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What basis is there for defining sin as "rebellion"?
Many popular Protestant gospel explanations and frameworks define the essence of sin as rebellion against God.
Two Ways to Live:
The sad truth is that, from the very beginning, men and women everywhere have rejected God by doing things their own…
curiousdannii
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What are indulgences and when and why were they used?
I seem to recall that indulgences had something to do with Roman Catholics doing something to receive forgiveness of sins prior to committing the sins.
So, is that what indulgences were? When did these begin and are they still practiced? If not,…
Narnian
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16
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Which theory of the atonement did C. S. Lewis hold?
In C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (spoiler alert), the White Witch, the personification of the devil, says some interesting things:
You at least know the Magic which the Emperor put into Narnia at the very beginning. You know…
Nathaniel is protesting
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16
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What does Jesus mean by "this generation" and "all these things" in Mark 13:30
In Mark 13, Jesus tells about the last days and the tribulation. In this context, he says in verse 30 (KJV):
Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.
Assuming Jesus was not wrong, what did he mean…
Zeemee
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Defense of ancient Enoch authorship
According to the Ethiopian and Eritrean Churches, the Book of Enoch was written by Enoch himself around the year 3300 BC. I have seen statements like, "outside of Ethiopia, no one has defended this position." Actually, I have not found any attempt…
ThaddeusB
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16
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Are Jehovah's Witnesses allowed to marry outside the faith?
Some Christian denominations allow their members to marry whomever they please, others discourage it, and others just don't allow it (you are either disfellowshipped or the church refuses to perform the marriage).
What position do Jehovah's…
user23
16
votes
2 answers
How are Catholic priests chosen and assigned to specific parishes?
I know that a certain amount of education is necessary before men can be ordained as a Catholic priest. But are all men that received the necessary education ordained as priests? If not, what is the selection process? And how are they assigned to a…
user23
16
votes
6 answers
Blood transfusions and Christianity?
Inspired by this question, if we choose to allow a doctor to heal us, how far is too far?
In Lev 17:13-14:
13 “‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among you who hunts any
animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover…
user77
16
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3 answers
Calvinist perspective on Luke 18:18-30
Luke 18:18-30 (NIV) tells the story of the "rich young ruler" who asked Christ what he must do to inherit eternal life:
18A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ...
22 ...[Jesus] said to him, “You still…
Flimzy
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Was C. S. Lewis a "muscular" Christian?
Muscular Christianity is a movement, originating in nineteenth-century Britain, associated with promoting physical health, athleticism, and active evangelism. Many critics say that C. S. Lewis, particularly in his fiction, drew from this…
James T
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Why does Jesus speak of himself in the third person?
There are a number of places where Jesus refers to himself in the third person. The most common is when he uses the title 'Son of Man' (by my count, there are some 78 times Jesus uses that title in the gospels!). For example Matthew 16:13…
Stephen McDaniel
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When was the New Testament divided into sentences and paragraphs?
I know that the New Testament was given chapter numberings around 1227 AD, and verse numberings in 1555 (Source).
But apparently, the earliest manuscripts didn't have punctuation, spaces, or paragraphs either. They were just an unbroken string of…
lars
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If the Holy Spirit is God, and God can not be in the presence of sin, then how can the Holy Spirit dwell in me a sinner?
If we believe in the Trinity, in essense that the Holy Spirit is God, and we believe that God can not be in the presence of sin, then how can the Holy Spirit dwell within me a sinner?
windword
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To JWs, how is Jesus Christ "the same yesterday and today, and forever"?
I'm referring, of course, to Hebrews 13:8. The Jehovah's Witnesses' preferred translation, the New World Translation, translates it in basically the same way as all other translations:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and…
Mr. Bultitude
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When is the first documented case of Christians praying to the dead saints?
When is the first documented case of Christians praying to the dead saints?
(A point in comments was brought up that "asking the dead saints" does not mean "praying to the dead saints" as "prayer is always addressed to God only". For this case, the…
brilliant
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