The idea of religion is they play off of people's fear of death to give them a lie to believe so that they think they are immortal. But recognizing death, coming to terms with it is part of growing up.
Light, dark.
Light is the only thing that is really a solid. Darkness is just an absence of light.
Heat, cold
Cold is atoms slowing way way down, coming close to not moving.
Good, evil
What we see as Evil in an adult is a child's attitude to take what they want with no consequences. Even if it is in a form that seems like it is an intelligent way, they are still using childish, animalistic impulses to take what they want.
Joy, pain
Someone at a constant high is bound to die or fall sooner or later. To keep the feeling of exhilaration, you must know what the feeling of not being on that height.
To that reasoning, i would conclude if heaven existed, the only way to enjoy it would be either to be looking down on hell, and see your brothers, and friends suffering, and feel empathy or sympathy- which would make me want to get off my cloud and help them get up with me. That sounds a lot like earth.
Or the single thing that makes us a community is cut out- all empathy and sympathy is cut out. And that is messed up.
Either way, i found that when i die, i want to DIE. No life after that. I don't want to be conscious. I want to end. I don't want to make the hard decisions, i want to sleep.
And i am not a good person for the reward at the end, or the punishment either- i am a good person because THIS is the reward. This is the single life you get. I know what i want to do with it. I want to change the world. Anyone have similar or opposing views?
Originally posted by icarussilver
The idea of religion is they play off of people's fear of death to give them a lie to believe so that they think they are immortal. But recognizing death, coming to terms with it is part of growing up.
Light, dark.
Light is the only thing that is really a solid. Darkness is just an absence of light.
Heat, cold
Cold is atoms slowing way way down, ...[text shortened]... hat i want to do with it. I want to change the world. Anyone have similar or opposing views?
The idea of religion is they play off of people's fear of death to give them a lie to believe so that they think they are immortal. But recognizing death, coming to terms with it is part of growing up.
I don't think the matter is nearly that simple.
Christ did teach that men should fear God because His reach of punishment can go beyond what human beings can do.
Having said that, I hasten to add that that is by no means ALL that Jesus taught about God. Some bitter skeptics seem to think that that was the total message of Christ.
Part of Christ's teaching was that His Father could reach further in bringing about consequences upon us than what mankind can do. So we should render a greater amount of concern for the ultimate reach in justice of God.
Of course, conversely, His great MERCY and FORGIVENESS also can reach much much further than what man can muster up.
Light, dark.
Light is the only thing that is really a solid. Darkness is just an absence of light.
And the total absence of God is someting that Christ teaches is to be AVOIDED at all costs. This eternal damnation is the total absence of God.
He has made provision that we may avoid that fate.
Joy, pain
Someone at a constant high is bound to die or fall sooner or later. To keep the feeling of exhilaration, you must know what the feeling of not being on that height.
To that reasoning, i would conclude if heaven existed, the only way to enjoy it would be either to be looking down on hell, and see your brothers, and friends suffering, and feel empathy or sympathy- which would make me want to get off my cloud and help them get up with me. That sounds a lot like earth.
The Bible does not speak about going to a happy place like Heaven, really. Eternal salvation is taught as being conformed to the image of Christ. That is to become like Jesus Christ.
"Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers ..." (Romans 8:29)
God wants to take the prototype of the Son of God and mass produce many sons conformed to the same image as Christ. The destination is a Person rather than a place.
Having mind, will, emotion, conscience, motive, desire fully conformed to be like that of Jesus will cause us to be absolutely one with the will of God.
What we do not understand now or understand in part, weakly, we would completely understand in eternity. No one could be more burdened in love for the salvation of my friends, relatives, and even enemies than Jesus the Son of God.
It is impossible that the desire for their saving in me could exceed that desire in the One who died for them on the cross, taking up thier sins in His body and being under the judgment of God in their place.
I expect to see as Christ sees all things, in eternity future.
Or the single thing that makes us a community is cut out- all empathy and sympathy is cut out. And that is messed up.
Either way, i found that when i die, i want to DIE. No life after that. I don't want to be conscious. I want to end. I don't want to make the hard decisions, i want to sleep.
Of course God is the God of the living and not the God of the dead. It is wrong to think that God wants man to go into the realm of DEATH in order to meet God.
It is the case that Christ, as the resurrection and the life, has overcome death.
In matters as ultimate as the termination of human life, it behooves us to listen to the Teacher who DIED and was risen from the dead. This One knows the subject matter. This One is an EXPERT on the subject of what lies beyond death.
It simply is prudent for all people to listen to the words of Jesus Christ. For it is He who has the first hand experience of all matters pertaining to human death and resurrection.
And i am not a good person for the reward at the end, or the punishment either- i am a good person because THIS is the reward. This is the single life you get. I know what i want to do with it. I want to change the world. Anyone have similar or opposing views?
I'm sure you will find sympathy for this kind of humanistic philosophy. But if you are saved and conformed to the image of Christ, you have opportunity for eternity, starting from your being saved. That is to build with God and by God His eternal kingdom.
Why would you not want to impart goodness, impart Christness, forever ?
Originally posted by icarussilverSo your ultimate goal is just to sleep forever?
The idea of religion is they play off of people's fear of death to give them a lie to believe so that they think they are immortal. But recognizing death, coming to terms with it is part of growing up.
Light, dark.
Light is the only thing that is really a solid. Darkness is just an absence of light.
Heat, cold
Cold is atoms slowing way way down, ...[text shortened]... hat i want to do with it. I want to change the world. Anyone have similar or opposing views?
