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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why people quote the Old Testament. Jesus clearly came to get rid of the hateful teachings of the old testament.

Also how can people still quote Leviticus about homosexuality and eat shrimp.

Jesus came to fulfill the law, not get rid of it entirely. We still obey the 10 Commandemnts. That’s OT Mosaic Law. 1 Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” ALL Scripture has a purpose.

Here is how a Jesus fulfilled the OT law:
-He removed the need for a physical temple, our bodies are the temple of God
-He became our intercessor to God, before people took their sins to the priest.
-He corrected the Jews’ wrong interpretation of an”eye for an eye”
-and there’s more but you get the gist of it

We aren’t bound by the OT law though because we are not a theocracy like Israel was. That’s why we don’t burn witches or homosexual people. But witchcraft and homosexuality are still wrong, that didn’t change with Jesus.

Leviticus was for the tribe of Levi. They were the priests. They had special rules for them that didn’t apply to anyone else. We don’t and have never been equired to follow those rules.

The OT still has a purpose even though we are not bound by it anymore. But we shouldn’t ignore what it says. Hope this helps.

Just more confusing.

Catholics still have churches and have confession.

You seem to pick and choose.. witchcraft and homosexuality wrong, shrimp good. What is that all about?

How is it Jesus embrassed thevsinber but Christian's cast them out.

I think you are more confused than me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
We are all born with a sin nature and suffer because of it, but there’s a reason for it. God uses it as a trial for us. Sin is always a choice, you can give in to your desires or not. Young boys from a REALLY early age may feel like their gay. But young boys also feel the desire to lie, cheat, fight other kids, and do other bad things. I would never blame a boy for feeling like he’s gay. Never. I would simply explain when they are old enough about how we are all tempted. No one’s born gay and doesn’t have a choice, but EVERYONE is born with a sin nature that wants to do bad things. It’s always our choice though. And we should never make fun of or shame or tease people who say they are gay wrong. That’s is very wrong.

I would simply tell him he's wrong about his sexual orientation; that it's against biblical authority and if he engages in homosexual acts, he will burn in hell for eternity. As a Christin, I owe it to him.

So I guess you are sinless so you can throw stones. I think you should be more reflective about judging people who are actually hurting people like Brock Turner. Brock Turner deserved to be condemned. This is why I am wondering where I fit as a Christian since harassing people who are in consensual adult relationships is not my thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
We are all born with a sin nature and suffer because of it, but there’s a reason for it. God uses it as a trial for us. Sin is always a choice, you can give in to your desires or not. Young boys from a REALLY early age may feel like their gay. But young boys also feel the desire to lie, cheat, fight other kids, and do other bad things. I would never blame a boy for feeling like he’s gay. Never. I would simply explain when they are old enough about how we are all tempted. No one’s born gay and doesn’t have a choice, but EVERYONE is born with a sin nature that wants to do bad things. It’s always our choice though. And we should never make fun of or shame or tease people who say they are gay wrong. That’s is very wrong.

I would simply tell him he's wrong about his sexual orientation; that it's against biblical authority and if he engages in homosexual acts, he will burn in hell for eternity. As a Christin, I owe it to him.

So I guess you are sinless so you can throw stones. I think you should be more reflective about judging people who are actually hurting people like Brock Turner. Brock Turner deserved to be condemned. This is why I am wondering where I fit as a Christian since harassing people who are in consensual adult relationships is not my thing.

Just don’t be Christian anymore. There are other religions—like Buddhism or Hinduism—that teach love and tolerance without also being hypocritical and condemning whole groups of people or requiring subservience to other people like priests. Rather than spending all this time engaging in mental gymnastics to justify Christianity and what the Christian God supposedly is and does, just choose another path that has many fewer problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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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.

There are people who misunderstand what the Bible says, and that does negatively affect women. But if they looked at the parts of the Bible that praised women, they would have a different view. Acts 16:13-16 recounts the story of the first church in Europe. Paul met two women, Priscilla and Aquila. When Paul left Ephesus, (where the church was located), he left the two women to be in charge of the church at Ephesus. So while some passages seem to portray women in a negative light, and I don’t have the answer to all of those passages, the Bible does have examples of women being praised and exalted.

Ok now for the homosexual topic. I believe that people do feel the homosexual urges and that’s fine. But you have to remember that we have a sin nature, which tempts us to do bad things. I believe that homosexuality is a temptation of our flesh, just like other things, such as the temptation to lie or cheat. The Bible says that our spirit is willing to do good, but that our flesh is weak. Ultimately I believe that we have to fight such temptations. It can be really, really hard, and we sometimes fail, but it’s something that we can overcome. Again I don’t have all the answers, but hope this helps.

So do you believe that anyone who isn't straight should remain alone and celibate throughout life. No love, no intimacy, nothing.

No. I believe that you can find someone of the opposite sex that you would want to form a relationship with. Or for some people, remaining single is for them and that’s totally fine too.

Help me understand. A gay man, he doesn't want to be single. He wants to be with someone. Who should he be with?

Or you think everyone who is gay is being fake and they are actually straight and could be happy in heterosexual relationships.

Do you feel you could just as easily fall in love with a woman as with a man?

I believe that a man should be with a woman. I don’t believe that people who are gay are being “fake”. Like I said in my initial response, “I believe that homosexuality is a temptation of our flesh” I don’t believe that a man should be with another man, but I don’t automatically assume that he could easily be in a heterosexual relationship. All I know is that according to the Bible homosexuality is wrong, but what you believe is your prerogative. I don’t know what type of relationship, married or single, is for anyone. That’s something that they have to figure out. But as a Christian who believes in the Bible, homosexuality is sinful and I wouldn’t be a good Chrsitian if I didn’t adhere to my own religion’s teachings

What about people - lets say men who are obviously gay from a young age. They have all the stereotypical mannerisms of being gay and it is obvious to everyone that even as a young child, they will grow up to be a gay man? I know two boys who were teased for being gay when they were only 3 or 4 - they both are now openly gay men and no one at any point their lives have ever thought they were anything but gay. How is that temptation of the flesh? Why would God have boys born gay - just to watch them suffer through life as sinners who can't be redeemed because their sin is not a choice?

We are all born with a sin nature and suffer because of it, but there’s a reason for it. God uses it as a trial for us. Sin is always a choice, you can give in to your desires or not. Young boys from a REALLY early age may feel like their gay. But young boys also feel the desire to lie, cheat, fight other kids, and do other bad things. I would never blame a boy for feeling like he’s gay. Never. I would simply explain when they are old enough about how we are all tempted. No one’s born gay and doesn’t have a choice, but EVERYONE is born with a sin nature that wants to do bad things. It’s always our choice though. And we should never make fun of or shame or tease people who say they are gay wrong. That’s is very wrong.

I am the person you are discussing with. I too am a Christian but this is one area that I really struggle with. The idea that 3-4 year olds are not born gay but are making a personal choice to be gay just doesn't sit with me. That age knows very little about sexual orientation and so to say they made a sinful choice as a young child just doesn't make sense. IT is not at all like lying or cheating. Being gay as a child isn't doing anything - there is no action, there is no conscious choice. it would be like saying a child being shy is sinful and that choosing to be shy is a choice like lying and if they wanted to be outgoing and extroverted they could be but they are a sinful person making a choice as a 3 year old to be shy or introverted.

The other experience I have had is that in the 90s/2000s I worked in an adolescent mental health unit with teens who attempted suicide. There were numerous male teens who appeared to have great lives with no major issues who attempted suicide. It would turn out that they were gay but didn't want to be gay, couldn't change and didn't want anyone to know. These were teen boys who had girlfriends, who had never told anyone they were gay, who absolutely 100% did not want to be gay..but despite all that, knew they were gay and felt that death was a better option than either faking being straight or living as a gay man.

It’s a hard question. I have never felt I was gay at 3 or 4 so I can’t really explain it. But when I was 3 or 4, I wasn’t thinking about if I was gay or straight. At that young age I wasn’t even interested in any form of relationship. I was just focused on playing with my toys or whatever. But there are parents who kinda influence their child from a really early age. Once I saw a video of a parent saying to like a 5 year old girl “You can like girls or boys, you can be a boy or a girl or neither, or whatever you want.” And I think that parents who do this confuse their child.

There are people who really struggle with this, and the best I can say is that we need to support and love them, but also tell them the truth at a very early age. We need to educate them better. With part of society saying “it’s okay to be gay” and the other saying it’s not, it really confuses people. Also, parents who disown their child because they find out he or she is gay is wrong too. Both sides are very adamant in their beliefs and can be intolerant of each other, leading to hate which can drive people to suicide.

We need to do all we can to support those who are gay, but we must tell them the truth too. It’s horrible that people feel the need to either be gay or commit suicide, and I honestly don’t have all the answers to this problem

Of course you don’t have the answer, because you are part of the problem. It’s hateful attitudes like yours that drive young gay men and women to commit suicide. Your truth is just that—your truth. Don’t spread your narrow-minded vitriol all over others.

[Anonymous]

It's not being able to verify what happened. I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and that some kind of supernatural event happened, but cannot tell you the details.Why do I believe this? There are too many life events that have happened to me where there is no logical reason why they happened - too many coincidences for a higher power not to be involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not being able to verify what happened. I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and that some kind of supernatural event happened, but cannot tell you the details.Why do I believe this? There are too many life events that have happened to me where there is no logical reason why they happened - too many coincidences for a higher power not to be involved.

How do you know it was Jesus? People who pray to other gods - or no god - have illogical things happen.

Sounds like you have determined that Jesus is responsible for your good fortune. This seems to negate the good things that happen to people who do not pray to Jesus, as well as people who pray to Jesus, but whose prayers are not answered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. Bible is pretty clear to me.

Are you struggling with something?

Clear? You obviously haven't read it then

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
We are all born with a sin nature and suffer because of it, but there’s a reason for it. God uses it as a trial for us. Sin is always a choice, you can give in to your desires or not. Young boys from a REALLY early age may feel like their gay. But young boys also feel the desire to lie, cheat, fight other kids, and do other bad things. I would never blame a boy for feeling like he’s gay. Never. I would simply explain when they are old enough about how we are all tempted. No one’s born gay and doesn’t have a choice, but EVERYONE is born with a sin nature that wants to do bad things. It’s always our choice though. And we should never make fun of or shame or tease people who say they are gay wrong. That’s is very wrong.

I would simply tell him he's wrong about his sexual orientation; that it's against biblical authority and if he engages in homosexual acts, he will burn in hell for eternity. As a Christin, I owe it to him.

So I guess you are sinless so you can throw stones. I think you should be more reflective about judging people who are actually hurting people like Brock Turner. Brock Turner deserved to be condemned. This is why I am wondering where I fit as a Christian since harassing people who are in consensual adult relationships is not my thing.

If the Christian God would subject someone to the torture of burning in hell for eternity for not believing in him or being gay, it's not a God whom I would want to worship. I have to believe if there is a God out there, he's not a sadistic psychopath.

[Anonymous]

The mother of all questions:

If God is omniscience why did he create Satan if he knew Satan was going to fall, and then make man fall from grace? Then from there everything just goes down hill.

I mean... we could've avoided all this if He just didn't create Satan. So... why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The mother of all questions:

If God is omniscience why did he create Satan if he knew Satan was going to fall, and then make man fall from grace? Then from there everything just goes down hill.

I mean... we could've avoided all this if He just didn't create Satan. So... why?

No one knows why God let the Fall happen. It’s something we won’t know until we get to heaven

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
We are all born with a sin nature and suffer because of it, but there’s a reason for it. God uses it as a trial for us. Sin is always a choice, you can give in to your desires or not. Young boys from a REALLY early age may feel like their gay. But young boys also feel the desire to lie, cheat, fight other kids, and do other bad things. I would never blame a boy for feeling like he’s gay. Never. I would simply explain when they are old enough about how we are all tempted. No one’s born gay and doesn’t have a choice, but EVERYONE is born with a sin nature that wants to do bad things. It’s always our choice though. And we should never make fun of or shame or tease people who say they are gay wrong. That’s is very wrong.

I would simply tell him he's wrong about his sexual orientation; that it's against biblical authority and if he engages in homosexual acts, he will burn in hell for eternity. As a Christin, I owe it to him.

So I guess you are sinless so you can throw stones. I think you should be more reflective about judging people who are actually hurting people like Brock Turner. Brock Turner deserved to be condemned. This is why I am wondering where I fit as a Christian since harassing people who are in consensual adult relationships is not my thing.

If the Christian God would subject someone to the torture of burning in hell for eternity for not believing in him or being gay, it's not a God whom I would want to worship. I have to believe if there is a God out there, he's not a sadistic psychopath.

It’s not about being gay, it’s about sin

-Everyone has sinned. For example, everyone has told a lie at one point in their life. That’s sin
-Sin has a price, it’s called hell
-God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell, but he can’t just ignore your sin
-He sent Jesus to die on the cross, TO PAY FOR OUR SINS.
-ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS JUST ACCEPT HIS PAYMENT. It’ll take like two minutes. That’s it. Place your faith in Jesus and your set.
-You have no more sin debt so you don’t have to go to hell.

Homosexuality is a sin. Sin gets you hell. Jesus paid the price. Just accept it is all you have to do.

People are always complaining about why God sends people to hell, but they just totally ignore the part about how God will save you. Just accept the payment. If God was really a sadistic psychopath he wouldn’t have created a way for us to get to heaven in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The mother of all questions:

If God is omniscience why did he create Satan if he knew Satan was going to fall, and then make man fall from grace? Then from there everything just goes down hill.

I mean... we could've avoided all this if He just didn't create Satan. So... why?

No one knows why God let the Fall happen. It’s something we won’t know until we get to heaven

I know.. that's why this is the mother of all questions. If one knows the answer to this question, one could answer all the above questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why people quote the Old Testament. Jesus clearly came to get rid of the hateful teachings of the old testament.

Also how can people still quote Leviticus about homosexuality and eat shrimp.

Jesus came to fulfill the law, not get rid of it entirely. We still obey the 10 Commandemnts. That’s OT Mosaic Law. 1 Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” ALL Scripture has a purpose.

Here is how a Jesus fulfilled the OT law:
-He removed the need for a physical temple, our bodies are the temple of God
-He became our intercessor to God, before people took their sins to the priest.
-He corrected the Jews’ wrong interpretation of an”eye for an eye”
-and there’s more but you get the gist of it

We aren’t bound by the OT law though because we are not a theocracy like Israel was. That’s why we don’t burn witches or homosexual people. But witchcraft and homosexuality are still wrong, that didn’t change with Jesus.

Leviticus was for the tribe of Levi. They were the priests. They had special rules for them that didn’t apply to anyone else. We don’t and have never been equired to follow those rules.

The OT still has a purpose even though we are not bound by it anymore. But we shouldn’t ignore what it says. Hope this helps.

Just more confusing.

Catholics still have churches and have confession.

You seem to pick and choose.. witchcraft and homosexuality wrong, shrimp good. What is that all about?

How is it Jesus embrassed thevsinber but Christian's cast them out.

I think you are more confused than me.

Simple answer: We read and quote the OT because it’s part of the Bible. Read the verse given above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The mother of all questions:

If God is omniscience why did he create Satan if he knew Satan was going to fall, and then make man fall from grace? Then from there everything just goes down hill.

I mean... we could've avoided all this if He just didn't create Satan. So... why?

No one knows why God let the Fall happen. It’s something we won’t know until we get to heaven

To me that’s such a cop out. So much of Christianity requires blind faith. I just am not prepared to take core tenets of my religion on blind faith, especially when the primary text (the Bible) preaches so much hatred and intolerance. Not for me.

[Anonymous]

I’m having trouble forgiving

Yet there are things in my life I would like to forget and feel as though I’ve been forgiven