1. If there is a loving God, why does he permit...much less create...earthquakes, droughts, floods, tornadoes, and other natural disasters which kill thousands of innocent men, women and children every year?
2. How can a loving omnipotent God permit, much less create...encephalitis, cerebral palsy, brain cancer, leprosy, Alzheimer's, and other incurable illnesses to afflict millions of men, women and children, most of whom are decent people?
3. How could a loving Heavenly Father create an endless Hell and, over the centuries, consign billions of people to it because they co not or cannot or will not accept certain religious beliefs? And having done so, how could he torment them forever?
4. Why are there literally hundreds of Christian denominations and independent congregations, all of them basing their beliefs on the Bible, and most of them convinced that all the others are, in some ways, wrong?
4. If all Christians worship the same God, why can they not put aside their theological differences and co-operate actively with one another?
5. God is supposedly a loving Father. Yet there is not one shred of real evidence that he has ever answered even one of his needy children's prayers. Why?
6. How can one believe the biblical account of the creation of the world in six days when every prominent scientist agrees that all living species have evolved over millions of years from primitive beginnings?
7. Is it possible for an intelligent man or woman to believe that God fashioned the first male from a handful of dust and the first woman from one of the man's ribs?
8. Is it possible to believe that the Creator of the universe would personally impregnate a Palestinian virgin in order to facilitate getting his Son into the world as a man?
9. The Bible says that “The Lord thy God is a jealous God." But if you are omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal and the creator of all that exists, of whom could you possibly be jealous?
10. Why, in a world filled with suffering and starvation, do Christians spend billions on cathedrals and sanctuaries and relatively little on aid to the poor and needy? (Think of the Vatican and it's million dollar paintings and artifacts and over TWO BILLION spent on defending their predator priests)
11. Why does the omnipotent God, knowing that there are millions starving to death in a parched land, simply let them waste away and die when all that is needed is rain?
12. Why would the Father of all mankind have a Chosen People and favor them over the other nations on earth?
13. Why would a God who is "no respecter of persons" prohibit adultery and then bless, honor, and allow to prosper a king who had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines?
14. Why is the largest Christian church controlled entirely by men, with no woman....no matter how pious or gifted, permitted to become a priest, monsignor, bishop, archbishop, cardinal or pope?
15. Jesus’ last words to his followers were, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. And lo, I am with you always." But after two thousand years, billions of people have never so much as heard the Christian Gospel. Why?
If your answer to these questions is, "It's just a mystery,” you are attempting to hide behind your ignorance. You will receive an “F” on the quiz.
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Charlie, funny you should say this, "If your answer to these questions is, "It's just a mystery,” you are attempting to hide behind your ignorance. You will receive an “F” on the quiz."
ReplyDeleteThe Apostle Paul's letter to the Corinthians 1st Cor. 2:7 says, "We speak the wisdom of God in a Mystery". The Greek culture was steeped in a belief in mysteries. In 1st. Cor. 4:1, he says, "Let a man so account of us as the ministers of the mysteries of God". So, don't question what you are told because it is a mystery and no one is expected to understand mysteries. If you could figure it out it would no longer be a mystery. Paul had all that figured out. When people buy that, you don't have a chance of convincing them that the bible stories don't make sense. You see, it isn't supposed to make sense. The unbelievable then becomes believable.
Jim
The Apostle Paul had a way of turning everything upside down. He convinced the Greeks they were the "true" Jews who had the "real Moses" in Christ. In time they were to drain the Jewishness from both Jesus and Paul. In the USA they are now fundamentalist Christian republicans. Here is the beginning.
ReplyDeleteHebrews 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
Hebrews 3:2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
Hebrews 3:3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.
As you might guess, the devout Jews reacted strongly. When Paul returned to Jerusalem, they tried to kill him.
Jim
Actually Paul didn't write the book of Hebrews, but whoever wrote it was expressing Paul's teaching. Paul did write the book of Romans where he makes this really "off the wall" statement.
ReplyDeleteRomans 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Romans 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
These examples are used to illustrate just how later writers could develop a set of beliefs you mention above. If you can claim a Jew who was from the tribe of Judah wasn't really a Jew, but a Greek living in Rome or Greece was a Jew simply because he believed Paul's doctrine,you can make people believe anything.
That is what has happened over the past 2000 years by those who needed to control people for their selfish purposes. Why does this continue? Because of the hundreds of years of brainwashing you continue protesting against.
Jim
Charlie, this is the one I wiil keep to remind me why I gave up on religion. I wanted to cry when I first read it. I don't think a reasonable person could fail to question the existence of god after reading it, but like Jim says," why does this continue?...hundreds of years of brainwashing..."
ReplyDeleteThanks to you both. I feel wiser for our encounters.
CA gal
Jim said:
ReplyDelete"If you can claim a Jew who was from the tribe of Judah wasn't really a Jew, but a Greek living in Rome or Greece was a Jew simply because he believed Paul's doctrine,you can make people believe anything.
That is what has happened over the past 2000 years by those who needed to control people for their selfish purposes. Why does this continue? Because of the hundreds of years of brainwashing you continue protesting against."
Jim you have provided a good segue into my next blog which will delve further into why we so easily believe downright unbelievable tripe. I can remember writing about it before when I was having an e-mail exchange with a C of C preacher down in TN.