Freethought & Rationalism Archive

winstonjen · 01-21-2003, 08:08 PM

Sin can be something that hurts no one, but 'offends' 'god', and to me, that is not something that is deserving of eternal punishment.

Keith Russell · 01-22-2003, 10:02 AM

Kevin:

So, since I have never come "to an understanding of who God is and what he expects from us" I thus have never been able to "willfully" go "against that"--

Thus, I am not a sinner.

I can live with that...but you've removed much--if not all--of the coercive influence religion seeks to wield.

Keith.

spurly · 01-22-2003, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Biff the unclean
One thing I really like about debating with Christians is that no two of them define Christianity as the same thing. The rules of the game keep changing with each player. There are some Christians who are just basically nice people and decide for themselves that Christianity has to be nice.

'New born infants damned to an eternity of torment in Hell (no gnashing of teeth, because they don't have teeth) ??!! That isn't nice. Forget about original sin, it doesn't make any sense, it's mean and stupid.'

If only all Christians felt that way...sigh

Biff, it's not something I decide for myself. It is a conclusion that is reached by serious study of the word of God. Not because I am a nice person, and want God to be "nice", but because that is what God's word says.

Kevin

spurly · 01-22-2003, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Keith Russell
Kevin:

So, since I have never come "to an understanding of who God is and what he expects from us" I thus have never been able to "willfully" go "against that"--

Thus, I am not a sinner.

I can live with that...but you've removed much--if not all--of the coercive influence religion seeks to wield.

Keith.

Keith,

This is a subject that theologians have debated for years. What happens to people who never hear about Jesus? What happens to those who are mentally incompetent to come to faith? What happens to children who die before they come to an understanding of who God is and who he wants us to be?

Big questions, with very complicated answers. Paul stated that people will be judged based on what they know about God and what they can know about him from nature.

Should we evangelize them if they are already going to be judged based on what they know, or should we leave them alone. Well, Jesus commanded us to go, so that answers the qusetion for me.

As to what will happen to you if you don't come to an understanding of God, I don't know. Only God does.

Kevin

beyelzu · 01-22-2003, 09:03 PM

Quote:

What happens to people who never hear about Jesus? What happens to those who are mentally incompetent to come to faith? What happens to children who die before they come to an understanding of who God is and who he wants us to be?

actually, us infidels fall in another category. what happens to a christian who rejects god? or what happens to someone who hears the Truth tm and rejects god?

i think most theologians are pretty clear on that, they burn in hell.

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01-21-2003, 08:08 PM	#101
winstonjen Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,425	Sin can be something that hurts no one, but 'offends' 'god', and to me, that is not something that is deserving of eternal punishment.

01-22-2003, 10:02 AM	#102
Keith Russell Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Overland Park, Kansas Posts: 1,336	Kevin: So, since I have never come "to an understanding of who God is and what he expects from us" I thus have never been able to "willfully" go "against that"-- Thus, I am not a sinner. I can live with that...but you've removed much--if not all--of the coercive influence religion seeks to wield. Keith.

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