Religious Affiliation in USA Continues to Decline. WHY?

[Muffled]

Please don't hold your breath waiting for what some have called rapture because ' flesh and blood ' (physical ) do Not inherit the kingdom- 1 Corinthians 15:50

If we could go up into the clouds, etc. then Noah would Not have had to build that Ark to save himself and the rest.

The topic or subject of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 is dealing with resurrection being asleep in death until resurrection.
Jesus was caught up in the clouds - Acts of the Apostles 1:9 - only after Jesus was resurrected - 1 Corinthians 15:20; 1 Corinthians 15:23
So, those called to heaven - Revelation 20:6; Revelation 5:9-10; Revelation 2:10 - are resurrected to get there.
Those of verse 17 of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 will Not spend much time in death because there will No longer be the need for them to sleep in death at the time of Jesus' return.
Doesn't Revelation 21:2 have New Jerusalem ( Galatians 4:26 ) as ' coming down ' and Not as people going up to New Jerusalem ?

I believe that is out of context. A resurrection is flesh and blood.

I believe this is a non-sequitur. It was never a question of whether he could go to the sky but whether God wanted to do it that way.

I believe Noah was saved by Islam ie hearing and obeying God.

I believe Jesus was living when He was raptured. The resurrection had nothing to do with His rapture.
I believe those who are resurrected are brought with Jesus so they have no need of rapture.

I believe you are going out of context again but I am willing to hear you argue why you think it is contextual.

I believe for the "bride of Christ" to be in the New Jerusalem in the clouds they must have a way to get there and then the city descends to earth. I could see the city descending and people entering if the earth were not destroyed by fire but the escape from fire is the main point of the rapture is it not? Just as Noah's entering the ark was an escape from flood.

 

[Muffled]

Masses won't get fired up. Matthew 24:14 is about a witness to the nations and Not a conversion of them.
One historian calculated that out of all the people that Jesus talked with that only 1% followed him.
Jesus said ' few ' would be on the narrow road or path to life - Matthew 7:13-15
Notice what Jesus said about the majority at Matthew 10:22

I believe few people are on the path now but just wait until the prospect of getting torched comes along and everyone will get on the bandwagon.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I believe few people are on the path now but just wait until the prospect of getting torched comes along and everyone will get on the bandwagon.

Interesting thought ^above ^ but consider what if the path to the door is closed or shut off ' before' the bandwagon comes along ?

Jesus likened out days to Noah - Matthew 24:37 - and God shut the door before the rain started.
Once the political turns on the religious world, then there will be No ' jumping on the bandwagon ' at the last minute.
We are nearing that ' final signal ' of 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 when ' they ' (powers that be) will be saying ' peace ' as precursor to the coming great tribulation of Revelation 7:14
Just as Jesus said that MANY will prove false - Matthew 7:21-23

 

[URAVIP2ME]

The Golden Rule doesn't belong to the Bible, and doesn't demand religion.
And the sentiment of John 13:34-35 is fine. But if I love someone, it doesn't make me Jesus' disciple, sorry.

You're right, the Golden Rule is Not exclusive to the Bible, or exclusively found in the Bible.
People can choose to follow the Golden Rule out of their built-in conscience - Romans 2:14-15
Either in or out of the Bible, does the Golden Rule need updating?
You're right too, the Golden Rule does Not demand religion. I did try to convey back in post # 219 that Jesus was Not promoting living by just going to some religious meeting, but Jesus was promoting a ' way of life '. That ' way of life ' (lifestyle) should be lived by the Golden Rule - Matthew 7:12. For Christians that would also involve loving God - Luke 10:27
If everyone on earth lived by the Golden Rule how many wars would take place on earth ?

Yes, loving someone does Not necessarily make one a disciple of Jesus.
John 13:34-35; John 15:13 is about having 'self-sacrificing love' for others, not just about loving someone. - Romans 5:7
People who follow Jesus would also, beside follow the Golden Rule, freely out of love do what Jesus said to do at Matthew 24:14; Matthew 28:18-20: Acts of the Apostles 1:8

 

[Muffled]

Interesting thought ^above ^ but consider what if the path to the door is closed or shut off ' before' the bandwagon comes along ?

Jesus likened out days to Noah - Matthew 24:37 - and God shut the door before the rain started.
Once the political turns on the religious world, then there will be No ' jumping on the bandwagon ' at the last minute.
We are nearing that ' final signal ' of 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 when ' they ' (powers that be) will be saying ' peace ' as precursor to the coming great tribulation of Revelation 7:14
Just as Jesus said that MANY will prove false - Matthew 7:21-23

I believe Noah preached but no-one believed him. They had a chance to be saved. Certainly there will be those who will say that there will be no fire and ignore the call to be saved. Also I believe the devil is working overtime to try to convince people that the salvation is a trick. However say a Muslim knows about the rapture and the call goes out. Will he not respond in faith in Allah? Sure many will be called but few will be chosen. However those are relative terms and the few may be millions and the many billions.

 

[Skwim]

I believe Noah preached but no-one believed him. They had a chance to be saved.

According the Bible, your belief is incorrect.

 

[outhouse]

Beauty and love were built into nature, into creation,

Creation is known mythology.

 

[outhouse]

I believe Noah

Academia shows him to have never existed outside mythology.

He factually has no historicity as ever existing

 

[ThePainefulTruth]

Academia shows him to have never existed outside mythology.

He factually has no historicity as ever existing

In fact, his is just the Abramic name given to Gilgamesh when they co-opted that myth.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

According the Bible, your belief is incorrect.

Huh? What is incorrect about 2 Peter 2:5 ?
The Ark was No short-term project. It took decades to build.
Don't you think people would ask Noah why he was building such a HUGE Ark on dry land?
Surely Noah, a preacher of righteousness, would have explained and invited those whom he talked with to join him on the Ark.

 

[outhouse]

In fact, his is just the Abramic name given to Gilgamesh when they co-opted that myth.

Do you just make stuff up as you go? That is not fact, it is not even correct.

Gilgamesh is a myth, based on previous flood myths, that go back to a possible real flood when the Euphrates overflowed. The oldest myth has an actual real possible man called Ziusudra.

Ziusudra pre dates the Noah mythology by thousands of years

 

[outhouse]

The Ark was No short-term project. It took decades to build.

You mean it to hundreds of years for Israelites to compile and plagiarize multiple flood accounts while in Exile?

That boat is mythological by all credible accounts

 

[URAVIP2ME]

You mean it to hundreds of years for Israelites to compile and plagiarize multiple flood accounts while in Exile?
That boat is mythological by all credible accounts

How many similar Flood legends are there among earth's nations and islands?_______________
No legends No Flood.

 

[ThePainefulTruth]

Do you just make stuff up as you go? That is not fact, it is not even correct.

Gilgamesh is a myth, based on previous flood myths, that go back to a possible real flood when the Euphrates overflowed. The oldest myth has an actual real possible man called Ziusudra.

Ziusudra pre dates the Noah mythology by thousands of years

So you try to discredit my "made up" stuff by making up your own. Ziusudra? Really???

 

[outhouse]

So you try to discredit my "made up" stuff by making up your own. Ziusudra? Really???

Provide sources.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziusudra

Ziusudra (also Zi-ud-sura and Zin-Suddu; Hellenized Xisuthros: "found long life" or "life of long days") of Shuruppak is listed in the WB-62 Sumerian king list[citation needed] recension as the last king of Sumer prior to the deluge.

He is subsequently recorded as the hero of the Sumerian flood epic. He is also mentioned in other ancient literature, including The Death of Gilgamesh[1] and The Poem of Early Rulers,[2] and a late version of The Instructions of Shuruppak[3] refers to Ziusudra.[4] Akkadian Atrahasis ("extremely wise") and Utnapishtim ("he found life"), as well as biblical Noah ("rest") are similar heroes of flood legends of the ancient Near East.

 

[outhouse]

So you try to discredit my "made up"

No I didn't try.

You discredit yourself, I don't need to try

 

[outhouse]

No legends No Flood.

No date provided for noahs flood = no flood

Sorry you hold no credibility here. Provide credible sources.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

No date provided for noahs flood = no flood
Sorry you hold no credibility here. Provide credible sources.

How many similar Flood legends are throughout the earth's nations and islands of the sea ?
It was over 4,350 year ago for the Flood. Earth's folklore has similar threads of the Flood account.
Nothing perishable ( except for what Noah had on the Ark ) survived the Flood, but non-perishable artefacts ( in whole or in part ) could have survived the Flood.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

You mean it to hundreds of years for Israelites to compile and plagiarize multiple flood accounts while in Exile?
That boat is mythological by all credible accounts

Why are you referring to the Ark as a ' boat ' ? The Ark as a chest or a rectangular box was Not even boat-shaped.

What do the nations ( plural ) of earth have to do with the one ancient nation of Israel ( while in Egypt or afterwards ) ?
Ancient Israel was one nation in one location. They were Not spread throughout the earth.

 

[outhouse]

How many similar Flood legends are throughout the earth's nations and islands of the sea ?

It floods yearly all over the earth.

And if you even thought about I for one second you would realize your factual errors.

How could these people report on a flood if they were all killed? I hope logic doesn't get in your way to much.

. Earth's folklore has similar threads of the Flood account.

The only similar ones, are the ones Israelites plagiarized into their own accounts.

Nothing perishable ( except for what Noah had on the Ark ) survived the Flood, but non-perishable artefacts ( in whole or in part ) could have survived the Flood.

Nothing survives mythological events either

It was over 4,350 year ago for the Flood.

Factually false.

There are places that were not destroyed then. Your wrong, and you have ZERO credible evidence in support

WHAT PART of provide credible sources don't you understand?


All of academia says your wrong that it did not happen. ALL credible universities teach this as biblical mythology worldwide.