Posted on 03/28/2005 9:32:22 PM PST by Choose Ye This Day
What part of Iowa are you in?
If people labor under the misconception that there is no hell, no witness to their acts, that no one knows, sees, or takes note - then, if they have no conscience, they will become less than animals.
We see this around us full blast. The fear of hell is not the most spiritual or religious reason for behaving properly, but it is necessary to keep humans human. A higher or better reason is to act in a way to please God - but to get to that point, a person has to at least refrain from serious vice. The false idea that everyone gets the same results, no matter what they do or how they live, or that there is no reaction to anything they do, is an extremely dangerous fallacy.
You reap what you sow - a basic law of the universe that no one can escape from or argue with, no matter what religious persuasion, belief, or lack of belief.
Just because someone may think God doesn't exist, therefore He doesn't exist. Millions of peoples' disbelief in God doesn't affect His existence.
Then the good Shepherd is unable to keep all that the Father has given him. As someone once helpfully pointed out, the question is not "Can a Christian lose his salvation?", but rather "Can Christ lose a Christian?"
Those who appear to be Christians, but who fall away and never desire nor seek to return were never His sheep in the first place. Jesus says it like this:
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Matt 7:22-23
I can only remember one homily that specifically focused on Satan and his influence. It was at a weekday Mass, on the feast day of St Michael the archangel. Otherwise Satan is rarely mentioned, except in passing (i.e., "Jesus went to the desert where He was tempted by Satan") The Catholic Church teaches that Satan is definitely real, no invention at all. But sadly this message does not filter down to the pews very often.
My current priest certainly believes in the reality of Satan, but does not preach about him. He would like to, I'm sure, but he's limited by the fact that he only has one homily a week to reach so many people. Because so many of these people don't even understand (or accept) the doctrine of Hell to begin with, it's very difficult to preach to them about the Christian view of Satan, demons, angels, etc in a 15 minute homily. It would sort of be like trying to teach multiplication to someone who didn't understand or believe in addition.
very good point. I've often heard atheists belittle Christians as "immature" because, allegedly, Christians only do good and avoid evil because they are afraid of Hell. And it is true that many of us are primarily motivated by fear of Hell. I know I am, in some areas of my life. Ideally we would all do good and avoid evil out of pure love for Christ. But that's not the case, and we need to start somewhere. Fearing Hell is a good starting point - it spurs us on to repentence and reconcilliation with God. A very wise person once told me, if we waited until we had perfect motivations, we'd never get anything done. It was the best piece of advice I'd ever received.
Ah. I'm from Cedar Rapids originally.
"Christians only do good and avoid evil because they are afraid of Hell."
For some, I'm sure this is the case...however, the proper way to look at doing good is to do unto others as you would have them to do unto you. To me, this is the most common sense statement in the Bible.
In the Vedas somewhere (unless it's in the Bible - someone here will know!) it is said that fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
My brain barely works any more, unfortunately.
Why? To lay guilt trips. What about listening to people like Ff-150 who have died more than once and have been there and done that.
The One we call Jesus is a Real, Actual Person, Who is really in charge, and has Form, Shape, Voice, etc. A God Who became one of us!!! Love, baby.
Heaven is an actual location--up there =-). Hell is an actual location--down there.
Psalms 111:10, Proverbs 9:10, Proverbs 1:7 all contain this saying. The idea is that if we fear the Lord, which is not really a terror fear but more of a reverence and respect, we will do His commandments and learn to know the Truth.
I knew someone would come up with the answer.
There are similar passages in the Vedas as well. I understand it's not a terror type of fear, although sometimes that might be a start.
Love drives away fear. Does a babe in arms fear the parents?
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