Posted on 01/03/2002 11:19:13 AM PST by ArGee
A very rich man decided that he wanted to show kindness to the people of the fair city where he lived. Since he was very rich indeed, he decided to throw a banquet for the entire city. He rented the largest sports arena in the city and began his plans. He planned for huge amounts of the best food possible, making allowances for every religious and medical diet. He advertised the banquet in every possible manner - television, radio, billboard, door-to-door canvassing. Considering that there might be some who could not travel, he arranged for free bus transportation to and from the event, and some special-needs vehicles for all who could not ride busses. He even scheduled the banquet to run for 24 hours a day for several days so that everyone could be sure of being served.
He planned long and hard and finally the big day came. The rich man ate quickly and then went about wishing all his guests well and personally making sure that all had every need met. After a while he went outside to tour the grounds and talk with those who had not yet gone in, and those who had already left. Everyone was happy. Many were profusely thankful. It was a glorious occasion.
At one point the rich man noticed a group of people sitting outside a locked door with most unpleasant looks on their faces. Sensing they were not happy, he went over to them. He did not introduce himself but simply asked them if he could be of service.
"We want to go in through this door," one of them replied.
The rich man explained to them that the hall was arranged to feed a large number of people as quickly and effortlessly as possible. This required order inside, and the entrances and exits had been carefully planned to be as efficient as possible. He then offered to go call one of the golf carts that were avaialbe to help people who could not walk far to take them to the entrance. But the man replied, "We do not want to go in the entrance. We want to go in this door. We don't understand why we can't go in any door we wish. We think the man who set this banquet up is mean and hateful for insisting we go in through the entrance. He has tried to bill himself as a very kind man by offering this banquet, but he is not kind at all if he will not indulge us and let us go through this door.
The rich man was distressed at these words, but still attempted to please these people. He tried once more to explain to them what was behind this particular door, and how if they went in this door they would disrupt the meal service being offered inside. He offered to drive them himself, not only to the door, but inside the hall to their tables if they would only go through the entrance to enjoy the meal. Again the man said, "No, but only a hateful man would keep us from going through the door of our choosing. And we will sit here and tell anyone who will listen to us what an awful man he is until he lets us in."
At that the rich man was enraged and he shouted, "Enough." Then he called a police officer to have them thrown off of the property and ordered that they not be allowed to return until the banquet was over and all the scraps had been hauled away. Then, mourning for their loss, he turned to visit with other guests.
Have you read The Koran and The Bible? Can you see distinctions between them?
Do you know how to validate a claim to truth?
Shalom.
Who's on the LORD's side?
Shalom.
Why are there so many different ROOT languages, if the Tower of Babel incident was not an actual event in history?
It seems to me, that if Man had a starting point, either by Evolution or by Creation, our languages would NOT have such major differences. We have seen thru history the speed that languages evolve or change.
G-d is very real. G-d is the basis of all reality. In fact, what you normally think of as real is mearly a shadow - a poor image of the reality that is to come. G-d is much more real than you have probably ever imagined.
Maybe that's why you can't see Him.
Shalom.
Oh, come on.... This isn't a serious question.... Is it?
Worship of these did NOT cause the effects you describe. Trying to force ones WILL onto others, did.
Two different things.
You keep repeating this same mantra, without providing substantiation for it.
I am truly sorry if I have done anything to give that impression to you. Please share with me how I gave you that impression.
Been there, done that, nobody showed. Got over it. Moved on.
And now, the heart of the matter. G-d did not meet your expectations. Just a question, if G-d is who the Bible says He is, then why should you demand He meet your expectations. Isn't it more reasonable that He should demand you meet His?
Think about it.
Shalom.
P.S. All current scholarship is that Luke was actually Luke, and one of the best historians of ancient times there ever was.
Not for me. I understand your point, but I asked a question and I am still reading the answers.
Shalom.
The question is, do Buddhists, Shintoists, Taoists, and etc. love G-d as much as they love their own selves?
That's the problem. If G-d is then there are beliefs in G-d that are false. If G-d is not then all beliefs are equally valid. But presuming that He is then those who love Him will seek to know Him as fully and as perfectly as they can. If religion is just a comfort for the believer, then it doesn't matter what they beliefe. But if religion is the attempt to know God as He is, then it matters.
Are you a Buddhist, Shintoist, Taoist, or etc? Do you love G-d? Come to the Table.
Shalom.
Which ones?
Oh, and I've never had a prayer fail. Maybe you're trying to use it for the wrong purpose?
Shalom.
No, my tale is accurate as I have told it. I don't know which banquets you have been invited to. I am eating and, believe me, the food is GOOD.
Come to the table.
Shalom.
I don't bet. Ask the Man. He will tell you. I will tell you myself that the banquet is here and the food is GOOD. I am eating of it, and there is plenty here for you.
Come to the Table.
Shalom.
What do you mean by "independently verifiable."
Shalom.
Perhaps death means something different to God than it does to us. Mortals may see death as the end of everything, and if that is true, God is indeed cruel in cutting a person's life short. But from God's perspective, perhaps death is merely the gateway to a different form of life, just as birth is the gateway to mortality. Both birth and death involve a certain amount of pain. But in the the eternal scheme of things, that pain is short-lived.
As for the "vengeful" part, I personally believe, that God did not write the Bible. People with limited knowledge and experience wrote the Bible, and they are the ones who describe Him as vengeful.
From a child's point of view, a parent's discipline may seem "mean, unfair" or even "vengeful." When the child gains more knowledge and experience, he/she can begin to see that the parent really had his/her best interest in mind all along.
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