For all Christians out there, what are the hardest questions that you struggle with

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Burning in hell forever. If God actually burns us alive in hell forever wouldn’t that make him the worst serial killer of them all. It’s disgusting how much evil that would take.

Whenever I hear about someone being killed my first thought is I hope they didn’t suffer. But if hell is real then it’s designed for us to suffer in the worst possible way forever.

Also there's the question of why you would want to be in heaven forever if someone you loved dearly did not make it with you but was sent to hell or limbo.

When you go to heaven, you are not the same "you". Your relationships with other people aren't the same. That's what I was told.

I have also recently learned that "hell" is not some burning firey pit, but a place that has the absence of the presence of God, like Limbo in Dante's Inferno.

I thought one of the attractions of heaven is that you get to see your loved ones again. You’re saying in essence we forget those loved ones, it’s all about God.

Because seriously would you want to be in eternity without your child if he didn’t get to be there? That sounds like hell.

At that point, you are happy to see everyone and anyone in heaven, but the relationship is not the same. Since we have can't fathom how this might feel in heaven, of course you'd want your loved ones to go to heaven with you.

How do you know so much about heaven -- what in the Bible says that?

Mark 12:24-25

24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

This is when the dead rise, after the second coming. There's no rising from the dead associated with heaven.

? So you're saying that people who rise from the dead and those who go to heaven via the rapture go to two different heavens?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If there’s a God, how do you explain:

Kids suffering and dying of cancer

The tsunami that killed 200k people in Thailand and Indonesia

Does he just not care?

Oy. This question has been answered many times by theologians. Do your fvcking homework...

No it hasn’t.

No one can provide a satisfactory answer to this. This is why so many Jews left religion after surviving the Holocaust death camps.

Do your f*cking homework.

There is no definitive answer as to why some people suffer and others do not. That’s why it’s called faith.

I am a Christian and I agree with this. It's the honest thing sometimes to say we don't know.

Perhaps the honest thing to say is that suffering is random and has nothing to do with faith. People suffer with and without faith

Yeah but the thing people wonder is, if God is all knowing and all powerful, why did he let the Holocaust happen?

DP.. I asked a similar question -- if God is omniscience, why did he create Satan knowing he would fall and wreak havoc on God's children? That's the mother of questions IMO.

Wasn't the Holocaust a lot of people CHOOSING to rape, murder and steal? God is on record as being against that.

[Anonymous]

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When you go to heaven, you are not the same "you". Your relationships with other people aren't the same. That's what I was told.

Think about that... seriously.

Yes, I have thought about that. But what does it say in the Bible about it?

It says that when you go to Heaven your relationship with God will be restored and will spend eternity in praise to Him. If your relationship with your spouse and children remain the same in Heaven, then your heart would be split. There will be no Eros love, only Agape love.

You can research it on the internet. There are lots of essays about.

Spending eternity praising the guy who threatened to send me to hell if I didn't praise him enough on Earth doesn't sound much like heaven

You are condemned for your sins. Belief is leading to salvation, and Christ died to give you that option. You're not condemned for not believing -- you're condemned for sinning, and not believing gives you no recourse. Look at it this way, God judges you for your sin, but He also came to earth to die as the penalty for those sins, and that's your defense. Try any other court where the judge provides your defense. Yes, I will spend eternity praising the LORD for humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross even though I'm the guilty one. And it will be awesome. You will lose the chance to do this after you die. It would be good to give it some more complete thought.

[Anonymous]

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When you go to heaven, you are not the same "you". Your relationships with other people aren't the same. That's what I was told.

Think about that... seriously.

Yes, I have thought about that. But what does it say in the Bible about it?

It says that when you go to Heaven your relationship with God will be restored and will spend eternity in praise to Him. If your relationship with your spouse and children remain the same in Heaven, then your heart would be split. There will be no Eros love, only Agape love.

You can research it on the internet. There are lots of essays about.

Spending eternity praising the guy who threatened to send me to hell if I didn't praise him enough on Earth doesn't sound much like heaven

You are condemned for your sins. Belief is leading to salvation, and Christ died to give you that option. You're not condemned for not believing -- you're condemned for sinning, and not believing gives you no recourse. Look at it this way, God judges you for your sin, but He also came to earth to die as the penalty for those sins, and that's your defense. Try any other court where the judge provides your defense. Yes, I will spend eternity praising the LORD for humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross even though I'm the guilty one. And it will be awesome. You will lose the chance to do this after you die. It would be good to give it some more complete thought.

Wow - talk about drinking the Kool Aide!

[Anonymous]

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When you go to heaven, you are not the same "you". Your relationships with other people aren't the same. That's what I was told.

Think about that... seriously.

Yes, I have thought about that. But what does it say in the Bible about it?

It says that when you go to Heaven your relationship with God will be restored and will spend eternity in praise to Him. If your relationship with your spouse and children remain the same in Heaven, then your heart would be split. There will be no Eros love, only Agape love.

You can research it on the internet. There are lots of essays about.

It says you are basing this critical issue on hearsay, totally devoid of evidence.

It's biblically based.

Mark 12:24-25

24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

are the angels in heaven asexual? Are they those chubby babies with wings in the paintings?

[Anonymous]

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When you go to heaven, you are not the same "you". Your relationships with other people aren't the same. That's what I was told.

Think about that... seriously.

Yes, I have thought about that. But what does it say in the Bible about it?

It says that when you go to Heaven your relationship with God will be restored and will spend eternity in praise to Him. If your relationship with your spouse and children remain the same in Heaven, then your heart would be split. There will be no Eros love, only Agape love.

You can research it on the internet. There are lots of essays about.

Spending eternity praising the guy who threatened to send me to hell if I didn't praise him enough on Earth doesn't sound much like heaven

That's fine. You don't have to believe in heaven or God. Not sure why you're on this thread then.

Does it sound like heaven to you? Are you saying, unequivocally, that this is what heaven is like? It certainly is not the heaven that a lot of people hear about in church, and no one has ever come back from heaven to describe it. It's something else to be taken on faith.

There are descriptions in the Bible about what it would be like to be in heaven, and yes, that's what the Bible says, we will be like Angels, and that's what Angels do in Heaven.. praising God.

You are looking at this through your mortal lenses. It's not a place where you get to eat all kinds of junk foods and not get fat. It's not a place where you get fed grapes by 70 virgins.

If the Biblical description doesn't sound great to you, no worries. You don't have to go. But to those who have a personal relationship with God, yes, this is pleasing.

Well, if the choice is between eternal praising in heaven or eternal burning in hell, most would choose praising, but it certainly doesn't sound like the eternal reward that people expect.

[Anonymous]

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When you go to heaven, you are not the same "you". Your relationships with other people aren't the same. That's what I was told.

Think about that... seriously.

Yes, I have thought about that. But what does it say in the Bible about it?

It says that when you go to Heaven your relationship with God will be restored and will spend eternity in praise to Him. If your relationship with your spouse and children remain the same in Heaven, then your heart would be split. There will be no Eros love, only Agape love.

You can research it on the internet. There are lots of essays about.

Spending eternity praising the guy who threatened to send me to hell if I didn't praise him enough on Earth doesn't sound much like heaven

You are condemned for your sins. Belief is leading to salvation, and Christ died to give you that option. You're not condemned for not believing -- you're condemned for sinning, and not believing gives you no recourse. Look at it this way, God judges you for your sin, but He also came to earth to die as the penalty for those sins, and that's your defense. Try any other court where the judge provides your defense. Yes, I will spend eternity praising the LORD for humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross even though I'm the guilty one. And it will be awesome. You will lose the chance to do this after you die. It would be good to give it some more complete thought.

Wow - talk about drinking the Kool Aide!

DP.. that's the basis of the Christian faith. John 3:16, and yes, per the Bible, the Angels spend their time praising God, and per that verse in the Bible, when we die, we are going to be like Angels.

You don't have to believe it. We still have religious freedom in this country. Are you in this forum to simply mock people who believe in the teachings of their faith? Should we mock Jews for their beliefs or Muslims?

[Anonymous]

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When you go to heaven, you are not the same "you". Your relationships with other people aren't the same. That's what I was told.

Think about that... seriously.

Yes, I have thought about that. But what does it say in the Bible about it?

It says that when you go to Heaven your relationship with God will be restored and will spend eternity in praise to Him. If your relationship with your spouse and children remain the same in Heaven, then your heart would be split. There will be no Eros love, only Agape love.

You can research it on the internet. There are lots of essays about.

It says you are basing this critical issue on hearsay, totally devoid of evidence.

It's biblically based.

Mark 12:24-25

24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

are the angels in heaven asexual? Are they those chubby babies with wings in the paintings?

As much as Jesus is a white man with blue eyes.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:
When you go to heaven, you are not the same "you". Your relationships with other people aren't the same. That's what I was told.

Think about that... seriously.

Yes, I have thought about that. But what does it say in the Bible about it?

It says that when you go to Heaven your relationship with God will be restored and will spend eternity in praise to Him. If your relationship with your spouse and children remain the same in Heaven, then your heart would be split. There will be no Eros love, only Agape love.

You can research it on the internet. There are lots of essays about.

Spending eternity praising the guy who threatened to send me to hell if I didn't praise him enough on Earth doesn't sound much like heaven

That's fine. You don't have to believe in heaven or God. Not sure why you're on this thread then.

Does it sound like heaven to you? Are you saying, unequivocally, that this is what heaven is like? It certainly is not the heaven that a lot of people hear about in church, and no one has ever come back from heaven to describe it. It's something else to be taken on faith.

There are descriptions in the Bible about what it would be like to be in heaven, and yes, that's what the Bible says, we will be like Angels, and that's what Angels do in Heaven.. praising God.

You are looking at this through your mortal lenses. It's not a place where you get to eat all kinds of junk foods and not get fat. It's not a place where you get fed grapes by 70 virgins.

If the Biblical description doesn't sound great to you, no worries. You don't have to go. But to those who have a personal relationship with God, yes, this is pleasing.

Well, if the choice is between eternal praising in heaven or eternal burning in hell, most would choose praising, but it certainly doesn't sound like the eternal reward that people expect.

Indeed. If people think it's living like you're rich and thin, then no, that's not heaven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
When you go to heaven, you are not the same "you". Your relationships with other people aren't the same. That's what I was told.

Think about that... seriously.

Yes, I have thought about that. But what does it say in the Bible about it?

It says that when you go to Heaven your relationship with God will be restored and will spend eternity in praise to Him. If your relationship with your spouse and children remain the same in Heaven, then your heart would be split. There will be no Eros love, only Agape love.

You can research it on the internet. There are lots of essays about.

Spending eternity praising the guy who threatened to send me to hell if I didn't praise him enough on Earth doesn't sound much like heaven

That's fine. You don't have to believe in heaven or God. Not sure why you're on this thread then.

Does it sound like heaven to you? Are you saying, unequivocally, that this is what heaven is like? It certainly is not the heaven that a lot of people hear about in church, and no one has ever come back from heaven to describe it. It's something else to be taken on faith.

There are descriptions in the Bible about what it would be like to be in heaven, and yes, that's what the Bible says, we will be like Angels, and that's what Angels do in Heaven.. praising God.

You are looking at this through your mortal lenses. It's not a place where you get to eat all kinds of junk foods and not get fat. It's not a place where you get fed grapes by 70 virgins.

If the Biblical description doesn't sound great to you, no worries. You don't have to go. But to those who have a personal relationship with God, yes, this is pleasing.

Well, if the choice is between eternal praising in heaven or eternal burning in hell, most would choose praising, but it certainly doesn't sound like the eternal reward that people expect.

Indeed. If people think it's living like you're rich and thin, then no, that's not heaven.

Heaven is the zillions of righteous people who have ever lived continuously praising God.

He can't get enough of it and besides, he deserves it for sending his only son to be crucified for our sins

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
When you go to heaven, you are not the same "you". Your relationships with other people aren't the same. That's what I was told.

Think about that... seriously.

Yes, I have thought about that. But what does it say in the Bible about it?

It says that when you go to Heaven your relationship with God will be restored and will spend eternity in praise to Him. If your relationship with your spouse and children remain the same in Heaven, then your heart would be split. There will be no Eros love, only Agape love.

You can research it on the internet. There are lots of essays about.

Spending eternity praising the guy who threatened to send me to hell if I didn't praise him enough on Earth doesn't sound much like heaven

You are condemned for your sins. Belief is leading to salvation, and Christ died to give you that option. You're not condemned for not believing -- you're condemned for sinning, and not believing gives you no recourse. Look at it this way, God judges you for your sin, but He also came to earth to die as the penalty for those sins, and that's your defense. Try any other court where the judge provides your defense. Yes, I will spend eternity praising the LORD for humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross even though I'm the guilty one. And it will be awesome. You will lose the chance to do this after you die. It would be good to give it some more complete thought.

I know you think you're making a good case for your version of God, but honestly, reading what you wrote it just makes me feel even more distant from the idea of an anthropomorphic deity.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:
When you go to heaven, you are not the same "you". Your relationships with other people aren't the same. That's what I was told.

Think about that... seriously.

Yes, I have thought about that. But what does it say in the Bible about it?

It says that when you go to Heaven your relationship with God will be restored and will spend eternity in praise to Him. If your relationship with your spouse and children remain the same in Heaven, then your heart would be split. There will be no Eros love, only Agape love.

You can research it on the internet. There are lots of essays about.

Spending eternity praising the guy who threatened to send me to hell if I didn't praise him enough on Earth doesn't sound much like heaven

That's fine. You don't have to believe in heaven or God. Not sure why you're on this thread then.

Does it sound like heaven to you? Are you saying, unequivocally, that this is what heaven is like? It certainly is not the heaven that a lot of people hear about in church, and no one has ever come back from heaven to describe it. It's something else to be taken on faith.

There are descriptions in the Bible about what it would be like to be in heaven, and yes, that's what the Bible says, we will be like Angels, and that's what Angels do in Heaven.. praising God.

You are looking at this through your mortal lenses. It's not a place where you get to eat all kinds of junk foods and not get fat. It's not a place where you get fed grapes by 70 virgins.

If the Biblical description doesn't sound great to you, no worries. You don't have to go. But to those who have a personal relationship with God, yes, this is pleasing.

Well, if the choice is between eternal praising in heaven or eternal burning in hell, most would choose praising, but it certainly doesn't sound like the eternal reward that people expect.

Indeed. If people think it's living like you're rich and thin, then no, that's not heaven.

Heaven is the zillions of righteous people who have ever lived continuously praising God.

He can't get enough of it and besides, he deserves it for sending his only son to be crucified for our sins

Doesn't the idea of eternity scare the daylight out of you? When does it ever end?? Never. That really freaks me out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
When you go to heaven, you are not the same "you". Your relationships with other people aren't the same. That's what I was told.

Think about that... seriously.

Yes, I have thought about that. But what does it say in the Bible about it?

It says that when you go to Heaven your relationship with God will be restored and will spend eternity in praise to Him. If your relationship with your spouse and children remain the same in Heaven, then your heart would be split. There will be no Eros love, only Agape love.

You can research it on the internet. There are lots of essays about.

Spending eternity praising the guy who threatened to send me to hell if I didn't praise him enough on Earth doesn't sound much like heaven

That's fine. You don't have to believe in heaven or God. Not sure why you're on this thread then.

Does it sound like heaven to you? Are you saying, unequivocally, that this is what heaven is like? It certainly is not the heaven that a lot of people hear about in church, and no one has ever come back from heaven to describe it. It's something else to be taken on faith.

There are descriptions in the Bible about what it would be like to be in heaven, and yes, that's what the Bible says, we will be like Angels, and that's what Angels do in Heaven.. praising God.

You are looking at this through your mortal lenses. It's not a place where you get to eat all kinds of junk foods and not get fat. It's not a place where you get fed grapes by 70 virgins.

If the Biblical description doesn't sound great to you, no worries. You don't have to go. But to those who have a personal relationship with God, yes, this is pleasing.

Well, if the choice is between eternal praising in heaven or eternal burning in hell, most would choose praising, but it certainly doesn't sound like the eternal reward that people expect.

Indeed. If people think it's living like you're rich and thin, then no, that's not heaven.

Heaven is the zillions of righteous people who have ever lived continuously praising God.

He can't get enough of it and besides, he deserves it for sending his only son to be crucified for our sins

Doesn't the idea of eternity scare the daylight out of you? When does it ever end?? Never. That really freaks me out.

The unknown is always scary. I was recently in a car accident. I could've died, and ever since then, I've been thinking a lot about death. It's a scary thought.. what really does happen when you die? Even though I'm a Christian, the thought of what exactly happens when you die is scary. You do hear about near death experiences where people say it was a peaceful feeling. So, I guess I can take some comfort in that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For me, it is the biblical prohibition on homosexual behavior, as well as Paul's writings on women in the church. I am not someone who just pretends the Bible does not say things that I don't like. Anyone who has known a homosexual person knows that it is not some sort of "choice," and yet the bible is very clear. It just seems to me to go so much against Jesus' loving, inclusive message. I also think that Paul's writing on women specifically set women back for thousands of years. Why did these things happen? Even if we assume that Paul's teachings were based more on his opinion, how do we reconcile the last 2,000 years? It's a really difficult topic for me.

The Bible is not "very clear" on homosexuality. It is very clear against sexual immortality. There is no mention of monogamous same sex relations. The type of homosexuality that existed in biblical times were primarily heterosexuals who also had sex with male boys. Not the same. We sure don't beat up adulterers nearly as much as homosexuals - which the Bible is clear about adultery being a sin. And the Bible has pretty strict rules about getting remarried after getting a divorce but most Christians ignore those rules. I don't understand the obsession with homosexuality...

And to take Paul's words about women at face value to cover all women in leadership positions, you sure have to ignore a lot of other bible verses where women were in leadership roles (like deacons and prophets) - which I'm sure was pretty radical back in the day.

Read a little more broadly - there is a lot of excellent scholarship on these topics but not from publishing houses where they practice censorship. You don't get your best thoughts when people can't struggle with things that we need to struggle over (like a lot of "Christian" and Baptist books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:
When you go to heaven, you are not the same "you". Your relationships with other people aren't the same. That's what I was told.

Think about that... seriously.

Yes, I have thought about that. But what does it say in the Bible about it?

It says that when you go to Heaven your relationship with God will be restored and will spend eternity in praise to Him. If your relationship with your spouse and children remain the same in Heaven, then your heart would be split. There will be no Eros love, only Agape love.

You can research it on the internet. There are lots of essays about.

Spending eternity praising the guy who threatened to send me to hell if I didn't praise him enough on Earth doesn't sound much like heaven

That's fine. You don't have to believe in heaven or God. Not sure why you're on this thread then.

Does it sound like heaven to you? Are you saying, unequivocally, that this is what heaven is like? It certainly is not the heaven that a lot of people hear about in church, and no one has ever come back from heaven to describe it. It's something else to be taken on faith.

There are descriptions in the Bible about what it would be like to be in heaven, and yes, that's what the Bible says, we will be like Angels, and that's what Angels do in Heaven.. praising God.

You are looking at this through your mortal lenses. It's not a place where you get to eat all kinds of junk foods and not get fat. It's not a place where you get fed grapes by 70 virgins.

If the Biblical description doesn't sound great to you, no worries. You don't have to go. But to those who have a personal relationship with God, yes, this is pleasing.

Well, if the choice is between eternal praising in heaven or eternal burning in hell, most would choose praising, but it certainly doesn't sound like the eternal reward that people expect.

Indeed. If people think it's living like you're rich and thin, then no, that's not heaven.

Heaven is the zillions of righteous people who have ever lived continuously praising God.

He can't get enough of it and besides, he deserves it for sending his only son to be crucified for our sins

Doesn't the idea of eternity scare the daylight out of you? When does it ever end?? Never. That really freaks me out.

It is a strange concept to grasp. When I was a kid I thought that heaven is like one long everlasting church service.