Basic Questions for theology

"Questions are better than answers"

How do we get away from BUFFALO CHIPS.

(Breaking Under Final Frustration About Losing Our Carelessly Hatched Institutional Philosophical Systems).

THE DEAL

1. What is the deal that Jesus is offering to us? Is it really believable?
2. Is it any good, that is, what we really want? Do we really know what we want? If it is different than what we really want, can we change what we want? Should we change what we really want? If so, how do we change what we really want? What if we don't want to change what we want? Did we have anything to do with what we really want/need?
3. Is it palatable to anyone? A few? Quite a few? Most? Everyone? If not, why not? What does it cost? Is it free or does it cost us everything?

PRAYER

1. What are we authorized by Jesus to pray or ask for?
2. Are there any conditions? If so, do the conditions apply equally to each thing authorized? Is there a sequence so that the granting of one thing leads to greater authorizations?
3. Are the Promises made to individuals or to a plural you? Are some made to individuals and some to a corporate body? If so, what are the conditions that apply? Are they different for individuals and groups? If some are made to a corporate body, how many individuals are necessary to qualify? Is the number different for different intentions?

1. Was there a point in time recorded or implied in the gospels when the disciples were in unity or believed everything that Jesus said and acted accordingly? Or understood everything he said, or followed the advice of Jesus?
2. Did all of the disciples understand the full truth that Jesus presented? Did any? If some, who did and who didn't? Is there any evidence or basis for discriminating?
3. What is the essence of the difference between Christianity and Gnosticism? Which is more true or spiritual or reasonable? Which is more dangerous?
4. Which of the disciples became the foundation for 'Christianity'? Which of the disciples became the foundation for Gnosticism, the other great movement spawned by the Jesus incident?
5. If Christianity and Gnosticism didn't go off the track with the disciples, exactly when and where did they go off the track?

1. Did Jesus authorize the writing of the New Testament? If so, where and when did he authorize it? If not, why has so much attention been paid to it? Has god put his stamp of approval on it? If so, what is that stamp of approval?
2. Has the NT stood the test of time? If so, by what criteria? If so, what is the evidence? Has anyone seriously tried to live according the NT? If so, were they successful? Is it possible? Has anyone come up with the final, correct, true interpretation of the book Revelation? If not, would you like to try?

1. Did Jesus authorize the writing of the Gospels? If so, where and when did he do it? Has god put his stamp of approval on them? If so, what is that stamp of approval?
2 Have the Gospels stood the test of time? If so, what is the evidence? Has anyone seriously tried to live according the Gospels? If so, were they successful? Is it possible?
3. Is there any other material or gospel writing outside of the NT that is of value? If so, How can it be validated?
4. Are the Gospels all of equal validity or reliability? From what standpoint? Technical or spiritual? If not, which one(s) take precedence? If not, how can we decide?

1. Can we treat the bible as an organic whole, that is, does it have total internal consistency? If so, what does this consistency look like?
2. If not total internal biblical consistency, does the new testament have total internal consistency? If so, what does this consistency look like?
3. If not total internal NT consistency, do the gospels have total internal consistency? If so, what does this consistency look like? If not, where do we look for consistency?
4. If not total internal gospels consistency, does the book of John have total internal consistency? If so, what does this consistency look like?

1. Are there any parables, stories, ideas, issues, advice, instructions, or facts within the four gospels that are in seeming conflict? Is this conflict real? If so, how do we deal with it? If not, how do we resolve this seeming conflict of issues?

1. Are revelation and inspiration equivalent? If so, what do they mean?
2. If they are not equivalent, what is revelation? What is inspiration? What is the difference? Is either one reliable in and of itself? If not, are they reliable only when taken together?

1. Do the words intellectual and spiritual mean the same thing? If not, do they mean largely the same thing? If not, are they related to any significant degree?
2. What does spiritual mean? What does intellectual mean? What is the difference?

1. Do the words or messages of Jesus fall into different categories? If so, does Jesus speak to issues of paradigm? Does he speak about truths that apply to the paradigm? Does he speak truths that can only be understood rightly in the proper paradigm?
2. Does Jesus ever just offer good advice? If so, is all the advice recorded in the gospels applicable to our time? Is any? Is it always applicable to our situation?
3. Are there levels of importance about various things Jesus said? Did he say anything that is trivial or not important? Was some of Jesus advice applicable only to the disciples? Was some of Jesus advice applicable only to the people of that time?

1. Since Jesus thanked the father for hiding truths from certain men, why did God hide these truths? Why did Jesus say that he spoke in parables so that the masses would hear and not understand? Why speak to them at all if he knew they wouldn't understand? Was he building a case against them?
2. Was there a spiritual elite? If so, were the disciples the elite? If so, was there a spiritual elite within the disciples? If so, who were these disciples? How can we tell who they were? Should there be a spiritual elite? If so, is there a purpose to a spiritual elite?

1. Does righteousness mean right behavior? If it does, right by what standard? If it doesn't mean this, does it have any real or significant vs imaginary meaning at all?
2. Does righteousness mean reasonable behavior? If not, what is the difference between right and reasonable behavior?

1. Is behavior any concern at all to the follower of Jesus? If so, what does proper behavior for a follower look like?
2. Can we get specific about right behavior or can we only generalize? If specific, is there any specific behavior that is totally proscribed by Jesus? Is all or any of our behavior demanded? Commanded? Who does our behavior affect? Us? Others? God? All of the above?

1. Does the creator have a sacred agenda for us?
2. If so, is this agenda chronological? If so, are we locked into it regardless of what we do or not do? If not, what can we do about it?
3. If the agenda is not one of time, is it one of phenomena? If so, are we locked into it, that is, is there anything we can do to affect it? If so, what can we do about it?

1. Why is there so much dissension and hypocrisy in Christian religions when Jesus said the devil was defeated?
2. Why did Christianity stamp out Gnosticism with the sword when the virtue, piety and behavior of Gnostics generally exceeded that of Christians?

1. Did Jesus ever give good advice that applied specifically to that time? Did Jesus ever give good advice that applied specifically to that culture? Did Jesus ever give good advice that applied specifically to explicit situations? Did he say some things to the disciples that do not apply to us? Did he say some things to some of the disciples that did not apply to the other disciples? Do some things he said apply to different believers depending on their level of belief?

1. Does the salvation offered by Jesus mean being saved from ultimately being lost or punished or destroyed? Does the salvation offered by Jesus mean being saved from being temporarily lost or punished or destroyed? Does it mean being healed and restored spiritually versus tangibly, physically? Does it mean both? If so, which comes first? Do they happen simultaneously?

1. What does it mean to come into unity? How do we become unified? Are there specific steps? Are they unpleasant or burdensome? Are they difficult? If difficult, what is the key to making them easy? If easy, why don't we do it? If we understood the essence, scope, imminence and immanence of the payoff, would that make it easy? Would being truly "rooted in self" help make it easy?

2. Is anyone out there in perfect unity? Does anyone truly want to come into unity? Does anyone truly not want to come into unity? Does anyone believe it is possible to come into perfect unity?

1. Did God create man to be a free moral agent? If not, are we any more than sophisticated robots? If so, does this mean that man is free to exercise his own judgment and do what he thinks is good without fear of consequences? If it doesn't mean this, what does it mean?
2. Having made Man without Man's choice or permission, why would God subject Man to arbitrary prohibitions which, if ignored, would cost Man his life at the hand of God? Why would God need to test Man in any way whatsoever?
3. Do we create free moral agency for our family and friends? Are they actually at liberty to exercise their own judgment and do what they think is good without risking the loss of the relationship? Why should we test them, and if they fail, cost them our love, support, and association?

1. Why should God need to be obeyed? Why should the one who has the power to create the heavens need anyone to do anything for him?
2. Does Man need to obey a Law? Why should an intelligent creature made in the likeness of God need to obey anything other than his own native feelings? Why should he be asked to despise, ignore or violate his authentic desires in order to comply with rules or requirements he had no part in forming?
3. How can a God gracious enough to give His own son to mankind have ever been so ungracious as to forbid Man the fruit from a mere tree? Has God become more "Christlike" down through the ages? Why should life ever have been anything but a pure gift of grace?