I visited Launceston Church Grammar School in July for Bishop’s Day. It was a joy! We celebrated an excellent “Christmas in Winter’ in the Chapel as well as a very moving Baptism and Confirmation service. I relearnt some TCE chemistry at the Secondary Campus: thermodynamic reactions – exothermic and endothermic and I even calculated the lab prac to get the graph going in the correct direction! Life’s small victories!
The Junior School questions from Grade 6 ‘Q & A with the Bishop’ or colloquially ‘Bishop in the Lions’ Den!’ led to profound conversation with respect and gentleness. The students’ questions follow – they may be helpful to those involved in Youth activities and are sure to stimulate some interesting conversations:
On being a Bishop…
- How did you become a Bishop? Why did you want to be a bishop? How old were you when you became a Bishop?
- What’s the difference between a priest and a Bishop?
- What does your job involve? Do you come under much conflict in your job?
- What denomination do you come from? What’s the difference between a Christian and a Catholic?
- What does Anglican mean? What are the “rules” of Anglicanism?
- Why are there denominations?
- What did you do before you became a Bishop?
Personal Questions…
- How long have you believed in God?
- Have you always believed in God?
- Why do you believe in God?
- How old were you when you accepted Jesus?
- Did you believe in God since you were a child.., is your family a Christian? When did you become a Christian?
- Do you have a wife?
- Has God changed your life and why? Has believing in God changed your life?
- What is your favourite passage in the Bible?
- Would you change your life in anyway if God gave you the power to?
- Do you have a motor bike?
- Why do you have donkeys?
Theological questions…
- How did God come to be… was he born?
- How do you know Jesus is real? How do we know that God is real?
- What do you think God looks like? Does he have a moustache? Is God fat? How tall is God?
- How do we know the Bible is true?
- Is heaven and Hell real?
- Why are we suffering from Adam and Eve’s choices?
- How do you REALLY think the world was created?
- Do you believe in the OLD earth theory or the NEW earth theory?
- Why does God let bad things happen to good people?
- Why do you think we have wars.., and how do you think we can solve them?
- Why do we die? What happens when you die?
- Who is the oldest person in the Bible.., how old were they?
- Name 5 reasons people should believe in God?
- How many types of sin is there… are they different? Has God ever talked to you?
- What do you think would happen if Jesus came back to earth?
- How much does God love a prisoner?
- How do you become an angel?
- Is there anything that proves the Bible is real apart from faith?
- How many religions are there in the world?
- A very specific one… bring your Bible!! (the background is 2 Kings 2: 23):
- Why did God send down two bears to maul 42 children when some kids said “go on up you baldy”?
My thanks to the Headmaster Stephen Norris, Jane King Head of Junior Campus, Nick Foster Head of Senior Campus, Mark Cox Pastoral Dean and chemistry educator, the School Chaplains Paul Grayston and Elizabeth Poland, staff and students. I thoroughly enjoyed the day!
See from previous years: Grades 6 + Year 10 Q&A with the Bishop and Grade 6 and Year 12 Religion and Philosophy questions How would you have gone?
Is there anything that proves the Bible is real apart from faith?
That one to me probably wraps them all up in one.
How do we prove God does exist, I exist, anything exists are popular questions that I believe some people ask not necessarily in all sincerity, but more so to appear somewhat philosophical, or in search for the deeper meanings in life. In response to that question I would ask an equally valid question: how do we prove that anyone or anything does not exist. Think about it.
The answer in my book is, we cannot prove it because what does not exist is not perceptible to the human mind and therefore beyond proof in the context of the meaning of the word proof. The only person ever to have any real dealings with that which does not exist is our Creator God who made this universe and us out of nothing.
If we then are unable to prove that anyone or anything does not exist on what basis can we assume that we can prove who or what does exist? What makes us think that we have the understanding and the capacity to reverse what God has created in the first place in an attempt to explain away ourselves, God and His creation?
Definition of PROOF according to the Webster dictionary is: The cogency of evidence that compels acceptance by the mind of a truth or a fact…. and the word COGENCY means: Appealing to the intellect or powers of reasoning; convincing.
I ask you; what is the significance of that which is “ appealing to the intellect of the human mind “ as compared with the wisdom of the One who created us out of nothing? What does the Bible say about the wisdom of the wise?
What we need to realize is that the word proof is earthbound it has no application or validity in the spiritual realm of eternity. We literally need to trade that word in for the word faith if we want to earn our wings and have any enlightenment whatsoever. You could call it a kind of graduation to higher education, a metamorphosis where the butterfly emerges from its cocoon to spread it’s wings as it flies into a new world to the live giving light, the Light of the World. Faith in our Creator God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ His Son, who continues to show the way to those who humble themselves and pray and follow Him.
Proverbs 3: 5-6
PS
I would say no, no more than a marriage proves that love is for real. But for those who enter into it for the right reasons there is little doubt it is.
Faith and love are at the core of all meaningful relationships, not our rationale.