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Post by jxr on Jul 18, 2006 23:10:18 GMT -5
We can give Christianity the credit for the full-fledged development and spreading of the concept of eternal hell. At this point in my spritual education, I agree with this post. From past study, I think you'll not find anything in the OT which, at face value, supports an eternal damnation. Sure you can spin parts of the OT scripture from a NT perspective, but spiritual damnation is not explicitly mentioned. However, Jesus obviously got the notion from somewhere, as he mentioned the great gulf and the rich man's unquenchable thirst. Perhaps it was some cultural trait picked up somewhere. I'll have to do more research, to find where Jesus got this idea.
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Post by Sylvestra on Jul 19, 2006 9:26:10 GMT -5
Well, Rob, it is okay with me if you want to believe in a God that is so unfair and hateful as to choose just a few people (predestination) to be saved and spend eternity with Him and let all the rest of the folks He created burn in eternal fire. I don't and I won't.
I firmly believe that God has a much more grand plan to carry out His will for the earth and its inhabitants.
It is the time in history that we should each be praying for the hearts of every person, including our enemies, to be turned to God. Eventually they all will be, including those raised from the dead!
(sit back....also)
Edy
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Post by Rob O on Jul 19, 2006 9:56:37 GMT -5
Strawman, since I don't believe this.
There are other ways to view hell apart from fire and brimstone.
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Post by Sylvestra on Jul 19, 2006 16:00:17 GMT -5
Strawman, since I don't believe this. There are other ways to view hell apart from fire and brimstone. Why? Because you believe predestination to be something else than I, and therefore my thought is a "strawman"? And did you mean hell to be the eternal absence of God instead of eternal fire and brimstone? E
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Post by Crazy on Jul 19, 2006 17:49:50 GMT -5
Well, Rob, it is okay with me if you want to believe in a God that is so unfair and hateful as to choose just a few people (predestination) to be saved and spend eternity with Him and let all the rest of the folks He created burn in eternal fire. I don't and I won't. I firmly believe that God has a much more grand plan to carry out His will for the earth and its inhabitants. It is the time in history that we should each be praying for the hearts of every person, including our enemies, to be turned to God. Eventually they all will be, including those raised from the dead! (sit back....also) Edy If you're going to believe in an eternal life, the eastern philosophy about being reborn again and again with an eternal opportunity to get it right makes a lot more sense. It's a lot more just, loving, interested in his creation kind of God. The once and your done philosophy, - no matter how short you or your kids lives here may be, just leads to a lot of questions and unconvincing, stretched workarounds. The stem cell issue in the States is one extreme example of just how weird it can get - at the highest levels. The nice thing about the alternative too, is that others come back too, who will eventually get better and better too. One of the sweeter touches, and equal justice kind of things, is that we come back alternately as male and female.
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Post by Rob O on Jul 19, 2006 20:35:42 GMT -5
I am not saying your view of predestination is a strawman. I am saying that this statement as quoted is a mischaracterization of my view. It in fact doesn't look anything like what I believe and therefore is a strawman.
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Post by One for Rob on Jul 19, 2006 21:21:55 GMT -5
I am not saying your view of predestination is a strawman. I am saying that this statement as quoted is a mischaracterization of my view. It in fact doesn't look anything like what I believe and therefore is a strawman. I have to agree with Rob on this. After reading what he has posted over the past years this statement is almost certainly pesented as an easily refuted or defeated argument and in no way reflects his views.
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