I've been (and am being) raised a Christian, but as I start to think more and more, I encounter problems (real or imagined) with Christianity. I want to be a Christian - I try to believe. I'm just having a little difficulty...
No doubt my questions are the result of a poor understanding of scripture - or if they pass that qualifier, they've probably already been discussed before. Heh.
So if you feel so inclined - answer, or forward me to other threads / websites / books, whatever. Don't tell me to ask God. Anyone who has seen the film A Beautiful Mind will understand my position in that regard. Having been told what to expect if / when God 'speaks' to me, I end up being unable to distinguish between a creation of my active mind, based on my expected parameters, and some kind of divine conviction, whatever that's supposed to mean.
Anyway, enough small talk, he's my disorganized list of rambling questions.
- Why do people go to hell?
- Non Christians are sinful. They have not been cleansed. Therefore, they can not exist with God. Sure - fine, they can't be with God. Why do they have to go to hell? If god can create hell for Satan and his angels, then why can't he create another place for people? Is God:
(a) Cheap
(b) Not all powerfull
(b) Sadistic, or,
Am I missing something?
- Why can't people in hell repent and go to heaven? Why is it too late?
- God is a god of justice. Is it just that someone should be con####ed to an eternitiy of anguish just because the made a bad choice and died young?
- Why did God give us free will if he was going to:
- destroy us until we turned out the way he wanted (violate it)?
- appear to some people?
- Is god appearing to men in plain and frank terms a violation of free will?
If it is a violation of free will:
- why does he appear to some people though out the scriptures?
If it is not:
- Why doesn't god appear to everyone and explain things frankly and simply:
Why can't he do this and allow everyone to make an educated decision instead of making us take a stab in the dark and hope we didn't pick the dud choice and end up in hell?
I'll skip destiny (derived from God's omniscience) vs free will because:
(a) It confused the hell out of me. My mortal mind just goes around in circles, ala: The statement the the right is correct..... The statement to the left in incorrect
(b) The assumption that free will is an illusion would summon a list of questions twice as long.
If you do choose to answer some questions, please do that. As interesting as your life story since you found God may be, I'm not asking for it. Nor am I asking for you to tell me God = love and quote a cute yet irrelevent Bible verse. Sorry, I may sound a little harsh, I guess I'm confusing everyone with people I've asked IRL so far. Hope I don't scare you all off...
I'll post more if / when they come to me - as I feel as if I'm missing one or two topics.
No doubt my questions are the result of a poor understanding of scripture - or if they pass that qualifier, they've probably already been discussed before. Heh.
So if you feel so inclined - answer, or forward me to other threads / websites / books, whatever. Don't tell me to ask God. Anyone who has seen the film A Beautiful Mind will understand my position in that regard. Having been told what to expect if / when God 'speaks' to me, I end up being unable to distinguish between a creation of my active mind, based on my expected parameters, and some kind of divine conviction, whatever that's supposed to mean.
Anyway, enough small talk, he's my disorganized list of rambling questions.
- Why do people go to hell?
- Non Christians are sinful. They have not been cleansed. Therefore, they can not exist with God. Sure - fine, they can't be with God. Why do they have to go to hell? If god can create hell for Satan and his angels, then why can't he create another place for people? Is God:
(a) Cheap
(b) Not all powerfull
(b) Sadistic, or,
Am I missing something?
- Why can't people in hell repent and go to heaven? Why is it too late?
- God is a god of justice. Is it just that someone should be con####ed to an eternitiy of anguish just because the made a bad choice and died young?
- Why did God give us free will if he was going to:
- destroy us until we turned out the way he wanted (violate it)?
- appear to some people?
- Is god appearing to men in plain and frank terms a violation of free will?
If it is a violation of free will:
- why does he appear to some people though out the scriptures?
If it is not:
- Why doesn't god appear to everyone and explain things frankly and simply:
Why can't he do this and allow everyone to make an educated decision instead of making us take a stab in the dark and hope we didn't pick the dud choice and end up in hell?
I'll skip destiny (derived from God's omniscience) vs free will because:
(a) It confused the hell out of me. My mortal mind just goes around in circles, ala: The statement the the right is correct..... The statement to the left in incorrect
(b) The assumption that free will is an illusion would summon a list of questions twice as long.
If you do choose to answer some questions, please do that. As interesting as your life story since you found God may be, I'm not asking for it. Nor am I asking for you to tell me God = love and quote a cute yet irrelevent Bible verse. Sorry, I may sound a little harsh, I guess I'm confusing everyone with people I've asked IRL so far. Hope I don't scare you all off...
I'll post more if / when they come to me - as I feel as if I'm missing one or two topics.