To: nickcarraway
The good news is that Ted Turner types, who want to go to hell, are a very rare breed. That is a dangerous philosophy. The bad news is, there's too much ear tickling going on in the American churches. Preaching hellfire is bad for business. It's that old money issue dogging religion. If they do go back to hellfire, it would generally be to tell people they're damned if they don't tithe.
It's my belief that the problems of any nation are rooted in failures by its religious leadership. Russia, for example, fell to comunism because the Russian Orthodox Church convinced everyone they were damned to hell.
Rasputin came along, preaching that sin 'purifies the soul' and the Russian people flocked to him-- desperate to believe there was a possible way to make it to Heavan. Obviously, a nation can't keep its moral compass intact with a religious leader like that. It was inevitable that someone would terminate his role.
After Rasputin was martyred, it was easy for someone like Lenin to take control. I realise there are other factors involved, but if Russia had the relgious heritage that our Founding Fathers had, they could have worked out a much better government than a regime who's primary goal is for people to worship government, as was clearly stated by Karl Marx.
2 posted on
10/24/2003 2:35:11 AM PDT by
Arthur Wildfire! March
(Most conservatives study the opposition. Most liberals try to shout it down.)
To: nickcarraway
Only One 1/2 of 1% Think They Are Hell-BoundWell, I'll be damned..
4 posted on
10/24/2003 3:06:40 AM PDT by
AntiGuv
(When the countdown hits zero, something's gonna happen..)
To: nickcarraway
This kind of reminds me of a study I read a couple of years ago in which people were asked to rate themselves in various aspects of their lives. The result that most interested me was that virtually 100% of respondents rated themselves as
above avereage drivers. This included people who were in the hospital suffering from accident injuries that
they caused I guess people will believe what they want.
5 posted on
10/24/2003 3:09:09 AM PDT by
PaulJ
To: nickcarraway
Another 6% believed their entrance to Heaven would be based upon the fact that God loves all people and will not let them perish. How nice of God!
6 posted on
10/24/2003 3:10:46 AM PDT by
stands2reason
("What you see at fight club is a generation of men raised by women." -- Chuck Palahniuk)
To: nickcarraway
It is a good thing that the firey Hell is only make believe. Hell is simply the grave, and everyone makes it to the grave.
To: Revelation 911; The Grammarian; SpookBrat; Dust in the Wind; JesseShurun; maestro; patent; ...
ping to eternity
10 posted on
10/24/2003 7:35:38 AM PDT by
xzins
To: nickcarraway
Seems to be a bit of a contradiction here..."Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Matthew 7: 13, 14. I believe quite a few people have a big surprise coming. We shall see.
11 posted on
10/24/2003 8:31:48 AM PDT by
who knows what evil?
(Under the personal care of the Great Physician...full coverage.)
To: nickcarraway
I think we could use some more fire and brimstone sermons. Some of us may be in for an unpleasant surprise.
12 posted on
10/24/2003 8:45:20 AM PDT by
Aquinasfan
(Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
To: nickcarraway
Truly sad statistics. It seems a lot of church attenders are deceived in thinking that they are good enough to warrant eternal salvation based on their own merits. They neither realize how dead they are spiritually nor how much they war with God. What a deadly pride.
Matthew 7:22 Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?
23 And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness. NASB 1995
The ironic part is that they are further from the truth than the 1/2 of 1% that realize there is a God and that he judges and punishes sin and they are due his just punishment. They at least acknowledge their own depravity.
Let's pray for those that are playing Christian, that they seek and find the truth before it's too late.
Hebrews 9:27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment. NIV
15 posted on
10/24/2003 9:26:49 AM PDT by
chickenlips
(the challenge & the consequences: 2 Corinthians 13:5 & John 3:36)
To: nickcarraway; Arthur Wildfire! March; FormerLib; MarMema; The_Reader_David
The story reminds me of this great joke:
THERMODYNAMICS OF HELL
The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington Chemistry midterm. The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well.
Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)? Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools off when it expands and heats up when it is compressed) or some variant.
One student, however, wrote the following:
First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate that souls are moving into Hell and the rate they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, some religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell.
Since there are more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially.
Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.
This gives two possibilities:
1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.
2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.
So which is it? If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year, "...that it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I still have not succeeded in having sexual relations with her, then, #2 cannot be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and will not freeze.
The student received the only "A" given.
To: nickcarraway; All
I am trusting Jesus Christ as my means of gaining Gods permanent favor and a place in Heaven
But someone else could get to Heaven based upon living an exemplary life.
NO ONE HAS LIVED AN EXEMPLARY LIFE ACCEPT JESUS THE CHRIST
20 posted on
10/24/2003 10:23:11 AM PDT by
missyme
To: nickcarraway
Oh for heaven's sake....
21 posted on
10/24/2003 11:59:40 AM PDT by
jjm2111
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