There are honest questions people may ask about the Bible (questions asked with a genuine intent to acquire knowledge); and then there are the devious ones. The latter tend to be underhanded, subtle, and crafty questions intended to catch believers off-guard, while the asker poses as someone “knowledgeable” on the subject matter. Often-times, the person who asks the question has not read through enough of the Bible to adequately comprehend it, but with flawed reasoning, has looked for exact words or combinations of words. Not finding them, this person makes inaccurate assumptions and somehow becomes a champion in the eye of those who do not care enough to learn the truth.
The lies that have spread about Biblical scripture are many and often stem from devious questions. The questions are always consistent with the m.o. of the devil. For as much free will as we have, we are influenced by the spiritual realm (unbeknownst to those lacking spiritual discernment). For instance, when something unfortunate occurs, we can either choose to glorify God and appreciate His overall goodness, and trust His plan in spite of misfortune, or we can become bitter.
In the beginning, Satan brought the fall of mankind by asking a question that started with the words “Did God really say.” It has been the pattern behind our collective drift from the truth ever since. I’ve been speaking in generalities up to this point. Now, I will specify.
Did God really create everything? This is the question behind the Big Bang Theory and the Theory of Evolution. Is the God of the Bible really the one true God? This is the question behind the coexistence movement and the compromising attitudes that ensue. Did God really create us male and female? This question (when asked in a manner that challenges the authority of the Creator and the original definitions of gender as well as their intended interplays) allows for the widespread confusion currently affecting transgender people and their advocates. They think God or the Universe made a mistake in putting a feminine consciousness in a masculine body or a masculine consciousness in a feminine body. Is homosexuality found in the Bible, or more specifically the word homosexual? This question has resulted in a false notion that scripture does not really oppose homosexuality when it 100% does! I’ve never advocated hating others including homosexual people. Nevertheless, homosexuality is a sin. The fact that I denounce it doesn’t imply I’ve never sinned. The Bible teaches in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Even so, it is not good to know this fact and shrug our shoulders. The word “homosexual” may not have appeared until the previous century, but the behaviors and mannerisms were captured accurately. Basing our interpretation of scripture on the emergence of the word is like looking for the phrase “same sex attraction,” knowing that it is a more recent euphemism of the unnatural attraction.
It can be good or bad to question God depending on how it’s done. It’s good when you go about it humbly, truly seeking answers. It’s bad when we pridefully exalt ourselves and our intelligence. Many people who ask such underhanded questions as I presented above do so to appear knowledgeable on the subject matter. Often in my experience they haven’t even read the Bible! How insane is that?
My testimony in short is that I’ve been there. I understand why people question and doubt. It was in a period of extreme doubt that I learned how to properly question God. While none of us are “superior to each other,” as racists and classists might imagine, God is superior to us. It’s the relationship between the Creator and the Created. The same way we wouldn’t appreciate our cellphones or cars talking back to us and thinking they’re above us when we’ve created them for our purposes, is the same way God doesn’t appreciate our insolence. We’ve made what who serve us (and for our “glory and honor” if you will [i.e. brand recognition, reputation, wealth generation, award-winning qualities etc.]).
Likewise, God made us for His glory and honor and while it is okay and important to be honest with God (even through emotional expression), it is also important to remember our place and to be humble before the Almighty. I’ve gotten angry with God sometimes and He has not struck me down. I’ve also doubted Him, but one one thing I’ve understood, or quickly remembered is that He’s God, He is above me and I’m lucky and blessed to at least know that the all-powerful God of creation is very mindful of humanity.
I’d rather serve a God who wants the best for us. A God who though strict, is understanding, compassionate, patient, merciful, forgiving, and whose ways are an ideal to strive toward even if we fail; for it is evident that the world is getting crazier, less safe, more crime-ridden, more fearful, more faithless, more hopeless each day, the more we stray from Him. Worse off is the group of non-believers. Unfortunately, they do not have a firm foundation. Therefore, everything has become fluid to them and confusing such that they can scarcely be sure of anything. Scientific anti-realism is becoming a topic that stimulates them intellectually. To me, as a super-literal person, “scientific anti-realism” is scientific opposition to reality.
The unchanging truth is and has always been in the Bible. If we question anything, let’s do it humbly.
SOUL HAVEN 