Today's topic was simple, on the surface.
Most folks agreed, a Christian believes in God.
We see that the word "Christian" has the name 'Christ' in it.
One person pointed out that Jesus is the messiah.
"Christ" and "Messiah" both describe God's hero to save the world.
Chloe pointed out that Christians worship Christ, who is God.
Max added the difference that Christians follow Christ.
We talked for a while about what the Bible says about reincarnation.
Eventually 'the gospel' came into the conversation. What is the gospel? Gospel literally means good news. There is a short description of the good news in Paul's first letter to the people in a city called Corinth. We have this letter in the Bible called
1 Corinthians.
Here is what it says:"...Christ died for our sins (like it says in) the Scriptures, ...he was buried, ...he was raised on the third day (like it says in) the Scriptures, and ...he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive... (1 Corinthians chapter 15 verses 3-6, English Standard Version)
We also talked about the subtle difference between
1. believing,
2. following and
3. worshiping God in the person of Jesus Christ.
We also discussed positives and negatives about Christians in the world. Some the good things like moral people who honour God and some of the bad things like rude people who think being pushy and argumentative about their faith is what God wants.
so after ALOT of laughs, (and some daft moments!), and interesting conversation, we agreed that one way to describe a Christian is: "any person who believes that Jesus was God, who died for our sins on the cross and was buried and rose from the dead on the third day just like he said he would."; and also "that the believing person lives differently because of their faith."
Next week we decided to talk about "why did Jesus have to die."
Tuesday 22 September 2009
Friday 12 June 2009
Who did Cain and Able marry?
"Does the Bible allow brothers and sisters to marry?"
First off: eeeeew!
(happy place, happy place happy place...)
This question from John Locke will be considered and answered at the next SU group on 16 June after school at the 6th year lounge area on the 1st floor.
First off: eeeeew!
(happy place, happy place happy place...)
This question from John Locke will be considered and answered at the next SU group on 16 June after school at the 6th year lounge area on the 1st floor.
Thursday 2 April 2009
What is the Koran?
A young lady came up and asked about the Koran (Qur’an) and why is it different from the Bible.
Our expertise is not in Koranic literature,
but the research is available to support the claims in this article.
It is perhaps sad, but also true.
The Qur'an was written around the 7th century AD.
The Bible was written first.
The old testament was finished by the fifth Century BC (about 450 years before Jesus lived)
The New Testament was completed in the first century by people who knew Jesus personally.
The Qur'an and the Bible do not agree with each other about key facts.
Three of which are: God's promises to Israel, the time when Moses lived, and the life and death of the messiah Jesus of Nazareth (Jesus Christ).
The Qur’an is the Islamic scripture that claims to be the final word from God.
The Koran is based solely upon what one person (Muhammad) allegedly saw and heard.
According to Islamic tradition, Mohammed, the founder of Islam, received revelations from the angel Gabriel on various occasions over a period of twenty-three years (Geisler and Saleeb, 1993, p. 90; cf. Sura 25:32; 17:106). After each personal encounter with Gabriel, Mohammed allegedly recited the words to scribes (cf. Sura 73:1-7). The Islamic scripture is based entirely upon these private “experiences.” The author Kippy Myers noted: “Only one person allegedly saw the angel. Only one person allegedly heard a voice. Only one person allegedly saw the visions. The only way to become a Moslem, then, is to take this one man’s word for it” (1994, p. 11).
Bible answer guy is focused on the truth of the Bible and looks at the questions and answers here in light of the witness of the old and new testaments of the Holy Bible.
Our expertise is not in Koranic literature,
but the research is available to support the claims in this article.
It is perhaps sad, but also true.
The Qur'an was written around the 7th century AD.
The Bible was written first.
The old testament was finished by the fifth Century BC (about 450 years before Jesus lived)
The New Testament was completed in the first century by people who knew Jesus personally.
The Qur'an and the Bible do not agree with each other about key facts.
Three of which are: God's promises to Israel, the time when Moses lived, and the life and death of the messiah Jesus of Nazareth (Jesus Christ).
The Qur’an is the Islamic scripture that claims to be the final word from God.
The Koran is based solely upon what one person (Muhammad) allegedly saw and heard.
According to Islamic tradition, Mohammed, the founder of Islam, received revelations from the angel Gabriel on various occasions over a period of twenty-three years (Geisler and Saleeb, 1993, p. 90; cf. Sura 25:32; 17:106). After each personal encounter with Gabriel, Mohammed allegedly recited the words to scribes (cf. Sura 73:1-7). The Islamic scripture is based entirely upon these private “experiences.” The author Kippy Myers noted: “Only one person allegedly saw the angel. Only one person allegedly heard a voice. Only one person allegedly saw the visions. The only way to become a Moslem, then, is to take this one man’s word for it” (1994, p. 11).
In addition to containing some extreme contradictions, the Koran has been criticised as historically inaccurate (it gets dates and names wrong) and geographically flawed (it gets locations and names of places wrong).
On the other hand, the Bible is based in history, not in the subjective experience of one individual. About forty different men from various backgrounds wrote the Bible over a period of 1,600 years. It is backed by objective, historical events experienced by thousands of individuals. Cultures outside the Judeo-Christian faith reaffirm many Biblical accounts. And many of its places, events, and people can be verified by history. Many biblical places and persons, which for centuries were unknown to secular history (such as the great Hittite nation), now have been discovered. Archaeology, literature, science, and geography confirm its details, and tie it to a reality outside the mind of any single person or any group of people.
The Bible has also been scrutinized and criticized and is not subject to the same glaring inconsistencies.
This commentary is not an attack on those who seek to worship God in truth who happen to be Muslim. It is a very basic textual comparison of the documents that underlie two world religions.
Jesus teaches us to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.
We love our Muslim brothers and sisters. There is no hate here.
We love our Muslim brothers and sisters. There is no hate here.
In the old testament of the Holy Bible,
God promises that he will make Ishmael into a great nation.
It has come to pass.
The God of the Bible gets all the credit.
God promises that he will make Ishmael into a great nation.
It has come to pass.
The God of the Bible gets all the credit.
Tuesday 24 February 2009
Canibalism
Would it ever be OK under any circumstances to eat human flesh?
Like, say a person died or got killed and there was no foul play.
And you were starving.
Is that ever acceptable?
Most of us were immediately convinced that just ain't cool!
But what was the reason?
One person speculated that flesh might be delicious and immediately addicting. :
(which was humor but not alot funny, really)
This led to a discussion of drinking blood.
(apparently people do, do this!)
The Bible specifically speaks against eating blood in Leviticus chapters 3, 7, 17, 19.
back to the point can I eat someone?
Murder - bad. OK
Blood - not at all good. OK
what about the Donner party?
Apparently people have eaten other people.
Nobody ever thought this was at all a good thing.
A man was charged with murder and convicted in Germany and sentenced to life in prison as recently as May 2006 for killing and eating another man with his permission.
(Which is insane as well as disgusting, really)
(Sorry moms this is purely googlable information)
What about the Bible?
The Bible mentions Cannibalism several times, usually regarding the siege of Jerusalem. Always as a dreadful consequence of disobedience
Historically, we see God letting people choose to rebel and ending up in the hands of enemies who would trap them and starve them to desperation...to cannibalism
Then there is Jesus saying " I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:53-4
But Jesus' words are generally agreed upon as allegorical.
except for a particular denomination which ascribes a mystical, sub-particle transformation of communion to actually the flesh and blood of Jesus.
In Judaism the priest that makes a sin or guilt offering (of an animal) will also eat from it.
Similarly, people were expected to eat from peace offerings.
Jesus was implying 'unless you agree that this sacrifice I am going to make counts for you, you will not live with me.'
There is no commandment: 'thou shalt not eat your neighbor.'
But, really, it doesn't appear to be the loving thing to do, either?
BAG says "keep clear of human meat!"
(this is sort of wierd to read over, but it was the question today and it was mostly a tongue in cheek discussion. Seriously, don't be a cannibal! and if you have strange cravings, we would recommend asking friends/family/church to pray for you and/or urge you to get confidential help.)
If you have already eaten human meat, God still loves you and is able to help. Get help!
Like, say a person died or got killed and there was no foul play.
And you were starving.
Is that ever acceptable?
Most of us were immediately convinced that just ain't cool!
But what was the reason?
One person speculated that flesh might be delicious and immediately addicting. :
(which was humor but not alot funny, really)
This led to a discussion of drinking blood.
(apparently people do, do this!)
The Bible specifically speaks against eating blood in Leviticus chapters 3, 7, 17, 19.
back to the point can I eat someone?
Murder - bad. OK
Blood - not at all good. OK
what about the Donner party?
Apparently people have eaten other people.
Nobody ever thought this was at all a good thing.
A man was charged with murder and convicted in Germany and sentenced to life in prison as recently as May 2006 for killing and eating another man with his permission.
(Which is insane as well as disgusting, really)
(Sorry moms this is purely googlable information)
What about the Bible?
The Bible mentions Cannibalism several times, usually regarding the siege of Jerusalem. Always as a dreadful consequence of disobedience
Historically, we see God letting people choose to rebel and ending up in the hands of enemies who would trap them and starve them to desperation...to cannibalism
Then there is Jesus saying " I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:53-4
But Jesus' words are generally agreed upon as allegorical.
except for a particular denomination which ascribes a mystical, sub-particle transformation of communion to actually the flesh and blood of Jesus.
In Judaism the priest that makes a sin or guilt offering (of an animal) will also eat from it.
Similarly, people were expected to eat from peace offerings.
Jesus was implying 'unless you agree that this sacrifice I am going to make counts for you, you will not live with me.'
There is no commandment: 'thou shalt not eat your neighbor.'
But, really, it doesn't appear to be the loving thing to do, either?
BAG says "keep clear of human meat!"
(this is sort of wierd to read over, but it was the question today and it was mostly a tongue in cheek discussion. Seriously, don't be a cannibal! and if you have strange cravings, we would recommend asking friends/family/church to pray for you and/or urge you to get confidential help.)
If you have already eaten human meat, God still loves you and is able to help. Get help!
Monday 19 January 2009
New Question!
"Are you a fundamentalist?"
This was asked at the booth a couple of weeks ago.
discussion this coming Tuesday 27 Jan at 3pm in the Gaelic room, off the quad
~BAG
This was asked at the booth a couple of weeks ago.
discussion this coming Tuesday 27 Jan at 3pm in the Gaelic room, off the quad
~BAG
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