h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi

I'm interested as to why your main interest is Christianity.

What is your purpose in life do you think?

Alex.

Hello icecoldalex

I am interested in Christianity simply because I find it fascanating. I am an evangelical Baptist Christian so I believe in the Bible. However, I also find studying the Bible and theology very interesting. When you study the Bible, I believe you are studying God and His relations with mankind. Amazing. I also absolutely love theology (I subsribe to dispensationalism) but am very interested in how others believe God relates to the mankind etc.

I believe my purpose in life is to preach the Gospel. I believe that my goal is to help bring as many people to Christ and help Christians stay firm in their faith.

Which is why I may be going to become a Pastor.

What do you think your purpose in life is?

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What enthuses you about the gospel? I must say that ,my son comes back from his first year at school and says stuff about God. I am a disbeliever in Christianity and organised religions in general so I am somewhat perturbed by his unquestioning. ( although he is only 4)

Are you interested in questioning what you think?

For me? My purpose is to make other peoples' lives worth living and to make them enthusiastic about life.

How does that fit with your way of thinking?

Alex.

'What enthuses you about the gospel?'

The fact that it saved me and it can save everyone.

My interest in Christianity has not always been that of faith. I was interested in Christianity academically before I had faith in it. I actually used to be fascinated by all religions. I still am interested in other religions (especially Hinduism-very colourful) although I do not believe them. However, I am also interested in some of these conspiracy theories that I read about even though I don’t believe in them.

However, as I studied Christianity I realized that it was the correct path. So I no longer am just interested in it but actually believe and follow it.

‘I must say that, my son comes back from his first year at school and says stuff about God.’

That is good. Jesus said that we must all become like little children to enter Heaven. The faith of a child is precious before God.

‘I am a disbeliever in Christianity and organised religions in general so I am somewhat perturbed by his unquestioning. ( although he is only 4)’

I am not that big a fan of organized religion. That is why I follow Jesus, not the Church. Baptist Churches are actually run independently by the congregation so does that still count as organized religion?

And I wouldn’t be too worried about him not questioning things if he is only 4.

‘Are you interested in questioning what you think?’

To a certain extend yes. I remember a while ago I started to think about whether Christianity really was correct. So I drew up a list of all (or at least most of) the objections to Christianity. I then set out to see if they could all be answered. If they could not then I would have had to seriously think about my faith. I was able to answer all of the objections.

I believe that the Bible is correct. And since it is correct I believe there should be evidence for it. However, while evidence is important, it can only go so far and faith (although not blind faith) will have to take us the rest of the way.

‘My purpose is to make other peoples' lives worth living and to make them enthusiastic about life.

How does that fit with your way of thinking?’

I think it is a very decent and commendable thing that you do then. You obviously care about people and love is fundamental in Christianity.

I have had quite a lot of negative feelings projected at me over on the BBC message boards. I have been called a liar, a bigot, full of hate etc but I really am not that bad. My goal in life is not to make certain people’s lives (such as homosexuals) a misery. For example, I really don’t care if homosexuality is legal or not. If people want to do that then let them do it in the privacy of their own homes. But I still believe it is sinful and if they wish to be saved, they must be born-again (as all people must) and try to stop sinning in that way.

As for evolution, I do believe it is wrong but I don’t believe that all evolutionists are evil or morally bankrupt. I don’t think it should be taught as a fact to children though.

Tell me please, what made you decide not to be a Christian? Have you studied their arguments and found them lacking or have you just never been that interested in it all? And what do you believe in?

Thank you for answering so comprehensively. I have a few things I would like to raise but need a bit of time to mull it over.

I will reply in full soon.

Alex.

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Wow! How did it save you? Save you from what?

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It's not exactly faith, he's just repeating what he has been told. Just like London is in England.


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That's interesting. So you think carefully about your faith and don't just follow the rules blindly?

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So when does evidence stop and faith start? You said you believe the bible is correct. Even the horribel bits about children being murdered or do you mean the essence of the teachings are correct?

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Yes. I like to think that love is fundamental to life.

<< But I still believe it is sinful and if they wish to be saved, they must be born-again (as all people must) and try to stop sinning in that way.>>

Why/How are they sinning?

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Are there any other areas of science that you would not like taught to children?

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I don't feel the need to believe in a god. I like to believe in people and all the things they are capable of. And I like to appreciate the Universe.

Alex.

Hello Alex

‘Wow! How did it save you? Save you from what?’

It saved me from being a slave to sin as all people are. You see, the Bible says that all people are sinners. There is not one good person in the eyes of God. You might think that is harsh but have a look at the 10 commandments and see how many you have kept. You will have broken most. You may have broken all of them! (Jesus said that if you hate a person you murder him in your heart and if you look at a person with lust you commit adultery in your heart). Now, if you break one of these laws (God’s Laws) you go to Hell. Just like if you break a law in the UK, you go to prison (well you should but with a Labour Government in charge…). It does not matter if you break one of the laws but don’t do it for a long time as it will not undo your crime.
However, Jesus died to take away our sins. Jesus was the only sinless man who ever lived and He died to take our punishment. It is like being in court and getting fined a lot of money. But then the judge writes a cheque and offers it to you. You just have to accept it. Jesus took your punishment (and what a punishment it was!-his body was so torn that you could hardly make out it was Him) and offers you the gift of eternal life with God. To accept the gift, you just have to pray to God. Tell Him that you know you are a sinner and that you are sorry for your sins. Tell Him that you know Jesus died for you and you want to receive His gift of eternal life. Ask Jesus to come into your heart and stay with you for the rest of your life. Once you do that, you are saved. The Bible promises in Romans 10:13, ‘For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved’. You are born-again. And once you are saved you should try to follow the Bible. You will still sin but you will fall into sin rather than be a slave to it and God will forgive you.
Now, Jesus said that all people must be born again to get into Heaven. It is a very important issue so please think about it and feel free to ask me anything. A useful website is:

www.Christiananswer.org


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That's interesting. So you think carefully about your faith and don't just follow the rules blindly?’

Well, yes and no I suppose. I follow the teachings of the Bible, not a Church. If a Church disagrees with the Bible then I don’t really want much to do with it. I myself used to be a member of the Church of Scotland but left after the Church promoted views that are contrary to the Bible (e.g. Women ministers, homosexual ‘marriages’, abortions, and generally liberal views). I am now a Baptist.

‘So when does evidence stop and faith start? You said you believe the bible is correct. Even the horribel bits about children being murdered or do you mean the essence of the teachings are correct?’

Evidence can only take you so far. There gets to a point when you have to take a leap of faith. Like a jury in court. They can hear all the evidence but eventually, they are going to have to have some faith that the person is guilty before they convict him or her. And faith is when you put your trust into something.
And no, I don’t believe that it is just the ‘essence’ that is correct. I believe that the Bible is the infallible, innerant Word of God preserved in the King James Bible. Even the verses that seem horrible by today’s standards are correct (although I think most of them at least are not as bad as a first glance would make it seem).

‘<< But I still believe it is sinful and if they wish to be saved, they must be born-again (as all people must) and try to stop sinning in that way.>>

Why/How are they sinning?’

Because they are breaking God’s Laws. Let’s just look at the 10 commandments:

1. You shall have no other gods before Me. (Always put God first).
2. You shall not make yourself an idol. (Don’t make up your own god)
3. You shall not take God’s name in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder. (Jesus said that hate is the same as murder in your heart).
7. You shall not commit adultery.(Jesus said that looking at a person with lust is the same as adultery in your heart.)
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not lie.
10. You shall not covet.

Every single person has broken most, if not all of these laws. That is how they are sinning. Why? Because of our sinful nature that we have inherited from Adam and Eve.

‘Are there any other areas of science that you would not like taught to children?’

Apart from origins, no. I am not against science. But what I am against is people looking at the evidence we see around us and, based on personal bias, claiming that they have a monopoly over how we got here. That is not science. That is personal view and I resent it being taught to children as a fact. Especially when many scientists do not believe in theories such as the Big Bang, abiogenesis and evolution.

‘I don't feel the need to believe in a god. I like to believe in people and all the things they are capable of.’

Are you a secular Humanist? It doesn’t matter I suppose. Your second point does not conflict with Christianity. It is good to trust people and have faith in them. However, people will let you down. People will disappoint you, dessert you and, although it is not their fault, die on you. You should not put faith in people as that faith will collapse, like the house of the man who build it on sand.
God will not do these things. The man who puts his faith in God is like a man who builds his house on rock. It has deep, strong foundations. Besides that, you may not feel the need to believe in God but you should not trust emotions. God is real and you will have to face Him one day. You just have to decide if you want to be prepared when you meet Him.

‘And I like to appreciate the Universe.’

Of course. The Bible says that the Heavens declare the glory of God. I completely agree and am actually going to start taking up amateur astronomy as a hobby. So liking the universe is in no way contradictory to the Bible. In fact, Christians should appreciate this universe that God has created for us.

If you have any other questions then please feel free to ask.