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Letters to Levon the Christian Lion: #8
Dear Levon:
I know you live in Armenia, so you're more likely to have a very conservative view on Christianity. You're also one of the fewer people in this world who hold a greater knowledge about Christianity. However, my girlfriend moved in with me from the (American) state of Georgia, and she's Wiccan. I came from a Christian family, but became agnostic, now Wiccan, because there were things in the Bible that I found contradictory.
For example, if God is supposed to be seen as benevolent, why did He kill more people than Satan did despite having created those people?
My girlfriend also mentioned Revelation 20:11-15 as a passage that is abused to scare people into sticking in Christianity. Another problem we have is the complex issue between Christianity and those who are not only outside of the faith, but also identify with the LGBTQ+. In extreme but rare cases, some Christians avoid befriending people outside their faith, or if their species are dragons (especially dragon-hybrids).
What do you think about Biblical passages, such as Revelation 20:11-15, being used to scare people into sticking with Christianity? Personally, I find this unacceptable and psychologically damaging. I have nothing against Christianity, but I have a problem with how some people interpret the Bible.
Daniel Watson, age 21 (coyote)
Dallas, Texas, United States of America
Levon's reply:
Dear Daniel,
Thank you for writing to me. You actually present some challenging questions.
You mentioned Revelation 20:11-15, which says the following:
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.
14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.
15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
The Bible can be a difficult thing to interpret, but it shouldn't really be used as a scare tactic, should it? What I tell everybody, even the Wiccans in the Gardnerian Society, is that while our duty is to share the Gospel message and its truths, constantly shoving it down one's throat is the wrong way to do it, because that's one way to turn people away from it. Sadly, what we say is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, when we say that those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior go to hell, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). If you do, your destination is heaven. It is possible, though, to reject or renounce that gift.
The Bible is the true and holy Word of God, and therefore is inerrant, meaning there are no mistakes in it. So it does boggle the mind as to why, to some, it appears God killed more peoplt than Satan did. I believe it is because you have to remember what the world used to be like before God sent Jesus to Earth. God had a different way of judging who went to heaven and hell, and you atoned for your sins by sacrificing lambs, or other animals. You mainly find that in the Old Testament. Flip it over to the New Testament, however, and you will find that this has been overruled once Jesus died on the cross, and then came back to life. That was the ultimate sacrifice.
What you also have to bear in mind is that because the world had gotten so wickedly evil and rotten, God made the decision to start over, feeling sorry that He even made man. That's why he had Noah build the ark and use it to save his family and all the animals. It is also why he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. It is why Pharaoh's army drowned in the Red Sea when Moses, at God's command, brought it back together after he parted it. Those are direct judgments.
The real question to be asked is not, "Why did God kill more people than Satan?" The real question to ask is, "Why does God allow suffering?" The answer to that is man rebelled against God. Satan, as the serpent, introduced Adam and Eve to the forbidden fruit (which, according to the Bible, wasn't necessarily an apple, but most depictions I've seen portray it as an apple), but the pair consciously chose to eat that. Sin therefore entered the world. And because the wages of sin is death, all the troubles the world is having to this day are because of man's rebellion.
However, God did provide an escape route, and that was through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.
As for the LGBTQ+ issue, the response I give the most is that while the Bible does condemn the ideas and actions of those concepts, it does not condemn the people who are that. It does not show bias when it says, "For ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Emphasis on the word "all." Homophobia is also a sin. So the best thing to really do is to befriend those people, but also pray for them, and pray to God about how He can use us to minister to them, and show them where they went wrong.
I hope I've given you something to think about. If you have any more questions, or think I goofed somewhere in my theology, write to me again, and we'll work it out. Thank you for your letter, and I pray God will lead you back to Him, and I pray for nothing but success for you and the family, including your girlfriend.
In His Service,
Father Levon Zakaryan, a.k.a. Levon the Christian Lion
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Letters to Levon the Christian Lion: #8
Dear Levon:
I know you live in Armenia, so you're more likely to have a very conservative view on Christianity. You're also one of the fewer people in this world who hold a greater knowledge about Christianity. However, my girlfriend moved in with me from the (American) state of Georgia, and she's Wiccan. I came from a Christian family, but became agnostic, now Wiccan, because there were things in the Bible that I found contradictory.
For example, if God is supposed to be seen as benevolent, why did He kill more people than Satan did despite having created those people?
My girlfriend also mentioned Revelation 20:11-15 as a passage that is abused to scare people into sticking in Christianity. Another problem we have is the complex issue between Christianity and those who are not only outside of the faith, but also identify with the LGBTQ+. In extreme but rare cases, some Christians avoid befriending people outside their faith, or if their species are dragons (especially dragon-hybrids).
What do you think about Biblical passages, such as Revelation 20:11-15, being used to scare people into sticking with Christianity? Personally, I find this unacceptable and psychologically damaging. I have nothing against Christianity, but I have a problem with how some people interpret the Bible.
Daniel Watson, age 21 (coyote)
Dallas, Texas, United States of America
Levon's reply:
Dear Daniel,
Thank you for writing to me. You actually present some challenging questions.
You mentioned Revelation 20:11-15, which says the following:
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.
14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.
15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
The Bible can be a difficult thing to interpret, but it shouldn't really be used as a scare tactic, should it? What I tell everybody, even the Wiccans in the Gardnerian Society, is that while our duty is to share the Gospel message and its truths, constantly shoving it down one's throat is the wrong way to do it, because that's one way to turn people away from it. Sadly, what we say is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, when we say that those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior go to hell, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). If you do, your destination is heaven. It is possible, though, to reject or renounce that gift.
The Bible is the true and holy Word of God, and therefore is inerrant, meaning there are no mistakes in it. So it does boggle the mind as to why, to some, it appears God killed more peoplt than Satan did. I believe it is because you have to remember what the world used to be like before God sent Jesus to Earth. God had a different way of judging who went to heaven and hell, and you atoned for your sins by sacrificing lambs, or other animals. You mainly find that in the Old Testament. Flip it over to the New Testament, however, and you will find that this has been overruled once Jesus died on the cross, and then came back to life. That was the ultimate sacrifice.
What you also have to bear in mind is that because the world had gotten so wickedly evil and rotten, God made the decision to start over, feeling sorry that He even made man. That's why he had Noah build the ark and use it to save his family and all the animals. It is also why he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. It is why Pharaoh's army drowned in the Red Sea when Moses, at God's command, brought it back together after he parted it. Those are direct judgments.
The real question to be asked is not, "Why did God kill more people than Satan?" The real question to ask is, "Why does God allow suffering?" The answer to that is man rebelled against God. Satan, as the serpent, introduced Adam and Eve to the forbidden fruit (which, according to the Bible, wasn't necessarily an apple, but most depictions I've seen portray it as an apple), but the pair consciously chose to eat that. Sin therefore entered the world. And because the wages of sin is death, all the troubles the world is having to this day are because of man's rebellion.
However, God did provide an escape route, and that was through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.
As for the LGBTQ+ issue, the response I give the most is that while the Bible does condemn the ideas and actions of those concepts, it does not condemn the people who are that. It does not show bias when it says, "For ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Emphasis on the word "all." Homophobia is also a sin. So the best thing to really do is to befriend those people, but also pray for them, and pray to God about how He can use us to minister to them, and show them where they went wrong.
I hope I've given you something to think about. If you have any more questions, or think I goofed somewhere in my theology, write to me again, and we'll work it out. Thank you for your letter, and I pray God will lead you back to Him, and I pray for nothing but success for you and the family, including your girlfriend.
In His Service,
Father Levon Zakaryan, a.k.a. Levon the Christian Lion
Letters to Levon the Christian Lion: #8
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Sometimes I have difficulty coming up with the answers, though.
Chuong: This was indeed a challenging question indeed. But very appropriate response. You're a Christian priest so you will be presented with challenging questions as part of your job and duty.
Armenak: I would say it's a good response. You didn't show judgement so that was good. Well done.
Zax: Very tough question but good response. Seems like most of the toughest questions about Christianity goes to you in these letters.
Armenak: I would say it's a good response. You didn't show judgement so that was good. Well done.
Zax: Very tough question but good response. Seems like most of the toughest questions about Christianity goes to you in these letters.
Levon: That does seem to be the case, but being judgmental only makes it worse. As it says in Matthew 7:1-2:
1 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.
2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
Leo: I can certainly testify to being judged like that.
Super C: So can I.
1 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.
2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
Leo: I can certainly testify to being judged like that.
Super C: So can I.
Which can put us at odds with the world. It certainly has with me.
Which is probably not the best place to have debates on topics like that.
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