[SupplySider]

Imagine your son is playing in the street. A car comes barreling around the corner, and a stranger runs in front of the car to his certain death, and pushes your son out of harm's way. You are angry at your son, but you also have contempt for the man's decision, which cost him his life. Walking away you call him a fool.

It is one thing to have contempt for the unknown dead man giving his life, but would you say the same thing if you discovered the man was the president? Now imagine for a minute that in rejecting Christ you have shown contempt and hostility towards someone far more important, the God of all Creation who gave His only begotten Son for your soul.

I don't believe that all atheists, agnostics, and followers of non-Christian religions are showing contempt and hostility to God. They are making their choices as best they can based on what they know about life, even if they are wrong.

Even for those who are contempuous, God offers salvation through Jesus Christ, if they repent Why must that offer be rescinded the moment a person's body dies? Why can't the offer stand even in hell, where a person would presumably lose his doubts about it?

To bring in another analogy, if a child loses his temper at being confronted by a parent with his bad behavior and screams "I hate you!!", the parent may punish the child. Be he will not hold the grudge forever and banish the child to an orphanage. Our heavenly father must be even more merciful than the average dad.

[GarySpFc]

I don't believe that all atheists, agnostics, and followers of non-Christian religions are showing contempt and hostility to God. They are making their choices as best they can based on what they know about life, even if they are wrong.

According to how I read the Bible that simply is not true.

Even for those who are contempuous, God offers salvation through Jesus Christ, if they repent Why must that offer be rescinded the moment a person's body dies? Why can't the offer stand even in hell, where a person would presumably lose his doubts about it?

What I hear you saying is you want to withhold your decision so you can have your fun now, correct? God has stated the decision must be based on faith, not sight. The Bible is clear that after death we will see face to face, and so the decision has to be made prior to death.

To bring in another analogy, if a child loses his temper at being confronted by a parent with his bad behavior and screams "I hate you!!", the parent may punish the child. Be he will not hold the grudge forever and banish the child to an orphanage. Our heavenly father must be even more merciful than the average dad.

God is merciful, but his love is also just. Your logic demands his forgiveness, and the Bible says He will offer it to a point. However, he knows when someone is being presumptuous, and the offer of mercy is withdrawn after a season.