Tough Questions

[Budman]

Any Christian who says he/she has all of the answers are only fooling themselves. I admit that I do not have answers for the following questions. I found these questions on an atheist site. I'm looking for some help answering them.

1. Why does God allow charlatans to use His name to extract money, sex, attention and even their very lives from devout believers, who truly, honestly believe that they are listening to the word of God?

2. If God knows the future and the past with perfect certainty, why did He create me knowing that my fate is to burn forever in Hell?

3. Of the millions of species of insects, arachnids, and other bugs on earth, did Noah actually collect two (or perhaps seven?) of each, and how did they survive for 10 months when some of them have a lifespan measured in hours?

4. (For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.) Genesis 3:5

How were Adam and Eve supposed to distinguish between good and evil acts if they didn't understand the concepts until they ate the fruit?

Thanks for your help!

warm regards

-bud

[Leonard]

jAd seriatam:

1. Nobody knows for sure. Opinions abound, but I am not the Special Sychophant for everything God chooses to do or to leave undone. Stupidity on our part does not mean God rescues us......

2. Human freewill.

3. A). Does "kind" necessarily refer to species. Could it refer to genus? That would certainly make a big difference if Noah only had to take 'two of each genus...."

B). Obviously short-lived animals bred on the ark. Perhaps--one is free to speculate, as we are not given information in the text--all the animals spent most the time a state of suspended animation. Perhaps they were even all shrunk to microscopic size, how do I know? Why would I care?

4. I am unspeakably excited that you ask! This is perhaps the deepest question man can ask!!! Perhaps--being clever--Adam and Eve were supposed to meditate on the dilemma, and suddenly have an 'aha!' moment, in which they realized to obey God, by not eating was 'good,' whereas to disobey God was 'evil.' Perhaps they were to LEARN, by obedience rather than receiving the sham-knowledge they gained by disobedience.

[apothanein kerdos]

1. This is the exact same question of, "Why does God allow evil." To God, all evil is equally evil. Thus a person who kills in His name or simply kills in cold blood is equally evil to God. The reason He allows these things is two-fold. The first one is that He has a reason in absolutely everything He does and allows. He does not let something come to pass unless it fits into His Will along the way. There are no suprises to God. The second reason is that it inevitably forces one to grow closer to the true God so that they will recognize these falsehoods when they appear.

2. This is a paradoxical question. If God knows the future yet and knows your fate and thus prevented you from being create that in turn would affect other people's lives and subsequent futures. Thus, He creates knowing we will be lost yet realizes that the fact we are lost might help lead someone else to the Lord.

3. Kind can actually mean many things. Leonard covered it extremely well, so I won't go too much in depth.

4. The Hebrew word for "know" carries the idea of knowing something very deeply. Whereas we use the word know much like the Greeks did (an intellectual acknowledgement) the Hebrews used the word "know" as we use our word "intamite". In other words, they probably understood the concept of good and evil however had not partaken in it. What Satan was saying is they will have partaken in it or at least have a deeper knowledge of it. This, of course, is a lie of Satan that lead Adam and Eve to believe that God Himself had partaken in good and evil.

[Budman]

Thanks so much, guys!

Always learnin', always growin'!

warm regards

-bud

[Purple Chris]

May I toss in a couple thoughts as well?

1) I Philippians 1 Paul spoke of those who did not preach Christ sincerely but out of sinful motives. Paul rejoiced in this because Christ was being preached and Paul knew that God is sovereign over them and His word and that He can use even a donkey to bring His word to someone. I'm sure there are some Christians who began to be drawn to God by watching someone on TV then made their way to a local church, later realizing that the person they saw on TV was a con man. What Super Jew said fits right in with Paul's understanding of this. I don't think it means we don't do or say anything about them...Paul exposed their motives...but we trust that God has allowed them to do what they do within the context of His sovereignty.

2) Paul answers this in Romans 9:21-23 when we wrote..."Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for beauty and another for menial use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the vessels of wrath made for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for the vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory" God is glorified in all He does and so therefore He will be glorified in His punishment of the wicked. It will bring glory to His holiness, justice, righteousness and wrath, among others. And again as SJ said...He uses these vessels to accomplish His purposes.

3) Jeremiah 32:27 says "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too hard for me?" Of course we know the answer. Leonards answer is certainly possible, but God could have done this in any way He chose. But He also chose not ot tell us what that method was...so we'll just have to sit around the fire in Heaven and listen to Noah's stories from his days on the ark!

4) I would also submit here that they knew good very well. God was good. What He made He proclaimed to be good. Their fellowship with God was good. Satan's appeal to them had an emphasis on being more like God and knowing things in the wasy He did, making it seem to be a good thing. James 1:14-15 says "but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death." Satan tempted, lured and enticed them through their desires for something more than what God said they needed. So I don't think it's that they didn't know about good and evil as much as Satan was trying to say God had withheld something "good" from them that would make them more like Him. Eve believed the deception, Adam did not but still ate because of some other desire in him (pride?).

My thoughts!

Chris

[Matthitjah]

Bud,

May I ask why did you go to those sites?

Not a trick question. Were you led there by the Lord?

I know of a tragic story connected to the very self same type of questioning. It doesn't end well. The only thing I can say is that you probably should not go anywhere without the Lord leading the way. Without your full armour strapped on. God will reveal these things to you in time and in prayer.

That is what happened to Adam and Eve they doubted the Word of God. As soon as that happened it was all down hill and a short step to the fall. All they had to do was ask God. He was their provision they however chose to find out for themselves.

Our enemy is a roaring Lion roaming around seeking whom he may devour. These apologetic atheist sites are all the same. It starts with the original lie. From the Father of all liars.

Therefore dear brother be sober and vigilent praying always.

Strength and honor dear brother. God Bless you richly.

Peace,

Dave

[Budman]

May I ask why did you go to those sites?

I really want to know about others objections to Christ. I don't want to be blindsided by a question I'm not familiar with. Remember, the Bible said to, "...be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15)

Not a trick question. Were you led there by the Lord?

I believe so. I don't think God wants us to hide from challenges by those who wish to destroy belief in Him.

That is what happened to Adam and Eve they doubted the Word of God

I don't doubt Gods Word. I know that there are answers to every question these people put out. I just don't know some of those answers...yet. But Worthy is a great place to get those answers from Christians more "seasoned" than me....or is it "I?"

Strength and honor dear brother. God Bless you richly

Right back atcha, Dave!

warm regards

-bud

[wordsower]

Question #1 seems to be answered quite well in Psalms 10:

Why do You stand afar off, O LORD?

Why do You hide in times of trouble?

2The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor;

Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

3For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire;

He blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD.

4The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;

God is in none of his thoughts.

5His ways are always prospering;

Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;

As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.

6He has said in his heart, "I shall not be moved;

I shall never be in adversity."

7His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression;

Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.

8He sits in the lurking places of the villages;

In the secret places he murders the innocent;

His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.

9He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den;

He lies in wait to catch the poor;

He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.

10So he crouches, he lies low,

That the helpless may fall by his strength.

11He has said in his heart,

"God has forgotten;

He hides His face;

He will never see."

12Arise, O LORD!

O God, lift up Your hand!

Do not forget the humble.

13Why do the wicked renounce God?

He has said in his heart,

"You will not require an account."

14But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief,

To repay it by Your hand.

The helpless commits himself to You;

You are the helper of the fatherless.

15Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;

Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

16The LORD is King forever and ever;

The nations have perished out of His land.

17LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble;

You will prepare their heart;

You will cause Your ear to hear,

18To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,

That the man of the earth may oppress no more.

*****************

I know My Redeemer lives and has every single thing under control. His ways are not my ways and His thoughts are much higher than mine and it is so comforting to know that He knows.

[sandok]

God doesn't exist, Noahs arc could never have existed so most of your questions don't get answers logically

[Leonard]

God doesn't exist, Noahs arc could never have existed so most of your questions don't get answers logically 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Greetings, Sandok:

In logic a gratuitous assertion may as gratuitously be denied, so here goes: Sandok doesn't exist.

With a blessing,

Leonard, a sinner