Would aliens disprove God? Why don’t we talk about the devil more? What does the Bible say about the modern state of Israel? These are just some of the questions John attempts to answer in our tenth Undeceptions Q&A!

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You can access a transcript for the episode here

Here are the questions John answers in this episode:

1. With the US claiming the presence of Aliens…. there are so many questions! How does this affect the Christian belief system? Does God love aliens too? Are Aliens angels? What does this mean going forward if the bible teaches us that we are made in God’s image?
2. I recently came across the Greek word and idea of Arcadia. Could you please explain Christianity’s engagement with the term, and detail the differences between the concept of heaven, and Arcadia?
3. If you have free will in heaven, how can it be that no one ever sins?
4. Should we still talk about Satan or the Devil, and in what context? Clearly, in the Bible, Jesus and others frequently referred to Satan as a person and tempter, but this seems to have fallen out of current Christian dialogue. Even the Lord’s Prayer now says to deliver us from evil, not ‘the evil one’. Is it because references to Satan/the Devil are not fashionable, and sound archaic, or are we saying that sin comes from somewhere else, like our innate rebellion against God or just our fallen human nature?
5. It sounds like archaeological evidence is sketchy on whether or not the historical city matches the biblical account of the city of Jericho (from the Book of Joshua). How does archaeology work for events so very far back in the past? And if there really no were walls (or sizable ones at least) to come ‘tumbling down’ then what does that say about the veracity of the biblical accounts in that period? I (also) have a question about the historicity surrounding the Exodus narrative … from my understanding, it is quite contested, and my question is how do we approach the Old Testament from a historical lens, and how does that affect the way we interpret it as a “ God-breathed” text?
6. A dear friend and I often have chats about the seeming misogynist perspective of the Old Testament writings. We love the bible, but there are some tough parts of the OT to grapple with as a Christian woman living in 2023. We grieve over stories of violence against women that don’t seem to be explicitly condemned. Certain laws also would seem to perpetuate power imbalances between women (Deuteronomy 22:13-19) and seem to paint women as of little worth (Gen 19:7-8) or like property (Deuteronomy 21:10-14). Men who are highly regarded by God (David and Solomon) seemed to treat women like objects. We are curious why the protection of women wasn’t a clearer mandate of living as part of God’s chosen people. How do women read the bible without feeling angry and forgotten by God?
7. I wonder if you can help us how to think of modern-day Israel as opposed to the nation of Israel, and even modern-day Jews. Are those three groups the same? How should we understand biblical promises? Are they to modern-day Israel and modern-day Judaism?
8. Dan Carlin on an episode of Hardcore History described early Christians as “ISIS-level fanatics … in a peaceful sense.” Is there a place for Christian fanaticism (in a peaceful sense) … and do we just send them out on a mission?
9. The Book of Common Prayer has influenced Christian worship ever since it was “published”. What is its history? Upon what was it based? How far back can we trace specific works that precede it? I know it uses Psalms so that goes way back. What documents used … can we trace?
10. How would you explain living a Christian life to primary-aged kids?