Difficult Questions about Christianity

[ReggieJones]

This is inspired by discussions on mn and also in rl about Christianity. Jesus' death for us can sometimes seem like an easy thing to explain and those of us who've heard about it for many years can become a bit complacent. But I also often find it a really tricky thing to get my head around, despite believing iyswim. It would be interesting to hear what questions people have and also how we might be able to answer questions in a way that's humble and not personally offensive (although Jesus does say that people will be offended by the Gospel.

My sister and niece are back from a two day course run by the local church entitled "Preparing for the Rapture".

Amongst all the practical advice about stockpiling food and supplies I have found out that she and 20 of the congregation have agreed to be beheaded if the conditions get too bad.
I am afraid to ask what fate the children will have.

She attended a course about preparing for a Rapture she doesn't believe will happen for her? (And as a result has made some sort of suicide pact)

...I guess she's not C of E...

She does believe it may happen, but her church has offered a fast track. Not Cof E no.

My sister is afraid of the end times- the 42 months of Satan's rule.

Suicide / murder not a problem for them? What church is this?

Just reading this thread I was struck by a particular post that summed up for me what I feel when people talk about God's love for us.

"How else do we show those we love? I have adult daughters and I have spent years making sure they understand that someone who loves you will demonstrate that love through action."

That is so true. I have an adult daughter too. If she talked about a potential
boyfriend the way Christians talk about God , I'd be telling her to run for the hills!

But 30 years Head. All that time, energy and money.. Why did you put yourself through all that?

What if she was talking about believing in Christian god Bertrand, what would you tell her then?

why did you put yourself through that

Well it didn't seem so bad at the time! But seriously, yes, I'd like to understand it myself which is why I hang around here tearing people down and being generally horrible and bitter.

The thing with faith head is that you cannot argue your way in or out of it because it is concerned with the enigmatic stuff that we cannot fully perceive, comprehend, appreciate and thus we cannot find fully conclusive evidence for it (or against it).

This is why I and others describe it as a choice. At this point I am reminded of an ex who in the first stages of our relationship used to go on about how much he loved me. Then one day he joked he didn't, as a genuine teasy joke but then it made him question whether he did love me. The conclusion was no and we split. He told me he deeply regretted it years later but by that time I'd moved on...the thing was, this type of love was something he didn't really understand, so to declare it was a leap of faith. To try and pull it apart made him doubt it because he didn't understand it.

In what way do you think "tearing people down and being bitter" here helps you understand yourself Head?

Dione- I think you may need to turn up your irony detector.......

Why would I need to do that Bert?

My sister is afraid of the end times

Oh ffs, these crackpots have been harping on about the end times since the beginning times. I wish to fuck they'd shut up. They are exploiting the mentally weak and vulnerable. I'd lay a fiver that the bloke encouraging them to all stock up has a stake in the local cash and carry.

TTWK- even more worryingly she is a teacher at a school. The children are also taught to prepare for the rapture.

Dione- anything you feel like saying to me can easily be said on this thread. No more PMs please.

I wouldn't out a NC on a thread Bert, I consider it Bad Form. But don't worry, if I have anything else to say, I'll do it on thread. Or maybe on the thread you started to show how nonplussed you were by my message.

Feel free.

Not nonplussed at all. And don't worry- I haven't reported you to Mumsnet.

I'm not at all worried, why would I be?

we've done wrong and deserve punishment for and think that Jesus took this punishment for us its amazing.

But why did it have to happen? Why was a blood sacrifice needed?

I recently heard a bible scholar say that the 'virgin birth' is a mistranslation and actually meant young woman and that Paul was responsible for this.

If that is true then should Christians abandon the 'virgin' story?