Why Christians Aren't Perfect

Christians aren't perfect - just like everyone else.

God gave Adam and Eve full reign of the Garden of Eden. They were naked and didn't even realize it or worry about it. They had no worries, had every thing they could want, but Eve blew it. She listened to the serpent and ate a bad apple that God had specifically told her not to eat. Eve eating that piece of fruit changed everything and there was no more perfect world.

Genesis,Chapter 3, Verse 13-14:

"And the LORD God said unto the woman, what is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, the serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:"

So, now you know why Christians aren't perfect and as an added bonus, you even know why snakes crawl on their bellies.

Will Same Gender Marriage Destroy "Freedom of Religion"?

Religious freedom is a right not a choice.

A 2012 Gallup poll indicates 77% of the entire adult population of the United States identify with a Christian religion. This includes Protestants, Catholics, Mormons, Jews, and similar Christian religions.

A 2011 UCLA School of Law research study, which was derived from information from four national and two state-level population-based surveys, indicates that 3.5% of the entire adult population of the United States identified themselves as being lesbian, gay, or bisexual.

It would appear that such a large majority of U. S. citizens would have some influence on laws and issues that adversely affect the Christian lifestyle and the manner in which we exercise our faith and beliefs. But this is certainly not true when we approach the subject of homosexuality or marriage between people of the same gender.

 

Why God Punishes Evil

Exercise of free will determines punishment.

Scripture bears the truth that God does chastise His people for being disobedient to His will and for continuing to live in an unacceptable manner.  God delivers that sort of punishment meant to correct a person, with the hope of teaching them not to repeat the wrongdoing.

When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden everything was perfect.  It was a beautiful paradise with every animal and bird of nature and God had given them everything they would ever need.  Adam was told that he could live forever and be happy forever if he listened to God’s instructions. God told Adam that he could eat the fruit of every tree in the garden, except one.  He clearly outlined the penalty of eating of this one particular tree.

Was Mary The Mother Of Jesus?

Mary - the mother of Jesus

For one to pose the question "Was Mary Jesus' Mother?" would lead a rational person to believe that the one asking the question not only believes in Jesus, but also holds some belief in a woman named Mary.

All accounts of the life of Mary must come from the scriptures and there is much debate as to whether Mary was a normal mortal human being or a divine creation like Adam and Eve, who were created and not born in the traditional sense. In reading the scriptures about Mary, we can sometimes find more questions than answers.

In the Islamic faith, Mary is certainly considered to be the mother of Jesus as we can plainly see from the following verses from the Quran:

"O Mary! Behold, God gives you good news of a word from Him, who shall become known as the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary..." (Quran 3:45)

"Indeed the likeness of Jesus to God as the likeness of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him, Be,' and he was." (Quran 3:59)

God's View On Abortion

God teaches us about His love for unborn children.

God's view on the abortion issue can be found in the Bible, in the book of Jeremiah, Chapter 1, verse 5:

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."  

In this verse of scripture, we find a reference to an unborn baby being known to God. It should be quite clear that God loved and respected children from the very beginning of their lives, which seems to direct us to the time of conception.

Why Bad Things Happen To Good People

The tragedies of life affect all of us.

In asking the question "Why do bad things happen to good people", there must be underlying questions about the character of God.  The question could probably be more appropriately worded  - "If God loves us, why does He allow bad things to happen to good people?"

A person can live a life of faith, be an upstanding member of the church and the community, be a good husband and father and still experience the tragedies of life.  Why?

The answer to this question certainly isn't simple by any means, but the root of the answer lies in our ability to choose, our free will.  When God created Adam and Eve, He placed them in paradise with the free will to do whatever they pleased, except for one thing.  God gave them specific instructions to not eat fruit from the tree of knowledge.

Creating A Better Life

"Sing as though no one can hear you."

In trying to narrow down the steps to creating a better life, I would like to identify three principles of life to live by. In considering this subject, I am immediately drawn to three plaques hanging on the wall in my office. Let’s take each plaque one by one:

“Sing as though no one can hear you.” 

 

I came across this plaque while rummaging through picture frames and other plaques at a local Goodwill store.  When I saw it, I was reminded of an incident that happened to me a few years ago.

It was a nice spring morning and I had come to work very early  to get caught up.  The sun was up, so I decided to go outside with my cup of coffee.  In just a few minutes, I thought I heard someone singing, but couldn’t see anyone.  I looked behind the building and saw a very old black man coming down the street.  He was all bent over, walking with a limp and digging his cane into the pavement as he moved slowly toward me.  Even though each step seemed to be painful, this old man was singing as loud as he possibly could.  As he approached me, I greeted him with a “Good Morning” and I will never forget what this man said to me.  He looked me square in the eye and said, “Sometimes you just gotta’ sing.”