23 Sep 05
Originally posted by Blindfaith101:
"Everyone has the chance, to accept the love and Sacrifice that JESUS CHRIST gave. Therefore we all have the power to prevent the sufferring of going to Hell."
This is a large point of contention with me, as I've mentioned before. Evangelical Christians in these forums have stated several times that all people are given a chance to accept and receive Jesus Christ into their hearts. My question to the Christians on this site is how many of you believe this to be true? How many of you believe that all of mankind is given a fair opportunity to hear the gospel and receive Christ into their hearts in order to save themselves from eternal torture and torment? And if you do not agree with blindfaith101, then please state how a just, fair and loving God could send someone to suffer eternally without ever being given a fair chance to repent.
As a supplemental thought, wouldn't a fair and just God give everyone an equal opportunity to accept Christ? Surely, a nomadic aborigine in Australia, an African tribe member or a lifelong Hindu in a small village in India have not been inundated with Christian dogma like most of you rich white folk. Is this an unfair geographic advantage that God has set up?
23 Sep 05
1 edit
Originally posted by darvlayActually I have a different take on it and I can't help but think what a meglomaniac God is. So let me see if I have this straight:
Originally posted by Blindfaith101:
[b]"Everyone has the chance, to accept the love and Sacrifice that JESUS CHRIST gave. Therefore we all have the power to prevent the sufferring of going to Hell."
This is a large point of contention with me, as I've mentioned before. Evangelical Christians in these forums have stated several times that [ ...[text shortened]... a like most of you rich white folk. Is this an unfair geographic advantage that God has set up?[/b]
God created us in His image and if we don't love Him and serve Him we are doomed to spend an eternity in endless pain and suffering which He created? God has set up all the conditions:
From the movie, The Devil's Advocate:
Let me give you a little inside information about God. God likes to watch. He's a prankster. Think about it. He gives man instincts. He gives you this extraordinary gift, and then what does He do, I swear for His own amusement, his own private, cosmic gag reel, He sets the rules in opposition. It's the goof of all time. Look but don't touch. Touch, but don't taste. Taste, don't swallow. Ahaha. And while you're jumpin' from one foot to the next, what is he doing? He's laughin' His sick, ****ing butt off. He's a tight-###. He's a sadist.
23 Sep 05
1 edit
Originally posted by Joe Fist[/i]Sigh.
Actually I have a different take on it and I can't help but think what a meglomaniac God is. So let me see if I have this straight:
God created us in His image and if we don't love Him and serve Him we are doomed to spend an eternity in endless pain and suffering which He created? God has set up all the conditions:
From the movie, [i]The Devil's ...[text shortened]... what is he doing? He's laughin' His sick, ****ing butt off. He's a tight-###. He's a sadist.
23 Sep 05
Originally posted by darvlayI don't think all people will have an equal chance of hearing about Christ, however, all people do have a conscience. I believe God will view us by the amount of light we have recieved.
Originally posted by Blindfaith101:
[b]"Everyone has the chance, to accept the love and Sacrifice that JESUS CHRIST gave. Therefore we all have the power to prevent the sufferring of going to Hell."
This is a large point of contention with me, as I've mentioned before. Evangelical Christians in these forums have stated several times that [ ...[text shortened]... a like most of you rich white folk. Is this an unfair geographic advantage that God has set up?[/b]
23 Sep 05
Originally posted by HalitoseHow do you reconcile your statement with John 3, in which Jesus tells Nicodemus, "...Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" ?
I don't think all people will have an equal chance of hearing about Christ, however, all people do have a conscience. I believe God will view us by the amount of light we have recieved.
23 Sep 05
Originally posted by HalitoseI believe God will view us by the amount of light we have recieved.
I don't think all people will have an equal chance of hearing about Christ, however, all people do have a conscience. I believe God will view us by the amount of light we have recieved.
That's just more gray area piled on top of gray area. So a person who has never heard a single word of God (the Christian version) gets a free pass into heaven when they die? Then someone like myself, who's surrounded with a church on every corner, has a higher standard to meet to get into heaven?
23 Sep 05
Originally posted by wibOf course its gray. God will be doing the judging, not you or me. I believe in God's revealed moral law: firstly through our conscience and then through inspired scripture. We are answerable firstly to our conscience.
[b]I believe God will view us by the amount of light we have recieved.
That's just more gray area piled on top of gray area. So a person who has never heard a single word of God (the Christian version) gets a free pass into heaven when they die? Then someone like myself, who's surrounded with a church on every corner, has a higher standard to meet to get into heaven?[/b]
23 Sep 05
Originally posted by HalitoseWell I appreciate the attempted response Halitose. I really do. But it just sounds terribly vague to me. I suppose I'm just too literal to ever understand how anyone makes sense of religion. Maybe "sense" should never play a part in it?
Of course its gray. God will be doing the judging, not you or me. I believe in God's revealed moral law: firstly through our conscience and then through inspired scripture. We are answerable firstly to our conscience.
I still haven't seen anything that even remotely answers Darvlay's question.
23 Sep 05
Originally posted by HalitoseJohn 3:4-7
And you are interpreting this verse to mean?
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
And then of course, John 3: 16 and 17
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Do these verses not give the criterium for which everlasting life may be granted? I interpret them to mean that you must a believer in Jesus Christ and believe in him as the Son of God and Saviour of Man.
23 Sep 05
Originally posted by Joe FistIf you think about it, the devil delights in our confusion. Maybe the goal is to get to the point where we realize that earthly pleasures are lacking and God is the only comfort.
Actually I have a different take on it and I can't help but think what a meglomaniac God is. So let me see if I have this straight:
God created us in His image and if we don't love Him and serve Him we are doomed to spend an eternity in endless pain and suffering which He created? God has set up all the conditions:
From the movie, [i]The Devil's ...[text shortened]... what is he doing? He's laughin' His sick, ****ing butt off. He's a tight-###. He's a sadist.
23 Sep 05
Originally posted by wibUnfortunately, truth is like a diamond with many facets. You aren't condemned because you haven't heard of Christ:
Well I appreciate the attempted response Halitose. I really do. But it just sounds terribly vague to me. I suppose I'm just too literal to ever understand how anyone makes sense of religion. Maybe "sense" should never play a part in it?
I still haven't seen anything that even remotely answers Darvlay's question.
Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.