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I would go for “Annihilationism” rather than “damnation” which if my understanding is correct simply means we rot away, which we know to be true.
It is also scriptural as well for we read, “We came from dust and to dust we will return.” And also “In the grave, the dead "know nothing," neither pleasure nor pain, and there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”
I think the concept of Hell came from the pagan custom of human sacrifice. One place it was carried out was in the valley of Hell just outside Jerusalem, so I think annihilation describes our final outcome better than damnation and we see the process of annihilation at the crematorium every day.
This is just a personal view and by the same token a Christian believes they are born of the spirit which doesn’t happen with the atheist and it is our spiritual soul that has eternal life not our body but this doesn’t concern atheists so don't worry about it.
Scriptural Texts Cited to Defend Annihilationism
• Genesis 3:19 We came from dust and to dust we will return.
• Psalms 146:4 Our thoughts/plans perish and spirit departs upon death.
• Ezekiel 18:20 The soul who sins is the one who will die.
• Ecclesiastes 9:5 Ecclesiastes 9:10 In the grave, the dead "know nothing," neither pleasure nor pain, and there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
• Jeremiah 19:5 Jeremiah 32:35 Burning one's offspring in the Valley of Ben Hinnom (which is where concept of Gehenna or Hell comes from) is NOT a commandment of God nor did it even enter His Mind.
• Matthew 10:28 Both body and soul are destroyed in hell. "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
• John 3:16 People who don't believe in Jesus shall perish and not receive eternal life.
• 2Thessalonians 1:9 Everlasting destruction is having been destroyed and having no way to undo that.
• Revelation 21:8 The wicked will suffer a second death, the death of the soul.
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Saturday, 31 January 2009
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Care for the Widow and Fatherless
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Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted (pure) from the world. (James 1:27)
And the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest. (Deuteronomy 14:29)
Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. (Psalms 82:3)
Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. (Isaiah 1:17)
Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow's raiment to pledge: (Deuteronomy 24:17)
Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: (Proverbs 23:10)
Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. (Exodus 22:22)
And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. (Zechariah 7:10)
Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. (Jeremiah 22:3)
Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. (Job 29:12-13)
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Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted (pure) from the world. (James 1:27)
And the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest. (Deuteronomy 14:29)
Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. (Psalms 82:3)
Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. (Isaiah 1:17)
Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow's raiment to pledge: (Deuteronomy 24:17)
Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: (Proverbs 23:10)
Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. (Exodus 22:22)
And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. (Zechariah 7:10)
Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. (Jeremiah 22:3)
Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. (Job 29:12-13)
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Wednesday, 31 December 2008
Abraham and Isaac
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You see Keith, your trouble is that you neither understand the Bible and neither do you know about life in Biblical days.
In Old Testament days Child Sacrifice was normal. These were the pagans who you sometime talk about in a nice way as only someone who is ignorant can.
The pagan child sacrifice was being done at the time of Christ in a valley called "Hell" just outside Jerusalem and when Jesus gave his sermon on the mount he said: -
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgement. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
The lesson to be learnt from Abraham was that 1) Abraham was a man of faith and was obedient, 2) His son was obedient, 3) God tests us but He brings us through and he never tests us beyond what we are able, 4) On that momentous day GOD PUT AN END TO CHILD SACRIFICE.
God had promised Abraham that he would be the "Father of Nations" through his son Isaac and Abraham must have known in his heart of hearts that nothing could possibly happen to Isaac, partly because of Gods command not to kill and also because of his promise. Killing Isaac was never an option.
What is so marvellous and again is something else that proves the truth and accuracy of the Bible is that ABRAHAM DID INDEED BECOME THE FATHER OF NATIONS.
The Bible is so true.
Thank you for allowing me to share this with you Keith. God is Great.
.
You see Keith, your trouble is that you neither understand the Bible and neither do you know about life in Biblical days.
In Old Testament days Child Sacrifice was normal. These were the pagans who you sometime talk about in a nice way as only someone who is ignorant can.
The pagan child sacrifice was being done at the time of Christ in a valley called "Hell" just outside Jerusalem and when Jesus gave his sermon on the mount he said: -
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgement. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
The lesson to be learnt from Abraham was that 1) Abraham was a man of faith and was obedient, 2) His son was obedient, 3) God tests us but He brings us through and he never tests us beyond what we are able, 4) On that momentous day GOD PUT AN END TO CHILD SACRIFICE.
God had promised Abraham that he would be the "Father of Nations" through his son Isaac and Abraham must have known in his heart of hearts that nothing could possibly happen to Isaac, partly because of Gods command not to kill and also because of his promise. Killing Isaac was never an option.
What is so marvellous and again is something else that proves the truth and accuracy of the Bible is that ABRAHAM DID INDEED BECOME THE FATHER OF NATIONS.
The Bible is so true.
Thank you for allowing me to share this with you Keith. God is Great.
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Tuesday, 23 December 2008
Tracing Back to God
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"Even if one does not believe in God, there are elements of the idea of God that remain in us and that cause us to see the world with some divine aspects. ... I don't see myself as so much dust that has appeared in the world, but as being that was expected, prefigured, called forth. in short, as a being that could, it seems, come only from a creator; and this idea of a creating hand that created me refers me back to God."
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"Even if one does not believe in God, there are elements of the idea of God that remain in us and that cause us to see the world with some divine aspects. ... I don't see myself as so much dust that has appeared in the world, but as being that was expected, prefigured, called forth. in short, as a being that could, it seems, come only from a creator; and this idea of a creating hand that created me refers me back to God."
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Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Thou Shalt Not Kill. Sixth Commandment
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The sixth commandment concerns our own and our neighbour's life (Exo_20:13): “Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not do any thing hurtful or injurious to the health, ease, and life, of thy own body, or any other person's unjustly.”
It does not forbid killing in lawful war, or in our own necessary defense, nor the magistrate's putting offenders to death, for those things tend to the preserving of life; but it forbids all malice and hatred to the person of any (for he that hateth his brother is a murderer), and all personal revenge arising therefrom; also all rash anger upon sudden provocations, and hurt said or done, or aimed to be done, in passion which Jesus further expounds in Mat_5:22. It also forbids persecution, laying wait for the blood of the innocent and righteous among us.
Sources:
John Wesley
Matthew Henry
New Bible Commentary (Inter-Varsity Press)
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The sixth commandment concerns our own and our neighbour's life (Exo_20:13): “Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not do any thing hurtful or injurious to the health, ease, and life, of thy own body, or any other person's unjustly.”
It does not forbid killing in lawful war, or in our own necessary defense, nor the magistrate's putting offenders to death, for those things tend to the preserving of life; but it forbids all malice and hatred to the person of any (for he that hateth his brother is a murderer), and all personal revenge arising therefrom; also all rash anger upon sudden provocations, and hurt said or done, or aimed to be done, in passion which Jesus further expounds in Mat_5:22. It also forbids persecution, laying wait for the blood of the innocent and righteous among us.
Sources:
John Wesley
Matthew Henry
New Bible Commentary (Inter-Varsity Press)
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Friday, 28 November 2008
Dawkins and Christianity
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This is where Dawkins leaves me cold. He doesn't understand Christianity and there is a large gap in his knowledge. However there is one thing I do agree with him and that is the slogan "Jesus for atheists." That is so true, this is why Jesus came into the world, he came to seek and to save those who are lost. The "lost" are the unbelievers or in today's terminology the atheist and it is the atheist who Jesus seeks to save, firstly from their ignorance because they do not understand the things of the spirit.
We comprise three parts, (1) our body, (2) our brain or intellect, and (3) our soul which is immortal.
Dawkins talks about the meme pool and the “super niceness in a post-Christian society.” Good for him and it is nice of him to say so.
So how does this change come about? Well it happens when we let Christ into our lives. Jesus is the only one who can change us. Mahatma Gandhi can't change us, neither can Mother Teresa and neither can any other human being for the simple reason we are talking about things of the spirit and not things of the flesh. People including you and me are born of the flesh in the first instance as babies, but when Christ comes into our life we are born of the spirit.
(Just as male and female unite to be born of the flesh, when our spirit unites with the spirit of Christ we are born again, not of flesh but of the spirit. This is the “New Birth” and this is when the change takes place in our lives that Dawkins talks about.)
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
So we need a picture of Jesus on our “T” Shirt because it is Jesus who came to seek and to save those who were lost which includes me as well as you.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8)
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This is where Dawkins leaves me cold. He doesn't understand Christianity and there is a large gap in his knowledge. However there is one thing I do agree with him and that is the slogan "Jesus for atheists." That is so true, this is why Jesus came into the world, he came to seek and to save those who are lost. The "lost" are the unbelievers or in today's terminology the atheist and it is the atheist who Jesus seeks to save, firstly from their ignorance because they do not understand the things of the spirit.
We comprise three parts, (1) our body, (2) our brain or intellect, and (3) our soul which is immortal.
Dawkins talks about the meme pool and the “super niceness in a post-Christian society.” Good for him and it is nice of him to say so.
So how does this change come about? Well it happens when we let Christ into our lives. Jesus is the only one who can change us. Mahatma Gandhi can't change us, neither can Mother Teresa and neither can any other human being for the simple reason we are talking about things of the spirit and not things of the flesh. People including you and me are born of the flesh in the first instance as babies, but when Christ comes into our life we are born of the spirit.
(Just as male and female unite to be born of the flesh, when our spirit unites with the spirit of Christ we are born again, not of flesh but of the spirit. This is the “New Birth” and this is when the change takes place in our lives that Dawkins talks about.)
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
So we need a picture of Jesus on our “T” Shirt because it is Jesus who came to seek and to save those who were lost which includes me as well as you.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8)
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Thursday, 27 November 2008
Spread of Christianity
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The history of early Christianity spans the History of Christianity from the death of Jesus Christ and birth of the Apostolic Age in about the year 30 to the First Council of Nicaea in 325.
Christianity ultimately became the state religion of Armenia in either 301 or 314, the state religion of Ethiopia in 325, the state religion of Georgia in 337, and then the state religion of the Roman Empire in 380.
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The history of early Christianity spans the History of Christianity from the death of Jesus Christ and birth of the Apostolic Age in about the year 30 to the First Council of Nicaea in 325.
Christianity ultimately became the state religion of Armenia in either 301 or 314, the state religion of Ethiopia in 325, the state religion of Georgia in 337, and then the state religion of the Roman Empire in 380.
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