IslandMix

but that all should come to eternal life."


This is what the writer of II Peter says in attempt to address the critics of the day who were scoffing at the idea that there was any return of their dead Jesus. Now I wonder about that. If one assumes Christian theology to be the ultimate truth of god and argues from its worldview, god is simply being merciful in an attempt to save as many souls as possible. If one takes a look of history and our contemporary world, do you really believe god is winning this battle for souls? It would appear Satan is winning by a long shot. God - all wise???

or god all powerful would be another question

unless of course you are of the opinion that tis part of gods ultimate plan and we as humans have no right to question or judge
especially since we have no way of knowing anyway by our limited understanding

Assuming that "doing good" results in salvation, and "doing bad" damnation...to say that Satan is "winning by a longshot" is to say that far more people are evil-doers than are "do gooders". I would argue that the opposite is true...looking at the news it's easy to conclude that evil is prevailing, but evil is sexy so evil sells headlines, that's all.

As per Christian reckoning, I would go out on a limb to say that all these people are roasting in hell about now:

Ancient

1. Egyptians
2. Sumerians
3. Assyrians
4. Akkadians
5. Babylonians
6. Canaanites
7. Hittities
8. Romans
9. Greeks
10. Persians
11. Edomites
12. Nabateans
13. Idumeans
14. Mayans
15. Olmecs
16. Incas
17. Aztecs
18. East Indians
19. Africans (everyone south, west and southwest of Egypt)
20. Samaritans

a whole long list of others to mention

Today:

4 out of every 5 people.

You believe in absolutes I see.

Just working with the Christian worldview, that's all.

Even so...again, I doubt the list of the damned to each and every member of said societies. Samaria for instance was supposedly one of the pariah societies...yet we know of one famously 'good' member of said society

I understand, B. If we work with Christian theology, it states that NO one can enter heaven unless they accept Jesus as their personal savior. To explain those prior to the time of Jesus, the theology goes on to say that all they had to do is look around them (at nature), acknowledge a "higher power" and that was enough for their salvation. Well judging from what we can decipher from history, the many peoples I listed did not show they had a clue about some god known to the Israelites much less worshiped him. Even today, the greater part of the world's population not. So what does that mean, just in our times, for the other 4 billion people in the world? Where are they headed off to?

Well the theology does state that "many are called, but the chosen are few". That aside, you seem to reserve a lot of your opprobrium for Christianity...what do the other major religions say about the after life fate of non-believers of their theology?

I deal with them elsewhere where they are relevant. Christianity is what I know best. It is what has affected my life and the lives and social surroundings or most of us on this side of the world. We are mostly West Indians and for most of us we either grew up in it (differing degrees of course) or grew up around it. If I start talking about Norse Myths, the great majority of folks on here would find no relevance.

As for "many are called, but few are chosen," I would say that is rather sadistic of bible-god, don't you think? Create (allegedly) billions upon billions of people in hopes that a "few" would make it while the majority fry for eternity.

Maybe because in His infinite wisdom he already know that 'few'-er would opt for the so-called straight and narrow. Sin is sexy...it takes discipline to resist sexy, I should know

<<If one takes a look of history and our contemporary world, do you really believe god is winning this battle for souls? It would appear Satan is winning by a long shot.>>

The battle is between our laziness and our altruistic desire to be better which would require us to get off our arses - make a real effort.

The battle is between fear and greed on one side and Love and care on the other. Carnal and Spiritual. Ying and Yang. Negative and Positive.

The Bible attempts to explain concepts that cannot really be explained so It uses metaphors and parables which the feeble minded and the lazy take literally. Get the lesson but stop worshiping the words and sentences.

Its your faith that makes you whole - not some text written on some paper.

OZ was a fraud, but the tin man still got a heart.

Its easy to prove the nonsense of sentences written in the Bible.

Yet, the power, joy, and deliverance experienced by those who exercise faith TO DO GOOD is proved over and over again.

Unfortunately, those who intend evil have also used the Bible to justify their nastiness. Thats why massa allowed youall to go to church every Sunday.

Conclusion: More important than the Bible is God. God is love. Thats why people who use the Bible or Koran to justify hate are the most dirtiest of devilish demons dere are on dis darm dirt!

It is a weird kind of mercy that you speak of. We are all set up heading for hell in the firstplace. And if we dont acknowledge jesus as the savior, we get our just punishment in hell.

When I think of human beings being held in a state of eternal misery, it looks like the most cruel and un thinkable thing I could imagine, I find it difficult believing that this is a fate that will be put upon billions and billions of people...

Christianity teaches that people are cruel, wicked, and worthy of eternal torment based on who they are in relation to god. I look at people close to me, and I just do not intelectually relate to a god who says "this guy deserves my eternal damnation or sp called justice."

I find it morally im[possible to give the christian world view the "A OK"

you mean this is it?

this is the master plan?

this is the great mystery revealed? that we are in some tragic, desolate and gloomy existence, so foul that our creator had to kill himself to appease his own wrath at us for being so belligerant?

I look at god and see a two faced psycho. the same god would, at the drop of a dime, unleash an eternety of torment at each and every one of us, if we dont bow down and start praising him. On the other hand, if we accept him and his plan, we are showered with annointening until our cups runneth over. Why, he even helps us in our finances and tax returns... (which seem to pale in metaphysical weight to the options of eternal peacefulness versus eternal misery that the "lost" as non christians are called, must go over in their minds)

IT seems that billions of his creations are going to hell, why?

because he deems that every single human on earth deserves it. We are incapable of pleasing him. infact our best efforts are "like rags and filth" to him.

I dont get it.

he wants to see us saved. but what are we saved from? his eternal wrath?

so every unsaved is an excuse to keep god angry.

if everyone got saved... where would gods wrath go?

none of it really makes sense or adds up to me. and I am about as close to getting "bun out" as one can get. (having a "thought disorder" and a hell of a guuilty conscience etc)

Yup, this is the great master plan. Set up a race where the overwhelming majority will fry in a place called hell (lake of fire) and a select few will enter the pearly gates. Well that is if you actually believe the hype.