Question:
Skeptical questions about the Bible...help me believe?
1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Skeptical questions about the Bible...help me believe?
Fourteen answers:
?
2009-12-17 12:57:20 UTC
Your prayers do not get answered if you are still living in sin. You need to realize that nothing that you try to do on your own impresses God in the least. There is not a list of good deeds that you can do to get Him to save you. You need to read the New Testament gospel accounts very carefully and stop to think about the connectedness of all that Christ said in those accounts. Consider how the men changed their behavior after Pentecost as opposed to before that event. How did everyone around them perceive their changed behavior? What were the disciples able to go out and do that was not reachable by them before the crucifixion and anointing of the Holy Spirit? Here is how you will end up knowing if you have accepted Christ into your heart: your life changes. Your behavior changes, your outlook on things around you changes. What you have read about in the Bible begins to click into its proper place and you understand things that were confusing to you before. When I accepted Christ my speech got cleaned up big-time! I began a path of getting away from alcohol and drugs. I read the Bible after praying for "comprehension." Read about the life of John Newton who wrote "Amazing Grace." Consider the life of Paul before and after his run-in with Jesus on that road to Damascus.
Samwise
2009-12-17 13:34:29 UTC
1) It depends what you consider amazing. I consider the whole of creation pretty amazing, as well as the changes that an individual person can go through. But as observed by Jesus, fancy special effects do very little to change anyone's mind in any case.



2) Let's be frank: some people making claims like this are either self-deceived or deliberately lying. Jesus pointed this out and warned us to judge people by the value of what they do or say, not by their claims of authority. He wasn't very respectful of religious authorities in the first place.



3) There's an old joke that Soviet cosmonauts and American astronauts got together and Yuri Gagarin, who had been in space more than anyone, mentioned that he hadn't seen God. An astronaut said, "You would have, if you had gotten out of your capsule!"



The concept of heaven is not a literal set of directions. It's more a state of mind than a physical place (although that's an oversimplification, too).



4) It's an old story, one of many collected in the Bible. I doubt anyone really expected it to be taken literally, any more than ghost stories told around modern campfires are taken literally.



5) Evolution is well-established; thanks to genetic analysis (invented in my lifetime), there's no sensible basis for denying it.



The Bible accounts of creation are more of those stories handed down. Nobody ever expected them to be taken literally, except some poorly-educated scientists in Darwin's time, some reactionaries who were upset by them, and their unthinking followers today. Neither group ought to pass freshman English literature. (Does anyone take Harry Potter stories literally?)



6) One problem here is that you seem to think that's a simple thing to ask for. It isn't.



But you haven't killed yourself, evidently; this suggests that you found a way to deal with the pain. How do you know God didn't help?



Way too much of the Bible takes the view that God does make everything nice for you if you're a believer. That's an oversimplification, and eventually the Book of Job took on that problem. (The cutesy ending, where God restores everything to Job, was tacked on by somebody who couldn't deal with the point and wanted the simple if-you're-obedient-you-get-nothing-but-gold-stars notion of God back.)



Belief in God helps some of us deal with life. It doesn't exempt us from living, which can be a tough business.



7) I thought people had explored that ark, but I haven't followed the archaeology.



8) Lots ofthe world has been covered with water at some times and dry land at others. (I'm writing from the depths of Lake Agassiz in the middle of the U.S. plains. Don't worry, the water drained out at the end of the Ice Age.)



9) We are specifically told no one knows.



10) I've seen good things happen to people, things that would not be easy to explain based on their circumstances if God didn't help them. I don't exactly "know" (in the sense of having irrefutable proof) God is real. I "know" it in the sense of being familiar with the concept, and preferring to accept rather than to reject it.



I choose to believe, because beliefs play an important role in how we decide what we say and do, and therefore my belief helps make me the person I choose to be.
ceng07
2009-12-17 13:06:46 UTC
1) I don't know. But that's what faith is. Believing in what cannot be proven. Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing.



2) It's different for everyone. For me, It's more like a feeling than words. Often a feeling or thought will appear that is just out of place for myself. Or a lot of times people will get, I guess what you could call, "a sign". It's all a matter of interpretation. God speaks to us in so many different ways, and we often don't even realize that it's Him.



3) I don't know.



4) He must have spent a lot of time building the ark! I'm guessing he had God's help in gathering the animals. The animals may have even come to him.



5) Perhaps a day for God is a millenium for a human. Maybe on one of the "days" he was creating Earth, evolution was part of his process.



6) Without pain, how could we truly appreciate and experience joy and thanksgiving. How else would we know how we should treat others?



7) I don't know.



8) Who knows?



9) I don't know that anyone knows. (except God)



10) It's taken me years to grow in my faith. Sometimes it's the times that people are having trouble with faith, that they truly grow in their faith. I have had so many experiences that have helped me to maintain my beliefs.



You may email me through yahoo answers.
The_Cricket: Thinking Pink!
2009-12-17 13:25:37 UTC
1) If you read the gospels, you'll find that even people who witnessed the miracles Jesus performed quite simply weren't satisfied with that evidence. If a person doesn't want to believe, and/or their heart is hardened, no amount of evidence will convince them. Even if God Himself came down from heaven and showed Himself to everyone, there would be many who would immediately begin making excuses for why it couldn't possibly be evidence.

2) God has only spoken to me once, and in that case, it was a voice that went straight through me. Beyond that, it's hard to describe how I "hear" God. It isn't a voice. Most of the time, there aren't clear words. But it's God, just the same. I can't even explain to you how I know, but I do. It's like an ever-present inaudible whisper.

3) Heaven and hell both exist on different planes. They won't be found anywhere on the Earth, or in the universe. It's only possible to reach them if you're dead.

4) You're missing the point of the story. If you take it too literal, you miss the lesson that it's supposed to teach. If you take it only as figurative, you miss the awesomeness of God's power. The point of Noah's ark was to show that if God was to destroy all evil, it would require destroying all life. Obviously, since evil returned within one generation, we live in a fallen world, and only a world devoid of life will also be devoid of sin. You see? So it doesn't matter whether or not Noah really lived, and really built an ark, and there really was a world-wide flood, et cetera. Maybe it happened, maybe it didn't. If God exists, there's no reason why it couldn't have. But that doesn't mean it did. You have to decide for yourself if it happened or not. If it didn't, that doesn't mean that God doesn't exist, nor does it mean the Bible is only fiction.

5) Not all Christians are creationists. I accept evolution, and believe that was the design God used to create.

6) Everyone has been through some real crap in their lives. I have, and I struggled with suicidal thoughts too. The conclusion I came to was that the reason God didn't swoop in and save the day is because first, He never promised life would be easy. In fact, He promised the exact opposite. Second, I had to learn to stand on my own. And, the fact that I'm still alive says to me that God WAS preserving me and strengthening me all along. It's when I look back that I see God's hand evident throughout my life. At the time, though, it was really hard to see.

7) I have no idea, but what does it have to do with anything?

8) I don't know about that. It's irrelevant though. So scientists say the entire Earth was once covered with water, eh? You sure? Because you know, the Bible says the same thing. Check out Genesis. God separated the waters from the waters (hydrological cycle), then separated (or created) land from the waters. Huh.

9) I don't know. No one does. However, in the NT (I think it's in 1 Peter but it might be in 2 Peter) it says that in the last days, men will start to doubt Jesus' return, and mock it, saying that it's been such a long time. But the author goes on to say that a thousand years is like a day to the Lord, so really, Jesus hasn't been gone long at all. Only a couple days.

10) I first started believing in God when He spoke to me. I'd never heard anything like it, and I've never heard anything like it since. However, whenever I've had conversations with others who also have heard God's voice, they describe the experience exactly the same as me.



You can email me through here, and I'll try to answer you.
4HIM- Christians love
2009-12-17 13:06:18 UTC
1. Yes, God sent Jesus and we have the Bible to tell us about Him.



2. God talks to people through the Bible, other Christians, in dreams, answering prayer, through the Holy Spirit. Each time God talks to us, it must correspond with what He wants according to His written Word, the Bible.



3. Heaven is the place where God and Jesus are now. Hell is the place where God will send the Devil and his angels and those who do not want to be with God. The Holy Spirit is here with Christians. We are not able to see Heaven or Hell at this time.



4. Don't know but, he did. The animals came to him. Animals reproduce after their own species. Species can change in appearance as they adapt to climate.



5. Species change. Species don't change to other species.



6. God does care. He has ask you to become His adopted child so that He can give you special privileges through prayer and His comfort.



God tells us that because of Adam's sin of disobedience, we have all inherited the sin nature and death. Because of this, we must endure pain and suffering in this world. God tells us that He will be beside His children (those who are adopted by Him through belief in Jesus), as we go through whatever.



7. I don't know.



8. Yes, God tells us that the flood covered the whole world. I believe that God is drying up this earth in order for it to burn someday.



9. I don't know but, I believe soon.



10. He has answered so many prayers. He has never left my side. I feel His love.



My husband has throat Cancer and is going through some painful treatments of chemo and radiation. He can't even eat except through a tube. Though not His fault, God has not left his side. He has even brought us some blessings through all of this.



11. Yes I will give you my e-mail just add me to your contacts or go to my yahoo page and e-mail me.
Godboy
2009-12-17 13:05:27 UTC
1 You can't invite the holy God of love into your heart by demanding evidence first. If you are gentle and nice and He sees you desiring for more of that , He might call you.

2. Abraham,Noah Jacob Daniel and other actually talked to God. Some of them saw an angel appearring as a man, others only knew the voice of God (He really gets mad at people for saying that they know Him when they really don't:See Jeremiah and Ezekial)

3. Heaven is probably like a different dimension, not just an area in this one

4.Noah worked on the ark for 120 years. See the dead sea scrolls enoch and the tales of the patriarchs for more.

5 Evolution is a distraction created by the devil. If amphibians really mutated into mammals why doesn't science man control their environment and prove his theory. They sidesstep the issue by saying it took 100,000s of thousands of years, but that is ridiculous .If a life form changed from laying eggs to bearing live young , it seems that is would happen in one generation

6.The desperation of our prayers is not the deciding factor on how we see our answer. If it is physicall pain that you have, seek out somebody who can pray over you.

7. Nobody goes into Noahs ark because it is in Muslim territory and if you watch world news, then you already know about us and turkey.

8The great flood is also how the dinosaurs got burried. See thre dead sea scrolls, tales of the patriarchs to see info on dinosaurs that were in the Adam and Evev age.

9. The jewish calender is at the year 5769? . If one day is as a thousand years with God, then the year 6000 could be J's return. He said that nobody would figure it out , so spend your energy on another question

10 I have seen visions, heard a voice and seen prayers answered



also: try believing in something spiritual that you already belive in. Have you ever had a feeling about somebody and it turned out you were right. How could a gob of molecules know something like that, in that way. What you experirenced was spiritual contact with somebody. Maybe a weird dream you had that came true. MedidtaTE on the fact that we are spirits
2009-12-17 12:52:09 UTC
tell me how a sea level sinks
2009-12-17 12:51:56 UTC
I cannot help you to believe. Only Jesus Christ can make you to believe in the Lord. No one else can. I am not here to convince. I am here top let people know that this world is coming t an end very soon. We have 16 months. On may 21, 2011 The Lord will return from heaven with his mighty angels, the bible teaches.
Matthew
2009-12-17 12:47:36 UTC
"Believing in God" will not get you saved and He has changed the lives of many, including mine. =)



Jesus is God and the only way into heaven. Please pray a sincere prayer with all of your heart admitting to Jesus you are a sinner. Have full faith that His blood pays off all of your sins and accept His gift of everlasting life. I pray that God blesses you with peace. Amen.
Stay-Frosty
2009-12-17 13:05:20 UTC
1) Was the death of the Son of God not good enough to last throughout the ages to come?



2) When people say "God talked to me", it means God gave them the feeling that this was the right thing to do. They felt that before prayer, it wasn't for them, but then they got a hold of Scripture and read some versus about spreading the Word. God says to love thy neighbor as thyself, and this applies to many things.



3) Heaven is the afterlife for Christians. When you die, you are judged based on everything you do. God sees everything you do, even if you did 5 million wrong things or 5 million good things, he's looking for the point in your life for when you turned to Jesus. That will get you into heaven. Read the Tower of Babel story in the Bible about how humans cannot get into heaven or hell as a human.



4) He just did. We find new animals today because different animals breed to create new animals.



5)The evolutionist ignores the problem surrounding the human female egg and the male sperm in the evolutionary theory. The female egg contains the X-chromosome and the male sperm contains either an X-chromosome for the reproduction of a male or a Y-chromosome for the reproduction of a female. The female eggs all develop within the ovaries while she is a baby (fetus) within her mother's womb. Evolutionists claim environmental factors cause small changes in the offspring in the evolutionary chain. However, the environmental experience of the female cannot change the chromosomes within her eggs and cannot have any effect upon her offspring. Her body cannot go into the eggs contained within her ovaries at her birth to make an intelligent change. Females cannot be a part of the evolutionary theory for these reasons.



6) He does care. Satan still exists. All the pain you feel is not in the fault of God. Psalm 46:1. Be prepared for the bad times and don’t get discouraged. We must endure the storms of life. When the bad times come we can’t give up. We must resolve to survive and have faith in God. Remember the prayer of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane. “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Matthew 26:39KJV. You can not run from your troubles but you can face them with the help of God.



7) I haven't heard about that. It could be someone built it as a shrine.



8) That's what people say, we don't know for sure.



9) Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.



10) I know he's real because there are so many unexplained things that happened in my life. We are all blessed with life. The Bible says that, "what may be known of God is manifest in them [i.e. you and all thinking people], for God has shown it to them [to you too!]. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they [you] are without excuse." (Romans 1:19, 20)



In other words, God's existence and nature is revealed through what you can see around you in the physical universe AND in your own internal world. Your conscience, mind, memory, will - indeed your whole soul - is a strong evidence that there is a Personal God - one who feels, thinks, chooses and judges.



please, if you have anymore questions, email me at stay-frosty@live.com



God bless you.
2016-03-02 04:32:28 UTC
Doesn't matter. It depends on the person, their contacts, the question, etc. It doesn't bother me how many stars others have, as long as I don't lose any from them getting one. =P @Itsgabeduh: LOL. The craziest questions get multiple stars. I asked what your favorite color was blue or pink and got over 300 answers and like 190 stars. I was like WTF it was a spur of the moment question, I was just bored. But when I ask something that takes me an hour to think of I get 1 star and four answers. LOL.
Justin H
2009-12-17 12:50:26 UTC
I have had a enteraction with gods angels befor

i triped and about fell down 32 staris but all i rember was being lifted up

to the ground safely wierd right?

I WAS NOT HIGH, DRUNK OR MAKING THIS UP PEOPLE!
?
2009-12-17 12:51:22 UTC
There were too many problems with it for me to ever reconcile.



I cannot 'shut off' my reasoning ability to accept things on faith alone. As a result I am an atheist, who would love it if there were some all knowing loving creator of sorts. (Definitely not the one of the bible, he is STUPID as hell.)
Pants Party III
2009-12-17 12:48:39 UTC
You aren't supposed to ask questions. Religion: "Shut up and donate"



Good luck on your transition towards reality aka atheism.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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