#STRask

Greg’s List of Pastorisms

Greg responds to a request to hear his list of “pastorisms,” sayings Christians commonly repeat that have some truth to them but can be misleading.

• Can Greg share his list of “pastorisms”?

Do Intersex People Get to Decide What Gender They Are?

Questions about whether intersex people get to decide what gender they are and whether or not that indicates gender is a matter of identity rather than biology and whether physical damage to our bodies could prevent us from experiencing a “sense of God.” 

• Do intersex people get to decide what gender they are, and if so, does that indicate gender is a matter of identity and not biology?
• Since our spirits and bodies affect each other, could physical damage to our bodies prevent us from experiencing a “sense of God”?

Is Saying a Woman Should Stay Pregnant a Body Violation Equal to Rape?

Questions about whether saying a woman should stay pregnant is a body violation equal to rape and how someone whose emotional doubt causes him to struggle with trusting God can turn his distrust into trust.

• How would you respond to a pro-choice person who says that saying a woman who is pregnant through consensual sex should stay pregnant is a body violation equal to rape?
• How can someone whose emotional doubt causes him to struggle with trusting God’s control over his circumstances turn his distrust into trust?

Should I Only Pray Once for Something?

Questions about whether praying once in faith for something is better than repeatedly requesting the same thing and how to read and apply psalms like Psalm 91 that say God will save us from “deadly pestilence” and other kinds of suffering.

• Is praying once in faith for something and leaving it with God better than repeatedly raising up the same requests?
• How should I read and apply psalms like Psalm 91 that say God will save us from “deadly pestilence” and other kinds of suffering?

Is It Appropriate to Cast Lots to Know God’s Will Today?

Questions about whether it’s appropriate for us to cast lots in order to know God’s will today as the apostles did when they replaced Judas and whether the fact that Romans 3 references various psalms should change how we interpret those psalms today.

• Was it necessary to cast lots to decide who should replace Judas, and is it ever appropriate to do something similar today?
• Does the fact that Romans 3:9–20 has several references to psalms change how we read or interpret those psalms now that they’re part of Romans?

What Would You Say to Coworkers who Blaspheme Constantly?

Questions about how to put a stone in the shoes of coworkers who blaspheme constantly and whether it’s reasonable to think Jesus only had 120 followers before Pentecost.

• What’s a winsome way I can put a stone in the shoes of coworkers who blaspheme constantly to get them thinking about what they’re doing when they take the Lord’s name in vain?
• Is it reasonable to assume that the 120 gathered in the upper room in Acts 1:15 were the only followers of Jesus at that point in time before Pentecost?

Is Pornography Grounds for Divorce?

Questions about whether looking at pornography is the same thing as committing adultery (and therefore grounds for divorce) and whether hate crime laws, which define crimes based on the mind of the criminal, are different from other laws that determine the severity of a crime based on intent.

• Is looking at pornography the same thing as committing adultery and therefore grounds for divorce?
• If you’re against hate crime legislation because it defines crime based on what’s in the mind of the criminal, how is that different from laws that determine the severity of a crime based on the criminal’s intent (like murder vs. manslaughter)?

How Can I Lovingly Explain to Someone That I Will Not Be Using Their Pronouns?

Questions about how to lovingly explain to someone that you will not be using their pronouns and how to explain to an employer that you will not be announcing your pronouns.

• How can I lovingly explain to someone that I will not be using their pronouns?
• How can I explain to my employer that I will not be announcing my pronouns?

How Can You Call Atheism a Worldview?

Questions about whether atheism can be called a worldview and whether the idea of avoiding doing something “in your own strength” is a biblical concept and how one can tell if that’s happening.

• How can you call atheism a worldview? Do you think “non-stamp-collecting” is a hobby?
• Is the idea of avoiding doing something “in your own strength” a biblical concept, and how can I tell if I’m doing something “in my own strength”? 

Why Doesn’t God Simply Destroy Satan Now?

Questions about why God doesn’t destroy Satan now, Christians acting in scenes that contain R-rated elements, responding to someone who says, “God’s working on me,” and handling situations where people who ignore God’s standards have better lives than Christians who are trying to live for Christ.

• Since Satan is real and creates such pain, suffering, and havoc in the world, why doesn’t God simply destroy him now?
• In the secular movie industry, how should Christians respond when requested to act in scenes that have R-rated language, nudity, sex, etc.?
• How would you respond to someone who says, “God’s working on me,” without any evidence to show for it?
• How do you handle situations where loved ones, who aren’t acting like Christians, have lives that are going well, while you’re trying to live for Christ but are struggling financially and are alone?