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Originally Posted by fwellers  Good and evil are just words to make judgements on things. Talk of good and evil should contain the understanding that the one can't exist without the other, in this world of duality. |
Everyone here skirts around this issue. What happens to the people who care nothing about anything spiritual and just live out their whole lives seeing who they can use and hurt? If they are in their own personal hell, what about their victims, women, children, people who had no choice or say in the matter. Don't they have Court TV where you live? Rape some children, get stuck in traffic and you've been to the hell Jesus spoke of? Surely this is not what you mean.
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Originally Posted by fwellers My issue with all the judeo christian religions is that they have put reality in a box, ( an inaccurate one at that ), and leave little room for anything else.
Jesus is NOT the only way to salvation. However, the things he points to, selflessness, love, etc... probably are. I think everyone will eventually in their path, get to the point where they have the attributes of Jesus and therefore become like him.
But taking the simplistic view that worshipping him will bring you to a special place when you die, while not worshipping him will bring you to the other place when you die, while it may work for some, doesn't even come close for me. |
There seems to be a pervasive ignorance of what the Bible actually says on these threads.
Knowing God begins with a pureness of heart and a willingness to know the truth. What is causing you to say Jesus is not the only way to salvation and leaving Jesus outside your box of possible Gods?
I agree there is too much emphasis on heaven and hell when Jesus clearly said the kingdom of God is within you and starts now. The act of worship is not to bring you to heaven but in the literal sense from the greek means to "kiss" God, to "kiss" our Father. Worship allows us to feel his presence now and help us follow more closely His Spirit. Heaven is a place we look forward most to because that is when we will see Him face to face. Loving Him and others, doing His will, asking forgiveness if you miss it, the humbleness of that is the kind of worship He wants, the same as our earthly fathers.
Hell is a place created for the devil and his angels and since there will be no evil in heaven, those who chose to use this life for evil will go there also. Worshipping Him or calling Him Lord will not keep someone from hell, as Jesus says, many will say didn't I preach and do miracles in your name,....and I will say to them, depart from me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you. .
The Christian experience and community is broader than the First Baptist Church, although they do a good work. All of us believe that Jesus is the son of God [and there are two instances in the Gospels where the people around Jesus said they heard God himself say it.] I do think some people out of the pureness of their heart may be following Jesus and just not know Him by name yet.