Questions and Answers
Having reviewed both the criticism and approval of the family model God gave at the dawn of civilisation in the previous five Q&A’s, let us now look at Scriptures that show how necessary the family is in a well-ordered society and how it will be in the soon-coming Kingdom of God on earth when Jesus Christ returns. In our booklet “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families”, we read the following on page 18 under the heading “The Christian Family”: “As the Bible gives clear instructions as to the individual roles and functions of husbands and wives, it also explains the duties and responsibilities of fathers and mothers toward their children, and of the children toward their parents. “As we have far too many marriage problems, we also have FAR too many family problems. Too often, parents know little about proper parenting, and rebellious children are the result. Children who are victims of divorce are expected to be resilient when someone they love suddenly disappears from their life. More often than not, they grow up with multiple mothers, fathers, and grandparents due to remarriage, and yet are left to fend for themselves too much of the time, because no one has time for them. “We read,… In the 4th part of this Q&A, we started to look at those who are committed to, and promote, the institution of the God-ordained family. Let us continue to review this much more positive attitude towards the biblical family environment which is the bedrock of a stable society. Quoting selectively from the USA website concernedwomen, we see that they are concerned about: 1. The disrespect for and devaluation of the family and for the unique contribution of fathers and mothers. The attempt to deny biological distinctions between men and women. 2. Sexual promiscuity, cohabitation and sexually transmitted diseases. 3. The alarming increase in violence in American households, including same-sex and opposite-sex partner assaults, spousal assaults, and child and elder abuse. And they are working to see: 1. The family esteemed as the bedrock institution of society consisting of individuals related by blood, marriage (the legal union of one man and one woman), birth, or adoption. The respect for the distinctiveness of men and women. 2. Society value and respect marriage, encourage sexual abstinence before marriage and educate on the dangers of promiscuity. 3. An end to violence within households, especially the sexual abuse of children, while reinforcing the importance and autonomy of healthy families. And, importantly, they are doing this from a biblical viewpoint, which is encouraging to see. In his article… After looking at a sample of the criticism of the godly-ordained family where there is so much antipathy towards this institution, let us now look at those who contend earnestly with the opposite view – that of preserving what God has designed although many approach this from a human point of view, resorting to human reasoning, and, often, without any references to God’s instructions on the matter. In the Daily Mail newspaper in May 2022, excerpts were published from the new book “The Case Against The Sexual Revolution” by feminist Louise Perry. We will quote, selectively, what she has to say about marriage. “Monogamous marriage is by far the most stable and reliable foundation on which to build a family. “But while the monogamous marriage model may be unusual, it is also spectacularly successful. When monogamy is [adopted by] a society it tends to become richer and more stable, with lower rates of both child abuse and domestic violence. Birth rates and crime rates both fall, which encourages economic development, and wealthy men, denied the opportunity to devote their resources to acquiring more wives, instead invest in property, businesses, employees and other productive endeavours. “A monogamous marriage system is successful in part because it… In the first two parts of this series, we looked at just a tiny part of the criticism directed at the traditional family – husband and wife, plus any children they may have. Much of the criticism, but not exclusively, comes from those intent on pushing the sexual agenda emanating from LGBT+ issues. With the uptake in different ungodly lifestyles, removal of existing norms is seen as necessary to accommodate the new “freedom” to do what they want and that is expressed as contempt to what the great God of the Bible stated in His Word at the dawn of civilisation. Another criticism can be read in fee.org. “Even today the aversion to the traditional family remains strong in socialists. A 2019 article in The Nation, titled “Want to Dismantle Capitalism? Abolish the Family,” offers a glimpse of the modern socialist critique of the institution. “We know that the nuclear private household is where the overwhelming majority of abuse can happen,” author Sophie Lewis explains. “And then there’s the whole question of what it is for: training us up to be workers, training us to be inhabitants of a binary-gendered and racially stratified system, training us not to be queer.” “For true believers of collectivism, there’s… The day of the “nuclear” family” – husband, wife and children – is no longer applicable. An article in “betterhelp” states: “Gone are the days when nuclear families (mom, dad + one or more kids) are considered the norm in the United States. These days, different family types are not only common but also much more accepted than they were in the past. It’s not uncommon to be raised by a single mother or be part of a mixed family. It seems more uncommon to live in a household where both parents are happily married, unfortunately, although many of those families do still exist.” The family is under attack because of its importance. It is yet another attack on the family which God initiated some 6,000 years ago and has continued right down through the millennia attacking the family at every available opportunity. It would be fair to say that such attacks on the family will, somewhere, have the fingerprints of Satan on it. So, first of all, let us look at those who are in favour of its removal or dismissal, undoubtedly with Satan somewhere in the mix. In the New York Post in September 2020, it was confirmed that “Black Lives Matter scrubbed a page on its website this week that disparaged the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure….they removed a… In the following series of Q&As, we will be setting forth comments for and against the divine institution of the godly-ordained family. It should come as no surprise that we wholeheartedly support and agree with the concept that marriage is between a man and a woman, and that the Christian family consists of such a union together with their child or children. We will be quoting opinions and statements from articles and books advocating this concept, and also those arguing against it, thereby showing how far our societies have departed from the mind of the living God of the Bible. At the same time, we may not agree with those who, even though they support the traditional family, may advance ideas as to how, in their opinion, such a family should be functioning. We may agree with some or many of those concepts, but we may disagree with others, and we did not take the time to explain in each and every circumstance where we might disagree, even though we have, at times, added a “disclaimer” or further information. In any event, none of the quoted opinions should be viewed as including an endorsement on our part as to how the… The idea that Jesus Christ is an angel or “the archangel Michael” is utterly absurd. However, some major church denominations claim, using a few selected biblical passages, that Jesus Christ is the archangel Michael. In this Q&A, we will examine these Scriptures in depth, but also consider other Scriptures that are deliberately omitted, and prove that this idea is absolutely false. We will begin with the first quotes and biblical passages that supposedly prove that Jesus is the archangel Michael. One article states that it is reported in Daniel 10:13, 21 that Michael came to the aid of an angel and that he is described as one of the first princes. The New King James Version translates Daniel 10:13 as follows: “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.” The German Menge Bible writes: “…until at last Michael, one of the chief princes of the angels, came to my aid…” The New International Version writes: “…Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me…” The German Revised Luther Bible 2017 translates: “…and behold, Michael, one of the… On christiantoday.com, we read a typical repudiation of the order that God has set in the Church. Here is a brief extract: “Another context we need to take into consideration was the cultural background of the time and proximity. The church of Corinth is not a congregation that was born two weeks ago. It was a church built by people of a different time and a different culture all together. What may mean something to us will mean something completely different to the people of that time. “What was ancient Corinth like? It existed in a day and age and in a culture where it was more beneficial and secure for women to refuse certain cultural and societal roles — and leadership was one of them. “But today, that’s no longer the case. It’s now safe and beneficial for women to lead. That gives all women just as much right to spiritually and strategically lead as men.” What a flimsy argument that is, to be able to negate clear Scriptural instruction in order for women to do what they want to – and this article was written by a man! 1 Corinthians 14:37 is clear. The apostle Paul wrote: “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet… In a Q&A in April 2017, entitled “Does God Change?” we quoted the following observations. We have underlined key phrases: “In an article in April 2015 in the New York Times, a columnist wrote: ‘And homosexuality and Christianity don’t have to be in conflict in any church anywhere. That many Christians regard them as incompatible is understandable, an example not so much of hatred’s pull as of tradition’s sway. Beliefs ossified over centuries aren’t easily shaken. But in the end, the continued view of gays, lesbians and bisexuals as sinners is a decision. It’s a choice. It prioritizes scattered passages of ancient texts over all that has been learned since — as if time had stood still, as if the advances of science and knowledge meant nothing. It disregards the degree to which all writings reflect the biases and blind spots of their authors, cultures and eras. It ignores the extent to which interpretation is subjective, debatable.’” Can we see how subtle and deceptive this all is? The article goes on to show how “advances” in understanding have been made with respect to slavery, contraception, gender roles and same-sex marriages. This author and the people he quotes who share many of… Man’s fascination with UFOs and aliens seems to know no bounds. Apart from science fiction movies, more and more reports are being published of people claiming to have seen UFOs or of having had “close encounters of the third kind,” including having allegedly been the victims of alien abductions. In a recent article by Politico, dated November 17, it was stated: “Early in Ronald Reagan’s second term, he asked his Soviet counterpart a seemingly off-the-wall question… Reagan turned to his Cold War enemy and said: ‘What would you do if the United States were suddenly attacked by someone from outer space? Would you help us?,’ Gorbachev later recounted. ‘I said, “No doubt about it.” He said, “We too.”’… “Reagan… had an encounter with a UFO while riding in a plane in the 1970s. Reagan, it turns out, wasn’t the only president who has had a more than passing interest in the possibility of extraterrestrial life. For the past half-century, almost every president has come to office pledging — publicly or privately — to get to the bottom of UFOs… “Jimmy Carter spotted his UFO while waiting for a Lion’s Club event to start on Jan. 6, 1969… [According to Politico, this UFO was later explained as a man-made natural…What do you think of the family’s continued demise? (Part 6)
What do you think of the family’s continued demise? (Part 5)
What do you think of the family’s continued demise? (Part 4)
What do you think of the family’s continued demise? (Part 3)
What do you think of the family’s continued demise? (Part 2)
What do you think of the family’s continued demise? (Part 1)
Is Jesus Christ the archangel Michael?
How do you regard the culture of the time argument when it comes to biblical matters? (Part 2)
How do you regard the culture of the time argument when it comes to biblical matters? (Part 1)
UFOs—Aliens, Angels or Demons?
