You die. Remember you are dealing with your enemy.
Try an enemy that's not out to kill you then. We usually have quite a few of them.
but instead God prepared a lake of fire for his enemy
I didn't think you believed in all that, or in God.
You won't die if you stop trying to figure it all out and drop your preconceptions for a bit and try seeing the world as if it wasn't like you have it all figured. You'll still be there, you can stop when if it gets dangerous to your survival.
Or go someplace safe and get it a whirl.
he wanted them to try to kill him so he can die. It was in the "plan."
Drop the story too. You don't believe it anyway.
That's right, naive, gullible unsuspecting children
No, adults, but letting go of the baggage of all the stuff adults force between themselves and experiencing reality. Again, like it was the first time.
We know what happens — we die.
If you surrender to whatever is and stop trying to figure it out? Nah.
That's how it is and no amount of speculation will change what's to come.
So stop speculating.
So, we deal with our reality by hiding from it
You could notice that I'm advocating the opposite, letting go, for a little bit, of the means we use to hide.
Wouldn't you better test your theories by looking reality right in the eye, and live like Mother Thersea (who lost her faith too, but not her heart)?
She didn't end up with "be merry and enjoy the fruits of your life." I did try that one for some time and the results weren't good. For me or for others around me. And I don't think it's dealing with reality either. It doesn't even seem to be successful in avoiding thinking about the suffering of others and what our response should be.
Try an enemy that's not out to kill you then
Then he is not your enemy.
I didn't think you believed in all that, or in God.
Did I say it was my belief? I am just repeating what the Bible says about loving your enemies. Do you believe in God, and if so please tell me what is God — what is it that you believe in?
Drop the story too. You don't believe it anyway
Then why are you telling me that I should follow his instructions? I am simply repeating what is said in the Bible about forgiveness and loving your enemies.
So stop speculating.
I am not speculating; you are. You are the one who has all these "possible" research models that we have to investigate...college cafeteria nonsense.
She didn't end up with "be merry and enjoy the fruits of your life."
That was her choice, either out of the goodness of her heart or fear. But, in trying to follow in Jesus' footsteps, in the world God loved so much, she lost her faith in God. She spent the rest of her life serving a God she couldn't believe in because of all the suffering she saw.
It's much easier to believe in the comfort of our comfortable homes, when things are going well, and the stomachs are full and the water is bottled and clean. How many believe so fervently and do what she did, or even die for their faith? It's much easier to talk about it on the FR.
You know what they say, when asked? They say "God wants me here. If God told me to go there I would." That's like the someone who takes the church collection, throws it in the air and says "what God catches is his, what he doesn't catch is mine..."
It doesn't even seem to be successful in avoiding thinking about the suffering of others and what our response should be.
Being merry and enjoying the fruits of your life doesn't mean you have to be insensitive or inhuman, and unable to think compassionately about the less fortunate ones. It’s another thing trying to save world from its own inhumanity.