Steve_S

Primarily the second paragraph.

Sonshine is not the topic of this thread. The subject of this thread is someone who has chosen to become a public figure and therefore open themselves up to public discussion and we are discussion forum. If you think a topic should be reviewed by our staff or think another member has done something wrong within the thread, please report it, do not debate it openly. Please refrain from turning other members here into the topic - as the Terms of Service says, debate the subject not the person. This is not-debatable nor is it something I will have an discussion regarding in this thread. I simply ask that you not do it again. Doing so again will result in your removal from the thread. God bless, Steve

This is straying very close to getting personal. Please refrain from this going forward in this thread or you will be removed from it!

This is getting a bit personal. Please refrain from comments like this going forward in this thread. Thanks!

No problem at all. God bless.

You can believe frienduff was right to say that and that's your right, however, according to our rules, he certainly should not have said it. This forum is not intended for members to openly opine on other members' spiritual situation. That's just how it is. We have never allowed and will never allow it. It is part of what gets people banned from threads and gets threads closed and deleted. We respect memberss right to disagree with our rules and our decisions, we just ask that members respect those rules in return.

Please refrain from getting personal such as this.

There are multiple violations for getting personal in this thread. Please remember to keep it civil. From this point forward, debating the person and not the subject will result in those who do so being removed.

Please refrain from debating the person and simply the subject going forward. Comments like this are why we have to close threads and/or remove people from them.

Seasoned by Grace also removed from thread.

DustyRoad and TamperedWith were both removed from the thread for debating the person and not the subject.

I've banned choir loft and iamlamad from the thread. For the argument between them that is visible throughout the last few pages of the thread.

Could you please edit this to remove any references to profanity before it is approved? If you need to copy/paste it into a new thread and repost it to do so, that's okay.

I have locked this thread because the OP made the above personal attack. It's always unfortunate when threads get closed, so please try to not get personal. Accusing someone of idolatry is far over the line in personal action, even heated interaction.

This thread seems to have already ran its course. Locked.

I believe this thread has ran it's course, locked.

What is the Gospel?

What do you mean by being a "practicing Christian?"

I removed the link to the external site. It may be best to present the ideas here or in other threads in a fashion more appropriate for a forum format.

Locked at OP request.

You should be able to respond in most forums now :).

Poster removed from thread.

Poster removed from thread.

I agree, which was basically my point. Assigning intentions to other based on what you hope is the best outcome (in this case that being that they are simply there to steal things and leave) is a pretty dangerous game to play.

An excellent idea :). This underlying Greek word here for "worships" or "worship" (προσκυνέω - probably best transliterated proskyneo or something along those lines) is actually used in multiple tenses throughout the scriptures. What tense specifically? There is no specific tense attached to proskyneo to my knowledge. As noted above, it is used, unmodified, in more than once tense and for the purposes of this short word study... Past - Matthew 2:11, 8:2, 9:18, 14:33, 18:26, etc... In fact, it is used in the past tense as often or more often than it is used in the present tense. The problem really isn't with the word or the translation of it. The texts says what it says. I'm a firm believer that one can get a general understanding of the the message a passage is trying to get across by simply reading the passage. This passage says folks that worship the beast and receive his mark will not be going to heaven. This is not a theological statement, it is a prophetic statement. There is no theological argument here, only a one of prophecy. As far as I'm concerned, whether or not one can be saved after taking the mark is a meaningless hypothetical, because we know for an absolute fact that none will. Here's another prophecy: 2Th 2:9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 2Th 2:10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2Th 2:11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 2Th 2:12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. These two things are quite clearly connected. What's the lie? The claim of the man of sin to be God (2:4). Who gets sent strong delusion? Those who did not receive the love of the truth. What happens to them? They are condemned for it. So here's the real question. Will those who have been sent a "strong delusion" directly from God Himself (as a result of their rejection of His truth) repent and turn towards Him? That would be quite a strong willed person!