to not understand why Christians think Jesus died for our sins?

[switcheroooo]

If Jesus died for everyone's sins, does that mean people are not accountable for their actions? You can kill people, steal and lie but have a protected status because Jesus died for your sins.

How does this work? Why are people not responsible for their own sins? Where is the justice?

What is ‘the required price is paid’?

@switcheroooo Surely the whole of any organised religion is dependent on the recording of the “word” via oral tradition & scriptures of some form. All of which are subject to the sociocultural political biases & context in which they were recorded. And saved & retrieved. I agree trying to grasp these complicated & often contradictory concepts is really difficult, as are the metaphysical concepts that are not necessarily rational nor provable scientifically. Given all of this - how can any one person or people have been able to record what a metaphysical entity such as God, reliably & faithfully record everything about that entity, what its motivations were, goals & abilities? They can’t. It’s impossible. They interpreted what they gathered & were told by Jesus who embodied God & did what he did. Other than that there’s no reliable way of ever knowing what this metaphysical construct wants/intends/expects bar what his human form avatar ever said. And other individuals “prophesied” & predicted. Hence why fundamentalism is so prevalent in certain religions because it’s such limited information upon which to base, explain & try & rationalise some incredibly puzzling, nonsensical & irrational information, that is of it’s time, yet pertaining to ancient civilisations, then spanning thousands of years. I therefore don’t think OP you will ever get set answers to any of these questions because they’re only made concrete by the scripture which is in itself insufficient to explain or rationalise it properly. So presumably you then have to look at either the organised religion’s teachings & interpretation of these scriptures & either join in the way they interpret it or not. It’s all so nebulous & influenced by history, civilisation, geography, politics, pre-existing religions, fusion with later belief systems & religions, along with the foundations of law, order & social control & policing of people.
I just don’t think there are truly concrete factual answers because they just don’t exist. My two pennies worth & clearly not a religious or qualified person!

Mumsnet isn't he most appropriate place to properly discuss Christianity and the reason for Jesus coming to earth, living dying and rising again. The best thing to do IMO is to look for an Alpha course or a Christianity Explored course where you can ask any questions you have and explore exactly what the bible says. There are really interesting discussions.

There is plenty of historical evidence of the Resurrection. Bear in mind that it suited the Roman authorities then, and all people and religions who reject Jesus since, to deny the Resurrection. Because without the Resurrection there is nothing for Christians to believe in.
https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/article/10-concise-pieces-of-evidence-for-the-resurrection/
If you search on "proof of Resurrection" you will find many more explanations.

Before the Cross, it was repeated blood sacrifices. On the Cross, it was the ultimate, complete blood sacrifice which replaces the need for further blood sacrifices.

That is a good way of putting it. That's how I feel. It just seems God made this arbitrary rule - all humans sin, the price of sin is death therefore my son has to be brutally murdered. And then humans are meant to be grateful to Jesus for doing it. Well, how about God doesn't make up this nonsensical rule in the first place!

When you’re dead, you’re dead - the end. If resurrection was that easy, why doesn’t it happen more often?

I understand he sent his son so if people believed in him they would have everlasting life.

It doesn't say anything about but that will only happen if his son is killed brutally. The death may have been temporary but I just don't believe it has anything to do with forgiving sin. Sin is forgiven by grace - Jesus's death just doesn't tally with that in my mind.

Killing an innocent animal is even worse. I do not believe a loving God would require that. It is just wrong.

Did some googling about the word ‘sin’ and found this. Good news for me!

Can you sin if you don't believe in God?

The good news is that, if you don't believe in god, there's no such thing as sin. You're in the clear.

@Lisapieces, quite apart from the religious aspect, your post makes me hugely sad and angry on behalf of the members of your family who've suffered abuse. Many years ago, I was talking about a [much milder] case of inappropriate behaviour towards a child I knew, to a close friend who's a counsellor. She said, "In these situations, the adults always gang up and protect the abuser." So true, and so desperately unfair. It's similar to the acceptance of 'honour killings' in other cultures. I really, really hope your relatives have been able to get some therapy and sympathy.

It was after doing an Alpha course I was left so confused. As it just made no sense and no-one could answer my questions. I have learnt much more on Mumsnet, tbh. I still don't have answers to many fundamental things but I do understand a bit more about why some people may believe certain things.

Also did some checking as to what god has apparently done for us

• Created the world:
• God is believed to have created the earth, sky, sun, moon, stars, and all living beings.

I believe this is down to the Big Bang theory

• Provided for our needs:
• He is seen as providing for our basic needs like food, shelter, and resources.

So why are so many of the world homeless and starving?

• Gifted us with life:
• God is credited with giving us the gift of life and everything that comes with it.

So why do so many struggle to have a baby - very cruel and heartless.

The idea of how God could have a son if He is unique, and who Jesus was in relation to Father God, exercises the intellects and faith of millions of people! I once asked a priest how long it might take me to understand this. His very wise answer? "A little longer than a lifetime"! In other words, we only fully understand the Trinity when we go to Heaven.

That said, I hope this article will help. Remember we don't have to understand every theological issue to be saved. More is revealed to us when we believe.

I believe that Jesus was somehow God or not God in different respects at various times. The Bible makes it clear that it was Jesus on the Cross, speaking to His Father, and bearing all our sins and sickness by Himself on behalf of God the Father. God the Father saved Jesus. The physical suffering, although incredibly intense, was far less than the weight of all of mankind's sins which God hates so much - hence the sacrifice and exchange on the Cross.

https://christianity.net.au/questions/how_can_jesus_be_both_god_and_gods_son

I love animals as most Christians and most British people do. God made them and loves them more then we ever can. But He made Man (mankind) with a status far higher than animals. The Bible tells us that he gave us dominion over the world and its other creatures. The animals are for our benefit.

God loves animals, but loves us much more. He made the world and its rules. I find animal sacrifice a bit challenging, but God is in charge, He made a world where carnivores eat other animals, and people use animals for work and/or food. God is love, He expresses love as He wants to.

Try this article -

www.gotquestions.org/dominion-over-animals.html

Firstly it’s ok to ask your questions OP, as a person of Christin faith I would always encourage people to ask these questions even on MN,

God gave people a set of (sensible) rules to live by - the 10 Commandments however people being people kept on breaking them (sinning) SInce God is without sin this meant a barrier between man and God. However because God so loved the world he sent Jesus for who ever believes in him will have life everlasting.

Jesus who was without sin willingly took the sins of the world on himself on the cross and died in our place. However death could not hold him and he rose again on the 3rd day. If you believe this and admit you are a sinner and declare Christ is your saviour your sins are forgiven and yes you will go to heaven- and yes even if you have done awful things if you truly believe you are forgiven- God knows every thought so there’s not trying to pull a quick one here!

I believe babies and children (probably up to a certain age I.e. 12 years) go to heaven should they die. As for dinosaurs I know God made the world in 6 days resting on the 7th however Gods day was probably a lot different from our days lasting a long, long time giving time for dinosaurs to have lived and died before Adam and Eve.

I hope this answers some of yours (and others) questions OP. Just remember God is a God of order if you go against the order of things you will hurt yourself (and others). God cannot go against things he has declared but his love for us is so great he has made a way possible- Jesus - to get right with him.

Did you Google what happens to people if they do, or don't, believe in God?

No, the bible says we have stewardship over the animals. That means we must care for them. Sacrificing them is wrong. I do not believe you can justify doing immoral things by saying 'God made the rules' or 'he is love so therefore doing wrong things is loving'. God is love and that means he is properly loving in all things. He doesn't just decide it's ok to do bad things and label them as love because he is love because that is not a righteous or loving thing to do.

I carry on leading my lovely life without believing any religious threats.

It's not wanting to be insulting, it's wanting to understand.

I don't get it and was hoping for some explanation from this thread. I still don't understand why Jesus can die on a different date each year either.

TBH I prefer some of the old pagan gods, you knew where you were with them. If you didn't do the right thing, the sun wouldn't come up. If you didn't look after the earth and put back what you took out, your crops would fail. We know there's a bit more to looking after the earth but at least these religions weren't all "god gave man the earth to do with as he wished". That hasn't worked out so well.

A lot of current religions have borrowed from the old ones, it's easier to get people to believe in your new one if you can say it's similar.

Yes, exactly. Just like the person up thread saying saying animals are there to be used by humans - the result is factory farming! I really don't think God had that in mind.

I'm sure you are very well aware that there is certainly a religion that bans any questioning or reasoning and you might even belong to it.

Christianity on the contrary is very open to discussion and questioning.

Advice is not a threat! Blessings to you. 🙂

Dinosaurs aren’t a part of the creation story, so some Christians don’t believe they existed and are just something scientists made up,

You would still have sin but also disbelief.

The day of judgement is for everybody. You don't get to opt out because you don't believe. You will start to believe fast when you see it all happening in front of you!