>>Howard
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>>No hate here and I don't think what I said showed hate at all. Ridicule, disdain, maybe but not hate. As a matter of fact I'd been thinking that I should show my respect to you and congratulate you on your sticking to your guns, despitre all the flak you receive.
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>>One could say I hate what you stand for - a "merciful" god that won't let anyone into His kingdom who hasn't kowtowed to Him, including all non-Christinas (no matter how pious and good they may be 0- esp. as it allows the evil-doing Xians that just happened to "repent" on their death-beds), and all the unfortunates who lived before X was even born, or before X's Word was spread (but we've disputed this subject before).
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>>Now then, civil or no (as all good other-cheek-turning christians should be) in your replies, if you were standing in front of me spouting this arcane nonsense then I suppose the debate would get heated, maybe on both sides. It's pointless arguing the same toss over and over again - you just won't accept common sense, just as most of us won't accept the words of some dark-ages primitives as the "Word of God".
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>>I'd say the "Word of God" is heard only by us in our hearts, telling us to do no harm, love each other, not to kill, to have pity and remorse, etc. etc.. But this everlasting damnation business is a load brain-washing fiction.
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>>I have spoken.
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>Okay - thanks for clearing that up. You're right - I shouldn't have said "hate."
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>As far as a merciful God goes - I prefer to look at it this way... We all deserve to spend eternity in Hell. Even those who think they are really good - have selfish motives. There's not a person on Earth who could honestly say he's never done anything wrong. It's something we ALL have to deal with. God shows His mercy by allowing those who trust in Christ to spend eternity with Him.

Well that's as may be. The point is: we are all, who have received a modern caring and loving upbringing, capable of deciding if we can dodge Hell by a bit of right-doing. But then you go and use the "C" word again! To my mind your view of this jealous god is of a damnably "un-christian" deity - one who'll not accept into his care anyone who hasn't worshipped His son. O
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>Of course, none of this makes sense unless you are committed to the Bible and take it seriously. That is the foundation.

Of course it makes sense, without the Xian bit. There are many religions that preach "do good or go to Hell". Why, there are even Hindus who brush the ground ahead of them for fear of stamping on an insect, literally wouldn't hurt a fly, never mind another human. You never heard of Karma? These gentle people don't deserve salvation?

>If one does not accept that, then - yes - this does all sound a bit foolish. It's like I said to Alan - or someone else - we all have to place our faith in something. I've chosen God and His word.

We keep telling you: it's not His Word but what some ancients wrote down. You never heard of liars, story-tellers, embellishment, fantasists? How do you KNOW these weren't?

>Others have chosen the logic of men or science. At some level though, you have to just trust that what you're relying on as truth is really truth. I prefer to rely on something that is outside of man.

But these others have still the "god-given" capacity to discern good from evil.

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>If you've never studied the Bible, I'd encourage it - even as a critical review of it. I think you'll find that, while it is old, it is by no means primitive.

Look, I've studied enough in school and church and Sunday school, etc. to get the gist of it: Be Good. The intellect behind the writings was not primitive but these men, were you to show them a digital camera, would interpret it as magic - that kind of primitive!

If you want to go on about the Bible, how about one of the most famous acts of "christian" charity it portrays: that of the Good Samaritan. HE wasn't christian, yet cited in a parable by Jesus. To your logic, even a man cited by the Lord wouldn't qualify for heaven. Such hypocricy!