand, I do believe that religion can be something to hang on to, something that answers questions there's no pinpointed answer for. But tell me, do you really believe in reincarnation? The classical story about going to heaven when you've lived well, and hell if you've been "bad", sounds pretty naive to me. Death just scares me, I cannot describe it.

Date Posted: July 20, 2007, 12:56:08 PM

Where was the garden of eden located?

How did God make eve from Adams rib when science suggests that males evolved from mutating from females?

I think I remember that the Garden of Eden was located in heaven, and God "banned" (lol) them from that place, and threw them down to Earth. Not sure though.

Emm no the garden was on earth. You don't have to capitalize Christian, just does it in the spell check. Anyway the belief of heaven and hell comes with the belief in a god. Usually if someone believes in a god then the god has to have a place to dwell. Which is most likely the believers heaven because nothing is really as good as being with the one they call creator. Personally the thought of heaven or hell came to my mind when accepting Christ, read a few posts back I explained a bit more on this point. Also it does help cope with death, I'll admit that. While I don't want to die soon, Christians are taught that we can die soon, young or old. God did not promise every Christian a very long life. In the Bible it says we are not promised tomorrow. So I try to just accept that next time I go run some drunken idiot can ram into me and I die; so I accept it, then shrug it off, and go run.

[Zero]

Well, I think that the 6 days God created the world in IS metaphorical like Jesus' parables and the entire book of Revalation. It does not say how the world was made and I think the time was kind of a metaphor. But, on the other hand, it does say 6 days, so many think that just means 6 24 hr days. Personally I don't think it matters very much and I wasn't there, so I don't know and neither do you.

Actually if you read it in the Greek it says a certain word that means 24hr days (sorry I forget what the word is)

[LtKillroy]

Yes zero, but, once again, the Bible has tons of metaphors and many scholars have devoted their lives to seperate them, yet it is impossible since I wasn't there and neither were they. I personally think it is a rather small part of Christianity and that it is usually not good to argue over small parts of the bible. There is a verse in the book of Romans about that, but I forget what it is.

[SirJamesaford]

We must remember that the bible has been re-written and translated many times...

[Cookie.]

No clue. Evolution and creation are two totally different things...

Okay... Do you believe in Evolution? Or do you think it is not compatible with religion.

No I do not believe in evolution.

Why do you not believe in evolution?  Is it that you think its not compatible with religion?  Also what part of evolutionary theory do you not believe in?

Either way evolution is definitely a real large scale biological process, and it can still hold true with a lot of beliefs about god creating everything at a beginning instant.  However it doesn't fit with the 50 year old resurrected belief that god created everything in 6 days, and the world is 6000 years old.

[Graham]

Creation makes more sense to me. Went to public and private school I learned both, and creation came out on top.

[LtKillroy]

We must remember that the bible has been re-written and translated many times...

Actually if you knew anything in that topic, everytime it is re-written the wrirers go back to the original Hebrew. I know people who read the Bible in original Hebrew (including my pastor) and the new versions are the same almost. Things like the Dead Sea Scrolls validate many of the books because they date back so far.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Scrolls
(I believe this is the right link, I didn't read it all cuz I'm lazy)

[Cookie.]

Creation makes more sense to me. Went to public and private school I learned both, and creation came out on top.

Its not really an either or thing though, you can have both together.  Although it is easier to explain something by just saying "because god did it"

What form of creation do you believe in?  Do you believe in the 6000 year old earth?

[Graham]

Yeah, I don't believe in any sort of mix between the two. Like how some people elieve God made the earth and let us evolve. I haven't really researched Biblical dates, but I do believe the earth is only a few thousand years old, not millions of years old.

[Cookie.]

Yeah, I don't believe in any sort of mix between the two. Like how some people elieve God made the earth and let us evolve. I haven't really researched Biblical dates, but I do believe the earth is only a few thousand years old, not millions of years old.

Its not a biblical date.  It was one person who read the bible and set the date of creation at 6000 years ago midday.

Also do you believe in the great flood?

[SirJamesaford]

We must remember that the bible has been re-written and translated many times...

Actually if you knew anything in that topic, everytime it is re-written the wrirers go back to the original Hebrew. I know people who read the Bible in original Hebrew (including my pastor) and the new versions are the same almost. Things like the Dead Sea Scrolls validate many of the books because they date back so far.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Scrolls
(I believe this is the right link, I didn't read it all cuz I'm lazy)

Didnt know that... i still think that things COULD have been left out either by mistake or on purpose.  Never really trusted any religions anyway.

[LtKillroy]

With that James, yes, somethings have been "banned from the Bible." It was on the History channel the other day. But most of it was just random crap that had nothing to do with nothing.

[{LAW} Gamer_2k4]

Yeah, I don't believe in any sort of mix between the two. Like how some people elieve God made the earth and let us evolve. I haven't really researched Biblical dates, but I do believe the earth is only a few thousand years old, not millions of years old.

Its not a biblical date.  It was one person who read the bible and set the date of creation at 6000 years ago midday.

Also do you believe in the great flood?

Actually, there's very little doubt that Jesus came to earth 2000 years ago, and prior to that, they give the ages of every person in his genealogy, right back to Adam.  So yes, by reading the Bible you can tell how long ago the creation occurred.

And I believe in a great flood.  How could you not?  You see the oceans, the water that it left behind, right?  You see the coal and oil, caused by all of the plants and animals that died, right?  Also, many, many cultures have some sort of flood legend.  You think they just happened to make them up simultaneously?

[SirJamesaford]

I'm just sayin ya never know.  Ya know?  Eh.... i dont know.  Like i said before its been years since ive had this convo.  I dont doubt what your sayin cuz youd know more than i would about this.

[LtKillroy]

I think that there may have been some confusion in years, maybe, because of the confusion of the current calender and whatever they used back then. I could be wrong looking at other translations, but, once again, I think it's rather unimportant and their are more important things to worry about than the age of the earth.