It's the first part of a poem called "The Divine Comedy" :chuckle: . Seems it's how some people envision hell.
Where is Beatrice? I read some of it, seems creepy.
It's the first part of a poem called "The Divine Comedy" :chuckle: . Seems it's how some people envision hell.
What an odd question. For monotheists and trinitarian Christions, that would make the gift of Jesus meaningless, and for deists it wouldn't matter (since hell and predestination are fictions to them). Of course, that would depend on whether you believe that predestination is written in stone, wouldn't it?
This question makes you ponder whether your beliefs (salvation, hell, predestination, etc.) matter in the slightest. Do they? Perhaps the truth awaits in the clarity following your death.
:think:
It matters because this doctrine that the Reformed folks like so much is a major stumbling block to thinking people accepting the Christian faith, if they give the Reformed folks any creedence to begin with.
Actually, most non-believers think Christianity teaches eternal punishment for the unsaved and do give that idea creedence as being an accurate portrayal of what the bible teaches because the vast majority of churches teach that. So that doctrine is the bigger, more common stumbling block to not only thinking people but people who have an innate sense of biblical justice even though they are not saved.
Well, yes, and as much as what you forward is infinitely more palatable than folk being effectively roasted for eternity do you question yours also? Is it fair that people are just snuffed out because of difficulties with such heinous doctrines and thus remain 'unsaved'? Or those who don't even hear any message? Your own has problems to an inquiring mind as I see it as well...
I've never had someone with an inquiring mind challenge me on it so far so I don't see your point :drum:
But seriously folks, being snuffed out isn't very unjust IMNSHO, and the gift of eternal life certainly isn't deserved by anyone either.
Then isn't it just as arbitrary as to who receives the gift and who doesn't though?
Yes, all of us.
toldailytopic: Are some people born predestined to go to hell?
The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for September 29th, 2011 09:45 AM
toldailytopic: Are some people born predestined to go to hell?
yeah, Rick Perry, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, George W. Bush....
Actually I got it from doing some research though feel free to assume as you wish. Where exactly are you getting this stat from? Is that another assumption?
The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for September 29th, 2011 09:45 AM
toldailytopic: Are some people born predestined to go to hell?
yeah, Rick Perry, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, George W. Bush....
As ye judge so shall ye be judged.
Yes, the vessels of wrath were predestinated to go to hell for their sins ! Rom 9:22
What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Yes, all of us.
We're surprised that science, recently, found something faster than the speed of light. I'm not surprised. I got ahead. Calvinism provided a jump start in the meaning of space and time. I found another layer of reality and discovered faith rather than create faith. Discover isn't accepting. I couldn't create faith since it was already there. If it's not there, you can't create faith. To some, it isn't there nor have the ability to save themselves by creating faith. Anyone can create the Lucifer vision of faith. Satan said, "If you can, you ought". The lie is you can't and you ought not try.
Predestination in the context of the Romans passage is God choosing to blind the Israelites so they would not accept the Gospel.
Being so chosen as vessels of wrath
...Paul is rough on them because appearantly there were those who thought it unfair of God to choose some to never have the chance to get saved but be predestined to be destroyed...
like when a potter doesn't approve of his own work and pounds it into a lump and starts over with a new pot to make with that clay.
As a potter, I've done this numerous times because I couldn't afford to just take out a fresh, unused block of clay to start over with.
Paul is saying it doesn't really make much sense for the clay to protest what it is going to be used for but that's in the context of the Jews understanding the consequences
quite a bit differently than what is common in Christianity today and for hundreds of years prior. When we are talking about real human beings being tossed into a furnace to burn forever and ever then it makes perfect sense for them to question such a doctrine. And so we do.
And so it goes.
The true church follows the teachings of Christ and those He has appointed to teach. There IS no other church, all who deliberately turn away from His teachings turn away from Him. They may call themselves any reasonable sounding name they wish but they are no longer followers of Christ.
I am speaking about those who deliberately reject His doctrines. If they twist and change the meaning of His words to make it say what THEY want it to say, this compounds their guilt. For now not only are they themselves liars but they actually put their lie into God's mouth. This cannot be done by innocent mistake, it is deliberate.
Universalism comes from the same stream of intellectualism that prevailed in Germany at the turn of the 19th century. I think it was a MAJOR contributary factor in the expansionism and empire building and so trade wars of that period and so was [along with evolution theory] a MAJOR contribution to the 1st world war....silencing the warnings of God in the consciences of society. From the 1st world war comes the 2nd world war. That I lay partly [but largely] at the door step of intellectualism and universalism in the church.
What's the 'true church' exactly?
Deliberately rejecting man made doctrines is not exactly the same thing. If you believe eternal torment is taught as biblical it's your call, but it doesn't mean you're correct on the matter.
I think you'll find it stems back considerably further than that, if the founding church fathers and original translators count at any rate....heard of Origen? lain: Your diatribe regarding the world wars is just downright bizarre frankly. :AMR:
Yeah, I'm really straining here to see a connection :chuckle: