tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19769805.post560878605377887421..comments2023-11-02T09:14:47.151-05:00Comments on Bill's Thoughts: WILL GOD JUDGE AMERICA?Bill Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573859102823530876noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19769805.post-52758684722269241922013-07-26T08:42:02.263-05:002013-07-26T08:42:02.263-05:00Thanks Bob. Very thoughtful and thought-provoking...Thanks Bob. Very thoughtful and thought-provoking. I agree. Bill Ballhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13573859102823530876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19769805.post-79686611279872882752013-07-26T08:25:23.094-05:002013-07-26T08:25:23.094-05:00Hi Bill,
I wanted to talk a bit more about the Un...Hi Bill,<br /><br />I wanted to talk a bit more about the United States. Do I believe God holds the United States accountable? You bet. Sin and death are joined together at the chest like Chang and Eng, and one would have to be blind not to notice the sin and death in our country. However, that's not the same thing as stating flatly that we are exactly in the same position as Israel and Judah were in the time of Amos (a contention I heard recently in Sunday school). When Amos warned that the Northern Kingdom was about to be carried into captivity and that later the Southern Kingdom would follow, he was getting his informaion directly from God, not from some prophecy expert in Tulsa.<br /><br />We simply don't know the mind of God in these matters because He hasn't told us. Isaiah 55:9 says, "As high as the heavens are above the earth, so are My ways than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." To proclaim imminent judgment on the U.S. is to claim insight beyond our abilities.<br /><br />The U.S. still sends out more missionaries than any country in the world (with South Korea hot on our heels--South Korea recently sent 5 missionaries to New York City--isn't that amusing?); and the U.S. has more Bible-believing congregations than any country in the world (some of them grace-oriented). <br /><br />Not that any of this negates our country's accountability to God, but it does clarify the issue a bit. A large number of people in the U.S. follow God's principles, and only He knows when sin will (or if) destroy us.<br /><br />We might even turn around and head in the opposite direction. Who knows? Doubtful, but with God all things are possible. Judy and I have a new memory verse that seems applicable.<br /><br />Jeremiah 32:17 "Ah Lord God, creator of the heavens and the earth, with Your mighty power and outstretched arms, nothing is too difficult for You." <br /><br />Best,<br />BobBob McCollumnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19769805.post-19528827228156635362013-07-20T13:25:00.848-05:002013-07-20T13:25:00.848-05:00Hello Bob,
You said: Can't speak for Bill, bu...Hello Bob,<br /><br />You said: Can't speak for Bill, but I hate the idea of hell as much as you do. Sometimes I lie awake at night because of the horror of the concept.<br /><br />Yes. It's mental abuse. I can totally understand why you're afraid. It's an evil concept and one the church has used to make people afraid to look too deeply into their faith.<br /><br />You said: However, the real question isn't about hell or the number of people who might go there. <br /><br />I think it's part of the question. Religious people are always talking about Gods plan. That's some plan isn't it? To have at least 6/7 of the population burning for eternity in every single generation. It shows how ridiculous this religion is.<br /><br />You said: The real question is who was Jesus Christ? If He was merely a man then who gives a fig what he thought or taught about anything? But if He was our creator who entered our race so we might live forever, it makes sense to hear what He's got to say.<br /><br />I think he was just a man. Do you think the same way about Zeus, Odin, Muhammad? What happens if Hercules was really the son of Zeus? Shouldn't we listen to him? What if Muhammad was really a prophet? Shouldn't we listen to him?<br /><br />It's funny that these prophets disappeared as soon as we could use science to test such claims.<br /><br />You said: The great majority of references to hell come from Christ Himself, and he said He came to rescue us from it.<br /><br />Yes, there is no concept of hell in the OT. Funny how it changed, right? That alone should tell you how fake this concept is.<br /><br />You said: But He's a perfect gentleman and He never forces Himself on anyone. If we spend our lives pushing Him away--making it clear we want nothing to do with Him, He will eventually step aside and leave us entirely alone.<br /><br />Then he should provide evidence of his existence. I could say the same things you said about the thousands of gods that were believed in before Christianity was even dreamed up. <br /><br />You said: And that will be hell.<br /><br />No, that's freedom. It's freedom to think for yourself. That fear you expressed at the beginning of your post will fall away and you won't have to live in fear of a mythical torture chamber. You won't feel guilty for examining the claims of your religion. Canadian Atheisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00641777092783262463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19769805.post-58212623452950995462013-07-20T09:42:27.502-05:002013-07-20T09:42:27.502-05:00Hi Canadian Atheist,
Can't speak for Bill, bu...Hi Canadian Atheist,<br /><br />Can't speak for Bill, but I hate the idea of hell as much as you do. Sometimes I lie awake at night because of the horror of the concept.<br /><br />However, the real question isn't about hell or the number of people who might go there. The real question is who was Jesus Christ? If He was merely a man then who gives a fig what he thought or taught about anything? But if He was our creator who entered our race so we might live forever, it makes sense to hear what He's got to say.<br /><br />The great majority of references to hell come from Christ Himself, and he said He came to rescue us from it.<br /><br />But He's a perfect gentleman and He never forces Himself on anyone. If we spend our lives pushing Him away--making it clear we want nothing to do with Him, He will eventually step aside and leave us entirely alone.<br /><br />And that will be hell. <br /><br />BobBob McCollumnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19769805.post-20042726675309953732013-07-19T15:56:38.539-05:002013-07-19T15:56:38.539-05:00Bill said: Jesus is speaking of His return in glor...Bill said: Jesus is speaking of His return in glory to reign on earth. The nations are to be gathered before Him and are to go either into His Kingdom or into eternal fire. <br /><br />This makes no sense and shows the superstitious, illogical nature of Christianity. <br /><br />Using this criteria, you can pretty much bet that 5 billion of the 7 billion people alive today are going to hell, simply by chance because of where they live. 2 billion Christians have a chance at this mythical heaven, but many of them are probably going to join those heathens in hell.<br /><br />Let's say half.<br /><br />So that leaves 1/7 of the population goes straight to hell and repeat for every past generation and future generation.<br /><br />How monstrous!<br /><br />I'm glad there is no reason to believe this whatsoever. I also wonder how Christians sleep at night, thinking their God is going to burn ETERNALLY almost the entirety of the human population, past and present. Canadian Atheisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00641777092783262463noreply@blogger.com