The Bible Line - October 4, 2022

Abby S., Jackson, MI - In response to the issue of transgenderism, I've heard people say, "God makes mistakes when creating people. It's obvious - just look at all the people born with disorders and missing limbs and such. Those people certainly aren't perfect. And some people are born in the wrong gender because God didn't create them perfectly, so they have to take the initiative and fix that." My answer has always been that we live in a fallen world stained by sin, and that's why some people are born with genetic disorders and such, but I'm realizing I don't have a very good response to the issue of transgenderism. I don't believe God can make mistakes when creating, but some psychologists would argue that people do suffer from a disorder of believing they are in the wrong body and they must transition to the other gender if they are to live another day. How is transgenderism different from physical disorders? I'd love to hear how you would respond to someone saying that transitioning to the opposite gender is simply "fixing" a mistake on God's part of creating someone in the wrong gender.

Alberto, Savannah, GA - Why is the Catholic Church not condemning things like the Apocrypha, like not bringing a  Bible to church every Sunday, and why isn't the Pope pushing Sola Scriptura?

Isabella - When you die and go to heaven will you be able to recognize people who have predeceased you? And will you know that those who went to hell are not in heaven?

Grace, Bluffton, SC - Is sexual orientation fixed? Are people born gay at birth? I know everyone has different temptations that they struggle with. Is wanting to live a gay lifestyle simply a temptation one has to deal with for his or her life? If God is so clear that living a gay lifestyle is wrong and that it is a sin, why would He create someone who is gay? This is a question I've recently been wrestling with as I encounter more people, even in the church, who are saying that being gay is okay because you are born that way, and you can't change who you inherently are or who God made you to be.

Eleanor, Beaufort, SC - What would Pastor Carl recommend as a set of Old Testament commentaries?

James - What does Pastor Carl think John was writing about in Revelation 17:6 when he was writing about the woman riding on the beast.

Marie, Savannah, GA -What is your opinion of the book "Is Atheism Dead?" by Eric Metaxas? Thank you,

Randy, RIncon, SC - The KJV talks about the fourth individual in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, but Randy has heard that other versions refer to the fourth individual as being 'like one of the gods.' What gives?