Soundings
Kingdom of God is ‘dearer than families’
‘In exhorting His disciples to “hate” their families, Jesus is simply urging them to love God more than anyone and anything.’ What did Jesus mean that those who do not hate their parents, wife, children and siblings cannot be his disciples? (Luke 14:26). THERE are at least two reasons why many Christians would find the statement […]
Soundings
Doctrine of limited atonement has no scriptural basis
‘Numerous passages of the Bible support the doctrine of universal atonement. In John 1:29, John the Baptist introduced Jesus as the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”’ Did Christ die only for the elect? THE view that the sacrifi cial death of Christ on the cross has made available God’s […]
Soundings
Doctrine of purgatory ‘not based on Scripture’
Is there scriptural basis for the doctrine of purgatory? ACCORDING to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994), “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of […]
Soundings
Christians insist that the Bible is inspired, guided by God Himself
What do Christians mean when they say that the Bible is the Word of God? CHRISTIANS from all the traditions of the Church – Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant – believe that the Bible is the Word of God. That is why in most traditional churches, the declaration, “This is the Word of the Lord”, […]
Soundings
Very little biblical justification for practice of praying for the dead
Should Christians pray for the dead? IT MAY surprise some readers of this newsletter to learn that the practice of praying for the dead has a very long history in the Christian tradition that can be traced as far back as the 3rd century AD. The great father of the early church, Tertullian, who has contributed […]
Soundings
Dialogue key to understanding science-theology relationship
What should be the proper way of understanding the relationship between science and the Christian faith? ALTHOUGH significant progress is being made in the interaction between science and Christianity in this century, there remains a residual hostility between them that can be traced to the 19th century. When modern science as we know it first appeared in […]
Soundings
There are some similarities between the Christian and Islamic concepts of God, but … We can’t conclude that Christians and Muslims worship the same God
Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God? THIS question has become pressing in some circles, especially after 9/11 and in the wake of strenuous attempts in the West not to demonise Islam. An affirmative answer to this question is well supported by some of the most powerful political and religious voices in the world. In […]
Soundings
Atheism will never succeed in undermining the Christian Faith
Who are the “New Atheists”? Do their proposals threaten to undermine the Christian Faith? IN RECENT years there has been a rash of books challenging Christianity in particular and religion in general. The authors of these books are sometimes referred to as the “New Atheists” and they are a motley crew of scientists, philosophers and freelance […]
Soundings
Most scientists reject the one-gene-one-trait theory as naïve
Have scientists discovered the gay gene? PERHAPS the most frequently cited study that maintains the connection between genetics and homosexuality is that conducted by molecular biologists at the National Institutes of Health under the direction of Dean Hamer in 1993. By examining DNA samples from self-identified gay men and other gay male family members, Hamer […]
Soundings
Sabbath and the Lord’s Day stress Lordship of God over all creation
What is the relationship between the Jewish Sabbath and the Lord’s Day (Sunday)? THERE is considerable consensus among scholars of Ancient Near East civilisation that the division of the week into seven days was not the invention of the people of Israel. The origins can be traced to Babylonian religion in which each day of […]
Soundings
Demon possession a reality to be reckoned with
What is demon possession? Can a Christian be demon possessed? DEMON POSSESSION is a phenomenon that is increasingly dismissed not only by secular psychiatrists and psychologists but also by some Christian counsellors. The reasons for this are the influence of the scientific worldview, and the anti-supernaturalism that has subtly clouded the thinking of some Christians. […]
Soundings
Christians can conclude that … Bible ‘does not prohibit organ donation and transplantation’
Should Christians support organ donations and transplantation? SINCE medical doctors Joseph Murray and David Hume performed the first successful living-related kidney transplant from identical twins in 1954, the science of organ transplantation has advanced by leaps and bounds. About 50 years later, there have been successful heart, pancreas, pancreas islet cell, intestine, lung, liver and […]
Soundings
Church does not prohibit abortion under all circumstances
It is clear that the Christian Tradition opposes abortion because it is the wilful killing of another human being. But are there no exceptions? What about pregnancies that result from rape? Should abortion be allowed in order to save the life of the pregnant woman? WHILE the Christian faith opposes abortion for reasons spelt out […]
Soundings
Christians do not hold that all religions are the same
Are all religions fundamentally the same? Do they all lead to God and offer salvation? THE Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw has famously said that “There is only one religion though there are a hundred versions of it.” This interpretation has become very appealing in our modern pluralistic context because it seems to address several concerns peculiar to our time. Firstly, such a view […]
