Problems with Christianity? (revised)?

Question

For the past 3months, my "faith" in God or Christianity is dwindling. Why? Believing in an all-mighty creator just doesn't put it to the test. I've decided to become a "deist" or an "atheist". My parents have been Christians for almost 10years and I asked them some questions. Unfortunately, my dad hasn't been able to answer the questions. He then asked me to ask the Pastor with some questions but I need help organizing them. I also need help asking the pastor because most people try to divert away from the question and give some weird and off topic answer such as it's called "faith".

1. What are some problems with Christianity?
2. If there's a "God", what is his justification for "retards/handicapped"
3. As long as time is relative, the world should be made. Yet Christians argue that "God" made the world. The fact that God made everything in a week, if he's God, why would he supposedly need to take a break? He could just make it in a blink of an eye right? Why did it take him supposedly a week?
4. Nothing in the Bible has been recorded in any other book or historical document, and there is no proof supporting that any of the events has happened.
5. Christians say that their religion is the right one. Most other religions believe that also yet "Christians" get mad or look down upon "gays" or "lesbians". What's wrong with that? Why would God give them free choice in the first place if he knew that this would happen.
6. Imagine this scenario. Try to prove this wrong.

Me: There's a Donald Duck behind Jupiter.
Someone: No there isn't, we would've known it by now.
Me: Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that he puts on a cloak that makes him invisible.
Someone: We would've noticed the movement in space with our satellite system.
Me: He also has a watch that makes all the movement go away.
Someone: ....

See what I mean? People can't justify if there is a God because they just make up some baloney. Also, I've noticed that there are contradictions in the Bible and that it's been re-written quite a lot.

Last but not least, I also wanted to see someone type or list a few questions that Christians haven't been able to answer. At least that I know of.
For those of you that are "Christians", please don't try to criticize my questions because I'm trying to learn and I'm only 15 years old. I still have a lot to learn. Maybe instead of criticizing, you could answer my questions?

~Thanks~

(I'm currently being forced to go to a "Winter retreat" and I don't really won't to listen to the words of a pastor that believes in a book that has been re-written and changed a lot of time.)

Answer 1

Mark 4 (New International Version)

The Parable of the Sower

1Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."

9Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."



Did you seed fall on the path or rocky places where it didn't take root properly? Maybe you need to get into the Word more!

Answer 2

My what a wonderful rant you're having! Did you get this rant for Christmas and decide to try it out here?



We have examples of the OT that predate Christianity, so we would know if there were any re-wording of Scripture in the last couple of thousand years. So if you've noticed it being "re-written quite a lot" then please forward your findings and the documents you used to your nearest Theology professor so they can be peer reviewed, etc. Not that I doubt the investigative work of 15 year olds...well ok maybe I do, but just a bit.



I look at the questions you have posted, for example: "What are some problems with Christianity?" and I wonder if you're going to give the same treatment of the other side as a matter of fairness. What are some problems with atheism? If human nature is inherently good (as you'll learn from humanists) then why do we have war/famine/crimes? If evolution is the end-all and be-all of answers to the existence of life on Earth, then why can't scientists figure out events like the Cambrian explosion (google this and watch the atheists scurry for the dark corners!) where great numbers of species suddenly appear in the fossil record without any hint of transitory forms? Why is it that Christians respond to the supposed "contradictions" in Scripture over and over but not one atheist website will acknowledge and/or post those responses when the contradictions are proven false?



God took as much time as He wanted with Creation, and no puny human on this Earth has any business questioning His timing or methods. Why should it matter if He took one second or a billion years to create everything in the universe? While you're asking why God took as much time as He did to create the universe, why don't you ask why man has been around for thousands of years and yet we still can't stop hoarding resources and killing each other for a few dollars?



God says that homosexual acts are an abomination, also falling into that same category are incest and bestiality. Atheists will say something like "but goats can't give consent, so it's not the same" which is really just a dodge of the issue. God never said it was the same, He just said it is every bit as disgusting and unnatural. It is not the place of any Christian to judge the sinner, but the sin itself has already been judged and we would be remiss in our duties if we did not point it out. That is not the same thing as looking down on homosexuals, and if you saw someone doing something you knew to be wrong you would hopefully have the courage to say something as well. Did God give them free will only to get mad when they sin? That's like saying your parents are wrong for letting you go outside to play when they know you might choose to get into trouble. Of course they know it's a possibility, but that doesn't make your actions right or your parents decision to let you have some freedoms a wrong decision. Yes, God gives free will and yes, He is bothered by our choices when sin is the result. Free will does not sanction homosexuality, nor is it an excuse.



As to your scenario, since you've already concluded that any example of God is just made up baloney, there isn't much else to discuss. I only hope that you take the time to learn more before making a rash decision to throw away your faith. You seem far too cynical for your fifteen years, and although you may feel like you know plenty about Christianity I can assure you that it is apparent that you do not. You have plenty of time ahead of you, so for now honor your father and mother and do as they ask.

Answer 3

1) The main problem with Christianity is the problem of sin/human evil. Hypocracy is also a big issue.

2) Maybe the same as the poor--to help people learn to help the less fortunate.

3) The creation story in Genesis has been interpreted metaphorically for thousands of years. Philo of Alexandria (20BC-50AD) said "As for the world being created in six days, this could not be literal, since time had no existence till creation was accomplished," a statement consistent with Einstein's general relativity. If you view the 7 days as the creation of the universe, you'll see that a lot of the "days" of creation are scientifically accurate, the least of which is the creation of humans on the final day. (according to science humans haven't been around very long, and according to Genesis, humans have only been around for one "day")

4. When you say "there is no proof supporting that any of the events" and "Nothing in the Bible has been recorded in any other book or historical document" that's simply not true. You'll find plenty of evidence if you look for it. There are about a half-dozen historical, extra-Biblical references to Jesus in the 1st and 2nd century, not including the Gnostic gospels. And several Old Testament sites have reportedly been found by archaeologists. And that's just scraping the surface...

5. This goes back to the first question, the problem with--and the promise of -- Christianity. To put it simply, everybody does something wrong, or something they shouldn't do. Everybody tells a lie, or acts selfishly, or acts disrespectfully when they shouldn't, or doesn't act disrespectfully when they should. This is one of the problems that faith in God and his son Jesus Christ is meant to resolve. But it doesn't stop there. The solution to every problem, even the problem of death, is to do right by God.

6. Sorry to sound sarcastic, but nobody said that God lives behind Jupiter! Jesus said that if we know him, we know the Father. So the only time anybody could ever "see" God the Father is when Jesus walked the earth. Since Jesus isn't around anymore, we know God and Jesus in Spirit when we pray for God's will for our lives.



Also -- yes, the Bible has been changed over the course of thousands of years, but it hasn't changed as much as you might think. The clear and obvious reason that there are different versions of the Bible is that it wasn't originally written in English. As a matter of fact, the original Bible wasn't even written at all. It was spoken. But there are some very, very old manuscripts (some Old Testament manuscripts are around 2,800 years old, and the earliest New Testament manuscripts date back to the 1st and 2nd centuries) and modern can people use these ancient manuscripts to check the accuracy of the translations. The only requirement to translate ancient manuscripts is the ability to speak ancient foreign languages. :)



And as far as the contradictions in the Bible, this is one of the favorite arguments of people who don't believe it's the word of God. And the simple truth is that all of the progress that has been made in human history--whether scientific or social--has come about by the resolution of contradictions. The history of science from Isaac Newton through Quantum Mechanics and String Theory has been an attempt to resolve the contradictions between the leading theories about the nature of the universe. In math theory, contradiction is commonly used as a means of proving a certain statement to be true. So the presence of contradictions doesn't mean the whole thing is false, it means that we're left to discover the truth. 20th century author G.K. Chesterton, once wrote that ordinary man "has always cared more for truth than for consistency. If he saw two truths that seemed to contradict each other, he would take the two truths and the contradiction along with them. His spiritual sight is stereoscopic, like his physical sight: he sees two different pictures at once and yet sees all the better for that."



So thanks for all the good questions. And in closing, I'll just say that Christianity is a search for truth, and if you ever want to know the ultimate truth about things, just open your Bible and turn to John 14:6!

Answer 4

A great yogi once said, "Find God. Nothing else matters."



Instead of searching for reasons that one religion or another does not convince you, go to the source, and search for God.

When you are alone, speak with Him as if He were your dearest relative.

Think about Him every day, and just ask for His presence.



When I was just a little older than you, I went on a quest to find God, and had an overwhelming, absolutely convincing message from Him witnessed by two people.

Throughout the years, there were more affirming experiences which brought me great joy.

Forget any religion which does not fulfill this inner need to contact God.

You will never, never regret making a concentrated search for the Divine.

Knock and door shall be opened unto you, seek and ye shall find.

Answer 5

Any decent Pastor can easily answer these questions you've come up with.



If you're really interested, you can go to



http://www.carm.org/



and all of your questions can be answered there.



As far as #1 "What are some of the problems of Christianity?", it's YOU who should be able to answer that one, since you're the one who has trouble believing. Why would a pastor see "problems" with Christianity?



If you think that there are all these questions out there that Christians can't answer, you haven't been looking in the right places...





If you go to:



http://www.carm.org/objections-and-answers



See #32 Why is there evil and suffering in the world? (Basically, your question #2)



#3. Of course God could have done it in "the blink of an eye". But if he didn't, so what? Why does THAT bother you so much?



Re: #4 - Many references to Biblical events and persons are found at: http://www.carm.org/christianity/bible/non-biblical-accounts-new-testament-events-andor-people. I don't have room to paste them all here.





Re: You assertion that the Bible has been "re-written" "quite a bit" can be addressed here:



http://www.carm.org/evidence-and-answers



There are a number of links there that you can check out.





Re: Contradictions in the Bible - you HAVE to look at passages in context. I can take two verses out of context, put them together, and "prove" anything I want...



e.g. -



Matthew 27:5 "Then Judas ... went out and hanged himself."

Luke 10: 37 "...Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."



That doesn't mean that the Bible, or Jesus, taught that we should go hang ourselves. I simply took two verses, out of context, and put them together, which is exactly what people do who claim to have found all these "contradictions" in the World of God.





Anyway, check out the carm.org site... tells you all you need to know about Christian doctrine, and answers your questions.





EDIT: Sorry, forgot something... what God and the Bible say about homosexuality (and thus, what Christians should believe about it) can be found at:



http://www.carm.org/christianity-and-homosexuality



and



http://www.carm.org/homosexuality





Hope these will help you!

Answer 6

My problem with religion in the USA, particularly Christian, is that they are the only ones claiming there should be a death penalty for the sole reason of being a homosexual in Uganda, not America, but Uganda. Why in the hell do Christians care if there are homosexuals in Uganda and why do they want them murdered? It is American churches donating to support the effort to murder homosexuals through legislation in Africa! With every word they speak and by every action, Christians are making the argument for those who do not believe, that there is no god. You can show the links below to the pastor at the church for the biggest reason why anyone with a sense of humanity, and an average IQ, would not be willing to join Christianity!

Answer 7

Your questions are very typical of most non believers. This is a good thing though ! You need to have objectivity in life to make proper choices. Subjectiveness is not a means to weigh out those important questions concerning one's choice to follow God or not. I'm a Christian myself, and you seem to be questioning things and that is a good thing. I could answer all of your questions for you but I cannot convince you to make the choice to follow God - that is entirely up to you. You do have the right to be wrong. Remember; you are only 15 years of age and probably living under your parent's roof still. They do have the right to to take you to church with them intil you are 18 years of age - then, the streets are yours to venture. I believe strongly (my opinion) that unless a person has gotten him or herself dirty in the real world, he or she is lacking a true sense or grasp of what sin is and what the real world is about, to enable them to talk with others about God who were / are "out there". If this will help you, there are well over 24,000 documents of antiquity which Archeologists have found that DO support the Bible. I did my "homework" before I became a committed Christian. Anyways; it is YOU who will have to decide for yourself, ultimately !

Answer 8

Ghandi had a intense opinion of Christianity. He mentioned that if every physique observed Jesus' coaching on the sermon on the mount (Matthew financial ruin 5 in the recent testomony portion of the Bible), the entire international could be at peace. Why do not you get a duplicate of that gospel of Matthew and study Jesus' own words? then you definately can choose for your self rather of listening to fables. God bless you.

Answer 9

Oh hai my name Issac C is im some little 12 year old that can't accept that some people like to believe in god and so im going to find problems with it and act all smart.

Answer 10

The trinity fairy tale

The bible says God can not abide with sin that's why we cant go to heaven if we are sinners

Then how is it that god/jesus/holy ghost can come to earth where sin and sinners are in abundance.



Garden of eden parable

adam and eve didn't know that it was wrong to disobey god until after they had ate from the tree of knowledge and gained the knowledge of good and bad, right and wrong.before eating from the tree they had no concept of right and wrong, or that disobeying is wrong.

Answer 11

your wrong in a couple things. not all christains are against gays. other religions are against gays, some of them, like muslim people, even kill you for being gay. do you see christains in america going around killing gays?

And of coure we think our religion is right. everything a person believe is right. Athiest believe they are right, so whay cant christains think that we are right.

you see them islam people beating thier wives and blowing people up, so why is christianity the bad religion here. i'm getting so sick and tired on here hearing about how terrible christains are. what about the muslilm people who are terrorist and believe that they can have 3 wives , and the natzis who killed all the jews.

i'm so tired of this. not all christains are bad people. we are not all mean!!!

Answer 12

During the evolutionary period of man, his lack of factual knowledge of Objective Reality severely restricted his understanding of his environment. In order to deal effectively with events in our life we need to possess accurate knowledge of Objective Reality: We need to know how things really are, as opposed to what they appear to be.



In his quest to find a purpose in life that might help him cope with the adversities of life, man has invented supernatural beings. Since he could not cope with the mysterious forces of his environment, he invented gods or other mystical forces that might enhance his survival and security by responding to prayer, sacrifices or similar devotions.



Man thus invented the fiction that gods had created man and that man was under the control and in the service of such superior beings. Consequently, man believed that it was his purpose in life to placate and please these gods by subjugating himself to their will in order to ensure their goodwill and protection.



There is no objective evidence whatsoever that such omnipotent beings actually exist or, if they existed, that they have any effect on individual human lives, or that they can vest human lives with a preordained purpose. If someone claims that there is a preordained purpose to human life, such claim is merely a completely undocumented opinion, at best, or a hallucination, at worst. Not only is such extraordinary claim without any shred of evidence, but it also stands in contradiction to all factual evidence available to man. Rational human beings require extraordinary proof for extraordinary claims





BTW



Here are some flaws



One example I like is Deuteronomy 22:28-29:



"If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives."



Whenever I hear about a christian woman being raped it always seems like her family does the un-christian thing and puts the rapist in jail instead of welcoming him into the family like they are supposed to.

And also

- God chooses to spread his word through prophets, even though being God he could easily just tell everybody at once.

- Why did God spread his word 2000 years ago and hasn't come around to remind us

- Christians say their prayers get answered. But I'm pretty sure their are thousands everyday who pray desperately for their god to help them, and they go through torture

- Their are so many religions, what makes christianity right?

- It seems to obvious that humans would create a god to provide them with the answers to the unknown. Makes sense that all humans don't have the same religion.

- Why would god create us in his image, but also make us look very similar to monkeys?

- Why would god only let some miracles happen? For example some priest in italy doubted that the eucharist was really jesus' flesh. So one day it turned into real flesh. It has apparently been "proved" to be real human flesh and doesn't decay. It's kept in a glass cup, and you can go see. Even if this is true, what kind of god would do something so stupid. Millions everyday doubt the existence of god, and miracles don't happen. What made this priest so special?

- If there is a god, it is obviously beyond christianity's explanation.

Answer 13

We are a part of a creator who causes all of us to come together as a mind and hands to help and assist each other.

JAMES 1:26-27.

OUR ONLY PURPOSE. HE PROVIDES THE REST.



I stand to day for my creator and say that HE LOVES US!

JOHN 3: 16, 17. [18].



IT IS NOT HIS FAULT; HE HAS DONE WHAT HE WANTED TO RECONCILE US BACK TO HIM.



HE NEED US TO SURVIVE!!!!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMcJL_UDA…

Answer 14

You are dumb, for taking yourself as your sole guide, for letting your faith get so intellectually stilted, but most of all for trotting it out on places like this, because even if you came to a good conclusion you are spreading scandal galore.



I am a convert. I had questions, I went to the best places to answer them (not here, for sure !!!) and I prayed.



You are only 15 years old, that is not an excuse, that counts against you.

Answer 15

Sounds like you already have your mind made up.

Answer 16

look for the answers on your own the holy spirit will help if you but ask.

Answer 17

I like good boxed macaroni and cheese........but i get tired of Kraft. Plus i like the swirly noodles.....oh....and the white cheese. mmmmmmm.

Answer 18

If you have any sense of maturity, you can go and be just fine.