#STRask

Shouldn’t We All Be Harvesters?

Questions about how to handle objections from Christians who think we should all be harvesters and should not focus on gardening, and whether attending a service at a mosque would communicate approval of the religion (similar to attending a same-sex wedding).

 

• How do you handle objections from Christians who think we should all be harvesters and should not focus on gardening?
• Should Christians attend a service at a mosque in order to reach the nations, or would this communicate approval of the religion (similar to attending a same-sex wedding)?

Where’s the Line Between Science and Witchcraft?

Questions about what qualifies as witchcraft, where the line is between witchcraft and science manipulating nature to accomplish things, whether the devil is omnipresent, and whether a demon can possess a location and affect the people at that location.

 

• What specifically qualifies as witchcraft, and where’s the line between witchcraft and science manipulating nature to accomplish things?
• Is the devil omnipresent?
• Can a demon possess a location and thereby affect the people who are at that location?

 

Which Books Left a Lasting Impression on You?

Questions about favorite books that left a lasting impression on Greg and Amy, their response to Christians who warn that all fantasy novels (including C.S. Lewis’s books) tap into demonic ideas, and where to draw the line when it comes to the fantasy genre.

 

• Which books (fiction or non-fiction) are your favorites and left a lasting impression?
• How would you respond to Christians who warn against all sorts of fantasy novels (including C.S. Lewis’s books), saying they’re tapping into demonic ideas, and where would you draw the line for yourself and for your children?

Did Matter and Energy Already Exist Before the Big Bang?

Questions about whether matter and energy already existed before the Big Bang, how to respond to a Christian friend who believes Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 describe two separate creation events with two sets of humans, and the source of Moses’ creation information.

 

• What do you think of the argument that matter and energy already existed before the Big Bang—that it was compacted by gravity, then the Big Bang happened, then repeat?
• How would you respond to a Christian friend who believes Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 are two separate creation events with two sets of humans being created?
• From what source did Moses obtain his creation information?

Why Would We Need to Be in a Fallen World to Fully Know God?

Questions about why, if Adam and Eve were in perfect community with God, we would need to be in a fallen world to fully know God, and why God cursed nature after the fall.

 

• If Adam and Eve were in perfect community with God, why would we need to be in a fallen world to fully know God, and did God create a set of circumstances that would bring about a fallen world solely to reveal his other qualities?
• Why did God curse nature after the fall?

What Would You Say to an Atheist Who Claims to Lack a Worldview?

Questions about how to handle a conversation with an atheist who claims to lack a worldview, and how to respond to someone who accuses you of being “stubborn and dogmatic” because you defend your views and don’t capitulate to their arguments.

 

• How would you handle a conversation with an atheist who claims to lack a worldview and denies holding every belief atheists usually hold?
• How would you respond to someone who accuses you of being “stubborn and dogmatic” simply because you defend your views with facts and reason and don’t capitulate to their arguments?

No One Wrote About Jesus During His Lifetime

Questions about how to respond to the concern that no one wrote about Jesus during his lifetime, why scholars say Jesus was born in AD 5–6 rather than AD 1, and what Paul meant when he said God sent his son “when the fullness of the time came.”

 

• What should I say to someone who is hung up on the fact that no one wrote about Jesus during his lifetime?
• If Jesus’ birth started AD 1, why do scholars say he was born in AD 5–6?
• Paul says in Galatians 4:4–5 that God sent his son “when the fullness of the time came.” What was “just right” about that point in history, and is God doing anything special in our day?

Is It Problematic for a DJ to Play Songs That Are Contrary to His Christian Values?

Questions about whether it’s problematic for a DJ on a secular radio station to play songs with lyrics that are contrary to his Christian values, and what approach a musician should take toward royalties he’s still receiving from music that had less-than-Christian lyrics.

 

• As a DJ on a secular radio station that plays music from the ’60s through the ’90s, is it problematic for me to play music with lyrics that are contrary to my Christian values?
• What approach should I take toward the monetary royalties I still collect from music that had less-than-Christian imagery and lyrics?

Could Inherently Sinful Humans Have Accurately Recorded the Word of God?

Questions about whether or not inherently sinful humans could have accurately recorded the Word of God, whether the words about Moses in Acts 7:22 and Exodus 4:10 contradict each other, and why we’re told to say, “If it is the Lord’s will,” in James 4 but not James 5.

 

• How should I respond to the objection that humans, who are inherently sinful, could not have accurately recorded the Word of God?
• How do we reconcile the seeming contradiction between Acts 7:22, which says Moses was mighty in word and deed, and Exodus 4:10, where Moses says he is slow of speech and tongue?
• James 4:13–16 instructs us to qualify our plans by saying, “If it is the Lord’s will,” but his words in the next chapter about our prayers healing the sick include no qualifiers regarding God’s will. How does James 5 fit with James 4?

What Are the Top Five Things to Consider Before Joining a Church?

Questions about the top five things to consider before joining a church when coming out of the NAR movement, and thoughts regarding a church putting on a production of Jesus Christ Superstar as a means to draw non-Christians into the church.

 

• I’m coming out of the Word of Faith and New Apostolic Reformation movements. What are the top five things I need to consider before joining a church?
• What are your thoughts regarding a church putting on a production of Jesus Christ Superstar as a means to draw non-Christians into the church?