Expert: Carl Fuglein - 3/11/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hi.  :)

Now...perhaps I should make this clear in the beginning.  I'm not actually a Christian.  There is no specific religion I follow.  But I was raised in a Christian household, and, well, I have a few questions people always refused to answer when I was in church.  Mostly they told me you just have to accept there are some questions without answers.  But that's not in my nature not to think about the world around me and go looking for answers.

I feel that it's only through understanding will peace come about, though, and I'm trying to keep an open mind.  So I was wondering if you could take the time and answer a few questions for me...okay, so, it's a bit more then a few.  :) They are pretty hard questions, since no one I've met in a church setting has known the answer before.  But I'm just curious to learn another viewpoint on them.

1. Okay, now, I understand this would never happen, but let's go with theoretically.  Theoretically, let's just say one day Satin realized all of the evil he's committed and was genuinely sorry for it, as sorry as anyone has ever been.  Could god forgive him?  Or does the whole savior part not apply to angels, demons, and Satin?  Which leads me to another question...do you think that God still loves Satin, despite all he's done?

2.  Let's this out there.  I'm bisexual, which means, yes, I technically do have a choice in who I date- but not who I fall in love with. That's not changing.  I'm going to say for teh moment I'll believe what the bible says about it and I'll go to hell for that sin.  This might be the most ignorant statement you ever hear, and I'm sorry if it offends you in any way, but If I went to hell, I'm going to do my hardest to change it.  I'll probably fail, but at least I could say I tried. Nothing can change unless someone tries to do something about it. So my question to you is God can't take away your compassion, can he?  Because I'll be needing to keep that if I do go to hell.  Also, Why doesn't God send good people down to hell so they can change it?  Why not combat that hatred and despair by showing Satin and all the condemned some compassion?  I know they lost their chance for heaven...but why not just take the pain away from hell by showing them another way down there?

3.Now, also on the topic of homosexuality...Now, I know God condemns homosexuality and everything...but...why?  I know the bible says it's unnatural,  but why?  Why would he hate something that's not really hurting anyone, but is just another form of love?  If god is love, wouldn't he love all types of love?  Why say loving someone of the same gender is just as bad as murdering someone?  

4. When I still went to church, my priests told me animals don't have souls, and therefore don't go to heaven.  What if I don't want to go to heaven without my animals?  Let's say a person lived a good enough life and accepted Jesus as their savior and could get into heaven, but didn't want to.  What would happen then?

5.  Is God a girl or a guy?

6.  Do you think it's okay for someone to want to be friends with God and just talk, even if their not interested in being 'saved'?  

7.  Can someone decide to go to hell in the place of another?  Like Jesus died for all of us, would it be possible for someone (who we'll say lived a good life and accepted Jesus and was going to get into heaven) to look at God and say they would go to hell in the place of another?

ANSWER: Jazzy-

You ask some absolutely interesting questions.  I can give you my opinion on most of them, whether or not my opinion is correct, well, ya never know.

Give me a day to digest them, and I'll answer you as soon as I can find simme time n the next day or two.

blessings,
carl


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Brilliant.  :D Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.  That in itself means a lot to me.  Take all the time you need.  Oh, but one more question.  Sorry, I thought of it moment after I sent my questions.  

8.  Can a person commit a sin in heaven?  This has always confused me greatly.  If not, how is free will still exercised?

Answer
8.  No. I'm sure that once you reach heaven, you won't have to exercise your free will.  The ultimate solution to Adam and Eve's original sin is heaven.  I think in heaven, everything is a-okay and you won't want to commit sin.  You'll be too busy praising God 24/7