How hard is it to watch people heading for hell

[Magic Man]

If you showed up at my home you would would find no alcohol, no cursing, no blasphemy, a cross on my mantel, lots of saying amen, a TVGuardian, internet filters, 25 or so Bibles, lot's of Christian literature and teaching materials, you might find me gone visiting the widows and sick. You would find a peaceful relaxed, loving atmosphere built on the golden rule, which is in the Bible by the way. And then I would ask you about our soul and where will it spend eternity.

I take it this is similar to what your heaven is like. In that case, I'll make sure I get sent to hell.

 

[idea]

As a Christian it is very hard to watch people headed to hell.

for me, hell is not a place of fire and brimstone, rather it is a place of separation - not just a separation from God, a separation from other ppl. Heaven is as big and as glorious as the number of people who are there - it diminishes the glory of heaven to condemn others to hell.

 

[Alceste]

A very personal experience to be sure but I have a question for you. Although you and your husband have experienced a change in your attitudes about religion do you think anything else has changed? What I'm getting at is has God changed or just your concept of Him? Has Jesus Christ changed or have His commandments changed because of your experience?

You posed a very valid question to your husband and it bothered him and now, if I heard you right, he has rejected religion all together. Does his rejection of a particular dogma warrant the idea that there is no truth anywhere or that the truth cannot be discovered?

Just because there has been a disillusionment with one belief system does not mean that there cannot be one out there that makes sense, one that allows God to be God complete with all the values we have come to define Him by, including a perfect sense of Love and Mercy, while still allowing for justice to be perfect in its execution.

Remember, ceasing to walk down the wrong path does not release one from the responsibility of finding the correct one, indeed, being complacent in doing nothing at all is a path unto itself. If you are not moving forward, you are moving backward. I hope that together you and you husband can find the path that God would want you on, I’m quite sure that that path is not going to lead anyone to the Hell thought of by the vast majority of Christian religions.

It is a very common experience, when deprogramming oneself from the conditioning of their church, to recognize the fact that all churches claiming to be the "one true church" can not possibly be right, particularly if god is supposed to be wise and just.

 

[Man of Faith]

for me, hell is not a place of fire and brimstone, rather it is a place of separation - not just a separation from God, a separation from other ppl. Heaven is as big and as glorious as the number of people who are there - it diminishes the glory of heaven to condemn others to hell.

I know, I know, hell is a million different things to a million different people, but that doesn't mean hell is a million different things.

 

[Misty]

I know, I know, hell is a million different things to a million different people, but that doesn't mean hell is a million different things.

So why should your unpleasant version be the correct one?

 

[Alceste]

If you showed up at my home you would would find no alcohol, no cursing, no blasphemy, a cross on my mantel, lots of saying amen, a TVGuardian, internet filters, 25 or so Bibles, lot's of Christian literature and teaching materials, you might find me gone visiting the widows and sick. You would find a peaceful relaxed, loving atmosphere built on the golden rule, which is in the Bible by the way. And then I would ask you about our soul and where will it spend eternity.

Golden rule - are you saying you want some pushy, arrogant religionist who believes differently to blather on and on at you about how YOU are going to hell unless you start coming to his church?

 

[zenzero]

Friend Man of Faith,

How hard is it to watch people heading for hell

Who is the *watcher*??

All watchers ARE in *HELL*; only when the "Perceiver and the Perceived" becomes ONE is one in *HEAVEN*; otherwise one is already in Hell since Adam & Eve were sent there?

Love & rgds

 

[Misty]

Golden rule - are you saying you want some pushy, arrogant religionist who believes differently to blather on and on at you about how YOU are going to hell unless you start coming to his church?

I wonder if 'Man of Faith' attends the Westboro Baptist Church?

 

[Guitar's Cry]

This is the scary part, everybody that is headed to hell is a mere fragile heartbeat away from an eternity in a fiery pit.

How do you know this? Is there proof of an eternity in a fiery pit?

 

[Man of Faith]

Golden rule - are you saying you want some pushy, arrogant religionist who believes differently to blather on and on at you about how YOU are going to hell unless you start coming to his church?

When those that believe differently than I do, come to witness to me, I treat them with the utmost respect, feeding them, spending time listening to them, then telling them what I believe and why. We can agree to disagree, I don't mind that. It's a reverse double twist witnessing.

 

[Misty]

How do you know this? Is there proof of an eternity in a fiery pit?

He probably puts his ear to a deep pit to see if he can hear the cries of those screaming from the depths of hell!

 

[Alceste]

Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing
so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Typical fundamentalist - 25 Bibles, not one of them read. They must be strung up around the house to ward off evil spirits.

 

[Misty]

Typical fundamentalist - 25 Bibles, not one of them read. They must be strung up around the house to ward off evil spirits.

Good one Living in his house must be like living in my version of hell!

 

[Alceste]

When those that believe differently than I do, come to witness to me, I treat them with the utmost respect, feeding them, spending time listening to them, then telling them what I believe and why. We can agree to disagree, I don't mind that. It's a reverse double twist witnessing.

I see - so you don't mind going to hell if that is the consequence of standing by your convictions and "agreeing to disagree"? I think you'll find the same is true of everyone.

 

[Evandr]

If you showed up at my home you would would find no alcohol, no cursing, no blasphemy, a cross on my mantel, lots of saying amen, a TVGuardian, internet filters, 25 or so Bibles, lot's of Christian literature and teaching materials, you might find me gone visiting the widows and sick. You would find a peaceful relaxed, loving atmosphere built on the golden rule, which is in the Bible by the way. And then I would ask you about our soul and where will it spend eternity.

I believe that you will get every blessing predicated to every commandment you keep and more. Every one will regardless of their religious affiliation. Hell (outer darkness) is not a place anybody is ever condemned to, it is a place a person chooses to go.

 

[Evandr]

Typical fundamentalist - 25 Bibles, not one of them read. They must be strung up around the house to ward off evil spirits.

That is the most self-glorifying load of pure assumptive crap I have ever heard. Just what gives you the right to decide what does or does not go on in anybodies house? If you cannot sustain your platform with anything better than that then you have no credibility at all. Maybe you and Misty aught to get together and snicker about the whole world to each other because your combined opinions add little or no value to even the basest of responsible conversations.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

If you showed up at my home you would would find no alcohol, no cursing, no blasphemy, a cross on my mantel, lots of saying amen, a TVGuardian, internet filters, 25 or so Bibles, lot's of Christian literature and teaching materials, you might find me gone visiting the widows and sick. You would find a peaceful relaxed, loving atmosphere built on the golden rule, which is in the Bible by the way. And then I would ask you about our soul and where will it spend eternity.

Do you want the metal or the chest to pin it on?

 

[Evandr]

It is a very common experience, when deprogramming oneself from the conditioning of their church, to recognize the fact that all churches claiming to be the "one true church" can not possibly be right, particularly if god is supposed to be wise and just.

Sour grapes, there is only one perfect set of rules, just because you don't recognize them does not mean that they are not there. You owe Man Of Faith an apology.

 

[tumbleweed41]

That is the most self-glorifying load of pure assumptive crap I have ever heard. Just what gives you the right to decide what does or does not go on in anybodies house? If you cannot sustain your platform with anything better than that then you have no credibility at all. Maybe you and Misty aught to get together and snicker about the whole world to each other because your combined opinions add little or no value to even the basest of responsible conversations.

I think she was pointing out the hypocrisy shown in the self glorification of public piety that is in direct contradiction to the commands given by Jesus in Mathew.

Pretty obvious...

 

[Evandr]

Do you want the metal or the chest to pin it on?

Weather he is bragging or not is not the point. Should you find this type of household in each of a lot of different religions would you believe that some of them are houses worthy of the "Hell" most of Christianity believes in? And if any, why not all? Or could it be that Hell is not what most people think it is? The devil is in the details, details that are not clear to you yet.