#STRask

Should I Attend the Wedding of Someone Who Is into New Thought and Against Christianity?

Questions about whether to attend the wedding of someone who is into the New Thought movement and will have New Age items at the wedding location, whether one should not listen to hymns sung by Latter-day Saints, and how to respond to the Buddhist “Walk for Peace.”

 

• Should I attend the wedding of my sister, who is into the New Thought movement and will have a meditation yurt, a drum circle, and other New Age items at the wedding location and is very outspoken against Christianity?
• I’ve found that Latter-day Saint singers sing hymns that I like, and I get disturbed by that. Should I not listen?
• How should Christians respond to the Buddhist “Walk for Peace” and the people and churches excited to see and support it?

Which Translation Would You Recommend for an Adult Who’s New to the Bible?

Questions about which Bible translation to recommend to an adult who’s new to the Bible, and what resources to recommend to an unbeliever who’s interested in reading the Bible with her son.

 

• Which Bible translation would you recommend to an adult who’s new to the Bible?
• What resources would you recommend to an unbeliever who’s interested in reading the Bible with her son?

Is Christianity Narrow-Minded and Dangerous?

Questions about how to respond to the criticism that Christianity is narrow-minded and dangerous, and what to say to someone who thinks Christianity is a cult.

 

• How would you respond to the criticism that Christianity is narrow-minded and dangerous?
• What would you say to someone who thinks Christianity is a cult?

Would You Say God’s Primary Object Is to Not Be Found?

Questions about whether God’s primary object is to not be found, how one can say God doesn’t make mistakes if the percentage of Christians in the world is so low, and whether the fact that not everyone will be in Heaven is proof that God doesn’t win every battle.

 

• Would you say God’s primary object is to not be found?
• If God doesn’t make mistakes, how do you explain the fact that Christians have reached an all-time low percentage of the world’s population?
• If the common belief that God wins every battle were true, then no one would be in Hell.

Is This an Argument for Relativism?

Questions about whether the fact that the truth about one’s age changes over time is an argument for relativism, and how to ground virtues like courage in objective reality without relying on circular definitions.

 

• I’ve heard truth doesn’t change and doesn’t contradict itself, but how does yearly change fit into that—e.g., I’m 38 one year and 39 the next. Does this create an argument for relativism?
• If “cowardice” is defined as failing to do what’s right, then calling it “wrong” is just a tautology. How do we ground virtues like courage in objective reality without relying on circular definitions?

Isn’t the Covenant in Scripture Explicitly with Israel and Not the Gentile Nations?

Questions about what gives modern Christians confidence that they’ve inherited the Jews’ covenant with God if Scripture explicitly says it was with Israel and not the Gentile nations, and why the Jews were chosen.

 

• The covenant in Scripture is explicitly with Israel and not the Gentile nations, so what gives modern Christians confidence that they’ve inherited that covenant?
• Why were the Jews chosen?

Why Is There No Effort Towards a Neutral Interpretation of Scripture?

Questions about why there is no effort towards a neutral interpretation of Scripture that doesn’t take denominational preferences into account, and how so many people in different denominations that believe different things can all claim to be followers of Christ.

 

• Why is there no effort towards a neutral exegesis—i.e., without taking denominational preferences into account—in light of the fact that there are so many denominations divided over hundreds of topics? Which inspiration theory and which explanatory system do you use?
• Considering there are so many denominations that all believe different things, how can they all claim to be followers of Christ?

How Could One Person Trust Another Person on the Topic of God?

Questions about how one person could trust another person on the topic of God, how STR obtained information about God that others haven’t obtained, and whether God only matters for the purpose of the afterlife.

 

• How could one person trust another person on the topic of God, and how did you obtain information about God that I haven’t obtained?
• Aside from Heaven and Hell, does God matter? Atheists and Muslims experience the same world you do.

How Should I Respond to an LGBTQ Person Who Says He Feels Good About Who He Is?

Questions about responding to an LGBTQ person who says he feels good about who he is, and whether—since we all have sin in our life we don’t consider to be sinful—a practicing homosexual can be born again as long as he sincerely believes his behavior isn’t sinful.

 

• What would be an appropriate response to an LGBTQ person saying, “I feel good about who I am”?
• Since we all have sin in our life that we don’t consider to be sinful, and will only learn about it when we get to Heaven, doesn’t that mean a practicing homosexual can be born again as long as he sincerely believes his behavior is not sinful?

Does God Hear the Prayers of Non-Believers?

Questions about whether or not God hears and answers the prayers of non-believers, and thoughts about a church sign that reads (as if from God), “Just love everyone. I'll sort them out later.”

 

• Does God hear non-believers’ prayers, and if he hears them, does he answer them?
• How would you evaluate a church sign that reads (as if from God), “Just love everyone. I'll sort them out later”?