From my reading and understanding, this oneness with God is the only thing which can truly meet the innermost need of a person and give someone significance and peace now and forever, because again, that is the sole purpose for human creation... to be eternally included within the Love of God.
The biblical message also shows that sin harms and breaks this relationship. Satan, the initiator of sin, who hates God and humanity seems intent on doing all he can, using any method he can to prevent, disrupt, or destroy such relationships of love and unity between created and Creator.
I concur, but I find that it is usually Christians who tell all of us (current, former, whatever Christians) that we are separated from God. I believe that being connected to the divine, to God, is the default position and a person's mental or spiritual issues are what makes it seem like separation. You know, that "footsteps" poem and such talk. Many Christians say that God will not even be in the same room as sinners (ignoring how Jesus interacted with people and that God had no problem dealing with sinners before). They add to such offensive talk the hypocritical and arrogant position they will decidedly get to be in His presence. Actually, there are many who will claim the VIP seats at the banquet and be told to go to the cheap seats. It won't be unbelievers, who aren't even expecting an invitation, who will be the problem. It is the believers who assume they will be getting all the goody bags at the party who are the problem.
If God chose unlimited power or knowledge to know all our choices, then the Adam and Eve scenario would Not have taken place.
Why would God wait until A&E were dead to pass judgement on them unless He chose Not to interfere with their free-will choices.
Having no ability to know is one thing. Choosing not to know is negligence.
We are nearing a soon coming ' time of separation ' to take place on earth
This proves my point that I don't think it is Satan promoting ideas of separation.
There are two (2) eternal options mentioned at 2 Peter 3:9 -> Repent or ' perish ' ( be destroyed )
According to Scripture: Satan will be ' separated ' because Satan will be destroyed - Hebrews 2:14 B
Jesus: Pete, if you are wronged, forgive that dude a whole lotta times.
Random disciple: Uh, when is God forgiving Satan?
Jesus: You have to repent. Satan doesn't.
Random disciple: Did the guy who wronged Pete a whole lotta times repent all those times? Even once? Is grace not freely given?
Jesus: God loves all His lost sheep.
Random disciple: Prove He loves the first of the lost, and I will know He can love the rest of us.
The scriptures are clear that Jesus died for the sins of the world...
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 1 John 2:2
I find John (both of them) to be heretics, unwilling or unable to match the tone of the rest of the bible. What the scriptures all agree on is the crucifixion. What meaning there is to be derived outside of the obvious (angry Romans with capital punishment capabilities) is up to us. Returning to life would negate the payment of our sins if death paid for them, yes? Sacrifices are supposed to stay dead. That's how sacrifices work.
Fortunately, I am not hamstrung by an addiction to scriptural sources and so my options are considerably different from what you see available. I'll be going wherever my interests take me and have a great time doing so. I'll pop back ever few millenniums to see if you have grown bored with your choices.
Been debating what to do after I'm dead, but since I have eternity, I guess I can do everything on my "post-bucket list".
I suppose you are including the Bible in your list of deary little books. I can't imagine that anyone who has really read the biblical scriptures seeking insight for God would ever consider it as deary.
The bible has lots of cool stories, but some of it, especially The Tale of the Endless Frickin' Legalese, is nap-worthy.
How does one explain that there are evils in abundance today which could Not be put down to a mere consequence of human sin ?
There are evils because there are finite resources and when those dwindle, people get irritable, especially if it's proven the haves are taking from the have-nots.
In my part of the world ' hackers ' are stealing people's ID's and it has created for them an on-going problem.
Technology gave us atomic energy but also the atomic bomb.
Peace talks have Not stopped more weapons from being produced every day, and which include terrorists-type weapons being used.
Where I have worked, and I now hear about on-going stealing at work places. At one drug store it took two years to finally have enough evidence to press charges.
Humans are the equivalent of teenagers: more power than sense.
There's a reason the earth will be inherited by the meek: all the childish people acting like they took Daddy's gun will take themselves out and all the rest of the mature people have to do is wait them out.
