#STRask

Why Did Jesus Leave Earth?

Questions about why Jesus left earth and how it’s possible that two Christian leaders, who both have the Holy Spirit, can have a contradicting witness about whether or not one can lose one’s salvation.

• Why did the historical Jesus supposedly leave earth? (The Jesus of the Gospels doesn’t seem to know this when questioned.)
• How is it possible that two Christian teachers, who both have the Holy Spirit, can have a contradicting witness about whether or not one can lose one’s salvation?

How Can I Comfort Christian Families That Have Lost Loved Ones to Suicide?

Question about how a minister can comfort Christian families that have lost loved ones to suicide, are wrestling with thoughts that the suicide has resulted in a loved one possibly being a lost soul forever, and are close to walking away from God.

• How can a minister comfort Christian families that have lost loved ones to suicide, are wrestling with thoughts that the suicide has resulted in a loved one possibly being a lost soul forever, and are close to walking away from God?

Is God a Hypocrite?

Questions about whether God is being a hypocrite when he commands us not to murder and then executes people himself and how a politically conservative Christian should respond to a medical school admission form that asks questions about political opinions.

• Why is God a hypocrite, commanding us not to murder in Exodus 20:13 and then executing people in Isaiah 66:16? What kind of good leader says, “Do as I say, not as I do”?
• What should someone who’s a Christian and a conservative do when filling out a form for medical school admission that asks questions about political opinions? 

What Do I Say to Friends Who Have Deconstructed and Left the Faith?

Questions about what to say to friends who have deconstructed and left the faith that will acknowledge their pain but also point them back to God and how to respond to someone who says Christians don’t think for themselves but only blindly follow.

• What do I say to friends who have deconstructed and left the faith that will acknowledge their pain but also point them back to God?
• How would you respond to someone who says that Christians don’t think for themselves but only blindly follow? 

Aren’t Good Non-Christians Evidence That God Isn’t Required to Live a Moral Life?

Questions about how to respond to someone who says the existence of good non-Christians is evidence that God isn’t required to live a satisfying, moral life, whether God can save someone convicted of treason, and when it’s time to leave a church that promotes itself more than it exalts God.

• How do you respond to an atheist or agnostic young person who knows kind, loving non-Christians and believes that’s evidence that God isn’t required to be transformed to live a satisfying, moral life?
• Can God save someone convicted of treason by the government?
• When is it time to leave a church that spends more time promoting itself in the worship service than exalting God? 

How Can We Truly Love God in Heaven if We Won’t Have the Free Will to Reject Him?

Questions about whether regeneration counters total depravity in the Reformed view and how it could be that we’ll truly love God when we’re in Heaven, where we can’t reject him, if real love requires the free will to reject him.

• In the Reformed view, does regeneration counter total depravity, or is a regenerate person still totally depraved?
• If we have free will to reject God because one cannot love someone without the choice to reject, wouldn’t we then not have the ability to truly love God in Heaven? 

Is Christianity Just a Brainwashing Ritual?

Questions about whether Christianity is only a brainwashing ritual involving rejection of the outside world, affirmation within the tribe, ritualistic chanting, etc. and whether denial of a biological man’s womanhood is comparable to an atheist denying someone’s belief in Christianity.

• How do you respond to the claim that Christianity is only a brainwashing ritual, with rejection of the outside world, affirmation within the tribe, and ritualistic chanting in the form of prayer and worship music?
• Is my denial of a biological man’s womanhood comparable to an atheist’s denial of my belief in Christianity? 

How Do We Know Which Commands in the Bible Apply to Everyone?

Question about how we can know when commands and instructions given in the Bible are meant to apply to everyone and when they only apply to a specific people group at a specific time in history.

• How do we know when commands and instructions given in the Bible are meant to apply to everyone and when they only apply to a specific people group at a specific time in history?

Should We Use Preferred Pronouns When Not Sure of a Person’s Biological Sex?

Questions about using a person’s preferred pronouns when we’re not sure of their biological sex and whether we should ask why our employer is requesting we use pronouns in our email signature in case the purpose is to help people who are unfamiliar with English names know what sex we are.

• What should I do about using a person’s preferred pronouns when it’s not clear what that person’s sex actually is?
• Since including pronouns may be helpful to immigrants who aren’t familiar with English names, if requested to include pronouns in an email signature, must we always ask why? 

Is God’s Inability to Change an Imperfection?

Questions about responding to the idea that God’s inability to change is an imperfection, why God loves us, and whether evil can “claim” a child.

• If God is perfect, then he can’t change, but not being able to change is an imperfection, therefore God is not perfect. How would you respond?
• Does God love me only because I’m in his image or because of my personality and who I am?
• Can evil “claim” a child?