Queen of Swords

Hey buttercup,

P**p! F**k! S**t!

I now have Tourette's syndrome. See you (D**n!) in heaven.

B**n!

Mageth

Many people that are mentally ill didn't become so until they were adults. So will they be in heaven even though they didn't avail themselves of the gospel opportunity before the onset of their illness? How about those with Alzheimer's? How about those cases where a believer has suffered brain damage and, afterwards, resort to a "sinful" lifestyle due to the damage?

That's the problem with such justifications - they lead to even more difficult questions.

Lone Wolf

Hmmm... maybe the pastor is out gettin' the Lexus tuned up...

Darwin's Finch

It seems that a junior True Believer has recently got to my six-year-old son at school because, to my astonishment, he came home Friday asking about Jesus and Hell (and he was genuinely concerned). Mind you, his mother and I are atheists and the boy has not so much as set foot in a church his entire life. We hadn't had the Big Talk with him because we wanted him to be of an age when he could make an informed decision (after much study) on his own.

I tried to shine him on, telling him that I would be happy to discuss these things with him when he was a bit older, but he wouldn't drop it. I sat him down, put on my best man-to-man straight talk face, and told him the Easter story, being very careful not to tip my hand. When I was finished, he just sat there with an incredulous look on his face. I asked him if he believed what I had said. His response still has me grinning. He said, "But that's just a story." I explained that that is what the X-tians believe. He just shook his head and said, "Then I guess I'm not one."

Now, if something terrible happens and he dies tomorrow, does he go to Hell? And if so, does not his schoolmate bear a share of the blame for forcing the issue? Any believers care to weigh in?

MOJO-JOJO

We understand, this is a typical malady of man-made, supersticious belief systems in our modern culture.
<img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" />

MOJO-JOJO

You are much like the new Christian superhero, Dayna Curry, buttercup. Your heart's in the right place, unfortunately, the 3-pound hunk of gray matter in your skull has had all signs of intellect and reason completely scrubbed, erased and vaporized, only to be overlaid and brainwashed with the typical, fairy-tale beliefs, mythic nonsense and supernatural gah-gah, that most of us here reading your post have at some point in our lives managed to escape from. But then, to you, we are NOW not <img src="graemlins/notworthy.gif" border="0" alt="[Not Worthy]" />

MOJO-JOJO

DF, this is where Christians like to throw in the "age of accountability" thing. It's not in the Bible, but it's a nice little defense mechanism that allows fundies an easy-out for having to "decide" if your child burns in hell or not. Supposedly, God graces our little tots with extra mercy. But we idiot adults get NOTHING if we can't commit intellectual suicide and become a Jesus-bot like the rest of his flock.

Darwin's Finch

Mojo-Jojo: Understood. I just wanted to see if any True Christians (TM) had the balls to own up to their beliefs in the face of a decided denial of Easter by a six year old. I still wait...

*sharpens verbal Bowie knife*

MOJO-JOJO

er...not probably.

These English theists are always so much fun, they remind me of the blokes from Monty Python.

I remember listening to a funny little tale from the Baptist Preacher at the church I used to go to, who is also a VP at the SBC here in the Protestant Vatican (Nashville). They once had a group of English Pastors (Baptist, I think he said) visit the SBC from the great UK. One of the first things the pastors asked was "Where are the best local Pubs?". I nearly peed in my pants, as if these stodgy old Baptist stuffed shirts would know where the best watering holes were.

Actually, I should go back and tell him that the next time these guys visit......call me. I love a good Stout Ale at one of the local microbreweries.

Hey, buttercup.....can I buy you a brew? You sound like you need to let your hair down a little.....

Jane Bovary

[i]Yes Jane. You and Les Benton are on the "Highway To Hell" [/b]

Not me Kally! I'm always careful to REPENT after every sin...