All Questions
-4
votes
1answer
52 views
Which Christianity branch allows gay marriage? [closed]
I know a lot of gay people who want to get married, but they couldn't. Any branch of Christianity that allows gay marriage?
-1
votes
2answers
78 views
Are these historical records about Jesus' appearance accurate? [duplicate]
All says that Jesus has a blonde hair and blue eyes.
http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/evidence.html
Various sites report that.
How credible it is?
Sample:
This is a reprinting of a letter from ...
6
votes
1answer
105 views
Is Jesus still suffering in heaven for our sins?
That is what sometime I hear some preacher mentioning.
Heaven is a place where there is no suffering but all happiness and that is what we are aiming for, by trying to live a good life on earth. ...
3
votes
3answers
64 views
Does the Bible say anything about our human relations being kept after death?
Does death separate us from the people we love forever ? do we keep our human relations or do we start over ?
I'm looking for any scripture passages that backup this claim or the contrary.
4
votes
2answers
55 views
Are there designated circumstances for making prayer to Jesus and making prayer to God?
The vast majority of Christians believe that Jesus is God, however, they are also mysteriously separate beings, yet the same as well (the Trinity). It is acceptable to those same Christians to pray to ...
4
votes
2answers
38 views
What is “your peace” in Matthew 10?
In Matthew 10, Jesus is instructing his disciples, whom he is sending out to preach to the children of Israel as follows:
11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person ...
4
votes
2answers
53 views
Were humans worshipped as gods in Biblical times?
Word "god" in Bible is not always interpreted as idols but sometimes they are depicted as humans like in these following verses.
Ex. 12:12 I will pass through the land of Egypt in the same ...
5
votes
3answers
162 views
Why was the New Testament Written in Greek?
New Testament was written in Greek. But Jesus lived in Israel and was supposed to be the next King of Israel. I think it is probably fair to assume that he and his twelve apostles spoke Hebrew. Then ...
11
votes
4answers
182 views
At what point did Judaism and Christianity diverge?
At what point did Judaism and Christianity diverge? Christianity and Judaism share the Old Testament (The Hebrew Bible), so it should be safe to assume they are the same people at least during the Old ...
1
vote
1answer
45 views
Conversion of Romans and Bible Portrayal of Romans
I have trouble understanding how Romans converted to Christianity. In the Bible, Romans weren't portrayed very nicely. For example, Herod the Great did quite a lot of awful things. Jesus was crucified ...
3
votes
1answer
66 views
Persecution of Jewish by Christians in Middle Ages?
I want to apologize ahead if my questions sound disrespectful to anybody. This isn't my intent. I grew up in East Asia which has very few Christians, but I have been very interested in the history of ...
4
votes
2answers
77 views
Do any independent sources exist mentioning Jesus' miracles performed and the people He performed them on?
I'm aware that there are credible historical texts that reference Jesus and His general path, independent of the Bible.
However, I'm curious to know, do any of those specifically describe the ...
3
votes
1answer
86 views
Why are LDS missionaries instructed to stay away from bodies of water?
I saw a post recently asserting that LDS missionaries are specifically instructed to stay away from bodies of water and are discouraged from swimming at all. I had never heard anything like this ...
2
votes
1answer
34 views
What are “all things” in “Let all things be tested, keep to what is good”?
In 1 Thessalonians 5:21 there is:
"Let all things be tested; keep to what is good"
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good”
What is "all things" here?
12
votes
3answers
193 views
Is “Love God and do whatever you please” scriptural?
St Augustine is famous for this quote, the full quote being:
"Love God and do whatever you please: for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved."
I've ...
12
votes
1answer
68 views
Is the marital act of consumating marriage part of Sacred Tradition in the Catholic Church?
How far back does the idea of consummating a marriage go?
Is it tied to the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony? Is it like going to confession, but not fully receiving the sacrament of reconciliation ...
4
votes
0answers
25 views
How does current Church of England polity compare with Richard Hooker's teaching?
Richard Hooker's Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity (1593) is a foundational document for the theology and ecclesiology of the Church of England. In it, he defends (among other things) the Anglican ...
5
votes
1answer
50 views
How do Aquinas and Hooker differ in their doctrine on communion?
In The Screwtape Letters (1942), C. S. Lewis records the words of the devil Screwtape on church shopping and factionalism (letter 16):
The real fun is working up hatred between those who say ...
1
vote
1answer
29 views
How does the life of Joseph (son of Jacob) foreshadow the life of Jesus the Messiah?
In theology, there are many things identified in the Old Testament as foreshadowing things in the New. The life of Joseph, the son of Jacob, is one of these that is identified as such the life of ...
-6
votes
1answer
49 views
Are Matthew and John Paul's friend? [closed]
I know Mark and Luke are Paul's friend. If all gospels are written by Paul's friends the whole christianity can be traced to Paul supposedly seeing a vision of Jesus.
However, there are other records ...
5
votes
1answer
48 views
What is significant about the title of “Son of David” that was attributed to Jesus?
The Book of Matthew begins by identifying Jesus with the title of "Son of David":
The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1 NAS
At one ...
6
votes
1answer
63 views
Is life imprisonment in accord with Catholic social doctrine?
I recall hearing an old religious sister talking on Relevant Radio a few years ago about her experience in Mexican prison ministry. She said that life imprisonment is just as bad as the death penalty ...
-2
votes
2answers
62 views
Does the New Testament allow Christians to interfere in policy making processes of the nation? [closed]
The rules/laws of a nation is always controlled by the Religion of the Majority.
During the time of the Old Testament, The Mosaic Law was the Government Law. The New Testament is different.
1 ...
6
votes
4answers
207 views
Should Christians be against the death penalty?
Christians go to great lengths to get the government to outlaw abortion--something that I personally would support. Though I see support from Christianity against abortion almost as unwavering, the ...
6
votes
1answer
95 views
Is there an explanation for pre-humans from a biblical point of view?
Does the bible/ Christians / the church (any church) say anything about pre-humans, not just neanderthals, but all the other kinds of pre-humans?
Points to consider.
I read in a National ...
6
votes
1answer
82 views
How many people are killed by Sanhedrin around the Paul era?
Sanhedrin condemned:
Jesus
James the Just
Stephen
Well, however Jews opposed death penalty. A Sanhedrin that condemn one man to death in 75 years is bloody.
Yet they killed at least 3 and those ...
7
votes
1answer
79 views
What is the significance of Jesus and the Mount of Transfiguration?
Matthew, Mark and Luke all record the story of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Matthew's version is provided below.
It seems that each writer simply records that the event occurred, but none ...
5
votes
3answers
81 views
What is the significance of presenting the Apostles as acting foolishly many times in the Gospels?
Multiple times in the four Gospels, the Apostles seem to act foolishly. They are around Jesus for a long time, witness miracles, and still lose faith pretty easily. Another example: Jesus says a ...
3
votes
2answers
69 views
What is the basis for understanding commandments to be anything other than compulsory?
People come with the impression that everybody has a choice to do something or not (choices all around everybody), but where in the bible do we as people get the right of choices?
In the Bible I can ...
-6
votes
2answers
70 views
What does women mean in Matthew 5:27? [closed]
Matthew 5:27
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
...
6
votes
2answers
70 views
How did Reformed Theologians view works-based “Heavenly Rewards”?
I am currently reading Erwin Lutzer's "Your Eternal Reward". I also watched MacArthus's "Eternal Rewards and Motivation". Now, I know that Reformed theologians believe:
salvation by grace, not works
...
1
vote
1answer
46 views
What significance did the “heart” possess in the ancient cultures contemporary with the biblical era?
I've had as hard a time with the concept of the heart as I've had with the concept of the soul. Currently I am thinking the heart is a reference to what your goals are and what you direct your ...
5
votes
3answers
80 views
Do Catholics really believe in contemporary miracles?
I know beatification requires a miracle. And, I keep reading statements like this,
"On 19 December 2009, John Paul II was proclaimed venerable by his successor Pope Benedict XVI and was beatified ...
6
votes
3answers
99 views
Reading “Mere Christianity” and having a hard time with book III, chapter 12
I am reading "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis and just finished Chapter 12 in the 3rd section. In this chapter he is discussing the idea that we need to realize we cannot fight sin ourselves, but we ...
2
votes
0answers
24 views
Does the spiritual life require faliure or can it be a continual ascent? [closed]
A neophyte Christian might just becoming aware of a personal relationship with God. But throughout the life of a Christian what does Sacred Scripture and/or Sacred Tradition say that a follower of ...
1
vote
1answer
27 views
Is the term 'word of God' in the New Testament equal in authority to the designation 'scripture'?
I have noticed there are some that distinguish between the designation 'scripture' as only referring to the Old Testament. I can only assume by that that they simply mean a timing issue is identified ...
-6
votes
1answer
70 views
Is feminism somehow connected to Protestant ethics? [closed]
It seems to me that the highest political success feminism and gay rights movement achieved in Protestant countries, especially the Scandinavian ones, such as Sweden.
On the other hand, in Catholic ...
3
votes
0answers
43 views
Is there any theological work on our experience of natural beauty as believers?
I was wondering if there are any verses in the Bible that speak about the Christian's experience of natural beauty? Or even any theological work would be nice to read.
I came across this quote in a ...
2
votes
1answer
52 views
Were the early Christians an apocalyptic sect?
I saw a documentary with David Suchet about Paul the apostle. Suchet stated that Paul was convinced the world was about to end. Is this an accurate representation of the early church?
4
votes
2answers
163 views
Is the Pope morally obliged to submit to every secular authority?
Among the Protestant faith a believer is to submit to the government:
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to ...
1
vote
1answer
36 views
What is the meaning of creeds?
What are creeds and how they came about. Is there a Biblical basis for them and how many creeds are there till date?
1
vote
1answer
79 views
Can angels speak to us?
This is perhaps slightly related to this question, and specifically this answer which points out that "the worship of angels [is] false doctrine ... praying to angels arguably may not be worship, ...
2
votes
1answer
76 views
How did God come to be? [duplicate]
I know this is an old question, but does anyone have any new ideas on it?
One argument is that God has always existed, but why should anything exist at all? How could this happen?
Another approach ...
-1
votes
1answer
102 views
Why Christians wear some elaborate costumes which sometimes outshine those of the pre-Christian epoch? [closed]
What is the need to use elaborate costumes at services and on other occasions? Costumes of some Christian confessions much outshine those of some other religions, including the pre-Christian ones.
...
7
votes
4answers
179 views
Why is it so much easier to sin than follow Jesus?
How is it possible, that it is harder to follow Jesus, than to sin? I really want to follow Jesus, and I'm trying to. But every day again I fail again, because short term desires which withdraw me ...
3
votes
1answer
84 views
What is the significance of changing the names of Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah?
I would briefly reconstruct from Genesis, the circumstances leading to this change in names.
In the very beginning of His conversation with Abram, God says to Abram:
Gen: 12:2 (NET)
Then I ...
4
votes
1answer
69 views
Why were the Israelites not circumcised in the desert?
Genesis 21:4 (NIV) When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham
circumcised him, as God commanded him.
Starting with Abraham, the Israelite men were circumcised and a boy at the eighth day ...
2
votes
2answers
59 views
Why is this man free from guilt?
Numbers 5:11-31 gives us an adultery test used by the Hebrew people in their early days.
11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘If any man’s ...
2
votes
1answer
39 views
What is the nature of the “Communion of the Saints”?
In the Episcopalian Prayers of the People, Rite I, we pray as follows:
In the communion of [__ and of all the] saints, let
us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to
Christ ...
-6
votes
1answer
92 views
Does any faith dogmatically assert time-travel? [closed]
What I am wondering is if there are any denominations that assert time travel. It might seem a bit too much like ‘Star Trek’ or ‘Back to the Future’ Theology but I could actually understand somebody ...
