Questions tagged [nature-of-man]

relating to the theological definition of anthropology - that set of doctrines which attempt to understand how God created the spirit, soul, and mind of a human being, and to ascertain that for which he destined and how he is subject to the natural laws

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Does God create some people Heterosexual and others Homosexual? [closed]

It is quite common for people who identify themselves as homosexual to say that God created them this way. Some way even go so far as to say it was a misfortune that they were born into: "...
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Can man judge whether God is fair? [closed]

Over and over I hear people pronouncing in one way or another that God is "not fair"*. Sometimes this is stated directly, other times indirectly as in "that doesn't seem fair, therefore God must not ...
Caleb's user avatar
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What Bible verses suggest that humans can become angels? [closed]

There a number of biblical passages (such as 1 Corinthians 4:9) that are worded as such indicating angels were created separately from and and are different from humans. For it seems to me that God ...
Jenny Thomson's user avatar
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At what point is a new soul created according to the Catholic Church?

It seems clear that the Catholic Church rejected Origen's claim that souls were created and existed before conception and birth. Does the Church pinpoint fertilization of the egg as the moment a soul ...
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According to theistic evolutionists, at what point did humans evolve enough to be considered special to God?

Disclaimer - Even though my personal views are well-established, I'd like to point out that I am not out to make a point with this question, and I am absolutely not out to establish whether any ...
David Stratton's user avatar
20 votes
4 answers
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Does the Bible give us a purpose to life? [closed]

I'm not sure that I know of any place in the Bible that directly states, "this is the purpose to life." But does it give us any idea as the exact purpose as to why we were created. If God is truly ...
capitalaudience.com's user avatar
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2 answers
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What is the Mormon doctrine regarding becoming a god?

Per the doctrine of the Latter Day Saints, it seems that God was once a man. Following this out just one step further leads me to the idea that it may be possible for other men to be come a god. ...
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What is the Word of Faith teaching on "little gods"

Rather than assuming Wikipedia is accurate, I thought I'd as for a better sourced answer to the question. Wikipedia's article on the Word of Faith movement lists various controversies regarding Word ...
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How is original sin transmitted? [closed]

Assuming the doctrine of original sin is true, how exactly is original sin passed down to the rest of mankind? Was the nature of man changed? If so, what exempted Christ from sin but allowed him to ...
Thomas Shields's user avatar
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What is the difference between man's soul and spirit? [closed]

It is easy to recognize the body as the physical matter that makes up a person. The body is clearly distinct from the soul and spirit in several ways: The body is visible to others. (When I see you,...
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Is there any substance to the claim that Origen supported reincarnation?

Origen of Alexandria is considered one of Christianity's greatest systematic theologians, and it is said that he was a believer in reincarnation. Is there any substance (textual evidence) to the ...
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Did any other early church fathers besides Origen teach the pre-existence of souls?

Origen taught about the pre-existence of our souls, which, among many other of his teachings, was later condemned as heresy. Did any other early church fathers teach this doctrine?
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If baptism cleanses original sin then why do the children of baptised parents still need to be baptised?

Why do the children of the parents who were baptized need to be baptized? The parent's original sin was removed by their baptism so they shouldn't be passing it down anymore. Or how does it work? Is ...
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Overview of Trichotomous vs Dichotomous views of Man [closed]

There are generally two* views of Man the Dichotomous (Soul & Body) the Trichotomous (Soul, Spirit, & Body) Notably, A W Pink ascribes to the Trichotomous view (or Tripartite). Also notably,...
warren's user avatar
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Does the Bible say anything about what demons *are*? [closed]

I've thought all my life that demons (and evil spirits) were fallen angels, but I recently encountered the viewpoint that these demons are actually the souls of men who have already died but wouldn't ...
El'endia Starman's user avatar
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Can a Christian have clinical depression?

God can grant an amazing peace of mind to a person. Many Christians have been totally calm and prayed for their persecutors while being tortured and killed -- like Stephen, the first martyr. But do ...
StackExchange saddens dancek's user avatar
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What is the difference between holiness and righteousness?

Both holiness and righteousness are used to describe God. Additionally, we as Christians are called to be holy and righteous as well. These are two distinct words, so they must have distinct ...
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How do theistic evolutionists explain moral reasoning?

If you are a theistic evolutionist, then I see two possible explanations for the existence of human moral reasoning. 1) That at some point in the evolution of primates (or even a more distant common ...
DryLabRebel's user avatar
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What is the biblical basis for considering gender to be not merely physical/biological?

From the perspective of the tripartite nature of man--that men and women have a body, a soul, and a spirit--is there a biblical basis for the position that gender is not merely present in the body or ...
Narnian's user avatar
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Is it given by God in human nature to be a creator too?

We humans have a significant ability to create using our fantasy. Was this ability given to us by God, a Creator as He created man in His image, according to His likeness, or was this ability ...
Maksym Gontar's user avatar
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How is the belief that Christians are both adopted and begotten sons of God reconciled?

If one is begotten, then one cannot be adopted by those same parents. The idea of being begotten means that you are the biological progeny of your parents. In other words, the woman whom you call “...
Der Übermensch's user avatar
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What is the source of the quote attributed to Origen, that "the soul has neither beginning nor end"?

Related answer: Is there any substance to the claim that Origen supported reincarnation? The following quote is widely attributed to Origen in books and on the internet (e.g., here and here): The ...
Nathaniel is protesting's user avatar
10 votes
10 answers
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If all demons are believers, then why are some humans atheists?

According to the Bible, all demons are believers: You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! (James 2:19 ESV) Yet, this is not the case for (all) humans. Some ...
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9 answers
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What is the ultimate goal of a human according to Bible?

Bible contains several aspects. The best among them for humans is the guidance for conduct. It also instructs a way to live with honesty. I'm confused about the ultimate goal of living a life ...
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Is man born in God's image, or was that just Adam? [closed]

I have noticed many Christians say 'we were born in God’s image', but the scripture seems to imply that men are 'born in the image of their Father, the Devil?' For example: This is how we know ...
Mike's user avatar
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What is the difference between mind and soul (if any) [closed]

For reference, this question asks whether there is a difference between the soul and spirit. Assuming that there is a difference between the two (i.e., that man's nature is tripartite), and that your ...
Sinker's user avatar
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According to Reformed theology, why does God tell people to repent if they don't have the choice to do so, as in Exodus 10:3?

This question is addressed to those who believe in the doctrine of Total Depravity. In Exodus 10:3 God asks the Pharaoh for how long will he remain proud. Why does God ask such a question if the ...
Sebastian Clinciu's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
3k views

What is the Biblical basis for saying Christians are "friends of God"?

I've heard Christians say that an appropriate title for a Christian is, "friend of God." I've also heard preachers (e.g. Beth Moore) say that this is inappropriate: only certain people (Abraham and ...
Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE's user avatar
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How can I understand the rise of the Egyptians as a race in the Old Testament?

The Old Testament states that God created the world and God created man. We see the lineage of Adam and Eve, to Abraham, and so forth while the Hebrew nation is created. Then, seemingly from left ...
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Is there only one God (or אֱלֹהִים, or θεός) by nature?

Men may be called "gods" (equivalent to Hebrew אֱלֹהִים (elohim) or Greek θεός (theos)) according to office, because they assume God's authority on earth. For example, in Exo. 21:6, it is written, ...
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5 answers
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Where does God draw the line when it comes to Sin? [closed]

So I've read 1 John alot and I understand that I cannot continue to sin if I want to be a child of God's. 1 John 1:6 (NIV) 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the ...
capitalaudience.com's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
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In Reformed Theology, what are seen as the implications of Traducianism versus Creationism (of the soul)?

Traducianism says that one's soul is derived from one's parents' souls, but creationism says that God creates a soul for each body. The Wikipedia articles are a start, but I'm especially interested ...
Cohen_the_Librarian's user avatar
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3 answers
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What are modern Christian views of the soul? [closed]

The soul, the immaterial “breath of life”, was originally thought (I believe) to be where most of our thoughts, feelings, and personality originate. However, a lot of the functions of the brain, like ...
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9 votes
1 answer
293 views

In what manner does the LDS believe we may become like God? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: What is the Mormon doctrine regarding becoming a god? Lorenzo Snow, a prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, stated: As man is, God once was; as God is, man ...
Jeff B's user avatar
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9 votes
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Why did God not want man to have the knowledge of good and evil? [closed]

When God created man, he created him with the fore knowledge that man would eat from the forbidden tree, and even with the knowledge that man would bring sin into the World; God created the tree in ...
BYE's user avatar
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8 votes
4 answers
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Do Fetuses have souls? Is the aquisition of a soul instantenous or continuous? [closed]

Christian fundamentalists argue against abortion on the grounds that fetuses have souls. The argument starts with two premises: that people have souls while animals do not, and that the right to life ...
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8 votes
3 answers
4k views

What is the biblical basis for the Dual Nature of Man as opposed to the Tripartite Nature?

A common belief regarding the nature of mankind is that we have a body, a soul and a spirit. This is known as the Tripartite Nature of Man (or trichotomism). Some, however, hold to only a Dual nature ...
Narnian's user avatar
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8 votes
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What does the LDS church teach about what men and women did or do in the pre-existence?

I understand that the LDS Church believes that everyone existed in the spirit world prior to their conception in the womb in the physical world. What specifically, though, does the pre-existence ...
Narnian's user avatar
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8 votes
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691 views

What is the essential argument in favor of the tripartite nature of man?

A common belief regarding the nature of mankind is that we have a body, a soul and a spirit. This is known as the Tripartite Nature of Man. What is the essential argument in favor of this view? I ...
Narnian's user avatar
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7 votes
4 answers
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Can a non-Christian sell his soul?

This Freakonomics podcast had an interesting discussion about a guy who challenged an atheist to sell his soul. The guy who bought claimed to be a Christian. The trope, of course, goes back a long way ...
Affable Geek's user avatar
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Do people have the ability to truly love God, without God guiding them into loving him? [closed]

From this answer: Secondly, men do not hate God because of the world he created, they hate God because he is good and they are not. However consciously or unconsciously, they hate him because he is ...
user1022681's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
1k views

What is the biblical basis that people who are attracted to the same sex were not created by God that way?

cf. Does God create some people Heterosexual and others Homosexual? [closed] It is quite common for people who identify themselves as homosexual to say that God created them this way. Some way ...
user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
656 views

What does the LDS Church teach about the pre-existence of each person prior to conception?

I have read somewhere that the LDS teaches that each person existed prior to physical conception. What are the specifics of this teaching?
Narnian's user avatar
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How to reconcile the original creation of every soul (Creationism) by God with original sin?

The Catholic Church teaches that (CCC 366), every spiritual soul is created immediately by God — it is not 'produced' by the parents. So, if every soul is uniquely created by God and is not produced ...
WolfgangP's user avatar
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1 answer
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Where did our spirit come from? (Overview)

Where did our spirit come from? Did it exist before we were born? Or did it come into existence when we were born or later? What is an overview of the major Christian answers to this question?
Benny van der Griend's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
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What is the biblical basis for humans becoming angels after they die?

Many Christians, and many people living in predominantly Christian cultures, believe that people who die become angels. This belief is reflected in numerous popular novels and movies, such as the ...
Lee Woofenden's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
647 views

Is the philosophy of René Girard compatible with mainline Christianity?

Rene Girard is a French historian and philosopher. The premise of his works is summarized by Wikipedia: mimetic desire: all of our desires are borrowed from other people; mimetic rivalry: ...
aceinthehole's user avatar
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7 votes
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We will judge angels? But we are lower than the angels

Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 1 Cor 6:3 (KJV) This verse says that we will judge angels, but this verse 6 But one in a certain place ...
Jeremy H's user avatar
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7 votes
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When did we begin to exist? [closed]

When did we begin to exist? I suppose there are really only two options: We were created before we were born (our spirits existed in some state similar to our state after death, without a body) Our ...
user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
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What are the differences between the spirit of God and spirit of Man? [closed]

First, I thought that the spirit Christians get from God is the same as the spirit of God. Recently, I heard a sermon that asserted they are different, but gave no more details. Which verses describe ...
Jomet's user avatar
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