<p>Someone needs to email the looney (or looneys) behind that website and tell them about the FSM. Or, even better, The Church of Ceiling Cat - no apocalyptic prophecies, much more laid back, you get to sleep for around 16 hours out of every 24 and they have cheezburgers (sic)...</p><p>:-)</p><p> </p>
Adrian
<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">I think that rather than reading about what people say about what people say about the Bible and the future, maybe it would not be a bad idea for those who care to find out what has been written about the future in the Bible, to pick one up, and read it for themselves. Commentaries about what is or is not written in the Bible are more of a commentary on the people doing the explaining rather on the validity, or accuracy of what is actually written. The danger here is that often time’s society will associate half truths and falsehoods<span> </span>to the Bible, simply because someone with an agenda will try to explain, or teach it with their own slant. They end up being one of the causes that people are turned off by the Bible, rather than yearning to understand what it is, and what it can offer.</p> <p> </p>
Jesse
<p>...the Bible is a great collection of stories. It's when people forget that that's what they are - stories - that the problems seem to develop.</p><p>I'd quite like to be able to read some of the original versions to see how they differ from the modern language translations, but my Ancient Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, etc. are non-existent. (I also tend to fall foul of the "not enough hours in the day" problem as well when it comes to that kind of thing.) </p>
Adrian
<p>Some believe they are just stories, some believe them to be the inspired Word of God. <br />To take one position, over another, is a matter for each person, and each person, needs to respect, the others' position. <br /><br />Otherwise, contention develops. As one side may see an illogical, irrational preoccupation with fairy tales and stories based on their own understanding and knowledge of the world around them, the other should be permitted as well, to see the world and things around them based on their own understanding of what they feel, perceive, or believe is true. </p><p> When it comes to who is right, or who is wrong, why does it matter? Other than a re-affirmation of ones own position in order to deflect an assault by opposing points of views intended to prove or disprove hypothetical points of phylosophy, what does it honestly matter? </p><p>If Christinas are wrong, and there is nothing after this life, then upon death, who will be able to reflect back on their life? Who will be able to know at that point that there is or is not a Heaven or Hell. Who can know, who was right, and who was wrong? Too many times, people end up badgering each other over what they believe to be real, and what isn't. To what end?<br /></p><p>However, on the other hand, once this life is over, once our time with the physical, and intellectual world has passed, who can say, that their is nothing more? </p><p>Based on the physical, and the intellectual, no one can say. </p><p>It is only those, who have knowledge, not just faith, but knowledge of more than the physical, more than the intellectual, that can say, "yes, I will not perish. I know there is more. I know, not because of what I have learned from this world, not from what my mind, nor body has revealed to me, but what has been told to me in the non-physical, non-intellectual arena of the spirit." </p><p>People fear the idea of being wrong, of being shown that what they hold to be true, may not be so they endevor to prove to the other person, that their views are indeed correct. </p><p>People also do not enjoy the incessant badgering of those self righteous wannabes. Those who would rather yell, than pray. So, please forgive me.<br /></p><p>During the time I was growing up, there was the 'theme' for my generation. A theme of acceptance of others, no matter what drum they marched to. Nowadays, it seems some of us, have become our fathers. We have forgotten our earlier days of idealism, and love.</p><p>We have forgotten about our wonder of the world, and why it is we are here. We have stopped trying to find ourselves, and have settled into complacency. </p><p>We have set our fence posts, and are prepared to defend our land, to the death. </p><p>yes, I need more coffee. <br /></p>
Jesse