I hope so. Most importantly for me, I've found here what I needed - people who would understand me and listen to me, share their views. I didn't say it in my first post, maybe I should have, but Christianity was almost all I had in my life. It's not anymore. It feels like starting my life over. It's not easy... I expect to loose some of my Christian friends when I profess my unbelief to them... The people here at CF are nice so they don't talk about satan deceiving me, but I'm sure I'm going to hear that a lot later, especially from behind my back...
I only want that people understand what really happened. But I need to understand it myself, first.
It's nothing really, CF here has a vast and many layered culture of Christians, I feel that every Christian finds there own path and progress to the Lord, and that is never more evident then here at CF.
I know. But I've seen enough of those efforts. They are in no comparison to the teaching of the Bible. Oftentimes it seems to me that they don't really believe in what they say the believe in. It's my opinion.
If every person only saved their own family and the person next door, the whole world would be Christian, not because we go out and try to shove the bible down peoples throat, but because we spread the word with love and living the life.
But that is where the Human factor sets in again, and we discover that not everyone that claims to be a Christian... is one.
It is in my mind the difference between everyone that claims to be a football player, and those that have won the super bowl. They are different, sure, anyone that has played football (professional or recreational) can claim to be a football player, but there is a massive difference between all of them. The level by which they play and what they do with their game.
Christains are no Different. Between you and me, if I based my faith on People, I would never believe in Jesus.
"I like your Christ, but you Christians are so unlike your Christ" ... care to take a guess who said that?
Do you believe in a literal hell?
Huh?
There is no
"Literal Hell"
Jesus touches on it, only a little bit, mostly only saying "Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth" and how that became "Fire and Brimstone, with daemons being poked and prodded and tortured for your sins" I have no idea.
Some believe in Fire and Brimstone, others believe in Annihilation, others believe in Separation from God, and still others think that a Satire comedy written by a priest defines hell.
In the end, yah, there is a "Hell" of sorts, if you want to consider it deeply, but any way you slice it, it end up the same, it's called
"Not making it to Heaven" notice Jesus does not say "All have sinned and should go to Hell" he says "All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of Heaven"
We're humans, we're sinful, we're weak, we're only flesh, we're nothing compared to God and so on... What about the indwelling holy Spirit, about renewal of the mind? What about the new creature, about child of God? What about the 'saints', about the selected, the priests, the saved? What about all that other stuff the Bible and the Christians are talking about? Why is it that the Christians just live like everybody else (or worse), conform to "this secular world", are more hypocritical, self-righteous and judging than non-Christians, do very little or nothing about saving others AND at the same time claim they're different? Claim that they hold THE ABSOLUTE truth??? I expect at least some proof of that. If there's none, I doubt all of their claims...
Knowing what to do, and doing it... have nothing in common.
and, why people are people?... I hate to say this, but I would say, because they are people.
Sure, people are weak, corrupt, and all that jazz, but what about God? What about the Spirit?... well what about them?
Look at this way, of all the teams that play football, only one is going to the win the super bowl this year... so what about the other teams... well they all share something in common.. they are losers.
Life is really no different, and neither is the after life when you think about it. Some will make it to Heaven and win the Super Bowl, but not everyone that "Plays" will be winning.
Sorry is my analogies are really poor, or off mark.
Okay, I've heard such doctrine before. When I was a Christian, most of the time I believed similarly. I have a big problem with it now. Why then Jesus Christ came?
Jesus came to bring the Glory of Heaven to the Gentiles.
It seems, if such interpretation is true, that he came only to save those who will hear about him, for the others his salvation work has no effect whatsoever because they will be judged NOT according to their faith/rejection of Jesus Christ.
Again, I am not sure, but all those that came before Christ, as far as I could figure out, Jesus went into "The Holding Tank" (we like to call Hell or some such) and preached the salvation to them, and opened the Gates of Heaven to any and all that might come to him.
In other words, then Jesus' gospel has very little, if any, value to most people who ever lived (will live) and did not (will not) hear the gospel. That is, his death/resurrection is just for a very few.
When you think about it, around 70% of the world knows directly of Jesus as a great prophet, savor, or heretic (depending on who you ask).
So a great portion of the world knows of Jesus.
How that really works out, well, again.. here comes a football analogy.
Not every one that knows football, plays it. Not everyone that plays it, plays professional. Not all professionals win the Super Bowl. Not sure if you get this point. But I trying.
I Trust that God has a plan, and that God knows what God is doing, after all, if I did not, then I would not Believe in God.
I guess, when I stopped trying to fit God, into something so small as my Imagination, God became... well.... God.
I wish you the best, may what you believe bring you peace.
God Bless
Key
