I'm curious why you, who are a non-Christian are limiting people who are Christians as to what they should believe as a Christian. I'm not making up anything. I talked about the different words that were translated to mean hell. The come from Greek and Hebrew. That is the way they were written. Maybe I'm completely wrong in my belief. But it's ridiculous that you want to pigeon hole Christians to have your belief as to what a Christian really believes. The fact is that there are a wide range of beliefs on the subject by people who have put far more study and research into it than you or I have. I've posted reasons based on the bible for my beliefs. Others also have reasons based on the bible for their beliefs that are different. This is from the bible, and shows that even the bible allows for differences of opinion on matters of faith. One person should not try interfere with what another believes about it. What you believe is between yourself and God, what Solid believes is between Solid and God, what I rhester believes is between rhester and God. What I believe is between God and me. However because you claim that what I believe is just made up to make things nice doesn't make it true. It also doesn't make sense. God is nice, and God is love. It's in the bible. I don't consider an eternity suffering in hell to be all that loving. My belief is founded in the bible. Others have different ideas they feel are founded in the bible as well. Why worry about that when as the bible says we should be focusing on righteousness, peace, and joy.
Dude - there are a WHOLE lot of things in the Bible that suggest god isnt the least bit loving. Quite the opposite actually. If you have ever read it with an open mind you shouldnt need me to point out any examples... So your belief that people can't go to hell because ''god is loving'' is just not cutting the mustard. If christians go to heaven - then where do non christians go - you still didnt state any alternatives. Maybe you should read solid's post again.
I have read the bible, and I think if you look at the point of the stories even the ones that seem cruel, I would think there is a different message. I don't pretend to understand all of it. I don't even know that Christians do "go" to heaven. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God was inside of us. Where is there to "go"? Again that is in the bible and is also plain. The bible talks about loving not only those that are nice to you, but your enemies. It doesn't get much more about love than that. The message I posted above which included the message that there can be disagreement about certain issues of faith, also stated that the whole idea was righteousness, peace and joy. That isn't the opposite of love. My reasons for what I believe come from the bible. You may disagree with them. You are entitled. But what you are not entitled to do is to pretend that I am less of a Christian because my beliefs on the subject are different than your outside view of what you feel Christians ought to believe. If I'm wrong I'll find out one day. In the mean time that isn't really what I see as the most important part of the bible. I would rather focus on that.
I just want to say I think it's supercool that non-christians can define with precision the essence of the religion. Simply awesome. The clarity is inspiring. It's really all there in the wiki page if anyone cares to look. If you have any questions on Islam, please forward them to DaDakota. He's read up on it too.
Why is it so hard for you to accept that many of the "Christians" you have grouped en masse into your unbending worldview have no problem reconciling the acceptance of non-believers into whatever afterlife they have conceived? Would the Pope approve? Probably not, but so what? You're as dogmatic in your damnation as the most rabid dime-store deacon distorting the bible for their own demented sense of divine. May your karma run over your dogma.
All I ever knew was christianity from the day I was born. I went to church every sunday, went to a christian school, had mainly christian friends, and socialised diversively across many different denominations and people with different backgrounds. Those contacts I made had many different views on religious/christian topics. One of the few things that held true across the board was that (as sad as it seemed to people) that the bible was very clear about hell....whether it be a literal firey place, or a spiritually torturous place, the message is that its a highly unpleaseant place that NO ONE would want to go to. I'm a little more than your standard 'non christian'. I'm glad Franchise Blade feels differently, and I agree totally that religion is a very personal thing. I dont wish to detach him from his beliefs, nor anyone else from their own beliefs. I have seen a lot, and take a lot in, across a surprisingly broad realm of christianity over my 26 years - and this is just my report. With that said, I am actually happy if FBlade/Rhester and these guys really deep down do not believe in eternal torture/hell for those that do not accept Jesus as their 'personal saviour'. Its a nice way to think - but its just not in any way tied to their holy book.
You tell me why i'm wrong then. You point me somewhere in the bible that indicates the non existence of a hell. Look forward to it.
I'm glad that you accept that Christians can have different views on the matter. As I said my view is based on the bible. The difference is that I'm trying to view it as a whole instead of just a few verses here and there mention one of the different types of hell. You don't have to believe that is what the bible is talking about, nor does anyone else. But it doesn't make sense for you to claim that it isn't tied to the bible in any way, when that's where I got the basis of my ideas from.
Yes you aren't your standard "non-Christian" you are an apostate who has left the religion. Franchiseblade, Rhester and MadMax are the ones who stayed with the religion yet you an apostate are the one expounding on orthodoxy. That stikes me as being very presumptious on your part.
