If we think of grasping truth as a bungy jump...

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]If we think of grasping truth as a bungy jump...


If we think of grasping truth as a bungy jump from a high golden bridge spanning life on earth with eternity... what questions logically arise relative to toll booths if any; bridge construction materials; supreme confidence or doubt one moment before the jump; proven test strength of t ...[text shortened]... n harness; safe recovery provisions below; likely look of the distant shore, etc?

Thoughts...[/b]

Let me try to this again. You threw me off with the toll booths. And that was downright diablolical if you ask me.

Anyway.

The grasping (and holding fast to) a truth can be like a leap of faith, a bungee jump, a high-risk proposition.

But I can tell you only from my personal experience inasmuch as my "leap of faith" conversion to Christianity is concerned:

I didn't weigh the risks, calculate the outcome, or construct some equation as to whether or not I was going to end up a fool in the eyes of the world. No. I simply jumped without batting an eye. The conviction to do so was instantaneous. In retrospect.. now that many of the worldly consequences have been revealed to me... would I do it again.

Unquestionably. Yes.

Originally posted by sumydid

Let me try to this again. You threw me off with the toll booths. And that was downright diablolical if you ask me.

Anyway.

The grasping (and holding fast to) a truth can be like a leap of faith, a bungee jump, a high-risk proposition.

But I can tell you only from my personal experience inasmuch as my "leap of faith" conversion to Christianity is co ...[text shortened]... he worldly consequences have been revealed to me... would I do it again.

Unquestionably. Yes.

"I didn't weigh the risks, calculate the outcome, or construct some equation as to whether or not I was going to end up a fool in the eyes of the world. No. I simply jumped without batting an eye. The conviction to do so was instantaneous. In retrospect.. now that many of the worldly consequences have been revealed to me... would I do it again."

Such an accurate description of the abandonment of that last vestige of hesitation or toenail of doubt. My experience as well. Perhaps the metaphor inadvertently worked too well in context for its own good. Good news, however, is that maybe it does portray an unbeliever's last moments of unbelief moments before moving from unregenerate darkness into His glorious light.

gb

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]"I didn't weigh the risks, calculate the outcome, or construct some equation as to whether or not I was going to end up a fool in the eyes of the world. No. I simply jumped without batting an eye. The conviction to do so was instantaneous. In retrospect.. now that many of the worldly consequences have been revealed to me... would I do it again." ...[text shortened]... of unbelief moments before moving from unregenerate darkness into His glorious light.

gb[/b]

Ah! Wow, I got that affirming "chill" when I read those words. Indeed. You know, people scoff at the idea of death bed conversions and such.

My father was a staunch Agnostic for 62 years. And really he was an Atheist but I say Agnostic because in his occult practices, he did claim to speak to certain spirits. But he believed they were the spirits of people who died, and in no way believed in a god or any gods. Just 2 days before his death in the hospital, he was given a vision of demons wheeling him on a gurny down to the depths below the hospital.. some kind of dungeon... and torturing him. When the vision passed, he immediately summoned the hospital chaplain and confessed, repented, and so the chaplain said, welcomed Christ into his heart.

So assuming that Dad really did faithfully believe when that happened, I can say I personally witnessed a true death bed conversion.

Of course I can't judge one way or the other if Dad's heart was in it or not. But I wil never forget his bug-eyed description of that vision and how horrified he was.

After the vision he was sure he was going to die. The hospital staff said he was about to get out and he was doing fine (he went in for Strep Ducocous Pneumonia (sp) ) -- anyway he was right.

The Chaplain spoke about it at the funeral, how he would never take someone's warning "I'm going to die" lightly again. The Chaplain was blown away by the event.