8 Things Your Pastor Will Never Tell You About the Bible

How are Heaven vs Hell not that choice exactly?

Good question.

Those are destinations (such as the term exists) in the after life. Not in this one. They are separate and detached. Not as readily apparent to most people as the here and now.

Perhaps it's like the force, it's obsorbed into the universe for energy. Or maybe it's like reincarnation, it is used to be passed on to another body. Energy can't be created or destroyed, so it must go somewhere.

What about when the odd fungus becomes aware, and starts a gay conversion camp?

If he gave overwhelming evidence there would be no reason for faith.

Do your parents give you overwhelming reason to love them from the time of your earliest memories?

Why would a God need faith?

Maybe he doesn't need it.

Perhaps he simply wants it.

Bad analogy.

Let's say you would like to have a woman.

Would you want her to love you because she freely chooses to

or

If she doesn't, you reject her and cast her off if she comes to you asking for help.

You tell her that because she didn't love you exclusively, believe everything that was said about you, you decide she is not worthy to be around you so you cast her off, even though she never harmed you, never did anything to harm anyone else you know. You simply decide because she did not worship and love you exclusively she is not worthy of anything you can do to help her out.

Not the same, and here is why: because you are aware of the eternal punishment of hell if you don't love god, you will never really love god "because you want to." Hell will always be in the back of your mind. Now, let's say Christianity never, ever, ever mentioned hell in any way, shape or form. Let's say no religion ever thought of hell. Only then can you realistically love and worship god. But that fear of hell will always act as coercion as long as you are aware of it/believe in it. So if god really wanted to know who loves him he wouldn't instill fear of eternal torture for not loving him as an option. How about a religion with a "third option" - no heaven, no hell, just leave me alone when I die.

Is God so lacking that he can find some fulfillment in creating beings that believe in him without good reason?

You you're saying you would help out a woman even if she told you she loved someone else?

I have doubts you would do any such thing.

A truly benevolent and loving God wouldn't care.

Why would an omnipotent being who can create anything for himself he desired ever want anything?
Create an i.v. drip of liquid faith that never runs out mainlined right into his pineal gland, and whammo.

Why would you suggest he was "lacking"?

How else can you want?

Of course, I've helped out several women that loved someone else. That doesn't change the fact that I still care for them as a person. I see and saw them as someone I know and care enough for that I would help them despite who they love and want to be with. Doesn't the God you believe in tell you to love your neighbor?

Or you get to the afterlife and God is sitting there chuckling, and tells you the whole Heaven/Hell thing was a put-on, he's just jerking your chain, now c'mon in and have a beer.

Yes. in regards to the main statement that is not what you implied or stated.

No. It is what I stated and implied. You lack the reasoning and understanding to see or even comprehend that.

But you must admit god didn't "sugar coat" anything. He comes right out and goes full-on crazy beginning with flooding the world because.........all the animals were evil along with the humans? Then assorted massacres and purges (facilitated by him) throughout his tenure. Some of his most kick-ass miracles (parting the red sea, making the sun stay up an hour longer during a battle) involved his people killing their enemies. And the icing on the cake is eternal violence and torture! So how could "love" ever enter into that picture other than us humans have to display it, and compassion and forgiveness and mercy......or else god kills us then really kicks it into high gear by sending us to hell. Who are the ad wizards who came up with this idea and who green-lighted and bankrolled this project?

^Incorrect. But for you par for the course. Referring to eds post.

Who cares about the animals?

Hope you're not a pet owner.

I've had several beloved pets over the years. Cats and dogs mainly. But if I they had to die for me to save the life of any child I would kill them myself.

Seriously? You have to be trolling now. Humans are just one of millions of species. There were other animals before us, and there will be other animals after us. We are at the top of the food chain, but no species lasts forever. A statement like "who cares about the animals" can only be made by someone who thinks earth is all about the humans and animals are an after-thought. Without the other animals in general humans couldn't have evolved over billions of.........oh shit. That's right, that instant creation thing.

Ah, of course, I forget sometimes, Christianity says animals don't have souls, so they're just animated meat that we can do what we want with, right?

Your missing the point - do you think god could have found a way to...I don't know....kill the evil humans and spared the innocent animals? There were what....a few thousand humans and billions of animals and plants? Do you not see why this is crazy and destructive? If a human did this you'd call them insane.