vince wrote:
Before you so arrogantly ask Bob if he has ever read the Bible, before you tell us what the Bible says, have you ever read it in koine Greek? Do you know the references that Jesus was making? Do you know the history of translation? Do you assume that your interpretations of what appears in English is what applies?
Gemmorrah was a large refuse dump outside Jerusalem in which garbage was continually burned. What do you think they did before the days of landfills and recycling ad garbage trucks - the allusions to be cast in the pit where worthless things were burned is not a teaching that there is a hell, no damned way. Jesus also talked about throwing things to the dogs. Do you suppose God has a punch of pit bulls ready to tear people apart as a cosmic life situation?
(the Rev) Vince
Joseph Francis wrote:
Are you kidding? Have you ever read the Bible?! Jesus talked about Hell *a lot* ...About Hell: "..if you say someone is worthless, you are in danger of the fires of hell" - Matthew 5:22
All is the pity for you if Jesus is just a fire escape.WHy do you think Jesus came to earth to die for us if there was no hell, and we would all go to heaven anyway? Do you know why He died for us at Easter? I am sorry, but that just doesn't make any sense otherwise.
There are many reason for incarnation and for atonement, far more than you apparently are aware of. That is too bad, because you miss the richness of fait by reducing it all to fire insurance.
Jesus lived to teach us love and show us a new way to know God and to care for other people. Love the Lord your God - love your neighbor. nd who is my neighbor? Everyone. That's what Jesus came to teach.
By the way, Jesus died on Good Friday and was raised on Easter, as we teach it. I know that was a typo on your part but since you have been flailing everyone who doesn't agree with your particular interpretations and bragging on your Bible reading as opposed to the rest of us - I must really be a pain in the ass to you huh since I have studied it far more than you at far greater levels - since you have attacked others for the mite in their eye I thought I'd point out the log in your own.
Normally I never get this personal with someone on faith - whatever works for someone, let it be - but you have attacked others for not believing as you do, and for that, you have no right. The openness to humanity that Susan spoke of - a point that I was trying to make and did not do well, it seems - is what God is all about, whether we believe in God or believe in a god or believe there is none. Faith is not about agreeing with your interpretations, which are narrow and lacking in Biblical substance, in my opinion.
(the Rev) Vince
