u/handy_lemur

Although I'm currently an atheist, I'm not looking to argue with anyone about the validity of christianity or which side of a particular doctrine is correct or not. I'm interested in which ideas people may have held in the past, that they've since changed their minds on.

Perhaps you initially felt one way about the trinity or the afterlife, etc, but were at some point convinced through maybe reading, sermon, fellowship, or prayer that another interpretation was more correct to you?

Do you think Adam and Eve would have still sinned? (I know some people debate if the serpent in the garden is satan or not.) Do you think god would have still ended up sending Jesus?

I know this is purely hypothetical. I guess what I'm wondering is what people think towards how strong Satan's influence is on people vs just humanity being sinful on its own.

I always had a few questions growing up about why god chose circumcision specifically, as opposed to any other practice.

For example, why choose a sign that is normally hidden from everyone except yourself and perhaps your family? If the purpose was to identify God's covenant people, why not choose something more publicly visible like altering an earlobe?

Circumcision appears to have existed in Egypt before the Abrahamic covenant. Does the fact that other cultures already practiced this affect its significance? (My understanding is that it was meant to set the Israelites apart)

Finally, since the covenant included women as well as men, why was the physical sign given only to males rather than something that could apply to everyone?

I'm not trolling and I'm genuinely curious what people think about this. In Revelations 21:4 it says:

> he will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more;

mourning and crying and pain will be no more,

for the first things have passed away.”

How do Christians feel this will be handled? Perhaps memories are wiped? Maybe God's love is so awesome they don't care about what happened to their spouse/kid/friend etc anymore?

Just wondering if Christians believe that God fertilized Mary's egg without it being considered sex, or if they think an already fertilized fetus was placed inside her that's irrespective of her genetics?