I'm an evangelical Christian - ask me anything

[Insieme]

I'm happy to answer questions, though I'm not interested if people just come on to be insulting.

I can only give my views and talk about what I believe - evangelicalism covers a broad spectrum of beliefs and I can only speak for myself.

Ask away!

Segmentation, the correct way to ensure one person's freedom will not be to deny another person theirs, by forcing them to act against their conscience.

Most Christians don't consider the MAP to be causing an abortion, btw.

The anecdote you tell about ss marriage licences would be easily solved by having more than one person able to grant licences. The problem lies with the way the law is administered, and that's what needs to change, rather than forcing people to act against their consciences.

Of course, employers are free to not employ someone who won't sell alcohol, for example, or won't dispense the MAP.

Segmentation, street preachers are arrested with great frequency, actually. There are several cases going to court each year in the UK, and considerably more where someone is arrested but it never goes to court.

Thanks OP for such an interesting thread! Currently agnostic after close family bereavements and starting to work in healthcare, some of answers have really helped give me hope I'll find faith again when I'm ready! I have a couple of questions, sorry if any are repeats:

1. How do you feel about the decline of religion as the U.K. becomes more secular?
2. Do you believe our talents are 'gifts from God' or just innate qualities we possess?
3. What is your view on forgiveness? Should we be expected to always forgive those who have wronged us, are their some things that are a step too far? This is one I struggle with!

Hi Scrubslife, I'm glad you're finding it interesting.

While it's true that church attendance in the UK is declining overall, I think much of this is because people no longer go to church out of habit, or because they feel they should. So the people who do go are generally very committed and have thought about why they believe. Perhaps that is better. Worldwide, the church is stronger than its ever been - perhaps we shouldn't just look at things from the perspective of our little corner of the world!

I think God does give us talents or gifts, whether that's a talent like being musical or whether it's a gift for sympathetic listening or whatever. But of course we need to work at those talents. No one becomes a great pianist without practising! So a bit of both really.

The Christian ideal is that we should forgive people who've wronged us. If God can forgive us everything, can we in good conscience refuse to forgive other people? But of course it's very hard. Maybe we should do our best to forgive while accepting we're not always going to manage it perfectly?

scrubslife welcome. I also work in healthcare, which challenges and affirms my faith by turns.

Just to add my 2p worth to what Insieme said, I think that God does give us gifts but challenges as well. My son was rather badly language delayed as a toddler, which meant that he struggled academically in his early years as it delayed his reading. This was very hard on him socially and psychologically. We supported him in every way we could and by working very hard he caught himself up. He is a very bright kid and he just finished secondary school with a National Honor Society membership and is off to uni this fall with an academic scholarship.

My point is that God gave him both his ability and disability and coping with the latter taught him important lessons and strengthened his spirit and character.

I THINK Jesus was a huge feminist of his time! I don't believe son of God though. I do think this thread is wonderful though. Thank you for answering my questions.

Skye He was a massive, radical feminist and the first social justice warrior and they put him to death for it!

You're most welcome.

The morning after pill is sold over the counter. All you need to do is take it to the cashier and pay for it.
And if the cashier refuses? It happens.

You find another shop or head to the pub. There is no right to alcohol anywhere you want it.
There might not be another shop nearby.

Davis went to jail for contempt of court and other clerks in the office issued the licenses without an issue. The law was subsequently changed to not require her signature.
But initially, she also stopped her deputies from issuing marriage licenses. Then she stopped issuing licenses to opposite-sex couples too. So that no couples in the entire county could get marriage licenses.

My point is, why should other people be inconvenienced, whether from not being served in a shop, to not being allowed to marry, to being denied medical treatment, because someone refuses to do their job. And is it only for religious reasons you think someone should be allowed to do this? What about a vegetarian who refuses to sell people meat?

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street preachers are arrested with great frequency, actually. There are several cases going to court each year in the UK, and considerably more where someone is arrested but it never goes to court.

Do you have any stats for this?

Op. Do you agree with god that humans deserve punishment for sins. What is this punishment?

Headinhands the question has been answered repeatedly, by me and others. Let's move along now.

What do you think of pagans?

What do you think of pagans?

I am curious about the broad range of beliefs that term encompasses. The two Wiccans I know are lovely people and I wish them well. One of them used to babysit my kids when they were younger.

Today 09:02 FrancinePefko42

Did you have a moment to respond to my questions. I would really appreciate your thoughts on these.

Thank you for the clarity if your answers.
My questions are regarding the "pre-fall" world.

1. Do you believe that God's original intention was to place humans in a perfect world (Eden) where there was no death?
2. Why did God create the Serpent knowing what it would do (tempt Eve and then Adam for going against God's wishes)
3. What would the world be like today, if Adam & Eve had obeyed God and stayed away from the fruit of the tree of knowledge

Francine sorry I missed your question. First of all I need to say that I believe the creation story / Adam and Eve is an allegory rather than a literal account.

But I do think that God created the world as perfect, and yet he knew in advance that people would spoil it (the fall). So that begs the question, why create something that you know the people you have made will ruin? Why create a serpent to tempt people into sin?

Well, God is God, so I don't pretend to know exactly why, but here are some thoughts! God knew giving people free will would lead to sin, but he did it anyway, because he values that free will so highly. He wants us to love him, and choose the right thing to do, willingly - not because we have no choice. So the serpent tempted Eve, but she wasn't forced to give in to it. And if we love God and have faith in him now, that's better than it would have been if there had been no fall, because we don't HAVE to love him.

And he planned in advance that he would find a way to put things right, via the sacrifice of Jesus and the overwhelming grace he has shown us.

I can't really answer the questions about what the world would be like without the fall, because it was always inevitable. I could say it would be perfect. No sin. A perfect harmony and closeness with other people and with God. But no choices, no free will, I assume, or someone would have sinned and spoiled it all by now!

But really, God knew it wouldn't stay perfect. His plan to rescue us was always there in place, even before it was needed.

The only things I would add regarding Genesis is that it teaches that God created us to be good stewards of the earth and that we are all essentially of one family.

Thank you for coming back to me with a thoughtful answer. I appreciate that, unlike some Evangelical Christians I know, you are not saying the story of Genesis is literally true.

But would you accept that Christian interpretation of the fall puts far more significance upon it than Judaism.

God gave humanity a test which He knew they would fail - otherwise why create the Serpent?

Once they have failed his test, why is He so surprised and angry? Why does he punish all women with painful childbirth because of what Eve did?

He designed it this way. Why punish her?

I can't really answer the questions about what the world would be like without the fall, because it was always inevitable. I could say it would be perfect. No sin.

And no death right? God only introduces death as a further "punishment" for humanity failing his test (which he knew they would fail). So if, purely for argument, they had not been tempted by the serpent, they would have continued to be naked but "gone forth to be fruitful and multiply".

Can I ask a question about your job? You said your religion is part of the reason you are a teacher. How much does it play a part in your job?

I ask for a specific reason. My child's primary school teacher is also an evangelical Christian (in Church of England school) and has spoken to the children about heaven and hell, about people who don't believe going to hell. Any bible stories are more of the scary variety than doing good deeds or being a kind person.eg the prodigal son.

I guessed she was evangelical
Based on my child's stories so googled her name and bingo, found her on her churches pages.
Do you think it's acceptable to spread your personal beliefs in the classroom. You said you tell people about god if asked. But does this apply in a position of trust and authority that a teacher has and what about small children who view everything as black and white?
If you don't do that can you tell me why and maybe an approach I could take with this particular teacher in a way she might understand that her beliefs are actually harmful to our children by causing worries about their diverse families backgrounds.
I get the impression she is under exposed to a world outside her church and quite naive.

I have just seen this thread and really enjoyed reading through it. I think it is sometimes helpful to look at what sex was 'designed' for when trying to understand the Christian view of it. Sexual activity, even if you take an evolutionary view is primarily for procreation, but it is enjoyable too. In the Bible it is celebrated but really as the glue that holds together a family unit. It is also seen as a spiritual activity. A union/ bonding that should not be broken. As a single Christian I understood this and was celebate until I met my husband when I was 34. I had accepted I might always be celebate and did not really struggle with that. However, outside of a religious view, sex is often seen as a recreational activity, without the spiritual element and something that everyone has a right to and this is where Christians get accused of bigotry as they do not view sex to be a right. It is very hard as a Christian to be accused of bigotry, often by people being bigoted towards you. Christians are told in the New Testament not to judge those outside the church. If someone is not claiming to live as a Christian, they are not expected to follow biblical teaching, so whilst as Christians we may believe any sex outside of male/ female marriage is a sin, we would not treat people differently because of this as we are all sinners.
Christians are taught that the most important thing is to love and if you meet a Christian who is not showing love then challenge them .
My in laws were furious when my husband became a Christian and pretty much ex-communicated him. We worked massively hard on building a relationship with them so our kids could know their grand parents but currently no contact again. Their rationale is that we call ourselves evangelical Christians therefore we must be Trump supporters. No discussion, just assumptions....now that is bigoted.
The Bible teaches ' by their fruits you will know them' . You cannot accuse someone of being bigoted for a belief. You judge them by how they treat people and if it is with love and respect,despite disagreeing with their lifestyle then that is NOT bigotry.

Great post vdb. So sorry about your in laws reaction

And no death right? God only introduces death as a further "punishment" for humanity failing his test (which he knew they would fail). So if, purely for argument, they had not been tempted by the serpent, they would have continued to be naked but "gone forth to be fruitful and multiply".

Let me start by saying my views on the OT are considered a bit extreme by most. I think that this part of Genesis is no more than an attempt to answer the question of why, if God made us, do we suffer death and and things like disease and the pain of childbirth. I think that it was gaps, and frankly errors in the Jewish scriptures that required the NT to be given to us. So I certainly don't think it's literally true and I don't give it much credence other than for how it set the stage for the NT.

Again, my views alone, and a bit radical.

Vdb, you put that so well! I really agree with the way you expressed the Christian view of sex, as not being a right. Also, what you said about Christians being told to love and not judge. And certainly at times Christians can be pre-judged by other people, who think they know what we might believe, but don't give us the chance to explain!

That's one of the things I have liked about this thread. People with genuine questions getting proper answers, and hopefully none of us making too many assumptions.

Francine, I agree with MissConduct in as far as I don't believe the creation story literally, but for what it is trying to teach us about humans, and God, and how we should interact with the rest of creation.

I think to get detailed answers about how creation would be without the fall, and why God made the serpent etc etc, you probably need to find a young-earth creationist.

For me it's more important that God made a way back from the devastation of the fall for us, to a relationship with him.

Absolutely, Insieme! That's what I take from the creation story also. So much of the OT is poetry, allegory, metaphor as well as history, and the literary features of genesis certainly point towards it being an allegorical tale to attempt an explanation of where humanity went wrong, rather than a chronological history laid out. It was the early Israelite community trying to understand origins and creation as well as sin and the fall. I find it such an interesting read and see God's inspiration breathed into it but certainly don't think that it explains what actually happened.

I don't think you'll find many YECs on MN though there is the occasional one and I'd love to hear what they think too. I know many have thought things through very deeply.

Nettymummy How much of a part does my faith play in my job? I find this a really interesting question but it's not the easiest to answer.

I could say: hardly at all, and in one sense that would be true. Over the 20 years I've taught right across nursery to year 6, I can scarcely remember more than half a dozen times when a child has asked me a direct question about my view of faith or God.

As an example, a girl in reception once brought me a shell to look at, with a beautiful iridescent inside surface. She asked if I thought God made it like that. She got my 'standard'answer, "Yes, I do, but lots of people think it was only the fish inside that made it. What do you think?" I don't think she actually replied, which is fine because really it was just for her to think about.

At the other end of the age range, a child in year 6 asked me about creation stories. We were doing an RE topic on creation stories (set by the LA and the school- I had no choice as to the topic) and he asked (in the first lesson) if I thought any of them were true. My answer was that at the end of the topic I would tell him what I thought if he still wanted to know, but it was better if he learned about them all first. What I was hoping he might learn was that the various stories from different cultures told us something about people and their relationship to the universe / world, rather than whether one in particular was 'true'. Again, he didn't ask again so I don't know the outcome.

So in direct terms, no, I don't go into any detail about my faith in school. The children are not my children, so it's not fair to say too much. I would be surprised if the children knew I'm a church-goer. I teach RE with the usual "Some people believe that..." or "Christians / Muslims / Buddhists believe...." though I suspect small children don't always fully take that in. I'm sure sometimes they take as fact something they have been taught as a possibility, however careful a teacher may be.

My own children used to come home and tell me Mrs X said we all should...when actually I knew she hadn't said quite that. Children like to deal in certainties. I'm not sure it matters if at 5 they think Mrs X must be right - they soon learn to balance that out with other opinions as they grow,

But, I have to say that my faith is part of me. I can't hide the person it makes me. It's what motivates me, and it's hard to separate it from me, if you see what I mean. We are all a product of what we believe, our values and thoughts.

Perhaps the most obvious area where my faith might show is leading collective worship / assembly. Lots of teachers don't like doing it. I'm quite happy to do it, I don't mind praying out loud and telling a bible story or whatever. Maybe the fact that I don't find it awkward or embarrassing will show?

Now, as to the teacher you are concerned about. Can I ask which bible stories she's been telling that worry you? Generally the stories that come up in primary school tend to be the usual diet of the prodigal son, the Good Samaritan, maybe some other parables, Noah's Ark, Christmas and Easter....I'm not saying there's nothing to worry about in those, but they are pretty standard stuff that I think should be part of everyone's general knowledge, Christian or not.

If she's telling stories that are unsuitable for children, then you should talk to her about it. Is your dc upset? Maybe that's the place to start a discussion with the teacher.

In general I think it's unwise for teachers to share too much with the children they teach. Yet so much of what we do is about relationships; I don't think it's possible to teach without giving something of yourself.

If you think she has gone too far, then you need to say so. I don't think it's possible for me to say more without knowing what she thinks she is doing. I'm fairly sure if a parent googled my name she'd find me on some church rotas and groups. You've found out your dc's teacher is a church-goer; I think you need to have a chat before making assumptions about her though, and only then make up your mind what you think.

Does any of that help?