Amigo42

US Presidents can't control everything though. The entire world is experiencing inflation and some have much higher gas prices than the US.

He certainly is merciful.

I agree. I just don't think he personally helped the US that much with how the US reputation took a major hit.

Well, that might be partially true. He was handed a great economy that his administration added more fuel to. However, the current inflation issue is a result of the global pandemic to a great degree.

I agree.

Lol, Trump is a great con man. I'll give him that. For a person to swindle so many is stunning.

Christians certainly do and say things sometimes that are not helpful witnesses. For example, the cult like worship of a corrupt, non-Christian man like Donald Trump makes Christians look crazy and is embarrassing for the world.

Has anyone noticed how the homosexual agenda has been pushed more and more in TV shows and even video games. It's really getting annoying. I've had to stop watching several otherwise decent shows because of an unnecessary side show that's not even relevant to the show. It's really annoying. It's not like race or gender which were legitimate social issues.

Hi, sorry for the late reply. To answer your question. Overall, it's a matter of logic. On it's face, it just makes absolutely no sense for God to punish anyone with eternity in hell for a finite life of sin. It's sick. No God of love would do that. That's the sinfulness of the human mind creating such a place. Annihilationism makes more sense than that. Since God gave all of us common sense, I believe it goes without saying that He is just and hence the title of the OP, his nature is probably greatly misunderstood.

Sorry I'll try to be more precise. Yes I do believe all 66 books are inspired, but I don't believe every single detail in those books is direct from God. That's alright though. Nothing touched by man is inerrant. If God himself literally wrote the words and sent them down from heaven then that'd be different. An example of how I feel is that God may inspire us to share a kind word with someone or give them some sort of message, but how we say it and the words we use are up to us as long as the general message is related. I think the Bible is a message on how we are to treat people and how we have a relationship with God.

Well, it still matters because Jesus wants us to have an abundant and purpose-filled life while we're here in this life and the next. He wants how we live to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.

Wow! That's amazing indeed. You have certainly had a spiritual journey. I know it takes courage to choose Jesus over one's family. I think religion is like a spectrum of truth. All religions have some truth to bring to the table, but Jesus came to return us to the highest spectrum of truth. He wants us to understand God's true nature which is love.

Sure. The Bible as we know it is the culmination of various priestly authors, editors, and before being written much was passed down orally through the generations. Any oral story will undergo change over time and the details can get fuzzy and that's ok. So that's what I mean. Something can't be 100% literal if some details change over time, and again that's ok. It's just a reminder that we should not get tripped up Bible worship but rather worship the Creator who in general inspired the writings. Another thing to remember is some stories were written as parables or moral lessons. I think the books of Jonah and Job might fall into that category. God never told us these are literal. We have been taught that these are, but even in Jewish tradition some stories were not considered literal to my knowledge.

Wow! I'm sure that makes for a very interesting holiday time. 😀

Ah you hit the nail on the head there. What if some doctrines that people think are Biblical are actually influenced by man. The idea of hell is a great example. The entire concept is misunderstood, misapplied, and taught incorrectly in most cases. How is this possible? Well, because hellfire preachers don't look beyond the words to understand the underlying cross cultural influences and traditional Jewish understanding. At the time of Jesus the Jews had already been somewhat hellenized by Greek influence. In addition, Jesus spoke parables using terminology and motifs that were already understood. The term for hell, Gehenna, was a trash dump outside the city that basically burned non stop. The Greeks already had the idea of hades. Combine both ideas and that's how the concept of hell was created. Of course, there's more to it, but that's a general summary. Imagine how many other Biblical concepts may or may not be misunderstood. Only God knows. I don't know. Just food for thought.

Well, the human side is sinful, hence the soul that sins will die. We all die on this Earth as our humanity is flawed.

I agree with you that God has many attributes, but ponder this for a moment. Why would he create us in a blemished world where he knew all would sin and be inclined to sin? If someone puts a group of people struggling with weight in a restaurant with hundreds of sugary fats and meats, is he angry when they succumb to it or is he rather testing them? Maybe in the far corners there are healthy fruits and veggies hidden, but you've got to search for it.

Interesting thought.

That is the epitomy of love assuredly.

I agree, however, there are 66 books that comprise the Bible. It's not a singular written word of God. How do we know every book is 100% literal? The book of Esther doesn't even mention the name of God even once for example. My point is let's worship the Creator not the book. Some people get tripped up in "Bible worship" and forget that only God is perfect.

Very thoughtful. Indeed, God is much than we can imagine and his mercies are more than we can know on earth. Even Christians try to put him in a box and say he's only for us, but he has compassion on the rest of his children also. In the end, I think God looks at did we exhibit his character which is love.

Ironically, some Muslims have found Christ during Ramadan.

I think she means in the sense that regardless of religion all souls are a part of God whether the human side knows it.

I concur.

Thank you for your response. What if there is a middle possibility? What is some messages are a complex review of cultural influences and perception not necessarily a lie or truth? Jesus told parables on several occasions, and sometimes those parables did not have a literal meaning but we're rather symbolic lessons.