Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. - Romans 5

Saturday, January 8, 2011

A Huge Can of Worms (to Feed the Fishes)

Today, a friend asked me a few hard questions about faith. I couldn't give good enough answers for him or for myself. Then he asked me, "is it okay to be skeptical?" I told him a well tested faith is always better than a blind faith, even if it means periods of doubt. During the conversation, I realized that my time at college has been spent mostly ruminating on such questions, instead of studying. Yeah, that means, all the times I was at the library or the b-school, I wasn't doing calculus or orgo, but butting my head against questions with no concrete answer. For me, ~10 hours of studying, ~11 hours of theological research is a typical week, give or take another 10-20 hours of studying for tests.

Here are some of the questions. Trust me, most of the answers cannot be answered by man, and others have answers we cannot understand. Brace yourselves!

I GAVE YOU A FAIR WARNING!

Why does God allow suffering in the world?
If God knows everything that is going to happen, do we even have free will?
Do prayers even get answered, if he knows what we are already going to pray?
Why did God create natural disasters?
Why did God command Israelites to massacre people in the Old Testament?
Why are their prophecies with double outcomes?
Can people truly be happy in Heaven if they know their family members and friends are in Hell?
Can we really see the gospel in nature, or read it in the stars?
Is confessing our sins really enough, as in, is entering the narrow door but not walking the crooked road enough to enter the kingdom of Heaven? Why does it say, many will seek the entrance, but few will find the way?
Does cold evangelism even work? If God is all it takes to convert anyone, why are we needed?
Do angels and demons even exist? If so, do angels really have halos? Was every demon once an angel? Why are demons always so ugly?
Did the dinosaurs exist in the bible?
What does it mean, we have a body, soul, and spirit?
Are the body and soul separate or together?
What does it mean, a new heaven and new earth, where will we live then? Is there an old heaven?
Which came first, the church or the Bible, given the Catholic church compiled the Bible and determined what goes in it?
Can humans ever fully understand Love?
Can we use the Apocrypha in biblical teachings?
Was Satan and Lucifer two different archangels, or the same being?
What does God look like? I remember drawing a picture in Sunday school based on John's description in Revelations...looked like a monster with swords for teeth and fire coming out of its nostrils.
Which should we focus on first, evangelism or discipleship?
Why are there so many Protestant denominations? Was there really a forewarning in the Bible?
Was the world created in 7 days?
Should the Church have schism-ed in the first place?
Is accountability among men important? Is accountability among Christians important?
Is there an unforgivable/unpardonable sin? Is this a translation error in 1 John 5?
Are there really contradictions in the Bible?
Is science and the Bible really compatible?
If aliens exist, how does that fit in with the Bible? Or does the Bible validity their non-existence?
When does the soul "attach" itself to the human fetus?
Did God really shorten telomeres?
Why are there birth defects?
Where do babies go when they die?
Will the elders preach to all humans at the end of time, giving everyone an equal chance to hear the gospel?
Are all other animals sinless? What about snakes?
Can sin still be inherited, as it was claimed in Genesis that Ham cursed his entire lineage (the Caananites, Ham's son was Caanan) to be massacred by Shem's descendants (the Israelites)?
Where were we before we came into existence?
Who are the saints and elders mentioned in the Bible?
Do exorcisms exist today? Or do we just call them mental disorders now?
Why does God love us so much even though we hate on him and fail him so hard?
Can we lose God's love?
When I go to heaven, what will I look like? What age will I be?
What happened to the "holy men" who rose from the dead in Matthew 27:52 when Jesus died?

Yes, I can give you several "theories" for some of these questions. Yes, I can give you the "common/accepted" answer for others. Yes, for some I know the answer, but don't understand it. Maybe I should waste less time on such questions, and focus on what I do know: hope, faith, and love. But even those are a bundle of questions in themselves.

Oh man, why does God keep so many answers from us?

PS: If you ever want to have a nice, albeit long, conversation about any of these questions, I'll be free. Many a late nighter have been based around one or two of these questions. But I'm all ears for more possibilities!

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