Tricky Questions
Earlier this year we asked you to suggest possible responses to some tricky questions and statements, which might present us with an opportunity to share our faith with someone. Here is this week’s Question and some of the answers we received.
16. I think Jesus was a good man, but he wasn’t God.
a) I think we are all the same (i.e. part of God).
b) That couldn’t explain some of the things that have happened in my life.
c) If he wasn’t a God he wouldn’t be able to do all those miracles he had done.
d) Christians believe that Jesus was the ‘son of God’ - God upon earth in human form. Jesus was sinless – man can never be sinless upon earth.
e) He was a man who set the best example of how to live but as Christians we believe in God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit, 3 in 1.
f) I can’t prove to you that Jesus was God, but if he wasn’t, then certain things follow. If Jesus of Nazareth wasn’t God, then God hasn’t had the experience of being born, being obedient to his parents, living the life of a carpenter’s son, being rejected by his fellow men, praying to his father that this cup might pass from him, and dying. Many adherents of other religions would say, Too right, that doesn’t fit my idea of God. Christianity is a rather strange religion. By the way, about these good men you mention – I’m not sure I’ve met any of them. The better they are, the more ready they are to admit that at one time or another they have done things that feel unforgiveable. They need redemption. They need a Redeemer. Now, what kind of God would be up to that job?
g) Do you think he was deluded when he identified himself so closely with God?
What do you think?
(All responses are anonymous, unless you choose to say who you are)
1. Christianity is just wishful thinking.
a) Not so. Christianity is the way, the truth and the life.
b) To non-Christians, this is one belief as to what Christianity is. To real Christians it is whatever they want it to be, a source of comfort, something to give them hope or merely what they hold as a belief.
c) Fortunately, some wishes come true.
d) What makes you say that?
2. If God created us, why does he make us do wrong?
a) God does not make us do wrong. God gave us free will to do as we like, but unlike Jesus Christ in the wilderness, we give in to temptation.
b) God does not make us do wrong – it’s people that do it themselves.
c) God doesn’t make us do wrong- that is our choice. We have free will.
d) He doesn’t. Humans are imperfect, thus we strive to live as Christ taught us through the Bible.
e) God created us but he also gave us free will. We do wrong because we choose to do so, not because God makes us.
f) Because he gave us free will. It is not he but we who do the wrong things.
g) He doesn’t, we do wrong all by ourselves.
h) I don’t think that God makes us do wrong, rather that he allows us to do so. Clearly if he created us he also created that part of our nature that leads us to behave badly, but if we didn’t have that, if we couldn’t do wrong, would we be any more perfect? The fact that God allows us to make moral judgements, to decide for ourselves whether to behave badly or well, I think is the biggest expression of his love. It is when I have done wrong, when I recognise this, make amends and ask forgiveness, that I feel closest to God.
i) I don’t think he makes us do wrong – he allows us to choose right or wrong.
3. Why should people get married in church?
a) They need all the help they can get.
b) Because the marriage will be blessed by God from the very beginning – the actual church building is special and holy and adds to the sense of occasion. You are surrounded by God’s love, as you take your vows – and you will take that with you in your marriage as you start your life together.
c) To show that commitment to one another and love for each other before God as well as before their family and friends. It also puts God at the centre of the couple’s marriage and enables them to ask for God’s guidance and support over the coming years as they begin the journey of marriage together.
d) I don’t think they should just to have a pretty background to the photos, but they should if it’s a recognition of something fundamentally important.
4. Live and let live – that’s my philosophy.
a) We need to live our lives in the way that Jesus taught us – loving each other and caring for the vulnerable. The way we live our lives sets an example for others.
b) Jesus said “Love your neighbour”. If you live only for yourself you will never have a relationship with God and your life will be empty and unfulfilled.
c) I agree with you – but life is complex and sometimes it just doesn’t work…[for example]
d) Yes but does that mean you never intervene to help anyone in need?
5. I believe in God, but I don’t think he intervenes in the world.
a) God gave us free will. It upsets him when bad things happen, but he allows us to make our own mistakes.
b) Just listen to one of June Knight’s sermons and you will see how he intervenes! My son was ill for many years and slowly recovering. I became impatient and prayed for a miracle. Within weeks he came to tell me he had applied for and obtained a promotion abroad.
c)Do you believe there is good and evil in the world? God only has us to fight the devil.
d) First of all, look in the Bible – you can then see how often God intervenes. Then look at the New Testament – God gave us His Son as a major intervention.
e) It is because of his intervention that we exist in the first place! What greater intervention can he make than by sending his son to us for his death and resurrection?
f) God has given us the freedom of choice. It’s the choices we make as individuals that matter, e.g. to intervene or not.
g) Is that because he is cruel or powerless or just absent from the world?
6. I just don’t believe in God.
a) Looking back there was a time when I didn’t believe either, but…
b) So what values do you believe in? and why?
7. Religion’s the root of all evil.
a) Only if people make it so!
b) There’s a lot in what you say…
- Religion is bad for people, but God is good for people
- Religion is different from faith
- Religion/the church is also the root of a lot that is good.
- The Bible says that love of money is the root of all evil. (All this depends on the context!)
c) This common assertion shows a complete lack of historical perspective. May I ask what things you regard as good? Maybe socialist ideals, or women’s rights, or kindness towards the poor and humble? These values came out of Judaism, via Christianity. Trawl through the values of cultures outside the Judaeo-Christian tradition and you will find precious little emphasis on such things. Qualities like strength and fearlessness, or at best virtue and nobility, are more admired. Even an atheist historian will readily concede this. You may say that our compassionate values would have evolved without Christianity. Well, perhaps they would – but they didn’t and the onus is on you to demonstrate that they could have. (I agree that some aspects of religion have been harmful, but it has also been the root of much good, for example the abolition of slavery).
8. Christians should practise what they preach.
a) Perhaps Christians should preach what they practise: such as going to Church regularly on Sunday and reading the Bible.
b) Of course – Christians preach love – love of God and love of one another. Everything stems from this – forgiveness, generosity, kindness, service, i.e. the fruits of the Spirit.
c) Yes they should. A Christian’s life should reflect what he or she believes and the things that Jesus taught.
d) I agree with you.
e) Absolutely – but being human, they often mess things up. Good job God is always willing to forgive us. Message to Christians (& me) - must try harder.
f) Not only Christians.
g) Yes, but it is like learning how to walk. Sometimes you fall flat on your face but you pick yourself up and start again with prayer, love and faith. Don’t give up. It is a life’s learning, but worth it.
h) Whatever I do, I try to do it to the best of my ability, second best is not good enough. Enjoy doing. Do not be resentful, enjoy whatever you are doing. God loves a cheerful worker, search for inner peace, it is a life’s goal and reward.
i) I agree – we should, but it’s difficult. What do you practise?
9. All religions worship the same God, don’t they?
a) Jews, Muslims and Christians worship the same God – each in their own way. I do not know enough about other religions to comment.
b) My understanding is that some religions don’t worship a God at all but have a different view of spirituality.
c) God (and prayer) is something you have to feel comfortable with. We may have been brought up with one or other denomination and tend to stay with that.
d) This is so hard to answer. There is only one God, but many religions have not found Him yet.
e) God has many forms for different religions but all good work is the same. His love is the same as is his understanding.
f) Some religions worship several gods; only Judaism, Islam and Christianity worship one God. Worshipping Jesus makes Christians different from other religions.
g) In fact they don’t – Shinto, Buddhism and other religions do not worship the one and truly only God that Christians, Jews and even Muslims believe in.
h) I’m a Christian so I believe there is only one God, but religions have some very different ideas about whether there is one God or many or no God at all.
10. Everyone has their own God – all are equally valid.
a) There is only one God but different religions know him by other names.
b) I believe this to be true. The problem starts as people are subjective not objective and find it difficult, if not impossible, to view this statement other than from [the perspective that] their own God is the valid God.
c) What do you mean by “their own God”? Do you mean that everyone’s core values are the same?
11. Religion’s not really my thing.
a) Perhaps not, but the Church will always be there for you when you change your mind!
b) Have you tried? It matters a great deal to me. Faith affects my life in every way. Give it a try. You will be blessed.
c) Pray for them.
d) Do you have something in your life that means a great deal to you? Then that could be your religion. To the Christian faith (our religion) we believe that Jesus Christ’s teaching guides us through life until death, when we believe in the resurrection.
e) What do you mean by that?
f) Nor mine.
g) I know what you mean, but do you ever think about the meaning of life?
12. I think the church has perverted the original message of Jesus.
a) Not really qualified to comment but I’m sure there must be areas that are misunderstandings.
b) What makes you think that?
c) I don’t agree. All right, there are buildings now but inside these buildings the original message of Jesus is being taught and people are encouraged to live out Jesus’s message.
d) Not so! But it is a pity that the church seems sometimes to be concerned with its own internal divisions.
e) What do you think his message was? And what about those awkward things he said?
13. I don’t believe in life after death - we only have one life.
a) It is a very difficult concept to take on but by learning more in church and reading the Bible and accepting the Lord’s love, you realise there is more out there.
b) We cannot know – we can only hope. But if anyone ever could know, that was Jesus Christ and he did promise us another life after this earthly one.
c) Jesus said, “In my Father’s house, there are many mansions.” So there will be a place for those who believe that they only have one life.
d) Christians have faith in a future life as promised but it may not be the same as the one experienced on Earth.
e) I agree it’s impossible to know, but just supposing…
14. How can you believe in God after the Holocaust?
a) Because the Holocaust was the work of a sinful and evil man called Hitler.
b) Because it’s people that do these things, not God.
c) Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation… Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world”
d) It is difficult, I agree, but my understanding of God includes the belief that he has given us freedom to choose between good and evil.
15. I’m an atheist.
a) How sad, you are missing so much joy and happiness in this wonderful world.
b) I respect your views, but I’d like to open up a window for you, to show you something of what you are missing.
c) What do you believe in?
d) You don’t know what you are missing from the [illegible] of being a Christian.
e) I sometimes think that being an atheist requires just as much faith as being a Christian. There are so many unexplained things about our world.
f) So what values do you live by and where do they come from?