Originally posted by Adam_PoE
If the blood of an ordinary man is not sufficient to atone for sin, then why is The Bible filled with instances of animal and human expiatory sacrifices?
Allow me to clarify:
"JESUS = PERMANENT ATONEMENT + GRACE; CRAP SACRIFICE = TEMPORARY ATONEMENT + LEGALISM/follow the rules or die."
Originally posted by FeceManWell, I've always really thought that God was beyond complete and total understanding, and just out of our league comprehension wise. If we used all of our brain... maybe... but, not the small percentage we do now. *shrug*
For people arguing against the idea of the Judeo-Christian God, I see time and time again one issue brought up:A loving God would not send anyone to hell.
However, in the Christian religion, God is shown to be a merciful, ever-patient, forgiving God. [Not in some parts of the Old Testament, heh.] In describing this quality, I have pointed out that Hitler, though hideously evil, could very well be in heaven.
Then the same people who say that a loving God would not send anyone to hell get bent out of shape over this.
This, clearly, is a contradiction of the arguments against God's existence. To have a God who sends people to hell is proof against God, but having a God who forgives without a second thought is also against God. So, there cannot be judgment but there must be judgment. No punishment but punishment indeed.
Impossible.
When saying that God clearly isn't benevolent because of His sending people to hell, one must take into account several things of the Christian faith.
1. God is giving these people exactly what they want--a life without Him.
2. God sent His son--who is part of him--to die a long, agonizing death in order to rescue every single person, past and present, from hell.
3. In order to be saved from hell, all one must do is ask for rescue.
Now, looking at these three things, one must ask oneself:
Is it unloving to give people what they want?
Is it unloving to sacrifice one's son for the greater good?
Is it unloving to promise eternal salvation in exchange for a few words spoken?Tell me, in what way is it unloving to forgive the sins of a man such as Hitler and grant him entrance to paradise--one who surely, by our accounts, deserves great punishment?
In the end, one must either come to the conclusion that God is either good or bad. Is He bad because He sends people to hell, or is He good for promising (and delivering) eternal salvation to the most wretched of us all? Is He bad because others have made the choice to deny His sacrifice, or is He good because His sacrifice, while so terrible and great, is granted to us in exchange for nothing?
God is either good or bad. He is not some neutral deity. Take your stance and stick with it. Do not proclaim some of God's actions as bad when they are clearly signs of a good God.
So, tell me--is He evil for damnation or is He good for salvation?
Originally posted by debbiejo
Can you describe Hades for us please...
My understanding is that Hades is a place for those that have died to wait for there judgement or the christians that died before Christ shed his blood to wait to be tooken into heaven once he died for their sins.
For the sinners they will wait in the torturous part of Hades until they are judged. Then they will be cast into the lake of fire and experience the second death.
The second part of Hades which is Paradise. Is a place where the christians who followed Gods commandments went when they died. They couldn't enter a heaven because their sins weren't washed away yet. So they remained in a holding place until Jesus died. Then he gathered up his followers from Paradise and took them into heaven.
Thats how I understand it though. I haven't fully researched it.
Originally posted by Punker69
My understanding is that Hades is a place for those that have died to wait for there judgement or the christians that died before Christ shed his blood to wait to be tooken into heaven once he died for their sins.For the sinners they will wait in the torturous part of Hades until they are judged. Then they will be cast into the lake of fire and experience the second death.
The second part of Hades which is Paradise. Is a place where the christians who followed Gods commandments went when they died. They couldn't enter a heaven because their sins weren't washed away yet. So they remained in a holding place until Jesus died. Then he gathered up his followers from Paradise and took them into heaven.
Thats how I understand it though. I haven't fully researched it.
Have you died and come back to life?
Originally posted by Punker69Your understand is incorrect. It only means death for the bizzillionth time...
My understanding is that Hades is a place for those that have died to wait for there judgement or the christians that died before Christ shed his blood to wait to be tooken into heaven once he died for their sins.For the sinners they will wait in the torturous part of Hades until they are judged. Then they will be cast into the lake of fire and experience the second death.
The second part of Hades which is Paradise. Is a place where the christians who followed Gods commandments went when they died. They couldn't enter a heaven because their sins weren't washed away yet. So they remained in a holding place until Jesus died. Then he gathered up his followers from Paradise and took them into heaven.
Thats how I understand it though. I haven't fully researched it.
Have you ever noticed smile faces here are all circles as well?
I have found that by imply sliding my thoughts on realizing God is omnieverything that the bible and all its beautiful pages are just another man's words to read.
God being God realizes that no matter what you say or do makes no difference. Free will has little value to God as God knows all, before you do God realizes what has been done and will be.
Hense the absolute petty nature of religion itself when placed under a God of such magnitude.