During the last year and a half or so of my stint as a pastor at a treatment center, there were several questions that appealed to my doubt, most of which were asked by patients there. Those questions aroused the skeptic in me, and the answers given by my fellow pastors, who are extremely evangelical, compounded my doubt and frustration.
Some of those questions and answers are:
Q: Why would a loving god send someone to hell?
A: The more you know god, the more holy you realize god is. The more holy you realize god is, the more you realize how much a holy god has to send people to hell.
Q: How do you explain the difference between the god of the old testament vs the god of the new testament?
A: There is no difference; both are loving.
Q: Why would god send a bear to kill all those kids? (2 Kings 2)
A: They weren’t just making fun of Elisha; it was an entirely different, and much worse level of disrespect. It was blasphemy. (and therefore justified)
Q: Why is christianity the only “right” religion?
A: God sent Jesus, who said in John 14, that he was the only way, to die for our sins, so we can be “christians.” All other religions originate from the devil, who wants everyone to reject Jesus and go to hell.
Q: There are many scriptures that state that god will provide for his people. How do you explain the starving children in Africa?
A: God won’t bless or provide for the children of Africa because the leaders of that nation do not follow god.
Q: Why is there suffering in the world?
A: God doesn’t want us to get too comfortable in this world; he wants us to long for heaven.
What are your thoughts on these questions and their respective answers? I’d love to hear from you; please post your thoughts in the comments.
No comments:
Post a Comment