#STRask

Can You Argue Straight from the Existence of Evil to the Existence of the Christian God?

Questions about whether one can argue from the existence of evil straight to the Christian God or if more arguments are required to get there and whether Abraham sacrificing Isaac would be considered a good action since God commanded it.

• Does the existence of evil argue for the God of the Bible or only for a monotheistic God in general?
• If Abraham sacrificed Isaac, would the action be considered good since God commanded it?

If Only Eve Had Eaten the Fruit, Would Sin Still Have Entered the World?

Questions about whether sin still would have entered the world if only Eve had eaten the fruit, the theological explanation for why Jesus did not inherit a sinful nature from Mary, and what the idea that nothing good can come from evil would mean for children born as a result of rape.

• If only Eve had eaten the fruit and Adam refused, would sin still have entered the world?
• What is the theological explanation for why Jesus did not inherit a sinful nature from Mary?
• If nothing good can come from evil, how can we justify children born as a result of rape, incest, out of wedlock, etc.?

How Can I Evaluate Whether I’m Doing Enough for the Lord?

Questions about how to evaluate whether you are “doing enough for the Lord,” whether Ezekiel 3:18 indicates you will be in trouble on judgment day if you didn’t tell someone the gospel before they died, and whether it’s okay for a Christian to use Latter-day Saint resources to do family research.

• What advice would you give me as an average believer to evaluate whether I am doing enough for the Lord and serving him enough?
• Since God tells Ezekiel in Ezekiel 3:18 that if he doesn’t warn people, and they die in their sin, their blood will be on his hands, does that mean I’ll be in trouble on judgment day because someone I used to help died in a fight before I could talk to him about Christ?
• Is it okay for a Christian to use Latter-day Saint (Mormon) resources to do family research, or would he be opening himself up to LDS theology by spending time there?

How Do We Discern between Our Own Inner Voice and the Holy Spirit Telling Us What We’re Supposed to Say?

Questions about how to discern between our own inner voice and the Holy Spirit telling us what we are supposed to say if, according to Matthew 10:20, “it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” at the right moment and whether Acts 11:17 indicates we can get in God’s way when he is speaking to us.

• If “it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” at the right moment, as Matthew 10:20 says, how do we discern the difference between our own inner voice of our previous training and the Holy Spirit telling us what we are supposed to say?
• In terms of God speaking to us, can we get in God’s way (see Acts 11:17)?

How Can We Apply the Bible to Our Lives if We’re Not Supposed to Read Our Circumstances into It?

Questions about how to apply the Bible to our lives if we’re supposed to read it in context and not insert our circumstances into it and how to respond to someone who says the Great Commission was given to the apostles and not to the church writ large (similar to how Jeremiah 29:11 was given to the exiles).

• If we’re supposed to read the Bible in context and not insert our lives or circumstances into it, how do we then apply the ancient Word to our current lives?
• How would you respond to someone who said that the Great Commission was given to the apostles and not to the church writ large (similar to how Jeremiah 29:11 was given to the exiles)?

Is Christianity Really a Story of Reality?

Questions about whether Christianity is about following Jesus rather than a story of reality, what John the Baptist meant when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease,” and why John the Baptist seemed confused about whether or not Jesus was the Messiah after he had already confessed he was.

• You said Christianity is a story of reality, and I agree that the Bible is a story of reality (it helps lead our lives), but isn’t Christianity about following Jesus?
• What did John the Baptist mean when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease,” and how does that apply to us?
• In John 1:34, John the Baptist acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God after baptizing him, so why does he seem confused in Luke 7:19 and Matthew 11:3?

If We Can’t Impose a Moral Standard from One Period of Time on Another, How Does That Affect the Moral Argument?

Questions about how one can use the moral argument and also say we can’t impose a moral standard from one period of time on another and responding to someone who says she would never follow a God who killed his own son.

• If you say we can’t impose a moral standard from one period of time on another, then how does the moral argument fit into this way of thinking?
• How would you respond to someone who says she would never follow a God who killed his own son?

Does This Prove We Can’t Ground Objective Morality in God?

Question about an objection to grounding objective morality in God that states that if God has a morally perfect nature, and he either engaged in or directly allowed genocide, slavery, and torture, then that means genocide, slavery, and torture are objectively good.

• How would you address this atheist challenge to grounding objective morality in God: If God has an unchanging, morally perfect nature, and he either engaged in or directly allowed genocide, slavery, and torture, then doesn’t that mean genocide, slavery, and torture are objectively good?

How Concerned Should I Be about My Spouse Believing in Annihilationism?

Questions about how concerned one should be and what to do about a spouse who now believes in annihilationism and how to navigate differences in doctrine with those who take strong stands on their distinctives.

• My wife has changed her view on Hell to annihilationism, and I feel betrayed and worried for her and how she’ll influence our kids. How should I think about this and deal with it?
• How do you navigate differences in doctrine with those who take strong stands on their distinctives?

Do These Verses Support the Idea That Everyone Will Be Saved?

Question about whether Romans 5:18, 1 Corinthians 15:22, and 1 John 2:2 support the idea that everyone will be saved (universalism) as a New York Times opinion piece by David Bentley Hart claims.

• Do Romans 5:18, 1 Corinthians 15:22, and 1 John 2:2 support universalism (i.e., the idea that everyone will be saved and the doctrine of Hell is incorrect) as a New York Times opinion piece by Dr. David Hart claims?