Dangerous Questions
The announcement of my series on Young Earth Creationism has caused a bit of uneasiness among some of my Christian readers/commenters. This has caused me to do some serious thinking on the topic of asking questions.
Unfortunately, for too long, Christianity has been defined by ignorance, not necessarily widespread or broad ignorance, but more like a selectively willing ignorance … myself included. But questions define us as human beings. Even in the Bible, the Ethiopian eunuch became a believer because he asked questions.
So while we embark on our journey into a scientific realm, I will also be asking some pretty pressing questions … questions that I struggle with, questions that you may struggle with. The point is, we can no longer ignore the questions that pop into our head for fear of being irreverent to God. I believe God loves curiosity. God doesn’t want mindless zombies, he wants willing servants, informed, understanding. To be less, is to be a robot.
I’m calling this series “Dangerous Questions” because these will be the questions that we were told not to ask, not to think about, and not to linger on. So much for that.
Nathan
“Ask Questions. Demand Answers.”
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Who is afraid?
No problem with asking questions!
What one should fear is that one is still on the “milk” of the word, and it not ready for the “meat” of the questions being asked.
Gosh, science could come up with tangeble proof that discounts every sentence in all 66 books, and my faith would not change. In fact, one would expect such proof as we get closer to the “End Times”!
The better Satan gets at his cunning, the closer we are to his end.
Guy,
WOW! That was quick!!! I just published this article like 5 minutes ago
I understand what you’re saying, I truly do. However, far too often, we replace “meat” with “junk”, not “milk”. Let me explain.
As the planets were studied scientifically, and it was becoming clearer that the universe didn’t revolve around the earth (a notion fought by the church BECAUSE of the Bible), it could be said that only mature Christians should be taught the “meat” that the solar system revolved around the sun. I think that is ridiculous!
My point is, there is absolutely NO reason to perpetually teach falsehoods under the guise of “you can’t handle the truth”.
I’m not accusing you of trying to perpetuate falsities, I’m just admonishing us all not to embrace this technique.
Imagine where Christianity would be had no one asked any “dangerous questions”.
Martin Luther, the Nicean Creed, the doctrine of the trinity, the doctrine of the divinity of Christ, the end of the Inquisition, the formation of the early Church, and on and on and on.
Debate is vital.
I constantly cruise by my “Dailies” looking for new comments, so I am in and out of here and others all day long.
The “Church” itself was still on the milk of the Word back in those days, times have changed!
And I agree! Go back and reread my comment on “Church Change”, and you can see that our biggest enemy is the “Church” itself!
It is “Church Polity” that has screwed up the “Bride Of Christ”. If you look back at my own weblog, you will see in a post about “Money” that my own local church is at odds, and appears to be removing me from its assembly because I have a “Para-Church Ministry” (my website)
They believe that ALL ministries should be done through the “local church” and that God can in no way call one of his children to do a job (His Will) for him, that the “Pastor” must be in control of every breath of the “member”
How insane of a “control issue” is that??? They want every one of my posts on my weblog to go through an “editorial review” before I post it! Have they lost their mind? Did Moses have to ask the Israelites dancing around the golden calf if they could take a moment and look over the ten commandments and make any needed changes so he could take them back up the mountain for God’s final approval???
Therein lay the problem! Science is fine! Its great! It has a purpose!
But set it as #2 when the time comes to answer a question! Any question!
I believe God does indeed use science as a “General Revelation” of Himself, and like you said, the “Junk” can, and will be sifted out when you use the “Bible” and Bible alone, to assist in examining the fruits of a scientific theory.
I believe that the New Testement Church has gone “backwards” and has cast aside the meat of the Word, and is relying on the milk of the Word, and man’s own will to operate. They are cutting “God” out of the loop!
If a “pastor” says… “Well Guy I think that there is merit to Darwinism and we as a church should take a better look.” Then I tell him that I could care less what you think, the bible says no. I have no fear of being irreverant to God, because when I have a question, it is God the Father I turn to for an answer first, like any child should his own earthly father. I don’t turn to my Father’s “co-workers” or “subordinates” just Him.
It is NOT that folks “can’t handle The Truth” it is that folks are being taught to get the truth from their Elders, their church, deacons, pastors, etc… And not the Bible, not Prayer, not all of the things that God has put in place to help answer those questions!
Beth Moore said it best… “The Lord told me that His bride was paralyzed with sin, and It all starts with you.” Hence she began her teaching series on “Believing God”.
I cheer that you are asking questions, and I come here to see what is being asked, and what is being answered, I just want the evidence to be presented by science, and then the rebuttal to be that of God’s Word, and not man.
This long comment makes me want to slap Joel Osteen, where is that bonehead! hahahahaha
Certainly you debate, you debate everything from minor doctrine to fundamental tenets. What no one besides the atheists seem to be debating, or questioning at all, is faith itself. You don’t question whether God exists; it’s simply True, and no conceivable piece of information could change your mind.