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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people so cruel to each other?

Because whoever or whatever created us did a really botched job of it.

That's why I can't believe in "intelligent design." No intelligent designer would have created humans with such obvious defects.

If you read the creation account you would understand why we are born with “defects”, i.e. a sin nature.

Because Eve took a bite out of an apple when God told her not to? That's a "sin?" So because of that one of her sons, Cain, murdered his brother Abel, in a fit of jealousy. That's the "sin nature" God created within us because Eve exercised the free will God gave her? So you can read the creation account and still not understand it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people so cruel to each other?

Because whoever or whatever created us did a really botched job of it.

That's why I can't believe in "intelligent design." No intelligent designer would have created humans with such obvious defects.

If you read the creation account you would understand why we are born with “defects”, i.e. a sin nature.

Because Eve took a bite out of an apple when God told her not to? That's a "sin?" So because of that one of her sons, Cain, murdered his brother Abel, in a fit of jealousy. That's the "sin nature" God created within us because Eve exercised the free will God gave her? So you can read the creation account and still not understand it.

These threads are amazing. Yes, if God tells you specifically not to do something, and you do it, that is a sin. What do you think a sin should be?

Do you know the origin of the word sin? It is from the greek for "missing the mark." The "mark" is essentially doing what Jesus would do. So "sin" is not necessarily doing something really evil, but just doing something that would lead you farther from God. Watching the Kardashians tv show is probably sin. Having sex outside of marriage is sin. And so on and so forth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people so cruel to each other?

Because whoever or whatever created us did a really botched job of it.

That's why I can't believe in "intelligent design." No intelligent designer would have created humans with such obvious defects.

If you read the creation account you would understand why we are born with “defects”, i.e. a sin nature.

Because Eve took a bite out of an apple when God told her not to? That's a "sin?" So because of that one of her sons, Cain, murdered his brother Abel, in a fit of jealousy. That's the "sin nature" God created within us because Eve exercised the free will God gave her? So you can read the creation account and still not understand it.

These threads are amazing. Yes, if God tells you specifically not to do something, and you do it, that is a sin. What do you think a sin should be?

Do you know the origin of the word sin? It is from the greek for "missing the mark." The "mark" is essentially doing what Jesus would do. So "sin" is not necessarily doing something really evil, but just doing something that would lead you farther from God. Watching the Kardashians tv show is probably sin. Having sex outside of marriage is sin. And so on and so forth.

I understand the theology but as the thread title asks what do you struggle with, this is one right off the bat. God gives free will then says not to exercise it, makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people so cruel to each other?

Because whoever or whatever created us did a really botched job of it.

That's why I can't believe in "intelligent design." No intelligent designer would have created humans with such obvious defects.

If you read the creation account you would understand why we are born with “defects”, i.e. a sin nature.

Because Eve took a bite out of an apple when God told her not to? That's a "sin?" So because of that one of her sons, Cain, murdered his brother Abel, in a fit of jealousy. That's the "sin nature" God created within us because Eve exercised the free will God gave her? So you can read the creation account and still not understand it.

These threads are amazing. Yes, if God tells you specifically not to do something, and you do it, that is a sin. What do you think a sin should be?

Do you know the origin of the word sin? It is from the greek for "missing the mark." The "mark" is essentially doing what Jesus would do. So "sin" is not necessarily doing something really evil, but just doing something that would lead you farther from God. Watching the Kardashians tv show is probably sin. Having sex outside of marriage is sin. And so on and so forth.

I understand the theology but as the thread title asks what do you struggle with, this is one right off the bat. God gives free will then says not to exercise it, makes no sense.

Do you have kids? I don't want my kids to be robots, but I want them to listen when I give them direction. I love watching them grow and develop and figure things out. But if I say "don't eat that apple, there are consequences," they best not eat that apple. It's not a complicated concept.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people so cruel to each other?

Because whoever or whatever created us did a really botched job of it.

That's why I can't believe in "intelligent design." No intelligent designer would have created humans with such obvious defects.

If you read the creation account you would understand why we are born with “defects”, i.e. a sin nature.

Because Eve took a bite out of an apple when God told her not to? That's a "sin?" So because of that one of her sons, Cain, murdered his brother Abel, in a fit of jealousy. That's the "sin nature" God created within us because Eve exercised the free will God gave her? So you can read the creation account and still not understand it.

These threads are amazing. Yes, if God tells you specifically not to do something, and you do it, that is a sin. What do you think a sin should be?

Do you know the origin of the word sin? It is from the greek for "missing the mark." The "mark" is essentially doing what Jesus would do. So "sin" is not necessarily doing something really evil, but just doing something that would lead you farther from God. Watching the Kardashians tv show is probably sin. Having sex outside of marriage is sin. And so on and so forth.

I understand the theology but as the thread title asks what do you struggle with, this is one right off the bat. God gives free will then says not to exercise it, makes no sense.

Do you have kids? I don't want my kids to be robots, but I want them to listen when I give them direction. I love watching them grow and develop and figure things out. But if I say "don't eat that apple, there are consequences," they best not eat that apple. It's not a complicated concept.

No, not complicated. Except she was beguiled by a talking snake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people so cruel to each other?

Because whoever or whatever created us did a really botched job of it.

That's why I can't believe in "intelligent design." No intelligent designer would have created humans with such obvious defects.

If you read the creation account you would understand why we are born with “defects”, i.e. a sin nature.

Because Eve took a bite out of an apple when God told her not to? That's a "sin?" So because of that one of her sons, Cain, murdered his brother Abel, in a fit of jealousy. That's the "sin nature" God created within us because Eve exercised the free will God gave her? So you can read the creation account and still not understand it.

These threads are amazing. Yes, if God tells you specifically not to do something, and you do it, that is a sin. What do you think a sin should be?

Do you know the origin of the word sin? It is from the greek for "missing the mark." The "mark" is essentially doing what Jesus would do. So "sin" is not necessarily doing something really evil, but just doing something that would lead you farther from God. Watching the Kardashians tv show is probably sin. Having sex outside of marriage is sin. And so on and so forth.

I understand the theology but as the thread title asks what do you struggle with, this is one right off the bat. God gives free will then says not to exercise it, makes no sense.

Do you have kids? I don't want my kids to be robots, but I want them to listen when I give them direction. I love watching them grow and develop and figure things out. But if I say "don't eat that apple, there are consequences," they best not eat that apple. It's not a complicated concept.

No, not complicated. Except she was beguiled by a talking snake.

It wasn’t a talking snake. It was one of the Elohim, God’s original creation. I believe that Satan appeared to Eve in his natural form, an angel of light, and that the word “snake” describes his nature, deceptive and cunning. It’s like how Satan is called a “dragon” in Revelation. Doesn’t mean he’s an actual dragon, but it’s a description of his nature. That’s why Eve wasn’t confused by a talking animal, because it wasn’t a literal snake.

[Anonymous]

^ but the serpent made a good point: "For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”…

So God gave humans the desire to know, to understand, to gain knowledge but told Adam and Eve not to follow this desire that he planted in them -- so they would stay dumb and ignorant all their lives. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. This outcome was totally inevitable, and God had to know to know that. Hardly an "original sin" to want to have your eyes opened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ but the serpent made a good point: "For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”…

So God gave humans the desire to know, to understand, to gain knowledge but told Adam and Eve not to follow this desire that he planted in them -- so they would stay dumb and ignorant all their lives. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. This outcome was totally inevitable, and God had to know to know that. Hardly an "original sin" to want to have your eyes opened.

It was actually “you will be like gods” but that’s a totally different theological discussion. Adam and Eve never would have needed to eat the fruit to have knowledge. Why God let the Fall happen is a mystery though, but there is a purpose for it. The Bible says it won’t be revealed to us until heaven.

[Anonymous]

Why are so many Christians racist? I wonder why racists have hijacked Christianity here in America into something ugly and vile. It could be difficult to cope sometimes because so many Christians are bigots and many attend segregated churches. There seems to be no push for unity within Christian circles. Hate has really poisioned many Christians and it makes me want to disassociate myself from that type of evil. Why does a loving God allow his followers to dilute and destroy the teachings of Christ?

This may sound crazy, but I think Christ or the teachings of Christ have left many churches long time ago. Christianity has now become a money making business venture for those who prey on the weak or a political pawn which disrupts society. Sometimes I wonder, "Why God?" I am slowly loosing faith in God because evil has took over the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are so many Christians racist? I wonder why racists have hijacked Christianity here in America into something ugly and vile. It could be difficult to cope sometimes because so many Christians are bigots and many attend segregated churches. There seems to be no push for unity within Christian circles. Hate has really poisioned many Christians and it makes me want to disassociate myself from that type of evil. Why does a loving God allow his followers to dilute and destroy the teachings of Christ?

This may sound crazy, but I think Christ or the teachings of Christ have left many churches long time ago. Christianity has now become a money making business venture for those who prey on the weak or a political pawn which disrupts society. Sometimes I wonder, "Why God?" I am slowly loosing faith in God because evil has took over the world.

What have you experienced to come to believe Christians are rascists? Just curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are so many Christians racist? I wonder why racists have hijacked Christianity here in America into something ugly and vile. It could be difficult to cope sometimes because so many Christians are bigots and many attend segregated churches. There seems to be no push for unity within Christian circles. Hate has really poisioned many Christians and it makes me want to disassociate myself from that type of evil. Why does a loving God allow his followers to dilute and destroy the teachings of Christ?

This may sound crazy, but I think Christ or the teachings of Christ have left many churches long time ago. Christianity has now become a money making business venture for those who prey on the weak or a political pawn which disrupts society. Sometimes I wonder, "Why God?" I am slowly loosing faith in God because evil has took over the world.

What have you experienced to come to believe Christians are rascists? Just curious.

Racists haven't just hijacked Christianity in Africa. There have always been racist tropes in Christianity--pretty much since much of the Bible was written. That's not unique to Christianity, of course -- most religions have some element of racism in them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are so many Christians racist? I wonder why racists have hijacked Christianity here in America into something ugly and vile. It could be difficult to cope sometimes because so many Christians are bigots and many attend segregated churches. There seems to be no push for unity within Christian circles. Hate has really poisioned many Christians and it makes me want to disassociate myself from that type of evil. Why does a loving God allow his followers to dilute and destroy the teachings of Christ?

This may sound crazy, but I think Christ or the teachings of Christ have left many churches long time ago. Christianity has now become a money making business venture for those who prey on the weak or a political pawn which disrupts society. Sometimes I wonder, "Why God?" I am slowly loosing faith in God because evil has took over the world.

What have you experienced to come to believe Christians are rascists? Just curious.

Evangelical Trump voters

- np who goes to progressive church

[Anonymous]

I have a hard time struggling to understand the brutal nature of human reproduction. More than half of conceptions don't make it to term because something goes wrong in the development process. If human life is sacred, why are zygotes and embryos and fetuses so expendable? If life starts from conception, what happens to all those souls that never get to experience life on earth? How do they "appear" in the afterlife if they've never gotten to a fully human form?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a hard time struggling to understand the brutal nature of human reproduction. More than half of conceptions don't make it to term because something goes wrong in the development process. If human life is sacred, why are zygotes and embryos and fetuses so expendable? If life starts from conception, what happens to all those souls that never get to experience life on earth? How do they "appear" in the afterlife if they've never gotten to a fully human form?

Your instincts and reasoning are correct. There's no way a supreme being was involved in any of this and any church that made such rules is obviously trying to control people, not help them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are so many Christians racist? I wonder why racists have hijacked Christianity here in America into something ugly and vile. It could be difficult to cope sometimes because so many Christians are bigots and many attend segregated churches. There seems to be no push for unity within Christian circles. Hate has really poisioned many Christians and it makes me want to disassociate myself from that type of evil. Why does a loving God allow his followers to dilute and destroy the teachings of Christ?

This may sound crazy, but I think Christ or the teachings of Christ have left many churches long time ago. Christianity has now become a money making business venture for those who prey on the weak or a political pawn which disrupts society. Sometimes I wonder, "Why God?" I am slowly loosing faith in God because evil has took over the world.

What have you experienced to come to believe Christians are rascists? Just curious.

Racists haven't just hijacked Christianity in Africa. There have always been racist tropes in Christianity--pretty much since much of the Bible was written. That's not unique to Christianity, of course -- [b]most religions have some element of racism in them.

this is no surprise, since religions were invented by humans.