The Slippery Emergent Slope

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by notofworks

And like I said, I practice and follow the tenants of the Christian faith. Would you consider any possiblity....and Admin will probably arrive after I say this and insert a stop sign for questioning scripture....that the early followers, in their zeal, inserted absolutes into their writings that were canonized, when those absolutes hadn't actually been spoken by Jesus or directed by God?

And for anyone ready to shoot me and call me a heretic for asking.....I'm just asking...just thinking out loud.

And I'm just asking...did God create life just to send nearly all of it to eternal torment? That seems to portray an intentionally cruel God.

It would have been more neat and tidy if God had made humans as robots and programmed us to cheerfully obey him at all times.

[notofworks]

Originally Posted by mizpeh

It would have been more neat and tidy if God had made humans as robots and programmed us to cheerfully obey him at all times.

Understood. But I struggle with the idea that God created life just because He felt the need to burn nearly all of it torment for 99.9999999% of its existence. That troubles me.

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by notofworks

Understood. But I struggle with the idea that God created life just because He felt the need to burn nearly all of it torment for 99.9999999% of its existence. That troubles me.

I don't think that was God's motivation in creating life. He doesn't take any joy in punishing those who reject him. I think it grieves him immensely.

[notofworks]

Originally Posted by mizpeh

I don't think that was God's motivation in creating life. He doesn't take any joy in punishing those who reject him. I think it grieves him immensely.

But He knew in advance, therefore we would have to assume that burning nearly all of his ultimate creation for nearly all of its existence wouldn't bother Him...if we go by the letter of the law, literally as it is presented.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by notofworks

But He knew in advance, therefore we would have to assume that burning nearly all of his ultimate creation for nearly all of its existence wouldn't bother Him...if we go by the letter of the law, literally as it is presented.

The light doctrine gives preachers a "way out" of condemning everyone who has not obeyed Acts 2:38 to the lake of fire. It allows them to say that many folks who may have not received the Gospel or who may not have comprehended it can escape the Lake of Fire.

A couple of Scriptures used to support the idea that God accepts some who have not heard of the Gospel are Acts 10:34-35 and Romans 2:11-16

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by notofworks

Understood. But I struggle with the idea that God created life just because He felt the need to burn nearly all of it torment for 99.9999999% of its existence. That troubles me.

If you take the hard core 3-step doctrine to its logical limits and and truly believe that 99% of all humans born will burn for countless eons in hells flame, shouldn't abortion doctors be held up as heroes? After all what is an intense but quick, amount of pain for the certainty that you will live in eternal bliss versus the 99% chance of the alternative?

And no one yet has even attempted to tackle the question of all those beings living in North and South America, not to mention countless other islands and lands who started dying after the events of Acts chapter 2?

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

If you take the hard core 3-step doctrine to its logical limits and and truly believe that 99% of all humans born will burn for countless eons in hells flame, shouldn't abortion doctors be held up as heroes? After all what is an intense but quick, amount of pain for the certainty that you will live in eternal bliss versus the 99% chance of the alternative?

And no one yet has even attempted to tackle the question of all those beings living in North and South America, not to mention countless other islands and lands who started dying after the events of Acts chapter 2?

Be prepared to get blasted!

[notofworks]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

If you take the hard core 3-step doctrine to its logical limits and and truly believe that 99% of all humans born will burn for countless eons in hells flame, shouldn't abortion doctors be held up as heroes? After all what is an intense but quick, amount of pain for the certainty that you will live in eternal bliss versus the 99% chance of the alternative?

And no one yet has even attempted to tackle the question of all those beings living in North and South America, not to mention countless other islands and lands who started dying after the events of Acts chapter 2?

You make excellent points, RW.

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

If you take the hard core 3-step doctrine to its logical limits and and truly believe that 99% of all humans born will burn for countless eons in hells flame, shouldn't abortion doctors be held up as heroes? After all what is an intense but quick, amount of pain for the certainty that you will live in eternal bliss versus the 99% chance of the alternative?

And no one yet has even attempted to tackle the question of all those beings living in North and South America, not to mention countless other islands and lands who started dying after the events of Acts chapter 2?

No "hard core 3 Stepper" will ever address those problems. They just need some sort of band-aid to come over a pulpit reassuring them that they just "shouldn't bother to think about such things" and they'll be happy and slapping the preacher high-fives at Chili's within the hour.

It's comforting to be told that you "shouldn't think." And besides, Chili's got some great burgers.

[crakjak]

Originally Posted by pelathais

No "hard core 3 Stepper" will ever address those problems. They just need some sort of band-aid to come over a pulpit reassuring them that they just "shouldn't bother to think about such things" and they'll be happy and slapping the preacher high-fives at Chili's within the hour.

It's comforting to be told that you "shouldn't think." And besides, Chili's got some great burgers.

"That's what I'm talking about", I'm sure glad God is not depending on "men" to redeem HIS creation.