Inner Revolution

Tough Questions Part 6

I had planned to return to my normal goofy posts after Part 5 of the Tough Question series, but Brett raised an interesting point with this comment on Part 5:

I sympathize with your last paragraph, but it would seem to me that Romans 10:13-15 sufficiently answer this question. Which leads me to a very pragmatic question; if ignorance results in salvation, would it not be best to silence the Gospel so that all might be saved?

Here again is the paragraph he is referring to:

A final question in this area is what about people who never hear about Jesus, do they go to hell? I have two thoughts on this one. First I feel it is my job to share Jesus with as many people as I can. I don’t want anyone to miss a chance to experience the love of Christ in this life and the life beyond. Second I do not believe that God will hold people responsible for information they do not have. I do not understand how that works, but I know that a God that can create the Rocky Mountains can figure it out.

Here is Romans 10:13-15:

The Scripture says, “Anyone who calls on the Lord will be saved.” But before people can ask the Lord for help, they must believe in him; and before they can believe in him, they must hear about him; and for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them; and before someone can go and tell them, that person must be sent. It is written, “How beautiful is the person who comes to bring good news.”

I'm in way over my head here theologically, but I have often wrestled with this question. If the point of the Gospel is a ticket to heaven and fire insurance against hell; and if people who never hear the good news get a free pass, then it would make sense to silence the Gospel. However Jesus said in John 10:10 that he came to give life in all its fulness. That seems to indicate that the ticket to heaven is really a bonus, but life in Christ makes life on earth worth living. When I think of evangelism as giving hope here as well as beyond then it makes sense to share it with as many people as possible.

What say ye?

Tough Questions Part 5

Today we'll wrap up our discussion of tough questions that were sent by a young Christian trying to find a basis for her faith. Her final question is the toughest:

My last problem is my biggest problem. I have a great friend who is Muslim. He is an incredible man, he is very faithful to his religion and the God he knows. I just can not believe that a just God would send him to hell for picking the wrong religion. (You can read the complete question here.)

Here is my response:

The first question I would have is why not let everyone go to Heaven? The problem then is that life in Heaven is no different than life on earth. Heaven would be full of the same evil that we experience daily here. Men like Hitler and Stalin would be allowed to live eternally side by side with Mother Teresa. What we did during our time on earth would be meaningless. If there are no eternal consequences for abuse, for rape, for murder but everyone goes to Heaven in the end it makes life pretty pointless.

If everyone does not go to Heaven then what is the standard for admission? Some have said that “good” people should go to Heaven and “evil” people should go to Hell. How good do you have to be to get in? Is it based on how many good things you do versus how many evil things? What if you miss the mark by one good deed, do you then miss eternity in Heaven? What if you die before you can make up for the evil things you have done?

Then there is the definition of good. Some people believe that it is “good” to strap explosives to women with Downs Syndrome, send them into a crowded market and then blow them up like we saw recently in Iraq. Americans at the end of World War II thought it was “good” to drop a hydrogen bomb on a city in Japan and kill hundreds of thousands of people. Some people in India think it is “good” to throw their baby daughters in the river and drown them to appease their gods. A man who called himself a Christian thought it was good to shoot and kill a doctor who thought it was good to abort unborn babies. Who decides what is good and what is good enough? Who decides what is evil? Justice becomes very arbitrary when you see good and evil through different lenses.

Another thought on admission to Heaven is that if people are sincere in their faith, no matter what their faith is in, they should be admitted. Again this becomes very arbitrary. Which faith counts? Some people are very sincere in their faith in God, some in Allah, some in Buddha. In the Hindu religion people are sincere in their faith in thousands of gods.In Kenya, where I have spent some time, people are sincere in their faith in witchcraft and animal sacrifices. In practicing their sincere faith some people mutilate little girls through female circumcision, some people harm their own bodies, some force young women into prostitution to stay faithful to their religion.

So which of the faithful go to Heaven? The religions that make sense to me? The religions that practice “good” the way I understand it? Or does everyone go who is sincere no matter how cruel or sadistic their religion may be?

What if there were one clear and accessible door to Heaven? What if everyone could take that path regardless of what their preconceived notion of good might be? What if God loved the world so much that he sent his son to earth to open that door to anyone who would accept his invitation? What if the only way to make Heaven accessible to everyone was for God’s son to die as a penalty for all the evil acts committed by everyone who has ever lived? The only way God can be just is if there is a consistent and attainable entry point into Heaven that is open to anyone who asks. That is the central message of Christianity.

A final question in this area is what about people who never hear about Jesus, do they go to hell? I have two thoughts on this one. First I feel it is my job to share Jesus with as many people as I can. I don’t want anyone to miss a chance to experience the love of Christ in this life and the life beyond. Second I do not believe that God will hold people responsible for information they do not have. I do not understand how that works, but I know that a God that can create the Rocky Mountains can figure it out.

1. Did I adequately address her question? What are the holes in my reasoning?
2. What other illustrations would you use?
3. What is your response to the last paragraph above?

Thank you to those who have participated this week. I think part of our calling is to be ready to give an answer to anyone who wants to understand our faith. Hopefully we will each be more prepared the next time the questions come.

Tough Questions Part 4

Yesterday we looked at this question:

God does not seem like the same God in the Old Testament as he does in the New Testament. But I don't know how that is possible, if God is all knowing, then he would know what would work in managing his people and what wouldn't work so I do not understand why or how he would have to change his ways.

Here is how I responded:

The Bible has to be taken as a whole rather than as individual pieces. Just like a movie doesn’t make sense if we only study one scene, the Bible doesn’t make sense if we break it apart and try to understand one part separate for all of the rest. The entire Bible paints a picture of God from many angles. In some parts we see God’s justice more clearly, in other parts we see his mercy. In parts of the Old Testament we see God’s wrath, in parts of the New Testament we see his grace. There are many facets to God and he is actually bigger than we can comprehend; but to get a true picture of God we have to look at the Bible as a whole.

The Old Testament really serves to set up what happens in the New Testament. The Old Testament, along with poetry and prophecy, tells the story of man’s separation from God (Adam and Eve) and then his attempt to reconcile with God through his own effort. God makes a covenant (The old covenant or testament) with man that is an agreement which will lead to reconciliation. Over and over man breaks his side of the agreement. We then see God’s justice at work as man is punished and then his mercy as God renews the agreement again and again and again.

One thing you mention is that God would know would what would work in managing his people, so why would he have to change? While he does not change you bring up a great point. God does not try to manage people. He gives them the opportunity to manage themselves, to make their own choices. He refuses to violate your free will to force you to believe in him or obey him. Just as you would resent your boyfriend’s attempt to manipulate your love, God knows that a managed love is no love at all.

The New Testament tells the story of God’s new covenant in which he removes man’s obligation to live up to the old agreement and offers to forgive all sins past and future. We see God’s unmerited favor at work by sending his son to make this new agreement possible.

God is the same, but we see different parts of his personality in different times and circumstances.

What is your feedback on my response? Does it ring true? What are the holes in the argument?

Tough Questions Part 3

As we continue our series looking at tough questions, let's dive into the second question posed by the young Christian struggling with faith:

God does not seem like the same God in the Old Testament as he does in the New Testament. But I don't know how that is possible, if God is all knowing, then he would know what would work in managing his people and what wouldn't work so I do not understand why or how he would have to change his ways.

I'll post my answer tomorrow. How would you answer this question?

Tough Questions Part 2

Today let's take a look at the first question posed by the young Christian struggling with her faith:

First off, we started reading the old testament and a good bit doesn't make sense. For example, in the story of Job, towards the end God starts to talk about a fire breathing dragon. Another example, I do not remember the specific book, but a woman looked back and was "turned to a pillar of salt."

Here is my response:

The Old Testament can certainly be a challenge to understand, as can any great work of literature. (Shakespeare leaves me in the dust) There are several things you need to keep in mind as you read the Bible:

1. The Old Testament is a collection of several kinds of literature. There are books of poetry, of history and of prophecy and each book has to be understood within that context. For instance the book of Isaiah says this:
   
   But those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
   They will soar on wings like eagles;    
   they will run and not grow weary,    
   they will walk and not be faint.
   
   Obviously the writer doesn’t meet that if we hope in the Lord we will grow wings, he is using poetic imagery. The entire book of Job is actually a poem and as such contains imagery that can be confusing. This doesn’t mean that the Bible should be dismissed as just metaphor; it does mean that we have to discern what type of literature we are reading to understand what the writer is trying to convey.
   
   
2. The Bible was written to be understood by the audience at the time it was written as well conveying truth to us today. The point of the writers was not to correct the scientific understanding of the world around them; it was to tell the story of God’s love for his people. Therefore the Bible refers at one point to the sun standing still in sky. In the 21^st century we know that the sun does not revolve around the earth, but the writer of that verse had to describe what he saw in terms the people of his day could understand.
   
   In the Old Testament there are two instances of an ancient Hebrew word being interpreted “dragon”. In each case it refers to a great animal that lives in the sea. The ancient Hebrews knew that there were huge fish and other animals in the sea, but they did not know much about them, so they referred to them as dragons or leviathans. Again, the writer wasn’t trying to prove the existence of dragons, he was writing in the language of his day.
   
   In the New Testament there are several references to a dragon in the book of Revelation. Each reference is symbolic and does not refer to an actual dragon.
   
   As to Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt, that is certainly a hard one to swallow. (No pun intended) The reality is, however, that if you believe in a God who could create the universe, a God who can set in motion life through Adam and Eve, a God who can create mountains, and rivers and lakes with breathtaking beauty it’s not that big of stretch to believe that he could turn a woman into a pillar of salt. A miracle is a miracle whether it is creating a universe or creating flower.

For your response:

1. Did I adequately address her question about the Old Testament? Why or why not?
2. Are there better illustrations then the verse from Isaiah?
3. How would you have answered differently?

Tomorrow we'll tackle her second question, why is God different in the Old Testament than he is in the New Testament.

Tough Questions Part 1

I recently received the following letter from a sincere member of our church. I think her questions are excellent and very thought provoking with deep implications. What I'd like to do is share my responses to each of her questions over several posts and get your feedback. Let's begin with the letter and my initial response:

I am 18 an have been a member of Seacoast for about a year or so. I am looking for some answers to some big issues I am struggling with. My boyfriend and I are both Christians, but we are at a crossroads right now and though we believe in God, Jesus, and WANT to believe in Christianity, we are struggling.

First off, we started reading the old testament and a good bit doesn't make sense. For example, in the story of Job, towards the end God starts to talk about a fire breathing dragon. Another example, I do not remember the specific book, but a woman looked back and was "turned to a pillar of salt."

In addition, God does not seem like the same God in the old testament as he does in the new testament. But I don't know how that is possible, if God is all knowing, then he would know what would work in managing his people and what wouldn't work so I do not understand why or how he would have to change his ways.

My last problem is my biggest problem. I have a great friend who is Muslim. He is an incredible man, he is very faithful to his religion and the God he knows. I just can not believe that a just God would send him to hell for picking the wrong religion. That is not just to me. I am quite aware of people saying that everyone has a opportunity to be exposed to Christianity and therefore if they do not choose it, it is there fault for not going to heaven. But I can not believe in that and I know you can not just pick which parts of Christianity you want to believe so I do not know how to continue being a Christian. If I grew up in another country with a different religion and culture, I am sure I would grow to believe in that religion just as I have grown to believe in Christianity. And as a Christian if somebody was to tell me that being Muslim is correct I would disagree and not change my ways. So why should people who were raised differently and taught to believe in something different just instantly hear about Christianity and convert. I do not feel that is even slightly reasonable. They think that the God they worship is correct and they live by their standards and try to serve the best they can...clearly there is only one God, so will that God tell those people too bad, you should have listened to the Christians, now go spend eternity in hell. Because under NO condition is that just in my mind. I feel a just God would judge your heart and my friend, who does not think Christianity is right, would not have to spend eternity in hell because he practiced what his culture taught him, and did the best to serve God the way he knew and THOUGHT was right. His intention is to get the same place, he just thinks there is a different way to get there. Does he really deserve to suffer for eternity for that?

I know this is a lot. But me nor my boyfriend can not seem to find answers, especially regarding this last issue. So I don't know what to do. I can't continue to consider myself a Christian if I don't believe in everything about it. I want to be a Christian and I am hoping I am ignorant and misinterpreting but if I am not misinterpreting, I do not think I can go on.

Here is the Part 1 of my response:

Thanks for your email. You raise some great questions and I commend you for thinking through these issues. I think all Christians have to wrestle with these kinds of questions as they find what faith really means. While I know I can’t adequately answer these questions in an email, hopefully I can give you some more food for thought.

Before I tackle the issues you have raised let me challenge you to do some homework. Faith is such an important part of life (I would argue that it is the point of life) that it is worth spending some time really investigating the truth. Having said that I would recommend that you read these three books as you wrestle with these questions:

Letters from a Skeptic by Gregory A Boyd
In this book Boyd shares and exchange of letters he and his father engaged in over a period of several years. Many of the topics you raise below are addressed in a very understandable format.

The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel
Coming from the viewpoint of an agnostic reporter Strobel tackles some of the toughest issues of Christian faith through interviews with experts in a wide-range of fields 

More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell
McDowell looks specifically at the claims and evidence of Christ and what they mean for us 

All of these books are available on Amazon or at the Seacoast bookstore. I recommend that you read each book and find a mature Christian who would be willing to further discuss what you read and the questions you have. If you cannot find someone let me know; I can hook you up.

Here are my questions:

1. Is it a good idea to ask people struggling with faith to do some homework? Why or why not?

2. Are these good resources to offer?

3. What other resources would you ask someone to read.

Tomorrow I'll post my answer to her first question, why is the Old Testament so hard to comprehend?