Board index ‹ Assorted Bible Questions

[Uranus]

yes or no? why? are there any verses in the bible talking about luck? if you do believe in luck..wouldnt that be contradicting what God is? isnt God about equality? why would he give some people more privilige than others? does that imply there is reincarnation? do you believe in reincarnation?

[jimwalton]

I happen to think that lots of things happen by luck. I just can't believe God is at work in every coin toss, every deal of the cards, or every decision about the stock market or sporting events. Sometimes you get lucky.

> if you do believe in luck..wouldnt that be contradicting what God is?

I don't think so. God is sovereign, but a lot happens that is not His doing, like when people sin. He's not making people do that. God's sovereignty doesn't mean He's responsible for every single thing that happens. We have free will, and there is cause-and-effect. Sometimes we choose to do wrong, and sometimes you get "heads" when you called "heads."

> isnt God about equality?

No, He's not. The Bible says nothing of the sort.

> why would he give some people more privilige than others?

There could be many reasons why some people have more privilege than others, some of which might involve God, but most of which probably do not. The Bible is quite clear that the world doesn't work according to the Retribution Principle (good people get rewarded, bad people get punished, privileged people are those blessed by God, oppressed people are those judged by God). This is NOT how the world works.

> does that imply there is reincarnation? do you believe in reincarnation?

No, it does not imply reincarnation, nor do I believe in reincarnation, nor does the Bible teach it.

From a Hindu perspective, attaining Nirvana is not often achieved by humans. Though it is the goal, few there be that find it. What that means, however, is that reincarnation for most people is an ENDLESS cycle of meaninglessness. Beings circle through an eternal chain of human being, animal, insect, cow—whatever—in search of the almost impossible to grasp golden ring of Nirvana. Each cycle is weighed according to “goodness” as to whether or not one advances upward in the line or downward, but how can one be a good cat or a good bug? And since they are told in life that life and even their station in life is determined by fate (karma), and it cannot be changed (and they shouldn’t try), their theology teaches them they are hopelessly caught in a meaningless string of determined life cycles that they cannot alter, from which they will likely never escape, and therefore, at core, life for most is ultimately meaningless. This differs so greatly from Christian theology that the two are incompatible.

The belief in reincarnation stems from several desires in humans:

• We like to think we have another shot at life—another chance to do better, or to do it differently
• We like to think that death is not final, and that death, ultimately, has no impact
• We like to think that ultimately the judgment of God is escapable by our own eventual success at good works

The Bible has one particular comment about reincarnation, and that is found in Hebrews 9.27: “…man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…” The word “once” indicates that death is an unrepeatable event. After that, we reap what we sowed. Though there are hundreds or thousands or more “second chances” during life, once we die, we have given our “final answer.” Despite that we would love for death to have no impact, and for us to have an unending sequences of chances to get it right, that is not the teaching of the Bible.

Now, it is true that the Bible teaches that death is not all there is, and that it’s not final. After death comes the accounting for how life was lived. But we are not to misunderstand that if we have more goods than bads on the ledger we make it into heaven. That isn’t the teaching of the Bible at all. A person gets into heaven if they have the nature of Jesus inside of them, and they don’t if they do not have the nature of Jesus.

John 5. 25-29, in the words of Jesus, affirm that death spells the end of “second chances,” and that after death there will be a judgment of each person.

And 2 Corinthians 5.8 lets us know that when believers are absent from the body, they are present with the Lord. There is no coming back in another form.

[Uranus]

i see .thanks for the insight and taking the time to respond. i appreciate it. i do disagree and question one thing though..why would God create humans that are faulty enough to sin? if people sin, its basically Gods fault, in a way, in my opinion.

[jimwalton]

> why would God create humans that are faulty enough to sin? if people sin, its basically Gods fault, in a way

God is, by definition, uncreated. Anything created, therefore, is not God and is less than God, and therefore susceptible to mistakes. They're not flawed, they're just not God. In other words, it's impossible for God to create a being that is uncreated. Therefore, it's impossible for God to create a being that is not susceptible to faults.

So it's not, like, God's fault that He created beings that were capable of flaw. There is no other choice. He can't create uncreated beings.

It sounds like you blame God for our flaws, which just isn't so. We made our own choices and created our own flaws, despite God's information that could have prevented it and His warnings about what would happen if we ignored Him.

So if my spouse and I create a child, and that child has free will, it's my fault when he or she chooses to do something bad?

[Uranus]

in a way yeah cause you raised your child.

[jimwalton]

Actually, I have raised 3 children, and I'll tell you for sure they have a mind of their own. Sure, I raised them and did my best to instill in them values, goodness, morality, responsibility, integrity, and a work ethic, but when it comes right down to it, they do what they want to do. There were times when they went against my training and my will with a set defiance and independence. You can't possibly realistically say that when they chose to go against my will and to do something bad that it's my fault. I taught them right from wrong, but they choose their own path.

[Uranus]

well question yourself this...they are a reflection of the aspects you deny about yourself hmm?

[jimwalton]

First of all, it seems you have asked your question with a certain smirk. I would appreciate it if we could keep that out of the conversation.

Second, I'm not sure what you mean, so I'll ask you to elaborate. What do you mean by your statement: "They are a reflection of the aspects you deny about yourself"? What is it you are assuming I deny about myself?

[Uranus]

they have your genes. and the apple doesnt fall far from the tree.

[jimwalton]

Ok, that's what you meant. Thanks for clarifying. We know that genetic makeup has influence, for sure, but the current scientific model is that we don't have genes for personality, though we know genes influence personality, possibly up to 40 or 50%. Genes can contribute to certain personality traits. The rest, as you very well know, is nurture, environment, diet, and experiences. In other words, sometimes the apple can and does fall far from the tree.

I know kids that have very different personalities from their parents and pursue vastly different lives.

But what does any of that have to do with something that I "deny about myself"? What am I denying?