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My parents are Christian and I grew up going to church, but now that I'm older, some things in the bible just seem so unexplainable to me.
1. Creation of Earth.
The Bible talks about the creation of Earth and it is apparently only around 6,000 years old when science clearly proves otherwise? Fossils of animals and plants have been found that are millions of years old, so how does that work?
2. Population of Earth.
So Adam and Eve were created on Earth and had three kids (Cain, Abel, and Seth). I'm confused about how the Earth was populated, because at the end of the story, Cain went away into exile where he found other people, but their creation was never mentioned?? Also, if we were created by God, why are we so closely related to monkeys, and what about evolution??
3. Choice vs Free will.
Here's the meaning of free will, just so you know. Free will is the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion. So explain to me how we act with our own discretion if every single aspect of our lives was already pre-determined by god. Everything we do, say, think, and every move we make has already been decided by him. God says we have free will, but if I choose not to believe in him BECAUSE I have free will, I'm destined to burn in hell forever?? For example, if an amazing human being on Earth who's always doing good deeds, donates to charity, helps people, and makes a positive impact on their community will still burn in hell forever simply because they didn't believe in god? If god loved everyone on Earth like he said he did, why would he punish the people he loves for eternity just for not believing? So think, if you weren't scared of the threat of going to hell for not serving god, would you still be a Christian?
4. Gods "plans"
So let's say god is all-knowing and planned for everything that happened on Earth, why would he plan for slavery, the holocaust, world wars, residential schools, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, and so many other problems we have in the world? Why would he knowingly harm his beloved creations? Also in the story of Abraham and Job, why does god feel the need to test how faithful his followers are if he already knows what's going to happen? Same thing with the story of Noah, why would a "loving" god feel the need to wipe out the entirety of Earth and all his creations JUST because he can?
Misc.
Why do all the rules God made for Humanity not also apply to him? If he wants people to believe and follow him, he should set an example and show what it means to abide by his rules, shouldn't he? The Bible also has verses with instructions on how to treat enslaved people. When black people were enslaved, slave owners would literally use the bible to excuse their actions and say "My god told me it was okay". Don't believe me?
Ephesians 6:5-9 Slaves, obey your Earthy masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of god from your heart.
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the lord, not people,
because you know that the lord will reward each one for whatever they do whether they are a slave or free.
And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
Okay, bye.
(Ya'll can disagree with me or argue me down to the ends of the Earth but my opinion won't change)
Comments
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Ladybug111
the idea of a all mighty and powerful god has so many contradicitions, like how you mentioned free will. He cannot be all knowing and all powerful and give us free will at the same time. He either knows exactly what will happen to us or he doesnt, and if he doesnt or cant control it he is not powerful and all being. and if he does know and can control it, then he is a cruel god.
kenzie
Why do all the rules God made for Humanity not also apply to him? If he wants people to believe and follow him, he should set an example and show what it means to abide by his rules, shouldn't he? The Bible also has verses with instructions on how to treat enslaved people. When black people were enslaved, slave owners would literally use the bible to excuse their actions and say "My god told me it was okay". Don't believe me?
Ephesians 6:5-9 Slaves, obey your Earthy masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of god from your heart.
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the lord, not people,
because you know that the lord will reward each one for whatever they do whether they are a slave or free.
And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
Okay, bye.
(Ya'll can disagree with me or argue me down to the ends of the Earth but my opinion won't change)
Ok back :)
One thing that immediately struck me is that this translation may NOT be entirely accurate. The original Ephesians was written in Greek, and later translated. I recognized your translation as (I think) NIV. However, in KJV the word servant is used. The two are similar but different. A servant is usually paid for they're labor, a slave is forced. However, in Genesis with Abraham's story (In which his servant goes to find a wife for Isaac) The servant was obviously not forced. If he was enslaved, why not run away when his master sent him to a whole new land? Another simple explaination is the word significantly changing over time. It's common for this to happen. During the translation process, it could've simply not accounted for the word having different meaning. OR, it was also normalized in bible times. Servants would've felt safe and protected with their masters that fed and clothed them, so in return they would do much of the work. Then, we start to shift into the early 1000-1800s. People, used to having these servants, took people from their native lands (also important to note that black people were not the only slaves, just the longest running. Some other enslaved races and religions were Christians themselves, Native Americans, Mexicans, and Asians. Almost every race has been enslaved, supporting the theory of past normalization), and forced them to be their servants, producing the slavery that we learn about in school today. It was truly sad, but context was is and will always be the game changer. (PS this is not a justification for slavery)
Anyways also have a good day :D
ALSO SORRY THAT YOUR OWN WORK IS AT THE TOP, I ADD IT TO KEEP TRACK OF THE QUESTIONS AND EVERYTHING IN THE TEXT AND FORGOT TO DELETE IT. MB!!!
by kenzie; ; Report
kenzie
Last one (maybe) :D
Like I said in three, God only accounts for our free will and actions. WE did the mass genocide, and rape, and world wars and all of that, God only held us accountable. As for Abraham and Job (Im working in Abraham, rn so I was excited for this :D) I think for Abraham he most likely made him realize his OWN faith, then rewarding him for it. And with Job, it was more of a thing with Satan. God told Satan that he could do anything he wanted to Job so long as he did not touch Job, and Satan did. He most likely did this because he knew Job would keep his faith, and have the biggest mansion in heaven. Personally, I'd like to note that all of this is EARTHLY, thus sinful as well. Our life in heaven will be infinite times what this is. Anyways, I also think that these stories also took place for the purpose of being in the bible. The Bible is the most sold, most translated, and (one of) the oldest books ever. The stories of Abraham and Job are particularly popular. This is because they're examples of how we're supposed to live our life and keep our faith. Then, we come to Noah and the Ark. I understand that you may've been less informed on his story, but one important thing to note is that Noah spread the word to EVERYONE of what was coming, but the world was so wicked that they had forgotten they're true God and ignored him. Only his family went with him on the ark, even though everyone had the chance. Another important thing is that the bible says that Noah and his family were the only righteous (good) people in the WORLD. The flood was an act of judgement to improve humanity that, I should add, even God felt grief for the flood (Gen 6:6), strengthening the idea that we were made in his image (We would've known that God has emotions from Revelation when he got angry (don't remember the exact circumstances)). This ALSO strengthens the fact that he didn't do it "just because he could", but because, even though it pained him, he felt he needed to since his wicked creation had done so many horrible things! I'd also like to draw attention to the rainbow, symbolizing that he would never do this again, which I also believe to be because he loved us.
(and pertaining to 2 I think it was, the "why are we so closely related to monkeys and evolution". Being real, we aren't even closely related to monkeys! It is merely similarities falsely made to backup a belief that a man (who later became Christian) created between the 1600-1800s. evolution, sadly, is also a work of God taken advantage of (although, the evolution of monkeys to man just doesn't make much sense. if monkeys evolved into humans, why do we still have them today?).)
Anyways, I strongly encourage you to keep an open mind to Christianity. And by that, I mean to read your Bible more, listen to more christian music (I have some good songs if you want them), and to do as much as you can in your country to hear the Word!
Have a good day, and thank you, if you took time to read all of my blabbering through, and I enjoyed havin somewhere I could go to possibly lead someone to christ, but also fangirl and be able to put all my thoughts out there, using all of my brain :)
kenzie
Last one (maybe) :D
Like I said in three, God only accounts for our free will and actions. WE did the mass genocide, and rape, and world wars and all of that, God only held us accountable. As for Abraham and Job (Im working in Abraham, rn so I was excited for this :D) I think for Abraham he most likely made him realize his OWN faith, then rewarding him for it. And with Job, it was more of a thing with Satan. God told Satan that he could do anything he wanted to Job so long as he did not touch Job, and Satan did. He most likely did this because he knew Job would keep his faith, and have the biggest mansion in heaven. Personally, I'd like to note that all of this is EARTHLY, thus sinful as well. Our life in heaven will be infinite times what this is. Anyways, I also think that these stories also took place for the purpose of being in the bible. The Bible is the most sold, most translated, and (one of) the oldest books ever. The stories of Abraham and Job are particularly popular. This is because they're examples of how we're supposed to live our life and keep our faith. Then, we come to Noah and the Ark. I understand that you may've been less informed on his story, but one important thing to note is that Noah spread the word to EVERYONE of what was coming, but the world was so wicked that they had forgotten they're true God and ignored him. Only his family went with him on the ark, even though everyone had the chance. Another important thing is that the bible says that Noah and his family were the only righteous (good) people in the WORLD. The flood was an act of judgement to improve humanity that, I should add, even God felt grief for the flood (Gen 6:6), strengthening the idea that we were made in his image (We would've known that God has emotions from Revelation when he got angry (don't remember the exact circumstances)). This ALSO strengthens the fact that he didn't do it "just because he could", but because, even though it pained him, he felt he needed to since his wicked creation had done so many horrible things! I'd also like to draw attention to the rainbow, symbolizing that he would never do this again, which I also believe to be because he loved us.
(and pertaining to 2 I think it was, the "why are we so closely related to monkeys and evolution". Being real, we aren't even closely related to monkeys! It is merely similarities falsely made to backup a belief that a man (who later became Christian) created between the 1600-1800s. evolution, sadly, is also a work of God taken advantage of (although, the evolution of monkeys to man just doesn't make much sense. if monkeys evolved into humans, why do we still have them today?).)
Anyways, I strongly encourage you to keep an open mind to Christianity. And by that, I mean to read your Bible more, listen to more christian music (I have some good songs if you want them), and to do as much as you can in your country to hear the Word!
Have a good day, and thank you, if you took time to read all of my blabbering through, and I enjoyed havin somewhere I could go to possibly lead someone to christ, but also fangirl and be able to put all my thoughts out there, using all of my brain :)
kenzie
AND HERE COMES 3.......
God doesn't necessarily DECIDE what we do, but account for it. For example, If I decide to go out and start a school shooting (THIS IS AN EXAMPLE!!! I DO NOT AND WILL NEVER CONDONE THIS!!!) God never made me do it, as a result for our free will, but has planned everything after the shooting. The world is NOT terrible because of God. It is terrible because of us and our free will. As for the burning in hell, yes, it is because of free will. he loved us enough to give us a choice. AND, he loved us enough for Jesus to be crucified for us. He took the beating, and the nails, and the crown, and the humiliation, so we could get the option to simply choose. And God never abandons us. When we believe in Christ, and that he died for us, and we truly accept him into our heart, we are saved from damnation in hell. (PS sorry if I don't answer everything, it was a lot :I) God doesn't punish us, we do it to ourselves. I can have a private religon chat with you in messages if I didn't answer something, or just to talk, or anything like that. Have a good day, see you on 4 :D
kenzie
Back :)
For 2...
this one was less cut and dry than 1 for me, but luckily, I just studied Genesis (reading the Bible, or an easier to understand version might answer some of these questions!) If God did add more people for the earth, I don't think it wouldve even needed to be added to the Bible, since it was less significant than Adam and eve. that, or, even incest. it seems gross to us now (and it really is) but it was most likely normalized back then, since they only had God's word as law, and sin had already taken over. Eve may have been pregnant again. speaking of eve's pregnancy, i dont believe that the Bible states that she stopped at her first three sons. She may have had more kids since they often had a lot of kids to help with the work, furthering the incest theory. It's sad and gross to us, but normal then was normal then.
A little extra!
We not only ALL descend from Adam and Eve, but also from Noah. Noah, on the ark, brought along his wife, three sons, and his sons' wives. Have a good day :D
kenzie
Ok so, First, your QUESTIONS ARE VALID!!
anyways, I can explain 1 first because I learned about it in my christian science class. so fossils and other things are based off of geologic columns. These are just layers of rocks in the earth (not the layers of the earth tho, they're the crust). They date the columns from a starting point and the ones below such are dated as older; the ones above it are younger. So, for example, the rocks we stand on would be dated as the youngest. The fossils are dated based on the geologic column they're found in. It's kinda dumb, though. REASONS:
1. What is the starting point?
Who decides which layer is the point that determines the other's ages? and how do they know this 'starting points's' age?
2. The law of conservation
Issac Newton's Law of Conservation states that matter can not be created, nor destroyed. To say that a rock columns are '100,000,000' years old or '10,000' years old, would imply that it'd have to be new, or created, which, personally, doesn't make sense to me. But it's just they're logic ig!
3. The columns are jumbled.
The secular (non-creationist) scientists put names on certain layers. However, the layers they name get jumbled up across the world. In a diagram: (These names are made up by me, not real and just for your understanding)
Miso Lew Miso
Dyca Miso Lew
Lew Dyca Dyca
Hope you could understand that diagram :I. ANYWAYS, they don't seem to have an explaination for this, or at least not one that I've seen, and it just doesn't make sense how the "older" rocks would be on top.
Hope this helped you with 1, I'm going to try and reply to them all :D
not_ian
As a christian its interesting to hear your opinion about these topics. Unlike you may be thinking, sadly i dont have the answers for almost everything here. But thank you for showing those questions, i am going to use them to study more about in the bible!
Oh, about slavery in the bible, if i recall correctly, slavery was different from our actual concept of slavery [racial slavery], back in the day, everyone who could not pay for something/in debt, would turn into slaves. I might be wrong, its been a lot since i studied this.