20 Questions with Pastor Mike (Episode 99)
BibleThinker
Atheists, Church Attendance, and Understanding Worship
This chapter explores the appropriateness of atheists attending church services for educational purposes, stressing the importance of sincerity in their presence. It delves into complex theological questions about God's desire for worship, the true meaning of perfection in a biblical context, and the effective dialogue strategies for discussing faith.
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Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:
- 0:01 {Infinite Punishment for Finite Crimes?} Why does God give infinite punishment for finite crimes? Even from a biblical point of view, not every crime is prescribed the same punishment. So why, then, can a person never serve the entirety of their punishment in Hell?
- 28:35 {Why Did God Allow Sin?} If God knew that humans would fall into sin, why did He allow us to live in this fallen world and not take us straight to Heaven?
- 34:36 {Has Christianity Changed Over Time?} How do you know the Christianity you believe is the same they were practicing in the early Church if history says Constantine and the Greeks changed things?
- 39:06 {Why Won’t Christians Marry Non-Christians?} A woman stopped dating me because of worldview differences. I believe in a higher power and wouldn’t have pulled her away from her faith. It hurt badly. Why do some Christians do that? She seems indoctrinated (“can’t marry a non-Christian”).
- 43:49 {Is Christianity Itself a Cult?} How is Christianity like (or not like) a cult in either definition and/or practice?
- 47:46 {Is Every Good Thing an Answered Prayer?} Why are some people so quick to celebrate when God answers “small” prayers, but they overlook the fact that He didn’t answer “bigger” prayers like healing someone of cancer?
- 53:12 {Why Aren’t Mormons Christians?} Ex-Mormon here. Surely all Christians believe things about God that are incorrect, but they're still saved. What makes the LDS different? How are my misconceptions acceptable when theirs aren't?
- 1:02:12 {Are Miracles Unreliable?} If Satan and his workers can perform miracles to mislead people, why should I believe Christians when they tell me to look at miracles, or when Jesus says to look at His miracles?
- 1:07:05{Why Does God Allow Painful Grieving?} Why did God allow My cat to be attacked by a dog if He could have stopped it? We are heartbroken.
- 1:10:07 {Did Jesus Know He’d be Resurrected?} Did Jesus know He was only going to die for 3 days and it wouldn’t actually be for eternity? And why did the father require a sacrifice if it wasn’t for eternity?
- 1:14:18 {Did Jesus Exist & Is Scripture Really Inspired?} What proof is there that Jesus really existed, and if the Gospels were written by man, how do you prove they were inspired by God and not by man?
- 1:20:55 {Why does God Require Prayer?} Why would God require prayer for what He knows He SHOULD heal?
- 1:25:07 {Can Non-Believers Come to Church to Observe?} Are there any good rules of thumb for atheists attending a church service for the purposes of learning? Assuming they have no intention of conversion, is this considered rude or invasive?
- 1:27:23 {Is God Egotistical?} Isn’t it egotistical for God to ask us to worship Him?
- 1:31:14 {Why does God Expect Perfection?} The Bible says, “Be perfect as your father in Heaven is perfect.” Why would God, knowing that we will always be sinful when we are in flesh, expect perfection?
- 1:34:46 {Is the Bible Just a Storybook?} How can you believe in a storybook (referring to the Bible)? This was actually a question I faced several times when I stayed in Germany for a while.
- 1:37:21 {Does God Know Every Choice We’ll Make?} Does God already know what choices we will make? Does He just know the outcome of every single option, or are there maybe two or a couple possible options for everyone’s choices? If the first, what's the point?
- 1:40:48 {Was YHWH a “Storm god”?} I have been hearing atheists & Muslims saying our God YHWH was originally a storm god. Has this been proven archeologically? Any implications on our faith? Any thoughts on that?
- 1:42:01 {Stumbled by Theological Doctrines?} The different theologies like cessationism & continuationism can be a stumbling block for unbelievers and cause confusion. How can this be explained to them?
- 1:43:38 {Are Older Texts More Likely to be True?} What about other books like the Vedic texts that are older than the gospels? Should “older” equal more accurate or true?
1:47:35 Bonus Q: Why is he still babbling and not demonstrating his god exists?
Videos I mentioned:
Playlist on Mormonism - Click Here
Penal Substitutionary Atonement: answering how Jesus' death for us works - Click Here
Michael Heiser's video on if Yahweh was a "storm god" - Click Here
Mike Licona interview on Jesus mythicism - Click Here
Evidence for the Bible playlist - Click Here
Full Gospel of Mark series - Click Here
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