Many doubts about Christianity

[JesusismyLord]

I am a born again christain. These are real doubts I have come across, this is historic evidence that mithra was many years before christ

[bgoalie35]

Did you read the information posted by myself and others about Mithras? You did not argue the points made in those posts, you simply said it is historic evidence that Mithras was many years before Christ. I do not argue that the Mithras cult in some ways predates Christianity by hundreds of years (and neither does Mr Mya or others), but I think you need to really look at all the evidence. Did Mithras change forms over the years (was the Mithras of 300 BCE the same as the Mithras of the second century CE)? Did it borrow some things from Christianity rather than Christianity borrowing from it? Are the Christian traditions better understood as rooted in Mithras or rooted in Judaism? Look over the materials and really ask yourself those questions.

As for your Christianity, I do not doubt it at all, and I am sorry it was called into question here. I am also a Christian with many doubts about a great many things (the alleged connections to Mithras was one of the things that once bothered me). I pray that the "apologists" here would remember that their task here is to defend the faith and answer to the best of your abilities the questions raised by doubters and non-believers. Attacking the person's motives or faith does not accomplish that goal. It seems very odd to me that anyone asking questions about the world and about Christianity in an "Apologist" forum would be attacked for those questions. This certainly does not set a very good example for the religion you are trying to defend.

Please try instead to directly address the individual's questions, with a gentle spirit, understanding that we do not all have faith as strong as yours. I for one certainly do not.

[JesusismyLord]

even this apologosy grasps for straws, but cant ignore ome of the similarities

http://www.tektonics.org/copycat/mithra.html

[bgoalie35]

I'm not trying to be insulting here, but did you actually read your own posted article? What about that is "grasping at straws"? It looked like a very thorough discussion of the issue at hand to me. I think we will have to agree to disagree about Mithras, but I will warn you that you are in the extreme scholarly minority on this issue. If you will point at specifically what you believe is "grasping at straws", or what specifically still bothers you about Mithras, I will try to address it.

Good luck to you, but I don't think you're really giving the evidence an intellectually honest look.

[Ovedya]

I am a born again christain. These are real doubts I have come across, this is historic evidence that mithra was many years before christ

Is your salvation in Christ based upon intellectualism or is it something much deeper? If it's the former then you have a valid concern, but if it's the latter then you are worried over nothing. I would suggest to you that if you are doubting your salvation then there is something more serious going on in your relationship with the Lord; and what difference would it make if Mithraism or some other "wind of teaching" came about to throw your faith off course?

[Matthitjah]

Grace to you,

JIML,

The enemy has come to steal, kill, and destroy.

he is the father of lies and has been murdering from the beginning. There is no Truth in him.

This is the same lie from the beginning. "has God said"?

It is the same lie that bel told at Babylon.

Remember that the enemy cannot Create anything. he can only imitate and rip off the Truth.

Why not instill a figure into the worlds worship that would imitate Christ and His atoning work on your behalf? It would posit the question that you have asked, "has God really said"?

I would give the same advice the others have given. Get to know the Truth, Jesus Christ. The Love that surpasseth all understanding. Then when the lie rears it's head? You will be able to see clearly that it is the lie. From the father of lies. It has come to steal, kill, and destroy.

How do you come to know Christ? Intimately through His singular act of Love for you. This bridges the gap between man and God and allows you to know Him.

The Word say's "Ask, Seek, and Knock"! For those who ask will be answered. Those who seek will find. To those whom knock? The Door will be opened.

I like this Scripture right here;

Jer

[JesusismyLord]

I am a christian that has foud any problems with the NT, why is the typical christian answer to pray to God and the devil is tricking you. The evidence is tracking me, lets start with Matthew

the geneology of matthew syas it has 42 generations from abraham to christ

go ahead and count in the NT how many generation there really are?I dare you guys to stop saying the devil this and that and pray this and that and answer the questions

[Giaour]

bump

[Matthitjah]

Grace to you,

JIML.

I fail to see the discrepancy.

The Jewish custom with genealogies was to keep them in neat units. Like the 14's. This made them easier to remember and pass along.

The writer of the Gospel, Matthew, seems to answer your question as well.

In the first set of 14 we have Abraham to David.

In the second set David starts the set as Abraham did in the previous. David to Josiah in the second set of 14's.

Note now that Josiah was the father of Jeconiah and his brethren at the time of the exile. After the exile Jeconiah starts the third set of 14's and we end at the Messiah Jesus Christ. Being the 14th Himself.

Read the writer of the Gospel, Matthew Himself.

Mt

[Ovedya]

I am a christian that has foud any problems with the NT, why is the typical christian answer to pray to God and the devil is tricking you. The evidence is tracking me, lets start with Matthew

the geneology of matthew syas it has 42 generations from abraham to christ

go ahead and count in the NT how many generation there really are?I dare you guys to stop saying the devil this and that and pray this and that and answer the questions

Brother,

I hope that you do not get offended by my response here. But maybe if you take offense there may be an element of truth to it. Oftentimes we get offended by things that we know deep down inside are true. In any case it is not my intent here to offend you.

It really appears to me that you are a person who has never seriously bothered to immerse himself in the Scriptures. You have not objectively examined the evidence of the Bible, and seriously researched answers to these questions yourself. Were you more knowledgable of the Scriptures (And not just the Scriptures themselves, but the history of the Scriptures, and the various studies and commentaries, etc) then it is not likely that you would fall prey to the typical atheistic drivel that many of us have read before; and believe me, this is atheistic drivel.

You would do better in your Christian life to develop a solid relationship with the Scriptures. It is the Scriptures that are your protection from the enemy, and the sword by which you fight him (Eph. 6:17). The Scriptures are the guide for your Christian life, the "manual" by which you are instructed in righteousness, encouragement, endurance, and hope (3 Tim. 3:16; Rom. 15:4). Your fighting against God's Word through vain questionings begets contentions and are unprofitable (1 Tim. 1:4; 6:4; Titus 3:9). These questionings are the result of an untrained mind (2 Tim. 2:23; cf. Darby's).

It is my opinion that these questions do not demand an answer at all, especially when they are asked by a brother in the Lord. If these were asked by an atheist in apologetics, perhaps some attempts at addressing them might be profitable for the purpose of leading him to Christ, but coming from someone who has already received the Lord it seems quite pointless. You should know better. And if you don't, you should at least endeavor to seek the truth yourself in the counsel of the various studies, commentaries, etc., that clarify these matters.

As I had stated above, and which I still believe, your problem appears to be much deeper than a simple disagreement with the Bible. Your waning of faith cannot be based upon an intellectual discrepancy, but if it is then the first thing you should do is surrender yourself again to Christ! Secondly, you should begin to immerse yourself in the Scriptures, praying daily over them.

Much Grace,

~O