#STRask

If Christians Believe God Answers Prayer, Then Why Do They Buy Health Insurance?

Questions about why Christians buy health insurance if they really believe God answers prayer and whether or not one should end all prayers about desires for a spouse with “If it be your will.”

 

• Why do Christians buy health insurance? Don’t Christians believe God answers prayer? If God loves you and cares about you, then he certainly wants you to be healthy, correct?
• Should I end all my prayers about desires for a spouse with “If it be your will”? Should I consider the possibility of God not giving me the spouse?

If God Created Everything, Doesn’t That Mean He Created Evil?

Questions about whether God creating everything means he created evil too, and how a grief counselor can answer a question about whether God causes or allows death and sickness.

 

• How should my daughter answer a friend at school who said, “If God created everything, he must have created evil too, like cancer, right?”
• As a grief counselor, how should I answer this question I’m often faced with: Does God cause or allow death and sickness?

Does Scripture Support a Christian Church Joining in Worship Services with an LDS Church?

Questions about whether there’s Scripture to support a Christian church joining in worship services with an LDS church, whether it’s a genetic fallacy to say we shouldn’t sing any songs created by bands from NAR churches, and whether it’s a sin not to fast.

 

• Is there any Scripture that would support a Christian church joining in worship services with an LDS church? How would you handle this situation if it were happening in your small community?
• Is it a genetic fallacy to say we shouldn’t sing any songs created by bands from NAR churches, even if they’re biblically sound?
• Is it a sin not to fast?

Is It a Sin to Remove Someone from Life Support?

Questions about whether it’s a sin to remove someone from life support, whether it would be morally wrong to attend a legal assisted suicide of an unbelieving loved one, and what to say to a pregnant Christian who is justifying choosing abortion by saying God’s grace will cover it.

 

• Is it a sin to remove someone from life support who has been declared clinically dead and has lost brain function?
• Would it be morally wrong to attend a legal assisted suicide of an unbelieving loved one?
• How would you recommend handling a situation where a pregnant Christian is justifying choosing abortion by saying God’s grace will cover it?

Can a Christian Pretend to Denounce His Faith to Save His Life?

Questions about whether pretending to denounce your faith to save your life will cause you to lose your salvation, whether lying to save others’ lives is comparable to lying about your faith to save yourself, and advice for someone struggling with crippling intellectual doubts.

 

• Can a Christian pretend to denounce his faith to save his life so that he can continue to live his life for God, or will he lose his salvation?
• If lying to save others’ lives is acceptable, is denying your faith to save yourself or your family acceptable when you don’t mean it?
• Do you have any advice for someone struggling with crippling intellectual doubts?

Who Made You the Experts on What Makes Someone a Christian?

Questions about whether Greg and Amy are illegitimately claiming they’re the experts on what makes someone a Christian and a tactic to use with someone who counters any evidence offered by saying that other experts disagree.

 

• Who made you the experts on what makes someone a Christian?
• What tactic can I use with someone who counters any evidence I offer by saying that other experts disagree with me?

Did God Create Other Human Beings Not Described in Genesis 1–2?

Questions about whether God created other human beings not described in Genesis 1–2, whether the children of Adam and Eve had to commit incest, and whether women are more naive or less intelligent than men since Eve was deceived and not Adam.

 

• Did God create other human beings not described in Genesis 1–2?
• If all humans came from Adam and Eve, wouldn’t that mean early humanity was forced to commit incest?
• Are women more naive or less intelligent than men in general since Eve was deceived and not Adam?

What Tactical Approach Should I Take with Someone Who Says the Trinity Isn’t Biblical?

Questions about a good approach to take with someone who says the Trinity isn’t biblical, how to respond to Jehovah’s Witnesses who say Jesus received authority to forgive sins in Luke 4:18–19, and whether God “was looking for friends to collaborate with on running the world.”

 

• What’s a good tactical approach to take when in conversation with someone who says the Trinity isn’t biblical but was adopted much later in church history?
• How would you respond to Jehovah’s Witnesses who say Jesus didn’t have authority to forgive sins because he was God, but rather he was given that authority as part of his anointing in Luke 4:18–19?
• How would you respond to the claim that “from the beginning of time, God was looking for friends to collaborate with on running the world”?

How Can Those Who Are Happy with the Election Results Show Compassion to Those Who Are Devastated?

Questions about how those who are happy with the election results can show compassion to those who are devastated, navigating a relationship with an adult child who’s angry about the way you voted, and whether there’s more virtue in overcoming sin or not being tempted by it.

 

• How can those who are happy with the election results show compassion to those who are devastated by it, such as those who are gay or trans?
• How do we navigate a relationship with an adult child living at home who is angry with us because of who we voted for and feels the need to pull back from our relationship?
• Would you say there’s more virtue in overcoming stubborn sin after a significant struggle or in never having a struggle with that sin in the first place?

Would the Disciples Die for a Lie If They Believed It Was for the Greater Good?

Questions about whether the disciples would die for a lie if they believed it was for the greater good, how to start a conversation with an Uber customer who’s on his way to a Hindu temple, and what to say to someone who thinks there’s no way to know if God exists.

 

• Would the disciples die for what they knew to be a lie if they believed the lie was essential for persuading the world to morally reform itself for the greater good?
• What would have been a good way to start a conversation with an Uber customer who told me he was on his way to the local Hindu temple?
• What would you say to someone who thinks God is a personal belief in your head and that there’s no way to know if there is a God or not?