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Thank you for your response. I am still confused, but perhaps it is a matter of semantics. Can animals sin? If to sin is to disobey God, surely animals cannot sin. (When they fight and steal from each other, they are just acting according to their God-given nature.) How can a baby sin? It...

Psalm 58:3—The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. (King James) Is this an accurate translation? Surely, when we are born we must be amoral, like all mammals, and tabula rasa. Although we too are born self-centered, covetous, and willfully...

Interesting! Thank you for your question. If we are totally (joyfully) obedient to God, are we mere robots? well, Perhaps, if God were a micromanager. (Surely, instead, He is a masterful strategist, inspiring a shared vision, enabling us to act, encouraging the heart, . . ., but like...

Our country was founded on the principle Might FOR Right, not the Might Makes Right of lawless societies (which are no different from social animal societies—wolves, baboons, …). Although we trust in the providence of God that He will engender the Kingdom of God, in the meantime we have the...

The Westminster Catechism, Short Version, begins: Q: What is the chief end of man? A: Man’s chief end is to glory God, and to enjoy Him forever. What exactly does this mean? Glorify God? The two great commandments are to love the Lord your God . . . And to love your neighbor like yourself...

Thank you kindly for you reply. You are correct: I am more interested what is meant by Love Your Neighbor rather than all the scriptural differences in Love the Lord Your God. (Are they perhaps the outcome of scripture that was for many years orally transmitted?) Question: do the three...

Thank you for your post. Did God put you here to merely look after yourself, and acquire your heart’s desires by any means you can (as do typical social animals)? Or did he create you to love him by loving your neighbor? And what does it mean to love our neighbors? Three sets of...

Thank you both for your posts. Below is a dialog between an Catholic Church and a Presbyterian Church, located on opposite corners. Their marques take up the debate by announcing each week’s sermon. Week 1 Catholic Church: All dogs go to heaven. Presbyterian Church: Only humans go to...

Thank you for your reply. Actually, it was John Baptist who called them vipers. Did Jesus scream “Hypocrites” at them, or sternly reprimand them? Also, Jesus did not whip money changers! (He turned over their tables.) He used a whip of cords to drive sheep and cattle from the temple...

Thank you for posting this question. Christians have the two great commandments to guide them: Love God and Love Thy Neighbor. The latter implies we are to be gentle & kind to our neighbors, as well as care for them and share (resources) with them. Jesus famously said we are to love our...

The poem Abou Ben Adhem is intriguing. Here is a man who says he does not love God, but “loves his fellow-men“ (presumably exemplifies Love Thy Neighbor). Why? What might be his gripe with God? Thoughts? Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!) Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace...

The Apostle Paul observed (Romans 2:14,15) that the gentiles behaved as if “the law” was written on their hearts. Since these gentiles were pagans, he meant that their culture was based on Love Thy Neighbor—sharing & caring, being gentle & kind, and promoting life-long, monogamous marriages...

Find something you enjoy doing and excel at? Like some shoplifters? Help me understand “glorify God with your talents”: I have never understood what that means. My belief at obtaining the full and abundant life: love God and love your neighbor. Demonstrate your love for God by loving your...

Thank you, as always, for your comments. Let’s try the following: Is the genealogy in the Bible between Abraham and Adam & Eve God’s word? Some Christians believe that it implies God could not have created Adam & Eve over 50,000 years ago (as hunter-gatherers). Yet I believe that from that...

Thank you for your post. It is good to question scripture, in order to understand it better, and to understand God’s expectations better. This forum is a great place to raise issues and ask for commentary. There are a number of serious Bible scholars to interact with. We hope you will...

Thank you posting this provocative question. Although it is not clear what your motivation is, let’s focus instead on the essential truths of the Bible. The Bible is a book about God: who He is, His expectations for all of us, and His promises to us. God loves us, and we can demonstrate our...

Thanks for your reply. On the other hand, Jesus told us we should love our enemies, and that must mean even those that are trying to kill us. Note, However, that Jesus’ response to death threats was flight (Matthew 12: 14,15); ditto the Apostle Paul (Acts 9: 23-25). Indeed, historically to...

Thank you for your question. Here, the phrase is intended to distinguish the actions from “Ethnic Destruction” (aka genocide). In other words, the destruction is aimed at those whose ethics are abhorrent, e.g., the Nazis. Hope this helps. Peace and blessings.

In 1 Samuel 15:3, God commands King Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites. Some detractors believe this is an example of God demanding genocide (Richard Dawkins Quotes (Author of The God Delusion)), but Pastor Alister Begg states that it was Ethic destruction, and not Ethnic destruction...

Thank you for your post. The best communities in the world practice Love Thy Neighbor (or an approximation) even if they are not familiar with the commandment’s characteristics: Sharing and Caring, Kindness and Gentleness, centering on nuclear families. (See also Romans 2: 14,15 and Acts 28...