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Bishop Graham
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12 Jan, 2011 11:53 AM
Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:
i struggle alot with the theories of natural law and utilitarianism, do you have any easier way of helping us?
Yes, Jeremy Bentham is fascinating but not completely nourishing. God reveals himself through his creation - natural law - but especially in his Son, Jesus Christ. Live is more than utilitarian - though there is a danger in today's economic context in Britain, that we are reducing life to that.
Have a look at the life of Jesus of Nazareth in the gospels - better than Bentham.
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Third Live Discussion Wed 12 Jan 2011, 11.30-12.00: St Edward's RC and C of E School, Poole
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Bishop Graham
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12 Jan, 2011 11:32 AM
Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:
How do you deal with the problem of evil?
Thanks. A very deep question - perhaps the most profound of all. Have a look at the Gillingham school thread. I don't believe God created evil. Evils is the absence of good, but God does give us free will to respond in love or not. God has dealt with the problem of evil in the world through the cross of Christ.
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Third Live Discussion Wed 12 Jan 2011, 11.30-12.00: St Edward's RC and C of E School, Poole
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Bishop Graham
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12 Jan, 2011 11:39 AM
Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:
which do you prefer?? ethics or philosophy?
Thanks. I was born in Ethics (Essex) and love both philosophy - which means loving wisdom in the greek - and ethics which is the application of philosophy or theology.
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Third Live Discussion Wed 12 Jan 2011, 11.30-12.00: St Edward's RC and C of E School, Poole
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Bishop Graham
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12 Jan, 2011 11:41 AM
Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:
how do you feel about people who dont believe in god?
Thanks. I feel that they are deeply loved by God and that he longs that they respond to his love. Since I try to imitiate God, I also am loving towards to them.
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Third Live Discussion Wed 12 Jan 2011, 11.30-12.00: St Edward's RC and C of E School, Poole
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Bishop Graham
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12 Jan, 2011 11:57 AM
Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:
How would you explain God's 'love for everyone' in the presence of a dying mother in Etheopia with three children with no one to care for them?? Or to a farther who's son is suffering from terminal cancer?? Where is our 'loving' God in this reality??
Thanks. Before trying to explain God's love in those situations, I would try to be with that person or people ie be present with them or encourage a local person to be present with them. While in the midst of such suffering, it is not the right time for explanations. God communicates through people, supremely in his Son. Ultimately I would like to communicate that God is with them in the tragedy, in the on the cross he did not sit on the edge of the universe but engaged deeply in suffering himself in CHrist.
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Third Live Discussion Wed 12 Jan 2011, 11.30-12.00: St Edward's RC and C of E School, Poole
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Bishop Graham
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12 Jan, 2011 11:45 AM
Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:
Do you believe that God wants us to be fullfilled and uses evil to teach us how to behave?
Yes, in John 10:10 Jesus says that he came that we may have life in all its fullness. It is not so much that God uses evil for his purposes of our education, but he can turn evil and suffering into the direction of his will. The filipino proverb which I heard in the Philippines in 1989 that God writes straight with crooked lines...
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Third Live Discussion Wed 12 Jan 2011, 11.30-12.00: St Edward's RC and C of E School, Poole
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Bishop Graham
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12 Jan, 2011 12:04 PM
Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:
Would you say God is a Distant God, or do you feel he is close to us all the time?
God is not a distant God. He is closer to us all more than we can imagine, all the time. It is just that we don't always notice it. Radio is being broadcast all the time, but we don't always tune into it.
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Third Live Discussion Wed 12 Jan 2011, 11.30-12.00: St Edward's RC and C of E School, Poole
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Bishop Graham
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12 Jan, 2011 11:48 AM
Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:
do you believe that god has a greater plan? like everything happens for a reason. if so do we really have free will?
Yes, God has a purpose - the Kingdom of God, summed up in Christ. Quite a big plan really - and big plans, or grand narratives, aren't popular in postmodern philosophy. There are reasons behind events, but they are not easy to interpret. That's what the Old Testament prophets were for. We really do have the gift of free will and that is interwoven in the purposes of God.
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Third Live Discussion Wed 12 Jan 2011, 11.30-12.00: St Edward's RC and C of E School, Poole
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Bishop Graham
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12 Jan, 2011 11:50 AM
Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:
Do you feel christianity can be infulenced by other religions, or that we can influence ither religions?
Great question. Perhaps the biggest theological question of the 21 st century. Have look at my article Jesus Christ, Salvation and People of Other Faith:
http://www.fulcrum-anglican.org.uk/news/2005/newsletter02.cfm?doc=3
http://www.fulcrum-anglican.org.uk/page.cfm?ID=543
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Third Live Discussion Wed 12 Jan 2011, 11.30-12.00: St Edward's RC and C of E School, Poole
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Bishop Graham
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12 Jan, 2011 11:30 AM
Previously St Edwards Poole wrote:
how do you view the creation story? e.g. literal, poetic etc
Thanks. There are actually two creation stories and I see them as poetic because they then don't contradict each other. They do contradict if taken literally. I think God created humans through evolution.
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Third Live Discussion Wed 12 Jan 2011, 11.30-12.00: St Edward's RC and C of E School, Poole
