Is the Bible Sufficient?
We had a great first class last night. Eddie Ugalde (who was supposed to be in our class had a baby yesterday, and will be there next week... a healthy baby girl named Memphis).
I would like to ask a question.
We spoke last night about how the Bible is sufficient for all of life's matters. Are there matters in the life that the Bible has no relevancy for? What about mental diseases? Can the Bible be used to help someone with an issue like "multiple personality"? If the Bible does not directly address a specific issue, does that mean that we should leave the Bible out of the issue?
posted by Caleb Kaltenbach @ 2:57 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
I agree that the Bible is relevant to ALL life's problems. I'm just not so sure that mental disease has anything to do with the original sin. I actually believe it's a chemical imbalance in the brain. I haven't studied up on it that's just my opinion from what I've seen and heard. As I shared with Caleb, I had a younger brother who had a mental disorder and I have an older brother who's been diagnosed as Bipolar. I've also heard that it can be hereditary but how much of that is scientific and how much of that is Biblical and does that infact contradict itself? I don't know one way or the other but I would like to know where I can look in the Bible to get the answers as to why it happens. I do agree that the Bible is our primary source and I'm counting on learning how to better understand the Bible to answer these such questions.
That's just one woman's opinion
How do you deal with the questions people ask like if our God is such a loving God and He knows us before we are born why are some people born with such illnesses and defects. These are questions that are not only difficult to answer but sometimes even hard for me to understand and then I feel guilty for even questioning it. I don't mean to question it as if I'm questioning God and His reasons I'm just questioning it because I don't understand it myself. This same question can go for homosexuality and I don't mean to open a can of worms because there are so many views on it but I know first hand that my younger brother who has now passed away as a result of his mental illness was also bi-sexual. I feel that at least in my brother's case it was NOT a choice because he said he lived with it for so long and had these feelings he couldn't understand and finally confided in me about it. He was was very masculine and no one would have EVER thought it. He did end up getting married and having children so if it was a choice why would someone choose to live two such different lives. I know Caleb mentioned something about people who are homosexual having at one point been hurt and I do know my brother had a difficult life but can that really trigger something like that? My take on the whole thing is that as we all know every embryo starts off as a female and depending on the strength of the chromosom the male contributes depends on the sex of the child. We have all seen women who are a little more masculine than others and men who are a little more feminine than others. I believe this is because there may be more testasteron (sorry if I misspelled)in the female then estrogen and vice versa. This is why I believe there are some children who are born as both sexes. Something must have happened in the womb and once again if so then why, was that God's plan for that child? And what about the people who grow up saying that as a very young child they always felt more comfortable as the other sex, as if they felt one way but trapped in the body of the other? Could homosexuality be just like any other disease a person may have like alcoholism or a drug addiction, they know they have the disease but as long as they stay away from the source they'll be okay? So then, can someone be homosexual but as long as they don't act on it can they still be saved? As you can see I have a very strong interest in this since my younger brother had both a mental illness and, for lack of a better term, a homosexual issue and I would really like to get some solid answers to these questions, not only to better understand what happened with my brother but to also be able to answer these questions when other people ask. Thank you for listening. :)
I think no matter what your condition is mentally or physically as long as you can answer the question that is critical to where you will spend eternity I believe you will be saved.
I would still like to know how to answer and know where I can find back up to the question most people ask: If we have such a loving God how can He allow people to be born with health problems, mental disorders or birth defects and if He knows us before we're born was it His intention for those people to be born that way?
This seems to be one of the most asked questions and I would really like to be thoroughly equipped and ready to answer. I feel that because some people can't get an answer to this question they are reluctant to believe in a God who could allow this to happen. Is there anyone who would know how I could answer this quesiton or know where I could look?
Martha,
I really believe that God does not create people to be homosexual. There has been no evidence as to a homosexual gene, and I do not see God as being One who would create someone with a sin issue as that.
When we have been hurt, molested, or neglected in our life, we will do things to cope with that pain. Some turn to drugs, some turn to drinking, sex, or finding comfort in the arms of someone that is not your spouse... or trying to relate with someone of the same sex...
On the other hand, someone being born with a mental disability is not a sin... someone being sick or mentally handicapped is not a sin... it is the fact that we live in a fallen world, and that penetrates every part of our being. When Adam and Eve sinned, that changed everything! God has freely allowed sin to hurt our world partly because it is a punishment for sin and also without the awareness of pain and sin, we would not be pointed to Jesus! Everyone has the chance to be saved, and God is the ultimate Judge in the cases of someone being mentally handicapped. I think that Brenda addressed that well when she spoke of the sanctification process.
However, we cannot compare being born with a mental illness to the idea that someone can be born gay. Being gay is not a mental illness, and being born with a mental illness is not sin.
Just my thoughts.
Caleb and Pastor Sean -
Thank you for your comments they did help but there are still some questions I have that maybe we can address at another time one on one. Thank you so much for offering this class it came at the perfect time and as long as you don't mind my questions I will keep asking. :)
I agree that people only want the Bible to be relevant and true when it helps them out and they don't want to look further into it because they just may find out that they are wrong and they want to live in their world of denial. I often here people say, "well that was back then and things have changed now" as if the Bible changes according to the times like the latest fashion. I try to explain to them that's Satan's way of getting in an unfortunately for the most part it works. People are afraid to be different and stand alone. I agree that it seems as though you open up the Bible to read something or go to a service and it just so happens they're talking about something that is going on in your life at that present time. I also agree with the planting of seeds, you may only need to mention something once and although you think it didn't go anywhere, with us as examples it will only take time before it starts to grow.
Michael,
Can you define a bit what you mean when you say that mental diseases are a result of Sin?
Thanks,
Caleb
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