Dinosaurs, Haters, and Free Will

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We had some great discussion last week at our open-forum Question Box.  We didn't get to all of them, so we going to continue this coming Monday. Here's a list of the questions; what's your opinion?

Questions we discussed:

1. How do you handle a person who hates on you and can’t let it go, how do you handle haters in a Christian way?

2. Should all of the stories in the Bible be taken literally?  (Noah’s ark, the Garden, etc)

3. If dinosaurs were around before people, and God made people on the 6^th day, does that make dinosaurs fake?

4. Did Jesus sacrifice any animals in His lifetime?

5. My pastor talks a lot about singling out a day every once in a while, fully dedicated to praying. What are your thoughts on that?

Questions we'll tackle next week:

1. When is someone considered Christian? How can I help people know or realize they are?  On a sort of off topic side (could these be linked?), how do I /we help someone who has authority over other people but has trouble having them actually listen to them?

This is following the example of Jesus?

2. How do you respond to hatred toward Christianity? People who have had a bad experience with someone and are taking it out on the entire religion? How do you respond to people who believe that religion may as well be the pinnacle of evil? That those who are religious are all ignorant?
3. How do you deal with Christians who have so much hate? Christians who hate homosexuals, and adulterers, just about every sinner… How do you deal with the Christians who make other hate Christianity?

4. How come there is so much killing for God’s purpose when he commands us not to? (Jael killing Sisera, Judges 4:21; the [killing of all the city’s residents at the] fall of Jericho)

5. What happens to those who are ignorant, children, people who were never reached by the Gospel? Do they find the Kingdom of Heaven?

 

6. Why did Jesus get baptized?

7. Where did natural evil originate (hurricanes, floods, earthquakes)?

8. Why did God make the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil when He knew Adam and Eve would sin?

9. How is the idea of God having a “plan,” “using people,” or having “complete control” over all life align with the idea that we have a free will?