Religion
How do animals and women fit in? Why do evil and viruses exist?
How big was the flood and why doesn't God intervene?
What is the Trinity to other religions? Where does Jesus fit in? Does purgatory exist?
No further word from God? Only containing God's words? What about the errors?
Can it have different meanings? May a bible story be legend? Help from outside the bible...?
How dangerous is wealth? What about forgiving the unrepentant? Can euthanasia be Christian? What makes a church a sect?
Is Jesus the one to follow? Did Jesus rise bodily? Jesus and the Holy Spirit? How is Christ coming back? A synthesis of traditions?
Time to tackle the last few questions of Richard Bewes' book: The Top Questions: Biblical Answers to Popular Questions
Q.91 Am I a real disciple of Jesus? How can I be sure that my faith is genuine, and that I won't turn out to be a fraud?
Richard Bewes has three answers for those who are doubting their faith.
Firstly, he argues that we have to rely on the word of God, not on our inner feelings. This is because the Word of God is constant, while our feelings are constantly changing. We must open ourselves to Jesus and invite him into our lives. This is enough sign for God to transfer us to his kingdom.
Secondly, he argues that through Christ's sacrifice, our sins were washed clean. We were freed from our guilt, which allowed us to be fully accepted by God. This has ensured our salvation. If we question it, or wish to add any further contribution, then we are insulting it.
Lastly, Richard Bewes argues that we can confirm our faith through the feelings of the Holy Spirit. By allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us, we are allowing it to further confirm our faith.
My Christian friend Naomi quoted Romans 8:16
"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."
She argued that the more you dwell on the issue, the more likely you are to doubt yourself. This is because that the human capacity to doubt is always present. If you genuinely believe in the core beliefs of Christianity, then you shouldn't have to worry whether you're a real disciple of Jesus or not.
Q. 94 What do I do when I am tempted? I hear addresses on the power we are given to overcome our sins. But practically what should I do when I sense the Devil's presence?
Richard Bewes offers a very interesting answer to this question. He argues that it is up to us, not Christ, to resist temptation. However, we are unmotivated to this, as it is too personally inconvenient for us to do so. Bewes identifies the use of active verbs in the New Testament, which encourage us to fight our own battles. He says that "when the Liberator comes, he doesn't set us free from the fight. He sets us free for the fight."
I quite like this idea. There is a silly misconception of religious people, as mindless sheep. However, this demonstrates that they have personal agency and freedom of choice.
Q. 95 Why should Christians suffer? Why is it that following Jesus seems in every quarter to be so unpopular? Is it inevitable that we must suffer as Christians?
This is a question that we have already encountered in a number of forms, such as "why do evil and viruses exist?" And, according to Richard Bewes, Christians must suffer.
The crux of Bewes' argument hinges on the idea that suffering is a key part of faith. Adversity is necessary to achieve spiritual growth. Christians think that adversity is an unnecessary interruption to "normal Christian life," but it's actually an integral part of life. It is a gateway into personal growth. Suffering and glory belong together. The Cross was initially a tool of suffering, but now it has become a symbol of strength.
Naomi argued that there will always be a certain mystery about why we suffer, which she thinks could be why it's so painful. If we knew why we were suffering, would it hurt as much? However, she also offers some potential reasons for why we may suffer. She argues that Christians suffer due to the original sin that Adam and Eve committed. Suffering is also a tool that God uses to make us more like Jesus.
I can see the logic of both arguments. We improve ourselves by making mistakes and learning from them. If you'll allow a pretentious sounding analogy, then you could think of people like lumps of coal. It is only through extreme pressure and a lot of cutting can we be turned into diamonds. Tragedies like terrorist attacks or natural disasters are great unifiers. People are united by their grief and their suffering. Suffering helps to bring people together that may otherwise stay separated. After all, what doesn't kill you can only make you stronger.
Q.98 Why are Christians a problem? I have to tell you that I find non-Christian acquaintances easier to get on with than my fellow-believers. Why is is that so often the non-Christians are nicer, more hard-working and even more honest than the Christians?
When whomever asked this question, I'm sure they weren't generalising their comments to the wider population. You get nice Christians just as much as you get disrespectful Atheists and vice versa.
However, Richard Bewes argues that there is a "precedent for this pattern." The early Church in Corinth was full of Christians who were sexually immoral and committed idolatry and adultery. Bewes quotes Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:3
"You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere human beings?"
Bewes continues with the idea of "mere men." To err is to be human. It is natural for us to make mistakes, as we are imperfect. He says that it is natural to expect this in any church. In fact, it is a healthy sign that a church should welcome such people, rather than "quarantine [themselves] from outside influences." We shouldn't want a New Testament church to be completely pure.
I would agree with this, as it demonstrates Christianity as being accommodating and open-minded. It allows the more troubled people a chance to engage with Christianity, rather than rejecting them completely.
As Naomi has constantly done, don't be afraid to tell me I'm wrong. Criticise me and leave below your own comments. Just keep it mature. Keep it intelligent. Keep it respectful.
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