I believe a lot of things I would rather not believe. There are things about God I do not particularly like, but I realize the problem is mine. The God of the Bible and the teachings of the Word can be offensive or painful to embrace. Which is the hardest? Yours might not be on the list, so please choose from the list but then feel free to comment.
The question relates not to the world at large, but young, new, or less mature believers. This is obviously based upon your experiences and observations, and is about the situaiton in the now, not the past.
Poll Results
Which of the following is the hardest doctrine for new believers or less committed Christians to accept?
Eternal hell and torment, and the fact that the road to it (the broad way) has many on it. Votes: 5
Separation from the sinful things of the world (porn, inappropriate movies/TV shows, drugs, immoderate drinking, etc). Votes: 1
Other Votes: 2
Salvation through Jesus Christ alone and only through Jesus (the John 14:6 thing). Votes: 0
Creation, the Flood, miracles, etc. Votes: 0
Appropriate sex and marriage: two genders, practicing homosexual sex is wrong, sex outside of marriage is wrong, transgender Votes: 3
Election (for those believing in Sovereign Grace/Calvinism in this area) Votes: 1
God commanding the genocide of the Canaanites and other seemingly harsh commands Votes: 2
The reality of Satan and his demons Votes: 0
Biblical inerrancy Votes: 0
The role of women in the church (or family) Votes: 1
Discussion
NewLifestyle
In our context, the “lifestyle” issues have definitely been the biggest obstacle for new converts. Not because it’s necessarily the most important issue, but because it’s the most visible. You can be at our church for months and not know what our doctrine of hell or creation is. But it only takes a single conversation with a random church member in the lobby to discover that we have very distinct views on marriage, parenting, entertainment, dress, ect. This is where disciple-making and earning trust in the context of relationships really becomes essential.
Josh Stilwell, associate pastor, Alathea Baptist Church, Des Moines, Iowa.
Fun and Mental