What's important?

Originally posted by josephw
Well then, that means you are the authority. Why should I or anyone else be "beholden or restricted" by what you say?

I have never suggested that you should be beholden to or restricted by what I say and believe. I have never made any comment that in any way makes such a demand of you. And I have never claimed to be an "authority". These are inept straw men.

Originally posted by josephw
Conjure up eternal life? I am not the author of life. I don't conjure up anything. And I certainly cannot "grasp" eternal life. If you were to ask me I'd have to say that I am "grasped" by eternal life, and it will be forever. Of a certainty!

You have convinced yourself that you are immortal. How certain you are that this is true means nothing to me but I understand that it means a lot to you

Originally posted by josephw
It's amazing how you can just cast it aside so easily, as though you've plumbed its depths and can make comparison to all there is to know in life and call it nonsense.

What makes you say I did it "so easily"? You're projecting stuff onto me.

When I found myself no longer able to say I found the Bible to be credible what was I supposed to do? Claim that I did believe it and continue self-identifying as a Christian? No. Of course not. My escape from Christian ideology has been conducted with integrity and self-awareness.

The most important theme in the Bible is God's Kingdom through His Son Christ Jesus. Mark 4:ii says, "To you the sacred secret of the Kingdom of God has been given." It is through that Kingdom that Jesus as King will sanctify God's personal name (see Psalms 83:18) which has been reproached for some 6000 years since the Garden of Eden by Satan the Devil. 1 John 3:8 says, "For this purpose the Son of God was made manifest, to break up the works of the Devil." As a side benefit, Jesus gave his life blood as a ransom to by back mankind from sin and death. (see Matthew 20:28) That blood has provided a legal basis for forgiveness of sin and granting everlasting life to mankind again. The everlasting life that Adam lost. That life blood of Jesus is of priceless value as it has the potential of saving all who want it and put their faith in it. Is it any wonder that blood is sacred to God and Christians do not partake of it.(see Acts 15:20)