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Bishop Graham
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02 Mar, 2011 11:33 AM
Previously Bishop Graham wrote:
Previously Beaminster School wrote:
Can folowers of other religions be rewarded in heaven?
and should all christian denominations unite together?
thanks. It depends what you mean by reward. God's gift of salvation is free and not parcelled out in response to rewards - otherwise no one could live with God in heaven for we are all sinners. I believe that we are given salvation by Christ, by his cross and by faith, and that needs us to receive the gift. I do believe that there are some followers of other faiths who are open in faith to God as they know him and who will live with him in heaven - not because of being rewarded but because of God's gift, and that even if they don't know of Christ in this life, their faith in God may be equated with faith in God and in Christ - as Abraham's faith is equated in Romans chapter 4. For further discussion, see my article here.
PS. Unity between Christian denominations is very important and I long for us to be more united.
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Eighth live discussion Wed 2 March 2011, Beaminster School, Beaminster, Dorset
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by
Bishop Graham
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last modified
02 Mar, 2011 11:32 AM
Previously Beaminster School wrote:
Can folowers of other religions be rewarded in heaven?
and should all christian denominations unite together?
thanks. It depends what you mean by reward. God's gift of salvation is free and not parcelled out in response to rewards - otherwise no one could live with God in heaven for we are all sinners. I believe that we are given salvation by Christ, by his cross and by faith, and that needs us to receive the gift. I do believe that there are some followers of other faiths who are open in faith to God as they know him and who will live with him in heaven - not because of being rewarded but because of God's gift, and that even if they don't know of Christ in this life, their faith in God may be equated with faith in God and in Christ - as Abraham's faith is equated in Romans chapter 4. For further discussion, see my article here.
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Eighth live discussion Wed 2 March 2011, Beaminster School, Beaminster, Dorset
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by
Bishop Graham
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last modified
02 Mar, 2011 11:21 AM
Previously Beaminster School wrote:
Can an all loving God really be all loving in a world which contains evil? How do you look back at suffering you have seen and explain why it has occured and how does this make you feel?
Thanks. An all loving and all powerful God and yet evil exists. All three, mysteriously, are true - we see them in the character and live of Jesus of Nazareth and that is the test of the character of God. Sometimes we can look back at suffering and see some sort of 'purpose' but rarely. There may well be a pattern, but like a Persian carpet that has a pattern on one side, but it is not discernable on the other - we are looking at the other side; and one day in heaven will see the patterned side. The pattern we see in the Old Testament, and in the New, is of God's people doing down and then being brought up again. Down into Egypt and up into the Promised Land, Down into exile in Babylon, and up again back to Jerusalem. That is also the pattern of Jesus's life - death and resurrection. I can't explain evil and innocent suffering and feel awful when I witness it, but try to be with people and friends in the midst of it all.
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Eighth live discussion Wed 2 March 2011, Beaminster School, Beaminster, Dorset
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Bishop Graham
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last modified
02 Mar, 2011 11:39 AM
Previously Beaminster School wrote:
What makes Jesus so unique compared to other religious figures?
we are aware are time has run out. thankyou very much for answering our question, your answers will help us greatly in our studies. we look forward to reading your answers. Thanks!!
Thanks. Jesus is unique because other religious figures did not claim to be equal with God, to forgive sins, to judge the world and to accept worship. Thanks for such great questions. I really enjoyed visiting your school last year and look forward to my next visit.
I'm off to Sheffield this afternoon for a meeting early tomorrow with 150 young people who are meeting with about 20 bishops. We are likely to be grilled - so Grill a Bishop is catching on....
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Eighth live discussion Wed 2 March 2011, Beaminster School, Beaminster, Dorset
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Bishop Graham
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last modified
02 Mar, 2011 11:45 AM
Previously Beaminster School wrote:
Do you as a man of religion feel attacked by scientists such as richard dawkins who believe religion has got it wrong and that we are only here to pass on our DNA, and who actively slate the church? what do you think of this oinion?
Thanks. I think Richard Dawkins is obsessed by God and that he feels he is being pursued by God! I believe human beings are mind, body and spirit in community - have a look at Luke 2:52 where it states that Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, in favour with God and with people. Our model of humanity comes from Jesus of Nazareth. Dawkins believes we are mind and body only. I don't mind him slating the Church - he is entitled to his opinion, but his knowledge of theology is minimal. Have a look at this great review of his book by Terry Eagleton, Richard Dawkins - lunging, flailing, mispunching. click here .
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Eighth live discussion Wed 2 March 2011, Beaminster School, Beaminster, Dorset
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last modified
02 Mar, 2011 11:13 AM
Previously Beaminster School wrote:
hick believes evil is necessary as it helps us to develop, but can the pain of a 5 month baby (as that of the baby that died in Christchurch Newzealand) ever be worth the supposed 'development' of others?
Thanks. Yes, John Hick follows Irenaeus's line. No, that pain of a 5 month old baby is not worth the development of others. We don't know the answer to such awful tragedies. But we can be 'with' people amidst their tragedies, pray and cry with them and gradually share the view of God who does not sit on the edge of the universe twiddling his thumbs, but gets stuck into the awfulness of it all, and in the end suffers in Christ. Some people say 'God created the world - he should pay for its pain': we can only point to the cross.
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Eighth live discussion Wed 2 March 2011, Beaminster School, Beaminster, Dorset
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Bishop Graham
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last modified
02 Mar, 2011 11:07 AM
Previously Beaminster School wrote:
hello we are anna and charlotte from beaminster and we'd like to ask you some questions about evil in the context of life after death
hi anna and charlotte, looking forward to further questions.
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Eighth live discussion Wed 2 March 2011, Beaminster School, Beaminster, Dorset
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Bishop Graham
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last modified
02 Mar, 2011 11:26 AM
Previously Beaminster School wrote:
On a different note we would be intrested to hear your opinion on 'miricale workers' or people that claim to be able to 'pass on the holy spirit' in a physical way, such as evangelist benny hinn. he claims to channel god into people and heal, whilst asking for grand donations from very poor members of the church. he claims to preach for an all loving god, but puts on a show of smoke and mirrors infront of a mass audience. is this really a loving christian thing for him to do?
Thanks. I don't know about the evangelist you mention, but I do have worries about people promising miracles and asking money for it. I do believe God continues to heal people today through medicine and prayer, but not always and not in flashy public ways. Jesus often told the people he healed not to tell others about it. I do believe Christians can pray for people to receive the Holy Spirit and that is a wonderful thing. Only last Saturday we had an away day for a church focusing on understanding more about the Holy Spirit and praying to be refilled with God's refreshing Spirit. Also a key service I lead as a Bishop is Confirmation, which focuses on the stregthening God's Spirit gives to people.
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Eighth live discussion Wed 2 March 2011, Beaminster School, Beaminster, Dorset
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Bishop Graham
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26 Feb, 2011 12:32 PM
I am greatly looking forward to our eighth live discussion this coming Wednesday 2 March 2011 with sixth formers from Beaminster School , Beaminster, Dorset.
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Eighth live discussion Wed 2 March 2011, Beaminster School, Beaminster, Dorset
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Bishop Graham
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last modified
02 Mar, 2011 11:06 AM
Previously Beaminster School wrote:
Why is there evil in a world that should be good? do you agree with augustine or irenaeus? or do you believe in something else entirely?
Hi. Thanks. Great key question. Augustine stresses that evil is the corruption of the good and there are not two equal powers, but the evil has been conquered. Irenaeus suggests that this world is the 'vale of soul making' and in some senses we learn and grown from our experiences of suffering and evil. I see positive things in both these key thinkers. I don't think it is possible to grasp the enormity of evil or God's response to it without believing in life after death and that, in Jesus, God knows what it is like to suffer and be part of his own creation.
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Eighth live discussion Wed 2 March 2011, Beaminster School, Beaminster, Dorset
