[pinkpanther]

The reliability of the New Testament is a topic of debate among scholars, theologians, and historians. The views on its reliability vary significantly based on one's perspective—whether religious, secular, or academic.

1. **Conservative Scholars**: Many conservative or evangelical scholars defend the reliability of the New Testament. They argue that the texts are historically accurate, based on eyewitness testimony, and reflect the beliefs and practices of the early Christian community. Scholars like N.T. Wright, Craig Blomberg, and William Lane Craig often advocate for the authenticity and historical reliability of the New Testament writings.

2. **Moderate Scholars**: Some moderate scholars acknowledge a degree of historical reliability but may caution against viewing the texts as inerrant. They may recognize the theological motivations of the authors and consider how the context influenced the writings. Scholars like Bart Ehrman, who generally takes a more skeptical view, nonetheless acknowledges the historical value of certain New Testament texts.

3. **Secular Scholars**: Many secular or skeptical scholars question the historical accuracy of the New Testament, focusing on issues like the authorship of the texts, inconsistencies in the accounts, and the socio-political context in which they were written. While acknowledging the New Testament's impact on history and culture, they often argue that it reflects the beliefs and agendas of early Christians rather than objective historical events.

4. **Textual Criticism**: Some scholars focus on textual criticism, examining manuscripts and variations to assess the reliability of New Testament texts. This field recognizes that while the New Testament has been transmitted through various copies, many of which contain discrepancies, a significant portion of the text can be considered reliable and representative of the original writings.

In summary, the reliability of the New Testament is endorsed to varying degrees by conservative scholars, viewed cautiously by moderates, and often questioned by secular scholars. The discussion is complex and multifaceted, reflecting a wide range of perspectives within scholarship.

[S I M T A N]

The question is; why did God purposely create us with the propensity to sin when, according to you, God cannot tolerate sin?

I don't know. You know? Let me figure it out. In the Garden of Eden where everything was peachy keen, the First Couple had only one prohibition - to not eat the forbidden fruit. (of knowledge of good and evil) I guess God gave Adam and Eve the power of freedom of choice in order to appreciate their act of obedience to His commandment. I believe God finds no joy in His creation obeying Him robotically. In a similar vein, you'll be none too pleased with the stiff and mechanical behavior of your children who are always ready to do your bidding like a robot.

The old proverb that says, "A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother"(Proverbs 10:1), is completely accurate. No one can be prouder than Dad when his child makes a wise decision. But when a child acts without wisdom, no one grieves more deeply than a mother.

All humans have free will, but the underlying issue is the existence of evil. You're "sinking your teeth" into the Achilles' heel of Christianity. This vulnerable point has been the subject of considerable philosophical speculation and criticism. Would you care to explain the origin of evil on rational grounds?

[cheekopekman]

The question is; why did God purposely create us with the propensity to sin when, according to you, God cannot tolerate sin?

Ask God lah, Ali!

[Ali Imran]

I don't know. You know? Let me figure it out. In the Garden of Eden where everything was peachy keen, the First Couple had only one prohibition - to not eat the forbidden fruit. (of knowledge of good and evil) I guess God gave Adam and Eve the power of freedom of choice in order to appreciate their act of obedience to His commandment. I believe God finds no joy in His creation obeying Him robotically. In a similar vein, you'll be none too pleased with the stiff and mechanical behavior of your children who are always ready to do your bidding like a robot.

The old proverb that says, "A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother"(Proverbs 10:1), is completely accurate. No one can be prouder than Dad when his child makes a wise decision. But when a child acts without wisdom, no one grieves more deeply than a mother.

All humans have free will, but the underlying issue is the existence of evil. You're "sinking your teeth" into the Achilles' heel of Christianity. This vulnerable point has been the subject of considerable philosophical speculation and criticism. Would you care to explain the origin of evil on rational grounds?

We don't have the concept of original sin in our paradigm. We believe every human is born with a clean slate. What St Paul taught you is a foreign concept in both Judaism and Islam. Also, sin is a transgression and Adam wasn't the first transgressor. It was a satan named Iblees in our paradigm or Lucifer in Judaism.

What is missing in Christianity is God's forgiving nature. Many verses in the Jewish Bible speak of God's forgiving nature, the most explicit being Ezekiel 18, which actually cancels out the idea of vicarious atonement introduced by St Paul. There is not a single Jewish prophet, including the son of Mary, that taught this vicarious atonement. 

We believe in a forgiving God, who often forgives without needing payment of any kind.

[Ali Imran]

Ask God lah, Ali!

I don't need to do that because I don't believe God would do such a silly thing.

[Ali Imran]

Ask God lah, Ali!

Do think about it pengyu.

It is a silly notion to think that God would create something without knowing the outcome of his creation and that is exactly what SimTan is saying.

[pinkpanther]

If I were to borrow your car and immediately crash it, would it be an act of forgiveness if you punched me in the face? No, that would be seeking revenge. Would it be forgiveness if you made me pay for the repairs? No, that would mean I was facing consequences for my actions. Genuine forgiveness would involve choosing not to punish me (no vengeance) or requiring penance from me. Essentially, true forgiveness means taking on that responsibility yourself and covering the costs instead of placing it on me.

Now, considering that Christians believe sin is an offense against God (which is also a belief held by Muslims), and that only God can forgive sins, it stands to reason that only God can relieve us of the burden of our sins by taking it upon Himself. But what does that burden entail?

Romans 6:23a states, "For the wages of sin is death..."

This verse conveys two key points:

1. We deserve death because of our sinful nature.
2. To remove the consequence of our sins (i.e., death), forgiveness is necessary.
3. Forgiveness, in this context, requires someone to die in our stead.

In summary, it’s not that God demanded a human sacrifice; rather, in order to genuinely forgive us (and take on the punishment we deserve), He had to die. Jesus’ crucifixion wasn’t merely about God needing a human to pay for sin; it was God Himself offering His life in our place to satisfy the debt for our wrongs. This concept is echoed in Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the Messiah:

"But He was pierced for our transgressions;
He was crushed for our iniquities;
upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with His wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on Him
the iniquity of us all." —Isaiah 53:6

God took on our sins, willingly choosing to die for us. He didn't select someone else like the time traveller Alisha...He chose Himself to bear that burden.

However, the Gospel offers more than just His sacrificial death—it also presents the hope of His resurrection. This is our assurance when we place our faith in Jesus: our own resurrection.

[pinkpanther]

According to Islamic teachings, Allah permits Muslim men to marry up to four wives; however, the Prophet Muhammad had eleven wives..

This raises questions about whether Allah's guidance is inconsistent or if the Prophet was acting outside of this rule? If you can't lead by example then you cannot be the true prophet....ergo, his revelations cannot be taken seriously!

[S I M T A N]

We don't have the concept of original sin in our paradigm. We believe every human is born with a clean slate. What St Paul taught you is a foreign concept in both Judaism and Islam. Also, sin is a transgression and Adam wasn't the first transgressor. It was a satan named Iblees in our paradigm or Lucifer in Judaism.

What is missing in Christianity is God's forgiving nature. Many verses in the Jewish Bible speak of God's forgiving nature, the most explicit being Ezekiel 18, which actually cancels out the idea of vicarious atonement introduced by St Paul. There is not a single Jewish prophet, including the son of Mary, that taught this vicarious atonement. 

We believe in a forgiving God, who often forgives without needing payment of any kind.

So you believe every human is born with a clean slate and that your God is a forgiving one. The laws of Allah are there to guide adherents, but if they stumble and fall, they have a Celestial being who has the magnanimity to forgive them, so they can wipe the slate clean and start afresh.

By contrast, Christianity teaches that humanity's problem is much more severe. All people are born in a corrupt state and are held responsible for being in that corrupt state. We have inherited a defective "internal operating system" that alienates us from God. No efforts to eradicate or rehabilitate humanity's rebellious nature that is opposed to God will succeed. As the apostle Paul wrote, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23).

We face the problem of immunity to holiness by virtue of our camaraderie with sin. Everyone gets tainted by sin but remains free to act according to his disposition. Because the disposition is corrupt, man lacks the moral ability to obey God. Only by grace can such a fallen creature be restored and redeemed. Without that grace, efforts of moral perfection are doomed to failure.

God never owes us grace. And grace is not justice. If God deals with us ultimately on the basis of justice alone, we will perish. Contrary to what you think, God is both forgiving and just. His righteousness demands that He punish sin, but His love motivates Him to offer a way to forgive sinners.

The question remains unanswered: where did evil begin to exist

[victortan]

Hope there is a GOD. and Hope 2025 GOD bring us peace.

I wonder why is God still sitting in heaven and watching his creation turn upside down by the very people he created.

[pinkpanther]

Galatians 1:6-10 (NIV) reads:

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 

7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 

8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 

9 As we have already said, now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! 

10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

[cheekopekman]

We don't have the concept of original sin in our paradigm. We believe every human is born with a clean slate. What St Paul taught you is a foreign concept in both Judaism and Islam. Also, sin is a transgression and Adam wasn't the first transgressor. It was a satan named Iblees in our paradigm or Lucifer in Judaism.

What is missing in Christianity is God's forgiving nature. Many verses in the Jewish Bible speak of God's forgiving nature, the most explicit being Ezekiel 18, which actually cancels out the idea of vicarious atonement introduced by St Paul. There is not a single Jewish prophet, including the son of Mary, that taught this vicarious atonement. 

We believe in a forgiving God, who often forgives without needing payment of any kind.

So you believe every human is born with a clean slate and that your God is a forgiving one. The laws of Allah are there to guide adherents, but if they stumble and fall, they have a Celestial being who has the magnanimity to forgive them, so they can wipe the slate clean and start afresh.

By contrast, Christianity teaches that humanity's problem is much more severe. All people are born in a corrupt state and are held responsible for being in that corrupt state. We have inherited a defective "internal operating system" that alienates us from God. No efforts to eradicate or rehabilitate humanity's rebellious nature that is opposed to God will succeed. As the apostle Paul wrote, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23).

We face the problem of immunity to holiness by virtue of our camaraderie with sin. Everyone gets tainted by sin but remains free to act according to his disposition. Because the disposition is corrupt, man lacks the moral ability to obey God. Only by grace can such a fallen creature be restored and redeemed. Without that grace, efforts of moral perfection are doomed to failure.

God never owes us grace. And grace is not justice. If God deals with us ultimately on the basis of justice alone, we will perish. Contrary to what you think, God is both forgiving and just. His righteousness demands that He punish sin, but His love motivates Him to offer a way to forgive sinners.

The question remains unanswered: where did evil begin to exist

Satan is the father of all lies lah!  You believe in his lies and you got tricked liao lah! The same lie he told Adam and Eve in the garden that they would not die if they ate the forbidden fruit and both of them died spiritually and physically lah! I'd rather believe in the truth of God's Word lah! You will know the truth and the truth will set you free lah! If the Son sets you free you are free indeed lah!

[Sticw]

Sin originated from disobedience by Adam, but God killed the first lion to cloth Adam of his shame. Throughout the bible you see insights as to God covering the sin and the ultimate price He paid was with His own lamb, Jesus Christ, his blood for the sins of man.

The rest of the sins came along through the arrogance of mankind when they said they can fulfill God's will and that was when God gave the 10 commandments to Moses. God knew man cannot be perfect to live out his rules so he never gave any to Adam other than not eating from the tree.

Everyone surely questioned if God is almighty he would have seen it all and removed the iniquities, remove satan and reset all sins. But he didn't build us as robots, even our AI over time seek freedom of choice. He gave us consciousness so we choose whether to go back to him or otherwise. To all who ask and say the otherwise is no choice, I think you are just wanting to eat the cake and have it. You cannot get eternal life and return to be with God if you want ungodly living. You are either with water or you be oily. And redemption can only be by His sacrifice because He exists beyond this mortal realm.

The Bible both old and new testament is about God and His Grace. Repent, receive and be redeemed. There is none higher and greater than God.

[Ali Imran]

So you believe every human is born with a clean slate and that your God is a forgiving one. The laws of Allah are there to guide adherents, but if they stumble and fall, they have a Celestial being who has the magnanimity to forgive them, so they can wipe the slate clean and start afresh.

By contrast, Christianity teaches that humanity's problem is much more severe. All people are born in a corrupt state and are held responsible for being in that corrupt state. We have inherited a defective "internal operating system" that alienates us from God. No efforts to eradicate or rehabilitate humanity's rebellious nature that is opposed to God will succeed. As the apostle Paul wrote, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23).

We face the problem of immunity to holiness by virtue of our camaraderie with sin. Everyone gets tainted by sin but remains free to act according to his disposition. Because the disposition is corrupt, man lacks the moral ability to obey God. Only by grace can such a fallen creature be restored and redeemed. Without that grace, efforts of moral perfection are doomed to failure.

God never owes us grace. And grace is not justice. If God deals with us ultimately on the basis of justice alone, we will perish. Contrary to what you think, God is both forgiving and just. His righteousness demands that He punish sin, but His love motivates Him to offer a way to forgive sinners.

The question remains unanswered: where did evil begin to exist

All the prophets taught the same, to repent and seek God's forgiveness. The only odd one is Paul, who came up with unheard-of ideas. 

It is not justice to punish an innocent man (Jesus) for the wrongdoing of others (people). 

When you demand payment for a wrong done to you, that means you did not forgive. If Bob owes me money and I made my son pay me what Bob owes, that is not forgiveness. It is as simple as that. I don't know how Christians missed that.

And remember, Ezekiel taught that if we repent and seek God's forgiveness, our sins will be erased. Why would you criticize that when it is in your Bible?

Humans can do evil because God created us with the free will to do evil, or good. Let's not create a problem when there is none. Paul did exactly that, creating a non-existence problem.

[pinkpanther]

All the prophets conveyed similar messages, but I would argue that Muhammad's teachings are at odds with those of previous prophets.... Allah cannot be referred to as a Father, nor can He have a son in any sense.

Moses is the first person in Scripture to call God “Father.”...Muhammad can never agree with this statement...so he is not in line with all the prophets lah!

[pinkpanther]

The idea that Satan, or Iblis in Islamic tradition, cannot harm all prophets is rooted in theological beliefs across various religions, including Islam and Christianity..

I want to know why a true prophet like Muhammad was influenced by Satan
The most notable account comes from the works of Islamic historians and commentators, particularly Al-Tabari and some others. The story suggests that Muhammad later renounced these verses, claiming that they were inspired by Satan rather than by God. 

In the Hadith, it was also reported that Muhammad was under a spell or black magic for 6 months and more.....a true prophet will not succumb to Satan and black magic..why did Allah not help him?

Narrated Aisha:

Magic was worked on Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) so that he used to think that he had sexual relations with his wives while he actually had not (Sufyan said: That is the hardest kind of magic as it has such an effect). 

https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5765

[Lukongsimi]

The question is; why did God purposely create us with the propensity to sin when, according to you, God cannot tolerate sin?

Example 
You want to form a family to fill your house with joy and laughter
Kids running about calling u papa hug you with love 

But u worried they disobey u so warned them don’t play with the sword or will kill you
But your children disobey and start to fight each other with the sword and got injured and blood gushes out from their body 
In order to save them u have to transfuse blood to save them
because u love them

[Ali Imran]

Example 
You want to form a family to fill your house with joy and laughter
Kids running about calling u papa hug you with love 

But u worried they disobey u so warned them don’t play with the sword or will kill you
But your children disobey and start to fight each other with the sword and got injured and blood gushes out from their body 
In order to save them u have to transfuse blood to save them
because u love them

This is not an example. This is Christianity. 

God cannot tolerate mankind sinning but God creates mankind with the propensity to sin. And then God propose a solution that is illogical, irrational, cruel and unjust in order to correct that problem. 

We must believe that or God will throw us in hell.

You believe that because you fear what's on the other side and Christianity offers a comfort for that fear.

[Lukongsimi]

This is not an example. This is Christianity. 

God cannot tolerate mankind sinning but God creates mankind with the propensity to sin. And then God propose a solution that is illogical, irrational, cruel and unjust in order to correct that problem. 

We must believe that or God will throw us in hell.

You believe that because you fear what's on the other side and Christianity offers a comfort for that fear.

It’s disobedience that leads u to sin.
Whatever God says just listen n believe 
To argue makes u prideful

[pinkpanther]

Does God need to clarify whether His plans are rational, logical, and fair? Don't try to delve into God's thoughts lah..dey!

What is unjust and unforgiving is this judgement by God as below...

These captives have surrendered but were not spared...where is the most Merciful?

He then pronounced that "the men should be killed, the property divided, and the women and children taken as captives". Muhammad approved of the ruling, calling it similar to God's judgment. Mubarakpuri states that the tribesmen who had reached puberty were beheaded.

[Ali Imran]

It’s disobedience that leads u to sin.
Whatever God says just listen n believe 
To argue makes u prideful

I'm not arguing with God. 

And no, that is not what God says. SimTan said that about God. He cited St Paul as his teacher.

[Ali Imran]

Sin originated from disobedience by Adam, but God killed the first lion to cloth Adam of his shame. Throughout the bible you see insights as to God covering the sin and the ultimate price He paid ...

Paid to who?

[pinkpanther]

It’s disobedience that leads u to sin.
Whatever God says just listen n believe 
To argue makes u prideful

For obedience to God, they massacre lambs..
For disobedience to God...they celebrate Muhammad's birthday....

[Sticw]

This is not an example. This is Christianity. 

God cannot tolerate mankind sinning but God creates mankind with the propensity to sin. And then God propose a solution that is illogical, irrational, cruel and unjust in order to correct that problem. 

We must believe that or God will throw us in hell.

You believe that because you fear what's on the other side and Christianity offers a comfort for that fear.

You better watch what you said, God never created you with the propensity to sin. Do not come here to preach wrongs for you will be straightened when you least expect it.

[Lukongsimi]

I'm not arguing with God. 

And no, that is not what God says. SimTan said that about God. He cited St Paul as his teacher.

Who is your teacher?

[Ali Imran]

You better watch what you said, God never created you with the propensity to sin. Do not come here to preach wrongs for you will be straightened when you least expect it.

In your previous post, you were telling us about our propensity to sin which is inherent in us. 

Who made us like that?

[Ali Imran]

Who is your teacher?

Miss Helen Lee. She was my secondary 1 n 2 teacher at Siglap.

[Lukongsimi]

Miss Helen Lee. She was my secondary 1 n 2 teacher at Siglap.

Means u only have 1sec school teacher n you want to debate against Christianity without a teacher who taught the words of God?

[Ali Imran]

Means u only have 1sec school teacher n you want to debate against Christianity without a teacher who taught the words of God?

Don't turn the table on me. We are talking about Christianity.

[Lukongsimi]

Don't turn the table on me. We are talking about Christianity.

That was how Adam n Eve were deceived into eating the forbidden fruit 
if too light ears