These questions were written by the youth and leaders of Fourth Church Rising, the 8th grade confirmation program at Fourth Presbyterian Church, at our fall retreat earlier this month. The questions are not listed in any particular order, but have been loosely grouped together by topic. The questions could be further subdivided into more specific topics, but this would begin to suggest answers, which we will explore together as we go along…
God
- How is it possible that God was always here? How did he exist in the first place?
- Why does God allow evil?
- If God created everything, who created God? (…and all the other deities mentioned in the creation story?)
- Why does God let people die of AIDS?
- Why does God let babies die?
- Does God listen to people’s prayers?
- Why does God let bad things happen?
- Is there really a God?
- How do we know God is real? Nobody has ever seen him in the last thousand years.
- If God can intervene, why do disasters happen? Were Darfur, Katrina, the tsunami, and 9/11 really in God’s plan?
- Does God answer our prayers? Does he hear them?
- Why should we worship someone who doesn’t answer?
- How does God smite people?
- How does God communicate with us?
- How does God deal with prayers?
- Why does God let bad things happen?
- Why does God let those kids in Africa starve to death?
- Why must we worship one who does not answer?
- If God created people in his image, why are there bad people?
- Are disasters a way of God getting around Noah’s covenant?
- Is God always with us?
- Why does God let innocent people get hurt?
- Why did God create guns?
- Why did God kill the lead singer of Sublime?
Creation
- Why was the earth created the way it was?
- Why were there dinosaurs?
- How did God create the universe?
- Why are there floods?
The Human Condition
- Why do people die?
- Why is it that when we try really hard to do something and make a genuine effort, it never seems to work out? (Not physical or academic things, but things in life in general.)
- Why do the Cubs keep losing?
- Why did God create humans so they have to sleep and eat?
- Is there a purpose for all the suffering on earth?
- Why am I the way I am?
- Why are there so many unanswered questions?
- Why do people have to die of cancer?
- Why were we created?
- Who am I? Why can’t you tell me who I am?
- Why do bad things happen?
- What is God trying to show me when I fight with my mother or boyfriend?
- What did I do wrong to deserve such horrible health issues? And why have I come out of surgeries successfully and others haven’t?
- If everything happens for a reason, why do people get hurt or die?
- Does everything happen for a reason?
- Why are some people liked more than others?
- Why are there hermaphrodites?
Jesus Christ
- Why do we believe in Jesus Christ?
- Was Mary a hermaphrodite?
The Bible
- How do we know the Bible contains real stories?
- Why didn’t God write the Bible himself?
Justice
- Why don’t Africans have water or food?
- Why doesn’t God protect those who can’t protect themselves?
- Why is segregation still in the world?
- Why are there people in Africa who are still starving?
- What’s the reason for poverty?
Christianity
- If Christianity is the true faith, what happens to non-Christians?
After Life
- If we go to heaven for eternity after life, what is the point of life?
- Does everyone go to heaven?
- What is heaven and hell?
- Do heaven and hell exist?
