Another question for Christians

[CoxRox]

You do that. Bear in mind that thing about hell being cast into a lake of fire. Either it's a pointless exercise, because you've already ceased to exist and can therefore not feel anything, or you have to be kept alive until judgement day (and who knows when that's coming? Oh wait, it might be this Friday...), which means you are being kept alive for the sole purpose of being made to suffer more, which you say would be evil, and would presumably therefore make your God evil. So which is it?

Hell isn't the only thing cast into the Lake of fire- 'death' is too. Can you cast a 'state' into a fire? The bible contains much imagery that is NOT meant to be taken literally. If we take the gnashing teeth example. Do 'souls' have teeth? Won't the constant gnashing wear them down after a few months, never mind eternity? Do flesh eating worms exist that can devour 'soul'. I'll just give two examples for the benefit of anyone who might think that all that is literal (the worms and gnashing of teeth and fire references DO apply to decomposing bodies here on earth. Once the fire and/or worms have done their job, the dead are perished : they are 'no more'):

Jude 7: 'In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire'.

Is Sodom and Gomorrah still burning?

Jeremiah 17:27: ''But if you do not obey me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.’

Did Jerusalem continue to burn after its destruction by the Babylonians in 587 BC?

The bible tells of a future resurrection of all humans (they are presently 'asleep' ie out of existence). Those who are not granted eternal life are judged and then destroyed (symbolised by being thrown into the Lake of fire). This 'second death' seems to denote a permanent state ie they go out of existence forever.

Your language tells me everything I need to know about you. You're 'drawn to' Christ. WHY? It 'shouts truth' at you. HOW? How has God answered the prayer? We deal in proof around here, CR, not in shitty little stories about trees or the sun shining through the window onto your Bible, or moments of awe, or feelings of euphoria, or stupid shit like that.

You wanted to believe in Jesus, so you made it real in your own head and believed. It's as simple as that. That is not God answering a prayer, it's you suiting your own wishful thinking, particularly in light of the passing of a loved one. If any further proof were required that it's nothing more than that, you accept a literal heaven and reject a literal hell. 'Oh I think I'll just believe the nice bits of my religion, those nasty bits aren't for me'. Religion is man made, and yours as much as anyone's.

I haven't decided to follow Christ because of a warm feeling or because I want to see my dad again, although both those things are true. I have considered the claims of Christ for over 30 years now. I would cite Josephus and Tacitus as corroborative historical 'evidence' for the existence of a man called Jesus the Christ. The gospel accounts contain references to figures like Herod and Pontius Pilate who we know existed.

Then we have the Jewish writings in the Tanach, that foretold the Messiah hundreds of years before His birth.
I cannot satisfy your measuring of proof and application of logic etc, and explain why I have faith that the Bible is telling the truth. It's a combination of mind and spirit.

---

Here's a question I'd like to put to deists- if you believe in an 'intelligence' or 'creator', do you ever 'ask' It, if It is bothered about what it creates? Do you ever ask: 'God/Creator, what/whoever you are, if you are listening, is this it? Do you care?'

Never.

I certainly can't speak for all deists universally, because I'm sure there's got to be some out there who choose to believe that God loves the human race, but the few deists I do know all share the same sentiment: We don't assign characteristics and a personality to God.

..............I was a genuine christian for 15 horrible confusing years. It is not real. You do not have a personal relationship with god or his alleged son. If you did, you wouldn't need a book to find out what he has to say.

---

You say 'never' but if you were a Christian for 15 years, wouldn't you have 'asked' God during that time?