#STRask

Questions about whether God’s primary object is to not be found, how one can say God doesn’t make mistakes if the percentage of Christians in the world is so low, and whether the fact that not everyone will be in Heaven is proof that God doesn’t win every battle.

 

• Would you say God’s primary object is to not be found?
• If God doesn’t make mistakes, how do you explain the fact that Christians have reached an all-time low percentage of the world’s population?
• If the common belief that God wins every battle were true, then no one would be in Hell.

Questions about whether the fact that the truth about one’s age changes over time is an argument for relativism, and how to ground virtues like courage in objective reality without relying on circular definitions.

 

• I’ve heard truth doesn’t change and doesn’t contradict itself, but how does yearly change fit into that—e.g., I’m 38 one year and 39 the next. Does this create an argument for relativism?
• If “cowardice” is defined as failing to do what’s right, then calling it “wrong” is just a tautology. How do we ground virtues like courage in objective reality without relying on circular definitions?

Questions about what gives modern Christians confidence that they’ve inherited the Jews’ covenant with God if Scripture explicitly says it was with Israel and not the Gentile nations, and why the Jews were chosen.

 

• The covenant in Scripture is explicitly with Israel and not the Gentile nations, so what gives modern Christians confidence that they’ve inherited that covenant?
• Why were the Jews chosen?

Questions about why there is no effort towards a neutral interpretation of Scripture that doesn’t take denominational preferences into account, and how so many people in different denominations that believe different things can all claim to be followers of Christ.

 

• Why is there no effort towards a neutral exegesis—i.e., without taking denominational preferences into account—in light of the fact that there are so many denominations divided over hundreds of topics? Which inspiration theory and which explanatory system do you use?
• Considering there are so many denominations that all believe different things, how can they all claim to be followers of Christ?

Questions about how one person could trust another person on the topic of God, how STR obtained information about God that others haven’t obtained, and whether God only matters for the purpose of the afterlife.

 

• How could one person trust another person on the topic of God, and how did you obtain information about God that I haven’t obtained?
• Aside from Heaven and Hell, does God matter? Atheists and Muslims experience the same world you do.

Questions about responding to an LGBTQ person who says he feels good about who he is, and whether—since we all have sin in our life we don’t consider to be sinful—a practicing homosexual can be born again as long as he sincerely believes his behavior isn’t sinful.

 

• What would be an appropriate response to an LGBTQ person saying, “I feel good about who I am”?
• Since we all have sin in our life that we don’t consider to be sinful, and will only learn about it when we get to Heaven, doesn’t that mean a practicing homosexual can be born again as long as he sincerely believes his behavior is not sinful?

Questions about whether or not God hears and answers the prayers of non-believers, and thoughts about a church sign that reads (as if from God), “Just love everyone. I'll sort them out later.”

 

• Does God hear non-believers’ prayers, and if he hears them, does he answer them?
• How would you evaluate a church sign that reads (as if from God), “Just love everyone. I'll sort them out later”?

Questions about the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives, advice for someone who believes in God intellectually but struggles to understand how to have a “personal relationship” with him, and resources other than Greg’s that teach the wisdom model for making decisions.

 

• If the Holy Spirit doesn’t give us personal instructions, what does that leave the role of the Holy Spirit to be in my life?
• Do you have advice for someone who believes in God intellectually but struggles to understand how to have a “personal relationship” with him? I don’t understand how others “feel his presence” or “hear from God.”
• What resources (outside of your own) would you recommend in regard to the wisdom model for making decisions rather than a more charismatic approach of receiving impressions, whispers, etc. from God?

Questions about why it’s necessary to believe Jesus is God, whether belief in the Trinity is required for salvation, and why one has to believe in the Trinity if the words “Trinity,” “God the Son,” and “God the Holy Spirit” aren’t in the Bible.

 

• Why is it necessary to believe Jesus is God? Since the Trinity is so difficult for our little human minds to comprehend, is belief in the Trinity really required for salvation?
• Where do you see the words “Trinity,” “God the Son,” and “God the Holy Spirit” in the Bible, and if they’re not there, do I have to believe in the Trinity?

Questions about how we can know who is teaching the same gospel Paul taught, and whether or not Jeremiah 1:5 supports the idea that we pre-existed in a spiritual form.

 

• With so many divergent traditions, how can we know who is teaching the same gospel Paul taught? If someone in our age has been taught by revelation, then we should forget traditions.
• Does Jeremiah 1:5 support the idea that we pre-existed in a spiritual form?