Hundreds Of Questions About The Christian God

[irmadlad]

Yes, you do, and you are exercising that free will right now.

It's a binary question...either you can stay in that burning house and spend eternity separated from God,
or you can humble yourself and freely accept the salvation that is in Jesus Christ.

Take a chance....Reach out to God, and ask Him to help you find faith...Eph 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

The choice is yours to make. I will continue to pray for you.

RE: Yes, you do, and you are exercising that free will right now.

Not in the Biblical sense, no.

Let's do an experiment. I like doing this because it grounds everything in reality and not the abstract.

Let's say that I do the old "finger gun" at you and make a "bang!" sound. Something very trivial. Did God know I was going to do that? Of course he did because, after all, He is unlimited in every way. He knows all, and all means all, even something as trivial as a finger gun and a bang. When did God have this knowledge? Fifteen minutes ago? An hour ago? Maybe Gabriel sent him a memo that said, "Hey, that guy is going to do that stupid finger gun thing again. Thinks he knows everything." No! He knew in infinity. His very power will not allow him not to know.

What do we know about things that God knows? They happen. Why? Because that is the very way God planned it from infinity. God does not plan things that do not happen. For one, that would prove Him to be wrong and therefore not God. Christians even say the same thing: God has a plan for your life.

Jeremiah 1:5 - "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."

Incidentally, it does not seem to me that Jeremiah had a choice in the matter. If Jeremiah decided, "Nope, I'm not going to be a prophet," then God would be proven wrong. This hearkens back to express, explicit, infinite, foreknowledge.

So, about this conversation. Did a God without limitations know I would be having this conversation with you? Absolutely, if we are to accept the Biblical doctrine. This conversation was/is locked, from infinity, by the very structure of infallible knowledge.

 

[irmadlad]

Your studies have lead you astray.
Faith is not the opposite of evidence-based truth.
Faith is not a leap in the dark.
It does not require us to close our eyes and ignore relevant evidence, it is not irrational.

You have misunderstood Hebrew 11:1, taking it out of context.

Faith is a “reasonable, action-oriented response grounded in the conviction that God’s invisible underlying realities are more certain than any apparent realities.” (Bates, Matthew W. 2017. Salvation by Allegiance Alone. p.19.)

The author of Hebrews goes on to tell of the responses that people of God performed, demonstrating their faith.
They saw what God had done in the past; they knew he is a promise-keeper, and by faith committed themselves to him.

Faith is observed by our obedience to him, particularly in difficult circumstances.

Personally, I have found that trying to understand God and his ways before taking this step of faith, rarely results in believing him.

At 70+ years old, your time is short.
Take a step.... he's given you reasons to believe.

Rob

RE: Faith is a “reasonable, action-oriented response grounded in the conviction that God’s invisible underlying realities are more certain than any apparent realities.” (Bates, Matthew W. 2017. Salvation by Allegiance Alone. p.19.)

Rob, everyone on the planet says this. All 8.4 billion of them say exactly the same thing you are saying. And as I've noted, every one of these religions claims exclusivity. Islam says there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His prophet. Hinduism has its own framework for ultimate reality. Christianity says "no one comes to the Father except through me." They can't all be right. And if sincerity of belief were the test, they'd all pass. So sincerity can't be the test.

 

[irmadlad]

If you will not believe the word of God then exactly what would you believe?

For there to be the truth trifecta, there must be one singular truth trifecta. Not the Muslim version, or the SDA version, or the Mormon version, not the Christian version, et al. There can only be one.

 

[Silverhair]

• Free will defense (Plantinga and others): God values genuine freedom so highly that a world with free creatures who can choose evil is better than a world of automatons who cannot. But as I've noted, this addresses the creature's choice, not the Creator's prior decision.

• Greater good theodicies: God permits evil because it serves a greater purpose that humans may not fully comprehend. The book of Job wrestles with this directly and ultimately leaves the question largely unresolved.

• Soul-making theodicies (Hick): Suffering is necessary for spiritual growth and moral development. The world is a "vale of soul-making." I would argue this still doesn't justify the sheer scale of suffering.

• The "risk" perspective (open theism): Some modern theologians argue that God chose not to fully know future free choices - that God takes a genuine risk in creating. This directly challenges the premise of infinite foreknowledge as I laid it out, but it's a minority position in traditional Christianity.

• Calvinist/Reformed perspective: This tradition actually leans into my framing rather than away from it. God ordains all things, including the Fall, for His purposes. For example, the Westminster Confession essentially states this, but I find this answer morally difficult.

What I notice is that you do not refer to the word of God once but rather to men.

You are looking for answers in the wrong place.

Your intelligence seems to be your biggest roadblock.

We are told "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." for a reason.

You ask for evidence but how much evidence do you need. Most conclusions we reach, even in our daily lives, are based on probability, not absolute certainty.

 

[Silverhair]

Because that is the very way God planned it from infinity. God does not plan things that do not happen.

You are speaking of calvinist determinism not biblical free will.

 

[Silverhair]

For there to be the truth trifecta, there must be one singular truth trifecta. Not the Muslim version, or the SDA version, or the Mormon version, not the Christian version, et al. There can only be one.

There is, God's.

Now you just have to accept it.

 

[irmadlad]

What I notice is that you do not refer to the word of God once but rather to men.

You are looking for answers in the wrong place.

Your intelligence seems to be your biggest roadblock.

We are told "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." for a reason.

You ask for evidence but how much evidence do you need. Most conclusions we reach, even in our daily lives, are based on probability, not absolute certainty.

RE: What I notice is that you do not refer to the word of God once but rather to men.

Fine, that's fair, even tho I've been quoting the Bible since I got here. Here's one:

Matthew 7:22-23
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

So what's He saying? Just because you believe something, just because you hold these beliefs as fervent convictions, just because you believe in the God of the Bible, doesn't really mean anything. Many will say Lord, Lord.

James 2:19: Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Just because you believe something fervently and are convicted about it 100%, doesn't make it true. Just because I may believe the earth is flat, and the moon is made of cheese, doesn't make it factual. A gent by the name of “Mad” Mike Hughes was a fervent flat earth believer. He even went as far as to build a rocket to prove the earth is flat. He ultimately died in the attempt. I admire his faith and sincerity, but he was sincerely wrong.

 

[irmadlad]

You are speaking of calvinist determinism not biblical free will.

The question is this: Does the Biblical God, who says He knows the beginning from the end, know each and every minute thing about me? Yes. Why? Because his very power will not allow Him not to know. If He planned Revelations, then He planed everything. Fixed by infallible knowledge.

You can loop the explanation as many times as you like, but you always arrive at the same place: infallible foreknowledge of a specific outcome eliminates the possibility of any other outcome. The counterfactual isn't a parallel track you could have taken; it's a phantom - a road that never existed because God's knowledge foreclosed it before the universe began.

 

[irmadlad]

What I notice is that you do not refer to the word of God once but rather to men.

You are looking for answers in the wrong place.

Your intelligence seems to be your biggest roadblock.

We are told "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." for a reason.

You ask for evidence but how much evidence do you need. Most conclusions we reach, even in our daily lives, are based on probability, not absolute certainty.

RE: You ask for evidence but how much evidence do you need.

All of it. Every last jot and tilde. That is what the truth trifecta is all about: the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

RE: Most conclusions we reach, even in our daily lives, are based on probability, not absolute certainty.

I disagree. Our planet is round in nature. We don't have faith it's round in nature, we know it is, and we can prove it. The wind exists. We don't have faith the wind exists, we know it, and we can prove it. However, am I to understand that your belief in God is based on probability and not absolute certainty? I'm not trying to trip you up. It's not a gotcha question.

RE: Your intelligence seems to be your biggest roadblock.

First, I'm not here to show off my vast intellect. That doesn't exist. I'm a man who reads prolifically trying to understand that which I see around me. Second, who gave me this intelligence, reason, logic? According to the Biblical doctrine, God did. It would seem to me that I should probably attempt to use it.

 

[Silverhair]

RE: What I notice is that you do not refer to the word of God once but rather to men.

Fine, that's fair, even tho I've been quoting the Bible since I got here. Here's one:

Matthew 7:22-23
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

So what's He saying? Just because you believe something, just because you hold these beliefs as fervent convictions, just because you believe in the God of the Bible, doesn't really mean anything. Many will say Lord, Lord.

James 2:19: Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Just because you believe something fervently and are convicted about it 100%, doesn't make it true. Just because I may believe the earth is flat, and the moon is made of cheese, doesn't make it factual. A gent by the name of “Mad” Mike Hughes was a fervent flat earth believer. He even went as far as to build a rocket to prove the earth is flat. He ultimately died in the attempt. I admire his faith and sincerity, but he was sincerely wrong.

I was responding to your post # 44.

Rather than just quoting random verses have you taken the time to look at the prophecies about Christ. How about looking at how fine tuned the universe is re creation. What about the extra biblical references to Christ.

Honesty what I see in your comments is someone that is trying to prove that his rejection of God is right. I have spent many hours speaking with people that claim to be searching and you do fit that bill quite well.

I asked you this already but you did not give me an answer.

If you can come up with a better answer for creation, prophecies, the death and resurrection of Christ then please provide it.

 

[irmadlad]

I was responding to your post # 44.

Rather than just quoting random verses have you taken the time to look at the prophecies about Christ. How about looking at how fine tuned the universe is re creation. What about the extra biblical references to Christ.

Honesty what I see in your comments is someone that is trying to prove that his rejection of God is right. I have spent many hours speaking with people that claim to be searching and you do fit that bill quite well.

I asked you this already but you did not give me an answer.

If you can come up with a better answer for creation, prophecies, the death and resurrection of Christ then please provide it.

RE: I asked you this already but you did not give me an answer.

I apologize. It was not intentional. I did not see your question.

RE: If you can come up with a better answer for creation, prophecies, the death and resurrection of Christ then please provide it.

Creation: Opposing view - evolution. We see evolution on a daily basis on this planet. If you do not believe that evolution exists, then the next time you go get a flu shot, ask the attending physician to administer the original serum. What has happened? External forces placed on these virus by nature itself and by man, they have evolved and continue to do so, daily. Life wants to live, even on such a microscopic level. It is the prime directive of all life on this planet; replication. If you do not replicate, your species dies with you.

Prophecies: Many, perhaps hundreds of thousands of people have made prophesies. Michel de Nostredame, to name one, made many, many prophesies. Many have seemed to come true, depending on your interpretation. Christians down throughout history, caught up in their weird fascination with numerology, have attempted to prophecy/predict when God would return. They gave away their possessions, which is Biblical, and went to a meeting spot to wait for God to return, only to be disappointed. Prophesies come and go, and they all have their very fervent followers. Are they true? Again, that depends on your interpretation.

The death and resurrection of Christ: Most historians will acknowledge that a Jesus of Nazareth, the person, existed, and had many fervent followers. After that, it gets rather sketchy. For one, being nailed to a cross through the palms of the hands really brings up some serious anatomy questions, even if you had a foot pedestal to push up on. Again, I realize you are convinced and fervent in your convictions. I respect that.

RE: Honesty what I see in your comments is someone that is trying to prove that his rejection of God is right.

In all honesty, why would you even come to that conclusion? I have not rejected anything. In fact, as I've mentioned, I've been reading and studying for a lifetime, trying to find the truth trifecta. I'm not here to agitate you. I'm not here because I have nothing better going on this rainy Saturday. Something, or someone in your past brought enough reasonable evidence to convince you. So, I'm asking that you bring the same reasonable evidence to me. Not just 'Read your Bible, God will reveal Himself.' I think it should be obvious at this point, I've actually cracked the binding of a Bible at least once or twice.

Thank you for your time and comment.