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RFNAPLES
Level 8

Gender: Male
Age: 75
Location: Durham, NC, USA

GARY are you embarrassed about your admitted past? If not, why are you upset with the images?

For the record the concept of heaven is not exclusively Christian. Check out the YouTubes on same.
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GARY

RFNAPLES wrote:

GARY are you embarrassed about your admitted past? If not, why are you upset with the images?

For the record the concept of heaven is not exclusively Christian. Check out the YouTubes on same.

Sorry Naples, I just figured you were doing a personal attack.

I know the concept of Heaven is not exclusively Christian. I was just giving a Christian perspective.
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I owe $100,000 and wasted 4 years of my life.

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RFNAPLES
Level 8

Gender: Male
Age: 75
Location: Durham, NC, USA

Isn't it some of the purported illuminati that regard heaven, like religion generally, as a tool employed by authorities to bribe their subjects into a certain way of life by promising a reward after death?
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GARY

RFNAPLES wrote:

Isn't it some of the purported illuminati that regard heaven, like religion generally, as a tool employed by authorities to bribe their subjects into a certain way of life by promising a reward after death?

Absolutely. The pope is a major power player of the Illuminati for one thing. All I can say is that IMO "organized religion" is a tool of the Illuminati and Satan. I'm not religious myself. I read the Bible and pray to God. The Illuminati use many things to divide conquer and control the masses. Religion, race, status, sex, etc. It helps them get people to go along with the wars that they are behind, make money hand over fist from both sides, and then loan more money through their world banks to nation build. They have been doing this for hundreds of years and it has worked very well because people refuse to see these truths and send their sons off to die for a flag when they are actually dying a totally unnecessary death for the Illuminati.
_________________
.
I owe $100,000 and wasted 4 years of my life.

And all I got was this silly hat

.

Wombi

so kids the message of today is: rape, pillage, steal, lie and inject because you can always repent on your death bed! Very Happy

GARY

Jhereko wrote:

so kids the message of today is: rape, pillage, steal, lie and inject because you can always repent on your death bed! Very Happy

Technically that is true. But I would advise not doing so. Because your next breathe may be your last and you will die in your sins. Personally, I'm not willing to roll the dice with my eternal soul at stake.
_________________
.
I owe $100,000 and wasted 4 years of my life.

And all I got was this silly hat

.

Bork
Executive Hillbilly

Location: Vinson Mountain, GA

So in essence, an all-knowing, all-loving, and eternal beings most important message is: Do what the hell you want, as long as you hail me as the top dog. Yeah...that makes sense.

Necharsian
Best Ever User

Gender: Male

GARY wrote:

O.K. Necharsian, I will answer your question. But you will not like the answer. More importantly however, is the fact that you will become accountable for what you do with the answer. It is up to you to count the cost. I don't know you or what you believe and don't believe. IMO, your question is the most important question any person can ask. For where you spend eternity may depend on the answer. But, like I said, I have no idea what you believe and or know about the God of the Bible who created the universe and everything in it. You might be saying "GARY is just a nut" and WTF is he talking about? But in the way that I believe, this puts a tremendous responsibility on me. Not only will you be able to read my answer, but numerous others as well. But I do not believe in coincidences and there is a reason for everything. So I will do my best to answer. But, regardless of what the answer is or if you believe it or not. Never stop asking this same question.

First I just want to say that I was not raised in a Christian family but quite the opposite. I'm descended from generations of people involved in the occult. I know from things that I have seen and done myself that there is power and knowledge to be had in the occult and it's very real. But that power is only temporary and comes at a very high price. I studied every religion I could find because I was empty inside and knew that there was more to this life than what I was seeing, feeling, and being told. When I started reading the Bible it was only for the reason that I was going to find it's flaws and thus eliminate it from my search for the real truth and inner peace.

But I just couldn't find one and never have. I kept reading it and the more I read the more I understood what I was reading. Because at first it didn't make total sense to me. But I knew what I did understand was the truth I had always been looking for in my life. But, God is not a book, the book is authored by God through men who were filled with the spirit, but it is still a book. The inner piece, joy, true love etc. comes from being filled with the Holy ghost and having a personal relationship with Jesus who willingly died on a cross to pay for everyones sins.

A large percentage of people when I ask them why they believe they are going to Heaven say this. "I'm a good person" Well, are they really a "good" person? Compared to what?

The Bible says that we ALL have sinned and fall short of the standard. Jesus was the only person that ever lived who did not sin. God loves us so much that he gave his only son to be a sacrifice for our sin. God loves us but he hates sin.

John 14:6 Jesus answered "I am the way and the truth and the life.No one comes to the Father except through me"

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Think about it from the opposite view. What if a evil person who does nothing for anyone else decides to change and believe in Christ right before they die? Here is the answer from the Bible.

There was a thief on a cross next to Jesus having been given a death sentence just like Jesus. But he showed his belief and said this man (Jesus) has done nothing wrong. Then he said "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom"

Then in Luke 23:43 the Bible states

Jesus answered him (the thief) "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise"

So, it's not about being "good" for we are not saved by works. We are saved by faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift from God: not of works, lest any man should boast.

Well alright. That was a much more in depth answer than I was anticipating.
For my personal beliefs: I really don't know where I stand. I would be inclined to believe that there is some sort of "Creator", but beyond that I am indecided. I feel as though I know what is right, and I know what is wrong and I try to live according to those guidelines.

The problem I have with the faith analysis is that by it, it means that it is worse for an Atheist to spend his time and money on helping to build schools in Africa than it is for a Christian to spend his time and money planning and conducting a mass murder. The Atheist is damned from the beginning, while the Christian (as long as he repents) will be relaxing in infinite bliss.

GARY

Necharsian wrote:

GARY wrote:

O.K. Necharsian, I will answer your question. But you will not like the answer. More importantly however, is the fact that you will become accountable for what you do with the answer. It is up to you to count the cost. I don't know you or what you believe and don't believe. IMO, your question is the most important question any person can ask. For where you spend eternity may depend on the answer. But, like I said, I have no idea what you believe and or know about the God of the Bible who created the universe and everything in it. You might be saying "GARY is just a nut" and WTF is he talking about? But in the way that I believe, this puts a tremendous responsibility on me. Not only will you be able to read my answer, but numerous others as well. But I do not believe in coincidences and there is a reason for everything. So I will do my best to answer. But, regardless of what the answer is or if you believe it or not. Never stop asking this same question.

First I just want to say that I was not raised in a Christian family but quite the opposite. I'm descended from generations of people involved in the occult. I know from things that I have seen and done myself that there is power and knowledge to be had in the occult and it's very real. But that power is only temporary and comes at a very high price. I studied every religion I could find because I was empty inside and knew that there was more to this life than what I was seeing, feeling, and being told. When I started reading the Bible it was only for the reason that I was going to find it's flaws and thus eliminate it from my search for the real truth and inner peace.

But I just couldn't find one and never have. I kept reading it and the more I read the more I understood what I was reading. Because at first it didn't make total sense to me. But I knew what I did understand was the truth I had always been looking for in my life. But, God is not a book, the book is authored by God through men who were filled with the spirit, but it is still a book. The inner piece, joy, true love etc. comes from being filled with the Holy ghost and having a personal relationship with Jesus who willingly died on a cross to pay for everyones sins.

A large percentage of people when I ask them why they believe they are going to Heaven say this. "I'm a good person" Well, are they really a "good" person? Compared to what?

The Bible says that we ALL have sinned and fall short of the standard. Jesus was the only person that ever lived who did not sin. God loves us so much that he gave his only son to be a sacrifice for our sin. God loves us but he hates sin.

John 14:6 Jesus answered "I am the way and the truth and the life.No one comes to the Father except through me"

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Think about it from the opposite view. What if a evil person who does nothing for anyone else decides to change and believe in Christ right before they die? Here is the answer from the Bible.

There was a thief on a cross next to Jesus having been given a death sentence just like Jesus. But he showed his belief and said this man (Jesus) has done nothing wrong. Then he said "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom"

Then in Luke 23:43 the Bible states

Jesus answered him (the thief) "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise"

So, it's not about being "good" for we are not saved by works. We are saved by faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift from God: not of works, lest any man should boast.

Well alright. That was a much more in depth answer than I was anticipating.
For my personal beliefs: I really don't know where I stand. I would be inclined to believe that there is some sort of "Creator", but beyond that I am indecided. I feel as though I know what is right, and I know what is wrong and I try to live according to those guidelines.

The problem I have with the faith analysis is that by it, it means that it is worse for an Atheist to spend his time and money on helping to build schools in Africa than it is for a Christian to spend his time and money planning and conducting a mass murder. The Atheist is damned from the beginning, while the Christian (as long as he repents) will be relaxing in infinite bliss.

It must be a TRUE repentance though. God can't be fooled. It's not like you say "oops, my bad God" When a person repents and asks the Lord to take the wheel they become a new person in Christ. They become part of the body of Christ. The body of Christ is the real "church". But man has turned the "church" into a big fancy building.

Once one becomes "born again" they look at things from a different point of view. They will be a changed person, not perfect, but more Christ like. Even then, people still turn away from God and go back to doing their own thing without asking God what he would have them do.

I don't make the rules nor pretend to fully understand everything in the Bible and probably never will fully understand it. But that's O.K. Like I said to Jhereko, your next breathe could be your last and you would die in your sins. Yes, people gamble with their eternity and say to themselves. I will repent and give my life to Christ when I'm old but right now I will keep doing whatever I feel like no matter what God says. But you may die this very day, then what will happen to your soul? Or, people keep asking God for forgiveness (and when you ask he forgives you right away) and then after a shot time they go right back to their own evil ways and desires. At a certain point God will say, enough, I'm done with you and he gives you up to a reprobate mind.

It would take many posts to really answer the question. And even then, it would just bring on more questions. This is like asking, what is the meaning of life IMO. That is why I said before, "sometimes the questions are more important than the answers" The main thing IMO is to keep questioning what this world system tells you is real or right and wrong or what you should be doing.

People didn't create us, God created us. Look at the incredible vastness and beauty and intelligent design of the universe. Personally, I follow and listen to God. Not man. Remember, we only have human brains with limited understanding. So not everything is going to make perfect sense to us when it comes to God and the Bible.
_________________
.
I owe $100,000 and wasted 4 years of my life.

And all I got was this silly hat

.

SquishypuffDave

Gender: Male
Age: 33

Bork wrote:

So in essence, an all-knowing, all-loving, and eternal beings most important message is: Do what the hell you want, as long as you hail me as the top dog. Yeah...that makes sense.

Jhereko wrote:

so kids the message of today is: rape, pillage, steal, lie and inject because you can always repent on your death bed! Very Happy

No, the message is: do good, not because it will get you into heaven, but because it is good. This is one of the most fundamental aspects of Christianity and it is disheartening that you've confused it with having no accountability whatsoever.

Also, very sensible and considered answers GARY. Quite a bit more sane than I've come to expect. Razz