It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
Originally posted by saint4God
Why would anyone need to consult a book when I can consult with God? He's alive, listening and capable of answering for Himself.
Originally posted by bsbray11
I can't take you seriously when you say this if you still seriously believe there is a hell, and do not realize that the concept was just increasingly exaggerated over the years by religious institutions to keep followers in line.
Originally posted by bsbray11
Saying "God is love" and also "God will send you to hell" is talking out of two sides of your mouth at the same time and not having a full grasp of what it is that you are saying.
Originally posted by bsbray11
Do you meditate? How do you "talk to God"?
Originally posted by saint4God
I knew there was a Hell before reading the Bible or knowing God. I required proof to believe anything, I got my proof.
Originally posted by bsbray11
Saying "God is love" and also "God will send you to hell" is talking out of two sides of your mouth at the same time and not having a full grasp of what it is that you are saying.
God is love, but he is not unjust.
He will not offer a reward to those who slap His hand away.
Would a parent give their child everything the child desires though they spit hate? That is destroying their opportunity to grow.
Originally posted by bsbray11
Do you meditate? How do you "talk to God"?
Prayer. It goes beyond comtemplation/reflection, but full on towards communication. It is addressing God.
Originally posted by iamsupermanv2
i'll be honest, i am not about to get into this thread other then my reply, for the simple fact it has a lot of potential to be frustrating to me,
but it has always bothered me that a "god of love" would just cast away people who were raised to be jewish, or hindu, or muslim. not that they openly rejected the god of the new testiment, but that were stead fast in their own logical beliefs.
would ghandi not get into heaven?! what about other leaders of religions that are decent moral people?
Originally posted by bsbray11
And what was that?
Originally posted by bsbray11
This is all just political gobbledy-gook double-talk.
Originally posted by bsbray11
The only thing I have slapped away is organized religion, churches, etc., and as far as THEY are concerned I'm sure I COULD go to hell, because I have similar sentiments towards THEM.
Originally posted by bsbray11
What more opportunity is there to grow once you are dead and sent to hell?
Originally posted by bsbray11
You may have said this to others before, but if you are talking to anything, I don't think it's the true source, the true creator. It would be more akin to something you would probably call a "demon," feeding your delusions and keeping you blind to the living light that I am referring you to.
Originally posted by saint4God
I was previously an aggressive agnostic, meaning I didn't believe anything that I didn't see. I'm omitting the details because when I mentioned them before, someone here on ATS made the same mistake. There's a right way and a wrong way to find out the truth. The right way is to ask God if He exists, then patiently await His reply on His terms.
Originally posted by bsbray11
This is all just political gobbledy-gook double-talk.
It's not political but would agree that it's not easy to understand.
If you think of a courtroom, the judge and policepersons aren't there because they hate people. They're their because they're interested in doing what's right for everyone involved.
Sometimes love hurts
any parent who has had to discipline their child knows it, but if the child learns the right path, if the criminal sees the error in their crime, they become a better person.
Not you, nor I, nor anyone in this world has the right to say who goes to Hell.
Originally posted by bsbray11
What more opportunity is there to grow once you are dead and sent to hell?
Exactly. Time is up, no more opportunity for growing
A demon would not allow you go around helping others, encouraging good, demonstrating love, hope, faith, compassion, mercy, etc. It goes against the very nature of evil.
Originally posted by bsbray11
I have always found truth to be obvious, self-explanatory, and very easy to understand. So just letting you know that this is an automatic red-flag to me.
Originally posted by bsbray11
This is another terrible example. I already said I did not agree with the concept of "justice."
Originally posted by bsbray11
You should think about that a little more deeply before you use courts and the legal system as an example of how you think "God" works. The legal system is extremely arbitrary in this country, and does all number of despicable things in my view. Similarly court systems in foreign countries. They are all the same; "eye for an eye" is their m.o., never "turn the other cheek."
Originally posted by bsbray11
Maybe this is the real core of our disagreement. "Love" means something different than pain to me, personally.
Originally posted by bsbray11
Once again, what discipline is one taught, of what value is the experience, to be sent to hell eternally when you are dead?
Originally posted by bsbray11
You should try to convince me that hell exists before you expect me to believe anything you say about it. I would think this would be common sense but I guess I took that for granted.
Originally posted by bsbray11
So in other words you just agreed that your former example, "parable," metaphor, etc., was off-base and there is no relationship between teaching someone something, and sending someone to hell.
Originally posted by bsbray11
Nor is it loving, obviously,
Originally posted by bsbray11
unless (as for you, apparently) love also means pain.
Originally posted by bsbray11
Yes, I am beginning to see how your view of things really IS very complicated.
Originally posted by bsbray11
I find this to be a disturbingly black-and-white characterization of good and evil in the world.
Originally posted by bsbray11
I have always found truth to be obvious, self-explanatory, and very easy to understand.
Originally posted by bsbray11
Charles Manson did good things for people.