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What if? (Personal Thoughts)

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posted on May, 6 2005 @ 12:21 AM
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As a Roman Catholic and very strong in my beliefs I find the question of what if life itself is it and after we die we simply cease to exist very scary. Any other religious people on here share my point of view that this question is rather scary I know there are many wonders to be thankful for but the question what if is very scary itself.



posted on May, 6 2005 @ 01:59 AM
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What if the Devil really existed? What if God sent you to a black pit of eternal damnation, because you chose not to message his ego and worship him? What if a simple little thing like a lie, was enough to send you to a lake of fire where Demons gouge your eyes out.

I mean, what if God really damned people to a teeth gnashing hell, because they didn't eat the proper cracker on the proper day? I mean, that's scarier.

[edit on 6-5-2005 by brimstone735]



posted on May, 6 2005 @ 06:25 AM
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I think this is a perfectly valid fear. In fact, it's a great starter to asking questions. The problem is, until people seek out God, they're probably not going to bump into Him. Once you do find him, those "what if's" go away because you get your proof. I'd be glad to help you CanadianConspirator if you'd like. Feel free to U2U me and we can discuss.


[edit on 6-5-2005 by saint4God]



posted on May, 6 2005 @ 07:11 AM
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read the tibetian book of living and dieing

my personal belief is that we live to die thats the main point in life to balence out death



posted on May, 6 2005 @ 07:21 AM
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Originally posted by CanadianConspirator
As a Roman Catholic and very strong in my beliefs I find the question of what if life itself is it and after we die we simply cease to exist very scary. Any other religious people on here share my point of view that this question is rather scary I know there are many wonders to be thankful for but the question what if is very scary itself.


My personal opinion is that the worst thing would be to go to a place that was absolutely devoid of God's presence. As children of God we have never experienced the absence of good, even though there are times it feels that way, it has not occurred. Even if there are those who choose not to believe in God, they still live in the advantage of His presence. Consider a place of no light, no God presence - nothing but the absence of good. That scares me the very worst.



posted on May, 6 2005 @ 11:09 AM
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This is normally what theologians consider 'hell' to actually be no? Not a place of pitchforks and men in red tights, but a zone where one is completely cut off??

Then again, the description in revelation seems to be that one doesn't go anywhere, but is rather destroyed, utterly, with no continuation of the self. Perhaps its the same thing?



posted on May, 6 2005 @ 11:17 AM
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Originally posted by CanadianConspirator
As a Roman Catholic and very strong in my beliefs I find the question of what if life itself is it and after we die we simply cease to exist very scary.

I think this is the main reason peple are religious.. like a spiritual safety net. I faced this issue some time ago.. in realising there was no god in any form I discovered what was leftover.. existence.

Energy cannot die.. it merely transforms.



posted on May, 6 2005 @ 11:42 AM
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Originally posted by Valhall
My personal opinion is that the worst thing would be to go to a place that was absolutely devoid of God's presence. As children of God we have never experienced the absence of good, even though there are times it feels that way, it has not occurred. Even if there are those who choose not to believe in God, they still live in the advantage of His presence. Consider a place of no light, no God presence - nothing but the absence of good. That scares me the very worst.


Thanks Valhall, this helped me today



posted on May, 6 2005 @ 08:03 PM
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Originally posted by CanadianConspirator
As a Roman Catholic and very strong in my beliefs I find the question of what if life itself is it and after we die we simply cease to exist very scary. Any other religious people on here share my point of view that this question is rather scary I know there are many wonders to be thankful for but the question what if is very scary itself.


If this were in person, I would have told you I had something in my car that would scare you more than that. I would have went to my car, taken out a box, and have you open it.

You would look inside, see it empty, and ask "How was this suppose to scare me?"

I would have then replied, "Good question, why are you afraid of nothing?"

When I was an atheist, that is how I thought it would be when I died. I was not afraid. Why would I fear nothing? Now that I am not, I am still not afraid.

I do not doubt your strong beliefs, but perhaps you haven't heard:

God has not given you a spirit of fear; but of power, of love and of a sound mind. Love casts out fear. Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. Trust in Him. (2Ti 1:7; 1Jo 4:18; Mar 12:30; Pro 30:5)




[edit on 6-5-2005 by Raphael_UO]



posted on May, 6 2005 @ 08:38 PM
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Before I became a christian, I was scared of death, since it would be "THE END" at its worse and I would have never been able to do the stuff i wanted to do. I faced death one time in a street fight, and the only thought that came to my mind was there was still so many things I wanted to do. and I was sad that I would never be able to do them.

After I became a christian, I know what is going ot happen, and I look forward to death.. not like if I have a death wish, or suicidal, but it KNOWN to me and I have nothign to worry about when it happens. When it does I will be ready.

It is allways personal how you veiw death, and one person's idea might not be what works for you.

1 Cor 15:55
"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"



posted on May, 12 2005 @ 01:08 AM
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Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the great replies. I was unfortunately away facing this again as my Grandfather just passed away last week. Your posts have been uplifting and I take to heart everything you have said about just trusting the lord. In fact on a personal note when my Grandfather received the sacrament of the sick the priest was present when the doctor asked what my Grandfather would like the doctors to do if his heart stopped. My Grandfather looked at him and simply said it doesn't matter what you do if it's meant to be it's meant to be. It's that kind of faith I have to trust in and I prayed and prayed for my Grandfathers strength to be passed onto me through death. That quote from revelation about hell simply being the ceasing to exist of the self seems to make a whole lot of sense thank you all.



posted on May, 12 2005 @ 01:15 AM
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There is only one place to go and thats Valhalla



posted on May, 12 2005 @ 06:59 AM
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Originally posted by Nygdan
Then again, the description in revelation seems to be that one doesn't go anywhere, but is rather destroyed, utterly, with no continuation of the self. Perhaps its the same thing?



Could you give the reference for this because that is not what is said in Revelation? I would like to see what verse you are getting this from.



posted on May, 12 2005 @ 09:10 AM
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Originally posted by dbrandt
Could you give the reference for this because that is not what is said in Revelation? I would like to see what verse you are getting this from.


*nods* Jesus references Hell quite a bit too as being a firey place with burning and gnashing of teeth. I do agree that being without God is bad enough and to have this on top of it is dreadful. I also recognize though, that the 'fire and brimstone' sermon doesn't typically make a non-believer a believer, rather just tends to get a person depressed about a possible terrible future. Instead, I think a representatives it's more of our mission to help people find the truth, spread the good news, and allow them the ability obtain the proof they need; that there is a heaven above and a God who loves us so much that He wants to give it to us if we're willing to take a step towards him.



posted on May, 12 2005 @ 09:39 AM
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Is it really possible to have a place completely devoid of God's presence? God created everything, even hell. Since God is all powerful, it would be a dent on God's power not be able to be present in hell. Perhaps it's just that God ignores you in hell....I dunno...



posted on May, 12 2005 @ 10:01 AM
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Originally posted by babloyi
Is it really possible to have a place completely devoid of God's presence? God created everything, even hell. Since God is all powerful, it would be a dent on God's power not be able to be present in hell. Perhaps it's just that God ignores you in hell....I dunno...


That's possible. I'd also heard that people would not be able to see God or the path to him in Hell. So I guess even if He were there, people would be too blinded by themselves or surroundings to see Him. Just a thought.



posted on May, 12 2005 @ 01:02 PM
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I agree I'm not sure if the fire/brimstone/gnashing of teeth is literally what is meant after all I don't believe physical pain is what is present int he spiritual world I have a feeling it is a metaphor for something some sort of spiritual pain where your spirit is lost. I am also not sure whether it's really hell or jsut a place you go to pay your dues which you didn't on earth because afterall god is supposed to be forgiving but then I guess that is only if you repent.



posted on May, 12 2005 @ 06:46 PM
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a lot of possibilities, since Jesus is talking about something we haven't experienced. In either case though, it that something you want to have happen? If the answer is "no", that's when one has to pay attention to John 3:16 for further instructions for your flight-path.



posted on May, 13 2005 @ 01:22 AM
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Originally posted by dbrandt
I would like to see what verse you are getting this from.



Revelation 20:15
If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

I know that the lake of fire is often taken as meaning hell or some such. I suspect thats not how it was intended. Hell doesn't seem to have too much ot do with judaism, and jesus, either way you shake it, was brought up a jew and preached the jews in the jewish kingdom. They seem to think of death as this 'sheol' place, which, from what I understand, means 'the grave' moreso than 'the underworld' or 'hell'.

So i tend to take the whole thing as this.

You are a christer. You die. You go to the grave. You reside there until the second commining. You are physically resurrected. The world ends. You go to judgement, you are in the book, you go to heaven. You are not in the book, you aren't sent to hell, you are tossed into the lake of fire, your resurrected body is destroyed, your personality is destroyed, you are completely and totally wiped out into oblivion. Not 'tortured for eternity in hell' or 'permanently residing in the grave' nor even "merely" cut off from god, living a pale shadow existence, but completely abnegated, literally, destroyed.

Of course this also means that peopel don't go to 'heaven' when they die, they reside in sheol, and when they do go to heaven they are physically regenerated and physically reside in heaven, or some such, with heaven being either Paradise (somethign like with islam) or the 'Beautific Vision', the unobstructed vision of god himself. Or we play harps or something.



posted on May, 13 2005 @ 01:25 AM
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Originally posted by babloyi
Perhaps it's just that God ignores you in hell....I dunno...

On a side note, am I correct in understanding that 'islamic hell' isn't permanent, and is something more like catholic Purgatory, a place where the sinners are sent to be purified, but eventually let out when god has purified them? And that 'shaitan' or satan doesn't 'run hell' like in 'folk' christianity?




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