Imagining no God means playing God
“Imagine there’s no heaven. It’s easy if you try. No hell below us. Above us only sky. Imagine all the people, living for today.” Those are the lyrics to John Lennon’s “Imagine.” And according to one atheist I visited with recently, little would show more promise for our country if all of America were to embrace those precepts.
As a brief reminder, life after death is the topic I’ve selected to develop over the course of my columns. My intentions are to accurately reflect the various perspectives of local residents by posing the same questions to each person, and detailing their responses here. Bear in mind that no individual claims to represent the beliefs for all people of similar persuasion. Their opinions are theirs alone.
Ralph Isler is a semi-retired former professor of physics. His mother took him to a Methodist church when growing up, and in his own words, he was a strong Christian and had a genuine born-again experience. With age came deeper introspection into the seeming conflict between his religious beliefs and the real world, a world where the existence of evil and suffering contravened his religion’s all-loving, all-powerful God.
Compounding Isler’s turmoil was the importunate Methodist teaching that this same benevolent deity would consign people to literal hell to be eternally tormented — even those who had never heard of this God. At the age of 23, Isler asked his pastor to remove his name from the church roll. Permanently.
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“Imagine there’s no heaven. It’s easy if you try. No hell below us. Above us only sky. Imagine all the people, living for today.”
Exactly these folks confuse their imagination with reality and deny Christian Faith as the only one that can fully and consistently explain the reality while offering nothing in return but chaos, matter and motion only. That is what atheism is a form of schizophrenia. case point resident schizoid imam of atheism Dixon.
-DespevilleI see a lot of Christians who look forward to people being judged and sent to hell. I think that is the exact opposite of what Christianity is.
-davesWhat you see or not see may not necessarily be what is out there and it is in fact not.
-DespevilleI suggest you go and see good Ophthalmologist if you can see him at all.
My Dad was an eye doctor, as was his brother, a Godly man. Many years I preached to my Dad, who was agnostic.
-BaguiAt least he allowed me to give testimonies, when he could have pulled rank, or acted like politicians, as a victim.
One day, he was having angioplasty procedure while still conscious, then moved above his body, while the doctors and nurses tried for 5 minutes to resuscitate his life. The third shock of the paddles pulled him brutally back into his cold, lifeless body. He witnessed 3 other beings in brown garments floating alongside him, & was peaceful. He was restored to his Christian faith, and visited all churches to study the Bible again. He was truly changed. Before that experience, he was charitable, altruistic, forgiving, and color-blind in his relationships. It was his trust in God over inhumanity, that filled the church to capacity for his actual funeral. He has true peace.
Hell is essentially eternal separation from God, without hope of reconciliation, and certainly no purgatory to recover from. The delusion of universal salvation says one can murder, rape, rob, lie, etc. without eternal consequence to the one that perpetrates those evils. Even more perverted is the notion that living souls do whatever they want to other humans, and there are relatively few consequences, if at all, on this present Earth. When I was punished for wrongdoing, I knew that I deserved it, then I gape in amazement when associates I know always blame others for something I know they caused. Entitlement mentality has infected people of faith, not just the little gods who say there is no God. Be grateful to God, that He plucked us from the fire of inhumanity, where cruelty is eternal for sure.
-BaguiI am a Christian and I, for one, do not look forward to people being sent to Hell.
-Linda F.Those who look forward to others being sent to Hell are disciples of Jonathan Edwards: “When the saints in glory, therefore, shall see the doleful state of the damned, how will this heighten their sense of the blessedness of their own state, so exceedingly different from it!” In his day, of course, Christians wouldn't be allowed to play football on Sundays, or to watch it. So they had to wait for Heaven to have any fun.
-SteveI wonder how much of Jonathan Edwards have you actually read? I bet you did not read more than 5 pages if that and you act like you are an authority on him… Typical.
-DespevilleI would say that they are disciples of Fred "God hates everyone who doesn't belong to my cult of hate" Phelps.
-Linda F.This song by John Lennon reflects his atheistic mindset, which he wanted to give to the youth of the world. I do not like the song. Pay attention to lyrics. His lyrics are shallow, empty, hopeless. He has reaffirmed my faith. I will stay a Christian believer and avoid the ideas of the John Lennons of the world.
-John J FlanaganIndeed John and that sold then and sells now. Does it not?
-DespevilleIt sold me short, and I witnessed the power of fallen angels, albeit a dangerous, counterfeit type of power, than can hold
-Baguihumans in a slavery equivalent to a Hell on Earth. When these entities were evicted from my body, about 35 of them, I spat a fluorescent, expectorant matter, like that of radiator coolant under an ultraviolet light. Promptly, I found a college
ministry who preached the valid Gifts of the Holy Spirit , where it was evident by results, and discernment was possible.
I saw actual healing incidents, deliverance from demonic angels, and prophetic revealing of knowledge and events, of
which I experienced as a born-again believer when I asked God to intervene. Hell is eternal separation from God.
I do not believe Christians think that way. iN FACT, I KNOW CHRISTIANS DO NOT THINK THAT WAY. I pray for people I know who are not Christian, and pray for myself to be a better person. I AM NOT PERFECT, but I know God loves me and I know I will go to Heaven. In fact, I could not sleep at night if I did not believe THE LORD HAS SAVED MY SOUL. Most Christians are happy inside and have a love for people that amazed me, until I experienced that love myself by asking Jesus into my heart and life……..such a simple request, but when it is made in earnest, He will……….AND HE DID!!
-ME KNOWNo real Christian wants anyone to go to hell. We do want to see sin defeated and the earth restored and GOD coming to Earth again. Just because we speak out against sin does not mean we hate the sinners. After all we are sinners too, except for the saving grace of Jesus Christ and his work at the cross. We know that the events happening all around us now were predicted centuries ago and that is what gives us all hope and courage in the fight ahead.
-JamesI based what I said on the many Zionica comments I read. Look at this one from a couple of days ago.
Homosexuality is an abomination. It is Sin, Period. The wages of Sin is Death. Adultery is sin, Fornication is Sin, being a Drunkard is Sin, Lying is Sin, Greed and Covetousness is Sin; All these are Sins before the only True God. @ the day of Judgment, Jesus Christ is going to Judge people for there Sins especially for their rejection of his offer of salvation which could have saved them from ETERNAL DESTRUCTION, THINK ABOUT THAT, ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM THE SON OF GOD, Jesus can only save people from there Sins. Acts 4:12; John 14:6; John 3:36; 1 Cor 6:9; Rev 21:8; Jesus spoke about hell over 80 times in the New Testament alone. So let's pray for the Atheist, Agnostic, who have been deceived by Satan, believing there is no God,along with every Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist,Mormon, Jehovah's witness, Emergent Church leader, Universalist, and all of the rest of these false religions that come from the teachings of Satan, for many have been taken captive by him (Satan) doing his will. Oh yes, especially those so called Christians who continue to wash down and compromise God's word. They will pay a very heavy price. Fake Pastor's, Bishops,Evangelist,etc….
-davesNow – he says lets pray for them and he never says he is looking forward to seeing them in hell but his tone indicates more than the words seem to say. I could be wrong though.
-davesI think it's safe to say that you're wrong, daves. I think it's also safe to say that, given the fact that the poster never said that he looks forward to seeing people go to hell … Well, he doesn't look forward to people going to hell. You're reading into what he was saying. You're seeing only what you want to see: an angry, hate-filled Christian.
The poster that you referenced was saying exactly what the word of God says: that the unsaved, those who die without having Jesus as their Lord, Savior and Great Mediator, will not go to Heaven. If you'd put your anti-Christian bias aside, you'd see that.
-Linda F.And basing your opinion of Christians upon the statement of ONE Christian? Are you kidding me? I mean, really?
-Linda F.Me? Definitely not. This is just an example.
-davesDaves, whoever wrote what you copied and pasted was absolutely right. Like so many people on these comments you read only what you want to read and ignore the rest. He named some sins and some religions and some unbelievers such as Atheist, etc. but his main emphasis was to pray for them to come to know Jesus Christ as their savior and for so called Christians to speak the truth of God's word. We do need to pray for all those people and we also need to pray for churches to start teaching the the whole Bible instead of "feel good" sermons, promoting programism and emotionalism that doesn't last beyond the last "Amen" in the service. Learn His Word and apply it.
-msjallenThe line "They will pay a very heavy price." is the only line I really object to. I do not believe that God could ever condemn someone to an eternity of suffering and I do not believe that Jesus ever mentioned hell.
-davesYes, Jesus did most definitely mentioned Hell. There are 9 references in Matt, 3 in Mark and 3 in Luke.
-DanielDaves, God does not send anyone to hell; people send themselves to hell when they reject Jesus Christ as their savior. Satan said the same thing when He challenged God on how could He send His created creatures to eternal damnation — hell.
-msjallenII Pet 3:9 -The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (change of mind towards Him).
If no one is going to suffer for all eternity then why did Jesus come to die on the cross to save those who believe on Him?
Nonsense. According to the story, god created hell and created the rules for why someone goes to hell. He knows everything and allows people to be born who he is fully aware will end up in hell. He is completely responsible.
-Jeff DixonDaves, I am not sure what "bible" you read but Jesus said a lot about hell; following are only some verses…
-msjallenMatthew 5:29 And if your right eye offend you, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Luke 10:15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
Luke 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: Fear him, which after he has killed has power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Some words were translated as Hell but that may not have been the meaning.
-daveshttp://www.tentmaker.org/articles/jesusteachingon…
Daves, Jesus spoke of Hell and flames in conjunction with one another. They are inseparable. Jesus said Hell fire in Matthew 5:22; 18:9; Mark 9:43, 45, 47. He also alluded to flames in Hell in Luke 16:24. The point is, that Jesus was far more than a simple rabbi. He is God in the flesh. John 8:58,59 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
-DanielWhen Jesus referred to Himself as I am, they wanted to stone Him because He applied a name of God to Himself. When Jesus was killed on the cross, they did not take His life. He offered it up as a sacrifice for sin. Do you possibly think that an offering of that magnitude when rejected by sinful man, is not worthy of extreme and eternal condemnation by the Almighty?
No true Christian wants anyone to go to Hell, but it is a reality that will happen just as sure as the sun rises in the east. The fact is, Hell was made for Satan and his angels, but sinful man goes there too. http://www.biblebelievers.com/Nimeskern1.html