#STRask

What Is the Biblical Definition of Justice?

Questions about why Jesus said it would have been better if Judas had not been born, the biblical definition of justice, and whether it’s “unloving” to point out the false teachings of a TV evangelist in a roundtable discussion at a church.

• Why did Jesus say it would have been better if Judas had not been born, when his betrayal of Jesus was a necessary step for the salvation of mankind?
• What is the biblical definition of justice?
• Was it “unloving” when I pointed out the false teachings of a TV evangelist when his ideas were advanced in a roundtable discussion in our church?

Are Christians Who Study and Adhere to the Truths Revealed in the Bible Engaging in Bibliolatry?

Questions about how to respond to someone who says adhering to biblical inerrancy, studying Scripture, seeking to obey the Word, and adhering to its core truths is “bibliolatry” and how to explain the differences in the Gospel accounts to young children.

• What would you say to someone who thinks adhering to biblical inerrancy, studying Scripture, seeking to obey the Word, and adhering to its core truths is “bibliolatry”? 
• What suggestions or perspective can you give for helping me explain the differences in the Gospel accounts to my young sons?

How Would You Use the Existence of Natural Rights to Argue for the Existence of God?

Questions about how to use the topic of natural rights with someone who believes in them to discuss the existence of God, and whether the saying that “we come from God, and we will go back to God” is an accurate statement or just a form of “mindism.” 

• How would you use the topic of natural rights to discuss the existence of God with someone who believes good and evil (and natural rights) exist but does not believe they have divine origins?
• Is the saying that “we come from God, and we will go back to God” an accurate statement, or is it just a form of “mindism”? 

Does Naturalism Necessarily Lead to Moral Relativism?

Questions about whether naturalism necessarily leads to moral relativism and the ways naturalists try to ground objective morality.

• Does naturalism necessarily lead to moral relativism, and what are some ways naturalists try to claim objective morality?

Aren’t There Truths I Can Only Know Because of My Lived Experience?

Question about how to reconcile the fact that there are things one can only know through experience with the idea that truth can be known apart from a person’s experiences.

• “Woke” culture says, “Only I can know this because of my lived experience,” which seems to contradict the idea that truth can be known apart from those experiences, but I also find myself experiencing things and learning things as a parent that I couldn’t have otherwise known, so how do we reconcile this with the idea of objective, publicly accessible truth?

How Can We Know Jesus Is the Messiah?

Questions about how we can know Jesus is the Messiah when so many Jews claim passages such as Isaiah 53 and Isaiah 7:14 are not Messianic prophecies and what appropriate comfort a Christian can offer at a funeral when a non-Christian passes.

• How can we know Jesus is the Messiah when so many Jews claim passages such as Isaiah 53 and Isaiah 7:14 are not Messianic prophesies?
• What is appropriate comfort a Christian can offer at a funeral when a non-Christian passes?

Why Doesn’t Every Bible Version Include Matthew 17:21?

Questions about why some Bible versions include Matthew 17:21 and part of Mark 9:29 and some don’t and how Jesus’ instruction not to hinder someone casting out demons in his name applies to the situation with the sons of Sceva in Acts.

• Can you explain why some Bible versions include Matthew 17:21 and part of Mark 9:29 and some don’t?
• How does Jesus’ instruction not to hinder someone casting out demons in his name in Luke 9:49–50 apply to the situation with the sons of Sceva in Acts 19:13–16?

What’s the Controversy if Aborted Fetuses Go to Heaven?

Questions about why abortion is controversial if aborted fetuses go to Heaven and whether Americans will become largely pro-life after Roe v. Wade is reversed since they tend to connect legality with morality.

• Do aborted fetuses, no matter the stage of embryonic development, go to Heaven, and if so, what’s the controversy?
• Will Americans become largely pro-life after Roe v. Wade is reversed since they tend to connect legality with morality?

Are You Really Being Unfaithful to Reality if You Use Someone’s Preferred Pronouns?

Question about the idea that you’re not being unfaithful to reality by using someone’s preferred pronouns since those pronouns correspond to the person’s actual gender identity.

• How would you respond to the idea that you’re not being unfaithful to reality by using a preferred pronoun because that is the pronoun that corresponds to the person’s actual gender identity?

Why Didn’t God Answer My Prayer for Guidance?

Questions about why God didn’t answer prayers for guidance regarding a major life decision and whether there’s evidence that God is more likely to say yes to a prayer request made while fasting.

• When facing a major life decision, I prayed daily for guidance and for the Holy Spirit to order my steps, but I didn’t get an answer, and my decision turned out to be the wrong one. Why?
• Is there evidence (biblical or extra-biblical) that God is more likely to say yes to a prayer request made while fasting, and if not, then why fast?