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Bisqwit's page about christian belief

I was about to create a page that answers the most difficult claims
people often make/ask about christianity, like:

and so on, but then I found
Jasu Markkanen's page,
which contains exactly that in a very great amount and
with wise answers (in Finnish only, sorry).

So this project of mine was stopped before it even began.


Short words about myself: I'm a christian believer.

This page contains my thoughts and opinions about religious matters.
I'm sure many christians don't like it, because they don't like anything
to be added or removed from the Bible. They are also often lazy to
think themselves, because they believe it only gets trouble and that
Bible is complete enough as it is.

I accept their view, but I always walk through that trouble
anyway in hope it clarifies my thoughts.

I don't like contradictions, so if you find that my words are clearly
in contradiction with Bible, please tell me.

I'm not trying to add anything to the Bible.
I'm just explaining my thoughts.
Ignore this page if you don't care or don't like it.

I wrote it in 2003 or so. Some things may have clarified since, but
most of it I still stand by...

I believe (inclusively):


About God and Bible:


  •  In the word of Bible as word of God

  •  In the authenticity of Old Testament of Bible

  •  In the authenticity of New Testament of Bible

  •  In Jesus Christ as God

  •  In Father as God

  •  In Holy Spirit as God

  •  In Jesus Christ as the messiah of Israel

  •  That Jesus lives and is the way to everlasting life

  •  Jesus's second coming is inevitably yet to come

  •  That God is not a mathematical or logical construct, but three thinking and feeling persons who can not be predicted

About Heaven and Hell:


  •  In Heaven, as a real place which however can not be reached with material instruments.

  •  In Hell, as a state or place, which consists (inclusively) of permanent separation from God

  •  That for the spirit, Heaven means life

  •  That for the spirit, Hell means death

About sin and salvation:


  •  That sin is, by definition, turning away from God.

  •  That all mankind is sinful.

  •  That sin leads to Hell

  •  That God, out of utter love, doesn't want people to go to Hell

  •  That some people will go to Hell, regardless of God's utter love

  •  That instead of simply "wanting", God acted and Christ's crucification ~2000 years ago was the fulfillment of the plan that made it possible for every human, as a single person, to have mercy

  •  That people who have never had possibility of hearing about Jesus are becoming rare and are judged rightfully by God

About faith and baptism:


  •  The faith is received from God

  •  Baptism is a public manifestation of the faith, and although is is neither the water nor the act of applying the water that saves, the public confession of the faith is what saves.

  •  Specifically, the faith in that Jesus Christ is your lord and that God raised him from the dead for your sins, so that yours are forgiven.

About Satan:


  •  In the existence of Satan as person as real as Jesus

  •  That Satan has radically different views of world than God

  •  That the inevitable destiny for Satan is Hell

  •  That for Satan, human souls mean nothing but tools

  •  That the followers of Satan (active and passive ones) will follow his destiny

  •  That Satan is devoted to his satanic views and will religiously follow that path, even though he knows what God will do to him (in a way, Satan is a martyr)

  •  That Satan is the temporary owner of all material on Earth right now (God is fair even towards him)

  •  One cannot follow both Satan and God - their ways contradict and they don't accept each others

About myself:


  •  I am "saved" through openly confessing that I have been saved by the mercy of God, and that I'm a sinner with no good in myself when viewed through God's eyes

  •  That Holy Spirit lives in me and witnesses about Christ

  •  I have a material body, a soul and a spirit - all of which were alive when this was written

About relationship with God:


  •  That every living human is allowed in a personal relationship with God

  •  That the said relationship requires honesty

  •  That God answers prayers

  •  That God doesn't answer all prayers

  •  That God hears all prayers

  •  That God hears every time we mention his name, be it in any observable way

  •  That God does miracles even today

  •  That God does also physical miracles even today

  •  That God does not allow sin for anyone - especially not for those who have been saved

  •  That God allows painful things to happen for various reasons

  •  That God, as the basemost author of everything, has every right for everything he does

  •  That God does not act out of whim, but out of wisdom far greater than of the whole mankind

Other:


  •  That the existence of soul has a beginning but no end

  •  That the existence of God has no beginning nor end</LI>

  •  That angels exist and are as real as Jesus

In addition to what I stated above,
 I reject (inclusively):


I am sceptical about (inclusively):


I am hopeful (but not convinced) about (inclusively):


I am boggled about (inclusively):


I know that people think that I believe because (inclusively):


  •  I have been born in a christian country to christian parents.
     It has been a great accumulator, but it's not the reason. People are becoming christians in very different environments. I have been just lucky.
    

     I have been brainwashed by parents, school, churches etc.
      This one is really the most difficult to reject, because faith is a really subjective matter.
     I can not prove this one with my feelings or thoughts.
     The only thing I can refer to is what I have seen in other people. I have seen miracles that can not be explained by brainwashing.
    

     People need to believe in something (they are weak, they can't support themselves)
      My life is going too well (which I thank God of). I wish I could depend more on God, because it's very rewarding to see how God answers us.
     I'm certainly not in a need of believing in something. I'm just utterly convinced.
     1. The Bible teaches that "flesh" (the physical human body) rejects God. In practice, people are much more eager to sway away from God than to stay in him. People do not have a natural need to believe in something.
     2. It's also natural for people to choose their own mind instead of trusting God to prepare their ways. Note that trusting God is not the same thing as trusting church leaders.
     3. Repention is a painful process, which conflicts with pride. Pride is a natural reaction for people - being faithful to God is not.
    

     Religion is a way to avoid responsibility (God forgives everything)
      This is simply not true. The Bible tells you to first pay back to people in many times more than you took, and only then to apologize to God. God accepts only sincerity, and avoiding your responsibility is not sincerity. - Matt 5:23-24
    

    • Currently,
     I deliberately choose to not write about (exclusively):
    

    Things I should add here (inclusively):
    

    

      email mrku0Mr3zbisd.v1nl3lvsqEd@mejg@Bwio3@rat@e1@wuwik/i.ep@4Yfi, http://iki.fi/bisqwit/

    

    
Last edited: 2008-10-14 08:27:08