1. I understand that christians believe that we need Jesus because we are seperated from God by sinful acts we committed. Now, my first question would be - why didn´t God just create humans that would not sin?
A virtuous act requires free choice otherwise it is not virtuous. Likewise an evil act requires choice otherwise it is not evil. Without the ability to choose virtue wouldn't be anything more than a "benefit" whilst evil would be a "calamity." And the answer I got was, that God did not want to create "robots", but rather people with free will. But, as I understand it, christians believe that they will have free will in heaven, but will only use their free will to "please God" and that heaven will thus be free of sin. So now my question would be - why didn´t God just create such a heaven in the first place where free will + no sin co-exist, since that seems to be what he wants and I thus see no reason for why he created the universe in the first place instead of just starting with heaven (I´ve also heard the answer that Satan corrupted his creation, but this doesn´t work for me for the same reason - why not create angels that would only use their free will as God wants them to, meaning that there never would have been any fallen angels in the first place?).
Again virtue by necessity requires it to be voluntary. Are charitable acts truly charitable if they are performed under duress? God wants a people who "freely choose" to love Him and love their neighbour.
2. I understand that evangelical christians believe that all humans deserve punishment in hell for their sins (the non-evangelical christians I have met so far however don´t seem to believe that). I don´t understand how that can be fair / just. Afaict, evangelicals believe that it is impossible for humans to commit no sins whatsoever (Romans 3:23)
The context of this verse...,
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Is within the framework that genuine righteousness (the righteousness of God) is through the faith (abiding in the will of God as opposed to resisting it) of Jesus Christ.
Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
In other words Jesus manifested the righteousness of God apart from the law in the sense that His righteousness flowed from a heart that was pure (and thus in submission to the will of the Father) as opposed to flowing from a necessity to obey a set of rules. Those whom "believe" actually manifest righteousness via the same methodology because they have aligned themselves with Jesus Christ and His teachings. Hence the justification (being declared by God as righteous) is through the grace (God's mercy and instruction) through the redemption (a being set free from the bondage of sin) that is found by abiding in the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ. The death of Christ being that which dedicated the Covenant by which men can be reconciled to God through which God freely forgives the past sins of those who approach Him with a heart no longer set on rebellion.
Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
, so even the best of us will have committed some sins.
It is very important to define sin for there is much confusion regarding the issue. But doesn´t that mean that the punishment in hell is not actually for what we did, but rather for what we are?
Indeed it is both. It doesn´t seem fair to me to punish a human being for being human.
Being human does not equal being a sinner. The sin that condemns is always a choice. I have heard the answer that it is not strictly impossible to live a life free of sin because Jesus was human and lived a sin-free life. But I don´t see the logic in that, that sounds like saying that humans could raise people from the dead and walk on water because Jesus was human and he could do it.
Manifesting spiritual power that violates the perceived laws of the physical universe is a very different subject than choosing to do evil. So, where is the fairness / justice in this concept?
The condemnation of the wicked is not on whether one can perform miracles so to speak but on whether one has rejected the light of truth.
Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
3. How can an eternal punishment be reconciled with God being just in any case? We wouldn´t call a human judge who sentences everyone, from a thief who stole some bread to feed his starving family to a serial rapist/murderer to "death by torture" a "just" judge - we would call him cruel and arbitrary. So why is this different with God?
You are using extreme examples of wrongdoing done under duress. The Bible clearly teaches that wicked people do wicked things because they choose to do so, not due to any duress (starvation). God said to Cain that he ought rule over sin but instead Cain chose to let sin rule over him and thus he murdered his brother...
Gen 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Gen 4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Gen 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
James teaches that sin is resultant of...
Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Thus human beings are tempted to sin but they are never forced to sin. If human beings sinned by necessity then it would indeed be unjust of God to condemn sinners for that which they do naturally.
It was early Greek philosophy which taught that the vice inherent in humanity was a result of a birth nature and this philosophical paradigm was later adopted into Christian orthodoxy through Rome (ie. Catholicism), particularly through Bishop Augustine in the Fourth Century.
Original sin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Augustine and Original Sin - YouTube
4. I don´t understand how christian beliefs can be reconciled with personal accountability.
Many modern Christian beliefs cannot be reconciled with accountability. Yet this is not a reflection on the teachings of Jesus or the Bible but rather on the teachings of men as they force the philosophy of men onto the teachings of Jesus and the Bible. We believe that we are personally responsible for our actions, but in christianity, Jesus took this responsibility away and got punished in our stead.
This is not true. The doctrine of "Penal Substitition" in REFORMED THEOLOGY teaches that Jesus was punished in the stead of a Christian and thus took away the believers responsibility. That doctrine was formulated by Reformers in the 1600's and was not taught before then.
Penal substitution - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://www.theopedia.com/Penal_substitutionary_atonement
Penal Substitition was an adaption of the Satisfaction Model put forth by Bishop Anselm of Cantebury in the 11th century.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisf...edia.com/Satisfaction_theory_of_the_atonement
Many of the Reformers were lawyers and thus it was easy for them to add a judicial element to the Model that Anselm had put forth. This notion also complimented their view that human beings sinned out of necessity (due to Augustinian theology) and thus salvation must be something set apart from this necessity to sin.
How can one simultaneously believe in personal accountability and christianity?
One cannot believe in personal 'responsibility' and what often passes as Christian theology today. If human beings sin of necessity then they are simply not responsible for such action anymore than a man who is born blind is responsible for his blindness.(also, why didn´t Jesus have to suffer for eternity in hell if that is the appropriate punishment for sin?).
Jesus simply did not take the punishment as a substitute for sinners. That perception is an invention of men. This point you have made I have raised many times...
http://christianchat.com/bible-disc...odern-strawman-heresy-penal-substitution.html
5. Independent of whether one believes that libertarian free will exists or not, it seems obvious to me that beliefs cannot be chosen. I can see how my beliefs could change by seeing new evidence, hearing new arguments and so on and so forth. But I can´t simply choose to *genuinely* believe something out of the blue.
That is correct and this is why God is a rewarder of those who DILIGENTLY seek Him.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
God's righteousness is revealed through faith. Yet men have no excuse to not diligently seek GOd because the creation itself reveals the Divine Mind behind it. Ordered information systems cannot proceed from disorder and randomness.
Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
I don´t claim to have studied all the arguments for christianity in detail (I most certainly did not), but so far, I don´t find the evidence for christianity to be convincing.
If you are going to base your assessment of Christianity off modern theology, modern theologians, and thus generally what is passed as Christianity today then you will not find the evidence very convincing. That is why you must be diligent and hungry for the real truth, whatever that may turn out to be (ie. approach it like a child in sincerity and be willing to forgo preconecieved bias). Genuine Christianity is not for the lazy or those who do not truly care for the truth. Laziness and not really caring about reality are choices and one can simply choose to to not be lazy and to begin to care about reality, it is a good choice to make. I can´t simply choose to be convinced by something out of the blue.
No, but you can choose to diligently seek the truth like your life depended on it because in actual reality it does. So if christianity is true and I would die tomorrow, wouldn´t I be sent to hell for something I could not have chosen any other way?
You would be justly condemned for your rebellion against God. You (as have I) have freely chosen to do that which is wrong when you knew it was wrong (we all have a conscience) and thus we have indeed sinned and come short of the glory of God. Yet this is not God's wish for...
2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Thanks for your time!
cheerio,
Fabian