Was Christianity guilty of impeding science and critical thinking? No — authentic Christianity supports scientific inquiry

Q3 from Adidam Ayaji: Was Christianity guilty of impeding critical thinking and exploring the cosmos and natural world?

Are individuals made by God? Yes — through both direct soul creation and divine foreknowledge/providential design

Q16 from Mary Strickland: How do I know I personally was made by God if I was conceived out of sin through ordinary biology?

Kalam as a bridge to Christianity; deism rebutted; Mormonism incompatible

Wrapping up the Kalam answer, addressing deism and Mormonism.

Christians can hold various views on Genesis 1 and the Big Bang; the Big Bang is actually strong evidence for God.

Question 11 from J James about whether the Big Bang is biblical.

Q&A: Revelation 21:1-2 and time in heaven. Heaven will involve time — months, sequential experiences — in physical resurrected bodies in the new creation. "Time will be no more" is poetic for everlasting, not literal timelessness.

Q&A — time in heaven (Revelation 21-22)

Q&A: On theistic evolution and Inspiring Philosophy (Michael Jones) — he's a brother in Christ doing his best to interpret Genesis. Mike is personally on the fence about Genesis interpretation, distinguishing the text question (what does Genesis say?) from the science question. John Walton's functional creation view isn't convincing to Mike but it's an in-house Christian debate.

Q&A — Genesis interpretation and theistic evolution

Q: Does Romans 1:20 refute total depravity? Not directly. Romans 1:20 says everyone has received sufficient revelation of God's existence through creation, making them without excuse. Mike disagrees with Calvinist "total inability" (inability to respond even with Holy Spirit's calling) but doesn't think this verse addresses it.

Q&A — Romans 1:20 and total depravity

The "footstool" verses (Isaiah 66:1) are metaphorical — God is sovereign. If "earth is my footstool" is literal, then "heaven is my throne" must be literal too (but no flat-earther takes it that way). Isaiah 40:12 says God measured waters in "the hollow of his hand" — also obviously metaphorical. 1 Kings 8:27: even the highest heavens cannot contain God.

Footstool verses — metaphor for sovereignty

Job 38:4-10 (foundations, cornerstone, bases) is a poem comparing creation to a building project. If taken literally, you must also believe God used a literal measuring line, that oceans have literal bars and doors, and that the earth has a literal cornerstone. These are obviously poetic — God made the earth secure. That's the point.

Job 38 foundations and cornerstone — building poem

Q: Why circumcision as the sign of the covenant? Not unique to Israel (others practiced it), but the meaning was unique. The NT reveals the deeper symbolism: putting off the flesh/sin nature. Circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 30:6) is the spiritual reality — the physical sign pointed to putting off carnality and becoming distinct from the world.

Q&A — why circumcision

What salvation produces: (1) Adoption as God's children (1 John 3:1); (2) Indwelling of the Holy Spirit — born again, new creation (Titus 3:5, 2 Cor 5:17); (3) Complete forgiveness of sins; (4) Eternal life — not ethereal existence but new heaven and new earth with perfect fellowship. Simple to receive, vast in scope.

Results of salvation — adoption, Spirit, eternal life

Points 8-12: (8) Lamb substituted for the firstborn — Jesus is God's firstborn/only-begotten (John 3:16, Col 1:15, Heb 1:6). (9) No bones broken — Exodus 12:46, fulfilled in John 19:33-36 when soldiers didn't break Jesus's legs. (10) Offered for the household/family — Jesus creates a new family of God (John 1:12). (11) Lamb had to be slain/die — the death was required, not optional; Jesus said he MUST be killed (Mark 8:31). (12) Had to be at Jerusalem — Deuteronomy 16:5-6; Jesus crucified in Jerusalem.

Points 8-12 — firstborn, bones, household, death, location

Can bad people go to heaven and ruin it? Reconciled by regeneration: everyone who believes in Christ receives a new nature. Even hypothetically, if Hitler truly repented on his deathbed, he'd be a new creation in heaven — hating his old ways, transformed by the Holy Spirit. Heaven is populated by transformed people, not merely forgiven ones.

Bad people in heaven — regeneration transforms

Why do Animals Die or Become Extinct?: If “the wages of sin is death,” why do animals die? (My question also involves the extinction of the dinosaurs - why would God create them to be exterminated?)

Q&A question: Why do Animals Die or Become Extinct?

Was Jesus Created? Answering JWs: How would you respond to a JW who says that Revelation 3: 14 proves that Jesus was created when it says He is the “beginning of Creation”?

Q&A question: Was Jesus Created? Answering JWs

Winger admits he doesn't have a fully clear teaching on 1 Cor 11:7 (head coverings) but explains 'woman is the glory of man' as related to creation order: God made Adam from dust, then Eve from Adam. Paul draws a parallel suggesting an interrelationship between man and woman that relates to authority in the relationship.

Q&A: struggling with 1 Corinthians 11:7 — what does 'glory of man' mean?

About the 24 Elders: Who are the 24 elders? They are not mentioned in the creation account. Are they a collection of people such as Enoch, Moses, etc.?

Q&A question: About the 24 Elders

About the Fear of God and Dinosaurs: Does the "fear" of the Lord mean "scared"? If not, why is "fear” still used in today’s Bibles? Translation problem? Confused here! And were dinosaur bones/fossils created by the devil to cast doubt?

Q&A question: About the Fear of God and Dinosaurs

About Adam & Eve / Sin Nature: Were Adam and Eve created WITH a sin nature at their creation? If not, why then did they choose to sin in the first place, all the while God having called His creation good?

Q&A question: About Adam & Eve / Sin Nature

Was Creation an Incarnation of God?: What do you think of Richard Rohr's claim that "creation was the first incarnation of God"?

Q&A question: Was Creation an Incarnation of God?

About YEC & “Mockers”: How do you interpret 2 Peter 3:4 (in context)?I’ve heard Young Earth Creationists compare the mockers to people who say rates like erosion or radioactive decay are unchanging and deny the biblical creation account.

Q&A question: About YEC & “Mockers”

Is Evolution Contrary to Belief in God?: I've noticed many people don't believe in God because of evolution. Is evolution contrary to God? Could God really have created the earth in 6 literal days? Can God “speed up” the creation process?

Q&A question: Is Evolution Contrary to Belief in God?

Can an Infinite God relate to Finite Creation?: How can an infinite God relate to a finite creation? Compared to infinity, our world's age is nothing, be it 10,000 years or billions. Same with the size of universe.

Q&A question: Can an Infinite God relate to Finite Creation?

Is there Room in Christianity for Psychedelics?: Given the resurgence of psychedelics for recreation and therapeutic use in Western society, is there room for it in Christianity, or should its use stay separate from spiritual practice?

Q&A question: Is there Room in Christianity for Psychedelics?

Responding to Pro-Choice Thinking: How can we respond to someone who uses, “A creator has the right to do whatever they want with their own creation” as a pro-choice argument?

Q&A question: Responding to Pro-Choice Thinking

Did God Rest for More than 1 Day?: In the beginning of Genesis, it says God rested on day 7, but considering no creation happens beyond day 7, didn't He technically rest for more than 1 day, or am I misunderstanding something? Also, is it possible to ask you to pray for me? I'm getting baptized on Sunday and I hope my unsaved friends and family turn to Christ when they watch.

Q&A question: Did God Rest for More than 1 Day?

Are Believers Still “Sinners”?: I was wondering, when we get saved, are we still “sinners”? I know that after being saved we sometimes sin. But does that still label us as sinners? I thought we were new creations.

Q&A question: Are Believers Still “Sinners”?

Thoughts on Genesis 1/Creation: I've recently seen Inspiring Philosophy's video on Genesis 1. He says that it's most likely mirroring the near East tradition of assigning purpose rather than actual creation. Thoughts?

Q&A question: Thoughts on Genesis 1/Creation

Is Marital Intimacy Only for Procreation?: Can a biblical case be made for the purpose of sex within marriage being for procreation AND intimacy/pleasure and not just for procreation? Is sex without the possibility of procreation evil?

Q&A question: Is Marital Intimacy Only for Procreation?

Winger affirms the Father has authority over the Son but attributes this to the Incarnation (Phil 2:5-8), not necessarily to the eternal nature of the Trinity. He's open to but not convinced by Eternal Functional Subordination (EFS). Explicitly says he does NOT use EFS to defend complementarianism.

Q: Do many scriptures showing different authority levels between Father and Jesus mean the Father has higher authority? (John 14:28, 1 Cor 11:3, Matt 28:18)

Why is Only a Single Creator Obvious?: What about creation makes a singular Creator obvious, as Paul suggests? What keeps us from concluding that multiple deities created the different aspects of the universe?

Q&A question: Why is Only a Single Creator Obvious?

Our Choices & God’s Sovereign Will: Do we have any true control over life entering the world, or is it only based on God's sovereignty? I think if it’s God's plan for me to have a child, I'll get pregnant even if on birth control. But my husband thinks we control conception through birth control. If Jeremiah 1:5 applies to all people, wouldn't that mean God's plan overrides our plan for procreation?

Q&A question: Our Choices & God’s Sovereign Will

Dangerous Recreational Activities: What does the Bible say about participating in dangerous activities, particularly those that are recreational, such as riding motorcycles, mountain climbing, big wave surfing, etc.?

Q&A question: Dangerous Recreational Activities

Chuck Missler & the Hologram Theory: Have you heard of Pastor Chuck Missler and his endorsement of the Hologram Theory (the idea that there is no gravity beyond our solar system, a holographic representation of God’s Creation)?

Q&A question: Chuck Missler & the Hologram Theory

Children/Procreation on the New Earth?: How are there children in the Eternal Kingdom on Earth (Isaiah 11:6-9)? Any child resurrected would mature during the Millennium, right? Does this mean there could be procreation on the New Earth?

Q&A question: Children/Procreation on the New Earth?

God’s Creation of Those Who Would Fall: If God is all-knowing and foresaw the suffering that would result from the fall of Satan, Adam, and Eve, affecting billions, why would He create them, knowing the pain that would follow?

Q&A question: God’s Creation of Those Who Would Fall

Thinking Biblically about All Creation: Since all is God’s creation, will God hold us blameworthy for killing insects and other critters like cockroaches, mosquitoes, bees, spiders, mice, etc.?

Q&A question: Thinking Biblically about All Creation

Genesis: Different Views: What are the different interpretations that different Christians have about the book of Genesis and the creation accounts?

Q&A question: Genesis: Different Views

Non-Sapien Hominids: Thinking Biblically: How do non-sapien hominids (Neanderthal, Denisovan, Floresiensis, etc.) fit into creation? Do they have the Imago Dei? Are they animals?

Q&A question: Non-Sapien Hominids: Thinking Biblically

Seeing God in Creation: Despite Romans 1: 20, I do not inherently see God in His creation. I choose to believe in God, but I feel like an ant lacking the capacity to contemplate my surroundings, let alone a creator.

Q&A question: Seeing God in Creation

Has God Abandoned the World?: My dad is an unbeliever but acknowledges God’s existence through creation. He believes that God created the world and then abandoned it. How can I help show him that God is still with us to this day?

Q&A question: Has God Abandoned the World?

Is My Sin Even My Fault?: Why am I accountable to God for my sins when I was born with a sin nature? Shouldn't a loving God provide the basic remedy for creation when they had no choice in being created and no choice regarding their nature?

Q&A question: Is My Sin Even My Fault?

The Creation Story

Commentary: Created Order Does Not Establish Hierarchy

Ardavanis says: > "First is not always best, or else beavers would be better than humans." Then immediately: "God had positioned Adam in the garden to be the priest and protector of Eden." He underc

Commentary: Genesis 1:28 Omission — Dominion Given to Both

Ardavanis says: > "To the man was given dominion over all creation." This is flatly contradicted by **Ge 1:28:** "God blessed THEM; and God said to THEM, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the eart

Commentary: One Flesh Cannot Be Hierarchy

Ardavanis says: > "This beautiful picture of men and women, a groom and a bride... this is the central metaphor in all of the Bible... complementary yet different sexes that come together in union pa

Commentary: Eve Quotes God in the Plural — God Spoke to Both

Ardavanis claims Eve "added" the phrase "or touch it" to God's command, implying she garbled what Adam relayed to her. But the Hebrew text reveals something he doesn't address. ### The Singular-to-pl

Commentary: Same Word for Adam and Eve — Toil, Not Gendered Punishment

Ardavanis presents Adam's and Eve's curses as distinct experiences — Adam gets "toil" working the ground, Eve gets "pain" in childbirth — as if God is using different language to describe fundamentall