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Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2000 00:18:27 EDT
From: VicMinish@aol.com
>I read through some of your pages. I like your spice.
>I can see why you are angry.
I am not 'angry', but rather concerned that so many people allow their lives to be ruled by a contradictory and highly immoral book.
>Much of your arguments were "to the man." For example the
>bit about God destroying people being incompatible with his
>love. Christianity asserts that God loves His people, not everyone.
In contrast to what you assert here, the Bible says:-
'For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son...' (John 3:16).
And Christ's death is an expiation not only for the sins of believers but everyone:
'He is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world'. (1 John 2:2).
'Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29).
And salvation is therefore brought to all people:
'For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive'. (1 Cor 15:22).
These texts state that God does love the world and acts to redeem/reconcile it: the very opposite of what you claim above. Of course texts stating the very opposite could be cited, but this only demonstrates the futility of attempting to formulate definitive doctrine from the Bible. NB. A number of early Christian leaders/apologists taught universal salvation, e.g., Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Gregory of Nyssa; this view was not formally condemned until 543 CE (Constantinople).
With regard to your comment that 'God loves His people, not everyone', the activity of 'only loving one's own' is precisely what Christ is said to have condemned in Matt 5:46-48.
>Plus, the God of the Bible does what he wants, when he wants,
>with whom he wants. etc.
But the Bible says that God changes his mind - in which case 'he' cannot be trusted and his assurances/promises cannot be relied upon. In sum, the Bible depicts a deity who is unstable and erratic:-
God is responsible for confusion - Isa 45:7 (Contradicted by 1 Cor 14:33).
God himself lies and/or is responsible for lies/deliberate deceit- 1 Kings 22:23, 2 Chron 18:22, 2 Thess 2:11 (Contradicted by Num 23:19, Titus 1:2).
God 'repents', i.e., regrets an action/changes his mind/ acknowledges that he has made an error - Gen 6:6-7, Ex 32:14, 1 Sam 15:35, 2 Sam 24:16, 1 Chron 21:15, Jer 18:8,10, 26:3,13,19, 42:10, Joel 2:13, Amos 7:3, Jonah 3:10 (Contradicted by Num 23:19, 1 Sam 15:29).
>I mean to say is, of the things I read, Christianity
>has a very adequate response.
If you look at other urls, e.g., Biblical Errancy, to cite just one example, you will see this is certainly not the case. In fact, despite the instruction of 1 Pet 3:15, Christians seem reluctant to explain their faith in any detail, particularly those aspects which are actually fundamental.
However, to provide you with the opportunity to do so, and to support your claim that 'Christianity has a very adequate response', would you please:-
(i)supply a clear exegesis of the events on easter Sunday, taking into account all the information detailed in Matthew 28, (and Mark 16 if you accept this as genuinely Markan), Luke 24, John 20-21, Acts 1:1-12 and 1 Cor 15:3-8.
(ii)explain the nature of the Triune Godhead, i.e., how one being is able to be three persons.
(iii)explain the incarnation, i.e., how the one person of Jesus Christ was both God and man.
(iv)explain the mechanics of how Christ's shed blood actually effects salvation.
(v)explain why present-day Christians include writings in their New Testament which were not used by the first Christians, and conversely, why they do not use those writings which were used by the first Christians?
(vi)How 'eternal life' for those who have died is possible. If you propose a dualist nature for personhood, please explain how this occurs; if however it is made possible by reconstitution, please show how such an event may be understood as the continuation of the same person.
(vii)Finally, why so many Christians, and this may even include yourself, fail to comply with Biblical statements. For example, Christ is said to have raised the dead, walked on water, cured all manner of illnesses, and in John 14;12, he is reported to have said:-
'He who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do...'.
Consequently, Christians should be achieving not only all that Christ is said to have done, but even more than this. And yet, this is not so. Why not?
Furthermore, Christ is reported to have told his disciples that the follower must 'take up his cross and follow me' (Matt 10:38, 16;24) and lose his life for Christ's sake (Matt 10:39, 16:25).
How many Christians do this? Do you?
Luke 14:26 has Christ saying that:
'if anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children...he cannot be my disciple' (NB. The Greek word rendered 'hate' here means 'to hate, usually implying ill-will in words and conduct or a persecuting spirit'. Bullinger).
Do you hate your parents, spouse and/or children?
And in Matt 19:24 Christ is reported as warning:
'It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God'.
Despite puerile attempts to give this a 'symbolic' or 'allegorical' meaning, the statement is absolutely clear: the 'rich' cannot enter heaven (Luke 16:19-23 emphasises this point. Note how the faith or lack of faith of either man is not even mentioned: all we are told is that the rich man went to hell and the poor man/beggar to paradise). 'Rich' in first century Palestine would normally be understood as those who had wealth which far exceeded their day-to-day needs.
However, on looking at the lifestyle of most Christians in the West (particularly fundamentalists), such people certainly satisfy the term 'rich' by owning their own home (or homes), the size of which far exceeds their actual need, many owning a car, or several cars, and having a plethora of material goods. The vast majority also have savings, investment portfolios, pension schemes, and so on (Ironically, such people are usually the first to proclaim 'moral' judgements on others).
Furthermore, this is also in stark contrast to Acts 2:44-45 which reports that believers:
'had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need'.
How many Christians do this? Do you?
In Matt 5:42, Jesus is reported to have instructed:
'Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you'.
How many Christians do this? Do you?
In reality, virtually all Christians 'customize' their faith and beliefs to accord with their desired lifestyle. They 'believe' as long as this does not cause any major inconvenience to how they want to live.
Many people, myself included, consider such double-standards and hypocrisy to be grossly offensive, and wholly invalidating the religious belief-claims being made.
D.J.N.
Dip.RS(Camb), B.A.(Hons), MPhil, PhD.
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