Calling God to be our Heavenly Father is his idea and hence it is not a blasphemy: John 1:12-13 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

Christianity is special in the following ways.

Christians do not worship the cross as this is tantamount to idolatry. However during act of worship some churches practices bowing before the cross, however they are not bowing to the cross, but bowing to the unseen God. The cross is there just as a symbol and for the remembrance that Jesus was nailed to the cross. The cross is in no way represent God. Some churches completely do away with the symbol of the cross during worship and that is perfectly alright.

The different denominations come into existence because different people want to practice their faith in different ways. That is perfectly alright because there is no fixed and single way in which one needs to practice his faith. God is a god of variety and surprise. On many occasions spontaneity and creativity do enhance one's knowledge and closeness to God. The only ground rule is that the practice of each denomination must be biblical and does not deviate from the core teaching of the Bible, i.e. on the oneness of God and His plan for the salvation of man. .

This is a very general question and therefore a general answer will be given. Christians' holy book is the Bible. In all honesty, the Bible is not a book with details on physics, biology, chemistry, accounting, politics etc. It is not a book on how one can use to weld a pipe. Neither it is a book on how one can use to solve X2 + y2 = P.

But it does teach a person on how to live an honest live such that he will do an excellent job and efficient in his work. It also teaches a person to rely on God to solve his worldly problems and challenges. It is a book for the mortal soul with focus on the spiritual. It is also a book about how one can restore one's relationship with God, his neighbours and even his enemies. It provides the ultimate solution to man greatest question and need. The need is how do we go to heaven given the sins that we have and committed? How can we be assured that our sin is forgiven? To this greatest question and need, the solution from the Bible is clear, simple, assured and complete.

Christians believe that there is only one God and here are some of the proofs from the scriptures:
Deut 6:4 and Mark 12:29 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one'.

James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder.

Other references on the oneness of God : John 5:44, Roman 3:30, Timothy1:17.

Trinity is not about three Gods. Trinity is about ONE God who exists in three Persons, namely God the Father, God the Son (The Word of God) and God the Holy Spirit (The Spirit of God).

Mathematically speaking we cannot count God in the same manner we count objects or physical things. When we say that an object is one, we define that oneness in the contact of TIME and SPACE. However God is beyond TIME and SPACE. We know that God is everywhere, therefore if we apply the concept of oneness to God in the same manner we use the term for physical object, then God must be very big in size in order for Him to be one. For how can God who is everywhere be one unless he is very big. However God is neither big nor small. Therefore how can God be one when He is neither big nor small and that He is everywhere? In short the mathematical formula 1 + 1 +1 to count God collapses because we cannot count God in the same manner we count objects. The one God who exists as God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit is uncountable using our mathematical concept of counting physical objects. When we use number one when referring to God, we must use his concept of number one, not ours.

From the scripture, we understand that God the Father is God, while God the Son is the God's Word and that God the Holy Spirit is God's Spirit.
We can rewrite this as,
God + God's Word + God's Spirit

From John 1:1 we read that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". From this verse we can see that God and His Word is one and the same God. Likewise God' Spirit is of God and is one with God. In short, both the Word and the Spirit of God have always been in the beginning with God and are of God and are God. By understanding this unique relationship between God, the Word and the Spirit, we can rewrite the relationship as follows :

God + God's Word + God's Spirit = 1 God.

This is the same as saying that

God the Father + God the Son + God the Holy Spirit = 1 God.

We can appreciate this relationship in the same manner that
Body + Mind + Spirit = 1 man

Yes Trinity is complicated and complex. That is a fact because God is a complex God. If God's creation is very complex, then God should be far more complex. Simple idea about God can mean that God has not revealed much about himself, therefore we have little to say about Him. So when we know little about Him we tend to have a simple idea about Him. On the contrary, trinity is a complex concept for in reality God is indeed complex and his existence and nature is so complex that it is beyond our comprehension. Christians believe that we should not over simplify the very complex nature of God. Trinity is a full revelation of a complex God.

It is true that the word Trinity cannot be found in the Bible, however the concept has always been in the Bible :

Mathew 28:19 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"

John 10:30 "I and the Father are one".

2 Corinthians 13:14 "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

The concept of the Trinity also appears in the Old Testament :

Isaiah 7: 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (God with us).

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Daniel 7:12-14 13 "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man (Jesus), coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days (God the Father) and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Genesis1: 2 talks about "The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters". Verse 3 begins "And God said ……" God created through his Word. This is the same Word of God that John talked about in John 1:1.

From here we can see that the concept is biblical and not fabricated by earlier Christians. The concept appears both in the Old and New Testaments.

The sonship of Jesus is not biological but spiritual in meaning. The meaning does not involve sex and relationship between God and a woman. The meaning of Son of God is the same meaning as the Word of God. The Son and Word are interchangeable. Jesus was born of Virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit. Of course Jesus could still come to the world without going through birth. But God chose Him to be born of a woman instead of coming to this world through other means.

When Christians say that Jesus is God, they are not saying that man becomes God, but that God becomes man. As prophesied in the Old Testament, God becoming man is God's idea and plan (see answer to question 3.2). The New Testament records the fulfillment of those prophesies.

Of course Jesus did not walk around saying "I am God, worship me". However by reading what he and the prophets said in the scriptures, we can see that he is God.

John 8:57 "I tell you the truth", Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am".

John 14:11 "I am in the Father and the Father is in me"

Matthew 26:63-64 The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are Christ, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say." Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you : In the future you will see that the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Revelation 22: 12 - 16 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. …. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

Mat 22: 41 - 45 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied. He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says, "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."' If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" (By saying this Jesus was saying that the Messiah is more then just the descendant of David. He is the God incarnate)

The external evidence comprises the Jews who do not believe in him including the Jewish priests. They heard Jesus claiming himself to be God. To the Jews that is blasphemy and the person who committed that act is justified to be put to death. That was why the Jewish priest was determined to put Jesus to death. Although the Jews and Christian have different views about Jesus, however both agreed that Jesus claimed to be God and for that reason he was crucified.

Mathew 14:61-63 Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?". "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?' he asked. "You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" They all condemned him as worthy of death.

God doesn't have inferiority complex that he is worried when people saying that He stoop very low to assume a human nature in the person of Jesus Christ.

Becoming man has been God's plan. In fact prophets before Jesus has prophesied about this events :

Around 700 years before Jesus was born, Prophet Isaiah prophesied :

Isaiah 7: 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel ( God with us ).

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor , Mighty God , Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Around 553 years before Jesus, another prophet also prophesied about God becoming man:

Daniel 7:12-14 13 "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man (Jesus) , coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days (God) and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him . His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Isaiah and Daniels are not Christians, yet they supported the fact that the Messiah (Jesus) is God himself. When Jesus said that he is the Son of God, it is the fulfillment of what the prophets before him said.

From John - 1:14, we read that Jesus is the Word of God who became man. In order word, Jesus has a dual nature i.e. He is both God and man. He is 100% God and 100% man. His attributes for being God is the same as that of God the Father. As He is the Word of God, God the Father created all things through Him. Also being the Word of God, He judges, and delivers us from our sin. He is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. At the same time he is sinless and holy.

Whilst at the same time God, Jesus chose to become man (John 1: 13 - The Word became flesh and dwell amongst us) by emptying Himself of his heavenly glory. He took the nature of man and assumes the attributes of man. By doing that he feels pain, hungers and thirsts. Just like man, he needs food, water and shelter. Just like man he also prays to God His father. When Jesus prays, it is not a proof that he is not God, rather it is a proof that He is man whilst at the same time God. The only thing that Jesus did not do when he became man was to assume the sinful nature of man.

Since Jesus is both God and man, he possesses the attributes of both God and man, including man's need to pray and eat.

The answer to this question is the same as that for question 3.5. Jesus is both God and man. The man Jesus can die just like any other man. However the spiritual and divine Jesus did not die. When Jesus was crucified, his human form was the one that died but not the spirit.

The answer to this question is that same as that for questions 3.5 and 3.6. When Jesus died, it is only the human Jesus who died. His Spirit lives. When the human Jesus died, God the Father, God the Son (in the spirit) and God the Holy Spirit ruled the heaven and the earth.

The term "Son of Man" is a term used both in the Old and New Testaments referring to the Messiah who is God himself who became man. The Messiah has a dual nature. He is originally the Son of God who took the nature of man to become the Son of Man. Jesus the Messiah is both the Son of God and the Son of Man.

Sacrifice by shedding of the blood is God's idea. In the Old Testament time, God instructed the Israelites to sacrifice animals for the forgiveness of their sins. God views sins as something very serious and destructive to mankind. The Holy and perfect God cannot tolerate sin. Sin is not compatible with Him. The just penalty for sin is death. Hence, the destruction of life and shedding of blood is necessary to reflect the seriousness of sin in the eyes of God. However the shedding of animal's blood is not a perfect sacrifice. As a sign of His love for mankind, He send His own Son to suffer and die on the cross as a perfect sacrifice for the redemption of our sin. That sacrifice was planned by God since Adam's time when God said that the seed of Eve will strike the head of the serpent's offspring. God showed to Abraham what exactly he would do when he asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. When God tested Abraham to sacrifice his son, God himself was planning to do the same i.e. to offer his own Son to be sacrificed. John 3:16 - 17 says " For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son , that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." In short, the sacrifice on the cross was God's plan and its fulfillment.

Forgiveness by words alone and without the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is cheap and does not reflect the deadliness of sin. It is not sufficient and lack accountability. When we acknowledge that Jesus died for our sin, we are still accountable for our sin for without acknowledging that Jesus died on the cross because of my sin, there is no forgiveness. The sinful nature in us which cause us to commit sins cannot be forgiven simply by uttering the words alone. In order for us to be acceptable to God, the sinful nature has to be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb and undergone renewal by the power of the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness by words alone lacks the cleansing and renewal of our sinful nature, therefore it is not sufficient. When a person confesses that Jesus die for him, the Holy Spirit is working in him to transform him form a slave to sin to a born again individual.

The answer is a definite no and the scripture is very clear about this.

Roman 6:1-4 "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life'.

Thus believing in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ will result in a new life, a life which is no longer driven by sin, but a life guided by the Holy Spirit.

It does sound unfair. However if we were to use our own strength and holiness to enter heaven, we will never make it. The minimum requirement to enter Christians' heaven is not 51% good and 49% bad. The requirement is 100% good. Heaven is such a holy, clean and perfect place. Nothing unclean can enter heaven. Since everyone has sinned, no one is qualified to enter heaven. So what choice do we have? God knows that we do not have any choice or hope if we were to rely on our own strength and goodness. That is why God intervened through His grace and love, sent his Son to die as a ransom for our sin.

The suffering and death of Jesus was not an accident. God planned it and used his prophets to prophesy about the event. It is uncharacteristic of God to have planned something and then changed his mind. The God of the Bible is a credible, trustworthy and consistent. What He planned He executed.

The death of Jesus was prophesied by Isaiah some 680 years B.C.

Isaiah 53:4-10 Surely he took our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living ; for the transgressions of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, through he has done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering.

That was the plan of God said by a prophet almost 700 years before the event. Jesus the Son fulfilled that when he was led to death, beaten, crucified and buried. Creating someone else to appear like Jesus and to die in his place has not been God's plan. What justification can there be for God to change his plan?

There is no proof and reason for earlier Christians to corrupt the bible. On the contrary, Christian are forbidden to corrupt the bible :

Rev 21:18-19 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

In Mathew 13:31 , Jesus said "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away"

The existence of thousand of manuscripts points to the fact that the Bible has never been corrupted.

It is true that there are many different versions of translated Bibles. For English Bibles we have New International Version, King James Version, Revised Standard Version, Living Bibles and a few more. These versions however are translations of the Bible. The versions are needed depending on when and who translate the Bible. As English language evolved, new translation need to be done to enhance the accuracy of the translation.

However the original Bible in the original language had never been changed. The original Old Testament text in Hebrew and the New Testament text in Greek had never been changed. What changes are the only translated copies of the bible into other languages. However even for the translated bibles, the message does not change, it is only the words that change to enhance the accuracy of the translation.

To change the Old Testament is an impossible possibility. It is a collection of scriptures common to the Jews and Christians. No Jews would agree if the Christians were to corrupt the Bible and vise versa. Without a co-operation of both parties, the corruption of any part of the Bible is simply impossible. Similar arguments can be said of the New Testaments. Christianity have many denominations and to get all the various denominations to agree to corrupt the Bible is also an impossible task.

At a glance this statistics looks very serious. However when we look at this mistakes one by one we can come to a conclusion that the mistakes are not significant and do not alter the central doctrine and message of the Bible.

The number looks huge as it counts a single difference or mistake as one. For example, assuming that 50,000 copies of Bible manuscripts are being examined, and that each manuscripts have each one mistake either in the form of misspelled words, missing letters or double words. When added up this would be equal to 50,000 errors being found amongst the 50,000 copies being examined. This is not significant and most of the times the errors can be identified and corrected in view of the huge number of manuscripts available. An example on how this can be done are as shown below:

Manuscript 1 : 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord God, the Lord is one'. (1 error - "our" is missing)

Manuscript 2 : 'SHear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one'. (1 error - "Shear is misspelled")

Manuscript 3 : 'SHear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is is one'. (2 errors - "Shear "and an extra "is")

Manuscript 4 : 'Hear, O Israel, Lord our God, the Lord is one'. (1 error - missing "the")

By comparing the above manuscripts knowing all their errors, we can reconstruct the verse with confidence that the errors have been identified and can be corrected. The correct verse shall then be as follows :

'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one'.

This is to illustrate the points that critics of the Bible often exaggerate the errors or mistakes of the Bible in the course of its transmissions.

The Gospels stands for good news. Since Jesus is the Word of God who became flesh, He himself is the Gospel. He is the living Word of God, living and walking the godly life as a perfect example for every Christian to emulate. His life style, the words He spoke, the miracles He performed are parts of the Gospel. The living Jesus was not the written Gospel but the living One. Jesus did not write a Gospel for He is the Gospel. The writing of the written Gospel was tasked to his Apostles and followers.

The four written Gospel according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were written to record about the Living Gospel (Jesus). The gospels are inspired by the Holy Spirit. Each of the gospels uses different style and selection of words. Nevertheless their central message are the same, i.e. Jesus is God who came in the flesh to save mankind from their sin through his death and resurrection.

The four Gospels can be considered a communication media just like our newspapers. We can have many different newspapers covering the same event but essentially these newspapers are conveying the same message albeit using different style and words. God does not wants to restrict how His message needs to be conveyed as long as they convey the truth.

The Old Testament consists of scriptures written before Jesus whilst the New Testaments are those written after Him. The Old Testament is like a plan where God was preparing the people of Israel for the coming of the Messiah. Meanwhile, the New Testament details out the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies regarding the Messiah and the spread of the good news to the gentiles.

Sin is a combination of CAUSE and EFFECT. The cause is what is termed as natural sin. It is the driving force behind every sinful deed. It exists in our gene in the form of the knowledge of evil. It is the state of mind, the tendency, the desire and the inclination to act against the holy will and purpose of God. It is what leads to rebelliousness. It results in boosting, pride, selfishness and carnal desire. It is the deep rooted drive within our mind and soul that cause us to sin. God and the angels do not have this destructive and unholy attributes and that is why they don't sin. This evil attribute has corrupted mankind since Adam and Eve disobeyed God by taking the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Sinful acts are the consequence of our sinful nature. This is the EFFECT. When a baby is born, of course he has not yet committed any sinful deeds. However he is already sinful in the sense that he is already carrying the gene that will enable him to carry out sinful acts. For these reason, no one is without blemish in the eyes of God, even newly born babies. This is like a poisonous snake. We don't call a snake poisonous because it has poisoned someone. A poisonous snake is called poisonous because it is poisonous by nature regardless it has poisoned someone or not. Likewise, we are sinful by nature whether we have or have not committed acts of sin. We are not sinners just because of our sins, but we sin because we are sinners. Without the cause, there is no effect, hence the cause is more deadly then the effect. The dead of Christ on the cross is to deals with the root cause of sin, not just the effect or symptom.

Sins of various types and degrees are committed by mankind all over the world. Yes western countries are committing lots of sins. However eastern countries are also committing lots of sins. The main difference is that westerners are more open about their sins, therefore on the surface they appear to be more sinful. Eastern culture is not so open and have a tendency to suppress information. The truth is that all mankind are committing sin. In the west not everyone is a Christian. Even those who are Christians, not all are committed in their faith. The Christians value of the west should be judged by observing the lives of the committed Christians, not the overall lifestyle of the west. The comparison should not be between the worse of the west against the best of the east. .

There are three types of Christians, the first type are those who know the Bible and ignorant of science, the second are those who are ignorant of both the Bible and science, and the third type are those who are devout Christians and scientists.

The church leaders who disagreed with Galileo are either of the first or the second type of Christians. Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642) on the other hand is a devout Roman Catholic and he is the third type of Christians although he was persecuted by the church for his view in science. He once wrote "There are two big books, the book of nature (science) and the book of supernature, the Bible. Apart from a devout Christian, Galileo was a mathematician, physicist and astronomer. Based on Galileo's story, it is the mass media which misrepresent the view of the Bible in the light of science. Apart from Galileo, there are many Christians scientists who are famous for their ideas and inventions, such as

Nicolaus Copernicus - Canon of Frauenburg Cathedral Poland, astronomer Johannes Kepler - Lutheran, founder of modern optics, astronomer, mathematician)
Sir Isaac Newton - Believes that no science were better attested than the religion of the Bible. Known for formulation of laws of gravity.

Michael Faraday - discovered electro-magnetic induction
Robert Boyle - known for his Boyle's Law
Louis Pasteur - known for his contribution towards pasteurization
Lord Kelvin - contribution in modern physics
Joseph Lister - pioneered antiseptic surgery
James Maxwell - formulated electro-magnetic theory
Professor James Simpson - paved the way for painless surgery through anesthetics

The list can go on and on. From here we can see that the contribution of Christianity towards modern science is significant and thus point to the fact that Christianity is compatible with science.

It is also self evident that the most advanced countries in terms of science and technology in the world are mostly countries where Christians are the majority. The atmosphere and environment created by Christians in those countries do promote the advancement of science and technology.

Up to this moment Christianity is the only religion that is actively engaging with scientists in terms of unbiased dialogue on science versus religion. Christians are willing to have their Bible examined, scrutinized, criticized or even ridiculed. In the course of this battle, there are Christians who has forsaken their faith and become atheists. There are also atheists after spending years attacking the Bible and Christianity have converted to Christianity.

Who is the winner? We probably won't know the answer until the day the Lord comes (or He will never comes if Christianity is false). Scientists who are Christians believe that both science and Christianity will win. Science and Christianity are complementary. Whilst science addresses the how and when questions, Christianity addresses the why and who questions.

Yes, it is true that Christians are often at loggerhead with scientist. The reason is that Christianity is the only religion that is willing and without biase engage in this battle.

2 Peter 3:8 says "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day."

Also in Psalm 90:4, "For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has gone by, or like a watch in the light."

From these two verses, the Bible is telling us that God's perspective on the length of time is different than ours. To him a thousand, million, billion or even trillion years can be just like a day. So when God said that he created the universe in 6 days, He was using his definition of time which literally could mean 15 - 18 billions years to us. By the way, it is not the intend of the Bible to literally and accurately describe how and when the universe was created. The Bible is focusing on who created the universe and why it was created.

In Matthew 15:17- 20 we read "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean'. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'".

The same message is repeated in Matthew 7:18-19 : "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from outside can make him 'unclean'. For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of the body". (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean). He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean'. For from within, out of men's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean"

However in the Old Testament, the Jews are not allowed to take pork. It must be noted here that the Old Testament law is a combination of spiritual and civil laws. The prohibition of eating pork falls under the Jewish civil law. Therefore spiritually, as Jesus said, the eating of any food does not defile a person.

1 Cor 6:13 says, "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food - but God will destroy them both.

With regards to wine, Christians are permitted to take wine in moderation. (Finding shows that red wine taken in moderation do have medical benefit for the hearts). However the abuse of wine is not allowed :

Eph 5:18 "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 "Do not be deceived : Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor males prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God ."

Christians do fast however their fasting is not fixed to any particular time and duration. Furthermore Christian fasting is to be done in secret and such that it can only be seen by God.

Matthew 6:16 - 18 : "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen, and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you".

Christian fasting is not confined only to abstinent from food and drink but from any worldly and carnal pleasure. The emphasis is more on the state of the mind rather on the stomach.

Apart from group or corporate prayer, Christians are required to pray. They can pray anywhere, anytime and under any circumstances. However they do not announce their prayer and are to pray in secret :

Matthew 6:5 -6 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him".

Christians however can still pray in public by praying silence prayers.

Christians do not tolerate behavior that is against the words of God and the rule of law. However Christians refrain from taking cruel punishment such as death penalty, amputation of the arms and stoning. The following story of an adulterer explains why Christian do not resort to this kind of punishment:

John 8:3 - 9 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.

Christianity is not against marriage for the priests. However Jesus said that if a person is to commit himself full time to God and without having to worry about his family's welfare and safety in the course of his mission, then he should refrain from marrying. In the earlier part of church history, there was widespread persecution for those who spread the religion. In this type of environment, a priest or a missionary who married would not be effective in carrying out his evangelism work.

Marry or not to marry is a choice that churches and/or individual make. For Roman Catholics, they choose to take the more stringent option for their priest i.e. no marriage. Other denominations leave the decision to individual. Marriage is good and blessed by God. God also loves those who choose not to marry for the purpose of advancing his kingdom.

Teaching on homosexuality on the Bible is very clear and can be found in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 :

"Do not be deceived : Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor males prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God ."

Tony Campolo writes : "It is very important that all of us distinguished between homosexual orientation and homosexual behaviour. Homosexual orientation is an inclination to desire sexual intimacy with members of the same sex. Homosexual behaviour is 'making love' or seeking sexual gratification through physical interaction with members of the same sex. The first is desire. The second is action. The first is temptation. The second is yielding to temptation." Reference : Searching Issues by Nicky Gumbels.

Christians position on homosexuality is that we should not approve any homosexual behaviour as it is clearly against the Bible principles in the same manner we should not approve of other sins. However homosexual orientation may he born with in the same manner we are born with the desire to commit other sins. In that respect we should not be too quick to sentence those with homosexual orientation. Just like other sins, homosexuality requires God to intervene and break the bondage.

Homosexuality amongst priests is not only confined to Christianity. The sin permeates people of all walk of life, creed and religions.

To some Christians leaders who seems to tolerate homosexuality, they are of the opinion that homosexuality is a sin amongst other sins we have to deal with. It is similar to how do we treat a person who committed adultery in their hearts? The act is a sin, but the solution is not through excommunication from the church but through guidance and transformation of the individual by the Holy Spirit.

There are three types of Christians, the first type are those who know the Bible and ignorant of science, the second are those who are ignorant of both the Bible and science, and the third type are those who are devout Christians and scientists.

The church leaders who disagreed with Galileo are either of the first or the second type of Christians. Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642) on the other hand is a devout Roman Catholic and he is the third type of Christians although he was persecuted by the church for his view in science. He once wrote "There are two big books, the book of nature (science) and the book of supernature, the Bible. Apart from a devout Christian, Galileo was a mathematician, physicist and astronomer. Based on Galileo's story, it is the mass media which misrepresent the view of the Bible in the light of science. Apart from Galileo, there are many Christians scientists who are famous for their ideas and inventions, such as

Nicolaus Copernicus - Canon of Frauenburg Cathedral Poland, astronomer Johannes Kepler - Lutheran, founder of modern optics, astronomer, mathematician)
Sir Isaac Newton - Believes that no science were better attested than the religion of the Bible. Known for formulation of laws of gravity.

Michael Faraday - discovered electro-magnetic induction
Robert Boyle - known for his Boyle's Law
Louis Pasteur - known for his contribution towards pasteurization
Lord Kelvin - contribution in modern physics
Joseph Lister - pioneered antiseptic surgery
James Maxwell - formulated electro-magnetic theory
Professor James Simpson - paved the way for painless surgery through anesthetics

The list can go on and on. From here we can see that the contribution of Christianity towards modern science is significant and thus point to the fact that Christianity is compatible with science.

It is also self evident that the most advanced countries in terms of science and technology in the world are mostly countries where Christians are the majority. The atmosphere and environment created by Christians in those countries do promote the advancement of science and technology.

There are three types of Christians, the first type are those who know the Bible and ignorant of science, the second are those who are ignorant of both the Bible and science, and the third type are those who are devout Christians and scientists.

The church leaders who disagreed with Galileo are either of the first or the second type of Christians. Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642) on the other hand is a devout Roman Catholic and he is the third type of Christians although he was persecuted by the church for his view in science. He once wrote "There are two big books, the book of nature (science) and the book of supernature, the Bible. Apart from a devout Christian, Galileo was a mathematician, physicist and astronomer. Based on Galileo's story, it is the mass media which misrepresent the view of the Bible in the light of science. Apart from Galileo, there are many Christians scientists who are famous for their ideas and inventions, such as

Nicolaus Copernicus - Canon of Frauenburg Cathedral Poland, astronomer Johannes Kepler - Lutheran, founder of modern optics, astronomer, mathematician)
Sir Isaac Newton - Believes that no science were better attested than the religion of the Bible. Known for formulation of laws of gravity.

Michael Faraday - discovered electro-magnetic induction
Robert Boyle - known for his Boyle's Law
Louis Pasteur - known for his contribution towards pasteurization
Lord Kelvin - contribution in modern physics
Joseph Lister - pioneered antiseptic surgery
James Maxwell - formulated electro-magnetic theory
Professor James Simpson - paved the way for painless surgery through anesthetics

The list can go on and on. From here we can see that the contribution of Christianity towards modern science is significant and thus point to the fact that Christianity is compatible with science.

It is also self evident that the most advanced countries in terms of science and technology in the world are mostly countries where Christians are the majority. The atmosphere and environment created by Christians in those countries do promote the advancement of science and technology.