Zone1 It's quite easy to see why most people end up in Hell (as Jesus said)

[Anathema]

I resolved my issues with the OT God by learning about covenants

I do t have issues with the God of the Old Trstament. I actually like him far more than the God of the New Testament. The OT God makes sense. The NT God makes no sense to me.

My belief in God increased exponentially after a disaster happened in my life. I needed a crutch to help me. I feel praying with Jesus and asking for strength delivered that crutch. The alternative was alcohol

My belief is that God CREATED most of the disasters in my life and then say there laughing His ass off as I have struggled with them. Prayer has never been a help for me.

I drink in moderation but not to make the pain of tragedy go away. Heavy drinking is a form of suicide. I have witnessed people who chose that route and no matter how much they drank, their pain always returned

I don’t drink, smoke or do drugs. I use caffeine minimally and try to avoid as many pharmaceutical products as I can. That last one has become far more difficult in recent years. Instead I use anger as my outlet. I BREAK stuff. NOT PEOPLE, just stuff. That and I simply shut myself away from the world.

 

[Carl in Michigan]

We are taught no one but God knows who--if anyone--is in hell. That is God's judgment. Again, go back through history and discover when early Christians began speaking of hell.

Hell hant been created yet. That comes soon though with the return.

Jesus continues the conversation by mentioning another current event, this one involving the tower of Siloam: “Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:4–5).

 

[nomadic5]

Listen to what I actually say....not to what you think I seem to say.

'Eternal' in Biblical language paints a picture or literally, "Beyond the horizon." This translates better as what we cannot see or cannot know.

Here in modern Western culture, using the modern English definition for 'eternal' it is translated (more or less) as for all time or never ending.

As Jesus lived in Biblical times using Biblical languages, some thought should be given to the type of punishment he mentioned. You insist that Jesus meant for all time, but if we give thought to Biblical meanings, it is quite possible Jesus was saying something more in line with "unimaginable" punishment, a punishment beyond what we are capable of seeing.

You will be correct in saying I am not a Biblical translator by either training or by any stretch of the imagination. I have, however, long been fascinated by word etymology and changes in definitions. Our culture is not Biblical culture, we see through a modern lens--something impossible for them to have done. Therefore, I try to take a peek through their lens. You are welcome to say I perceive blindly. That may well be the case, but I will still find the different roots, etymologies, changing definitions to be fascinating.

sounds like a bunch of gibberish. The devil IMO is leading you into Hell. As many saints have said, most there are those who didn't believe in Hell or Satan.

Eternal means exactly that: forever. The reason people can never escape Hell is .. 2 things (at least):

1) the soul is immortal and will definitely live somewhere forever.
2) If a person does not repent of his evil in this life and as a consequence ends up in Hell where all evil belongs... He has absolutely NO desire to be in heaven, and has proven that by the way he lived his earthly life.

And there was another thing but I can't recall at this time. People who end up in Hell do so because they do NOT want to go to Heaven. In a way, it is very natural to not want holiness/Heaven. That's because we are earthlings and we get used to Earth. (Why anyone would want to get used to this crazy place is beyond me, but some adjust quite well, or so you'd think).

 

[nomadic5]

I do t have issues with the God of the Old Trstament. I actually like him far more than the God of the New Testament. The OT God makes sense. The NT God makes no sense to me.

My belief is that God CREATED most of the disasters in my life and then say there laughing His ass off as I have struggled with them. Prayer has never been a help for me.

I don’t drink, smoke or do drugs. I use caffeine minimally and try to avoid as many pharmaceutical products as I can. That last one has become far more difficult in recent years. Instead I use anger as my outlet. I BREAK stuff. NOT PEOPLE, just stuff. That and I simply shut myself away from the world.

The rosary prayers are what made me a true blue Christian. Before I discovered the rosary (endorsed by Jesus's mother..), I was one messed up human and could not stay faithful to Christ and the teachings of the Church.

the rosary gives life meaning because it is a meditation on the Life of Christ. We are all human and so, we all forget about Jesus... get distracted by so many things and one day we wake up and see that Jesus is very, very far away... and it is our own fault (and the devil's). The rosary brings us back to Him.. No wonder Mary told the children @ Fatima to pray the rosary for those on their way to Hell (also asked them to offer their sufferings for that cause)

Then there is this other "thing" you apparently do not have and never have had: the Real Presence of Christ, which is found only in the Church HE himself established: the Catholic Church. only the CC goes back to the time of Christ and the 12. That alone tells you virtually all you need to know in your search for the true Church. In any case, Jesus, despite Vatican II and all its ugly detritus, has NOT abandoned His Church. He promised to be with us always, until the very end--Mt 28:20.

I found out in a very circuitous way that no one man, not Francis or any of the 6 imposters [5?] who came before him can change that passage... Mt 28:20--what a happy making thought!

 

[Meriweather]

Jesus continues the conversation by mentioning another current event, this one involving the tower of Siloam: “Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:4–5).

Context: Jesus was talking about two political events where Jewish rebels carried on intrigues against the government, which ended in their deaths. Jesus was warning that carrying on such intrigues will end in more rebel deaths. Recall Jesus was warning about the destruction of Jerusalem, and if the people did not turn away (repent) of these intrigues they would end up perishing in the same way at the hands of the government.

 

[Meriweather]

As many saints have said, most there are those who didn't believe in Hell or Satan.

Catholic school teaches that hell is separation from God--it is not Dante's Inferno. Hell is one's own choice to be separated from God. As Jesus was tempted by Satan and resisted, so must we be aware of temptations, both by Satan and by our own inclinations, and resist both types of temptation.

 

[shockedcanadian]

Jesus is Truth Incarnate. We can believe every Word He said (which includes all that He has said via the Bible AND via His Church throughout the centuries, which may or may not be written down in black and white but is of course true just the same)

So Jesus said that most people end up in Hell (see Mt 7:14- and Lk 13:24 and other psgs)

And I can see why. Everywhere I look today there is nothing but selfishness, snarkyness, love of $$, lack of concern for others.. everyone going against what Jesus taught. He taught us to have charity for one another, but I don't see much charity these days.

And then there's all the perversity, sick stuff being taught in our schools. It's like our society despises children, their innocence. It's like everyone is in such a hurry to steal that innocence from them.. WHY?!

Well, I think we know why.. "People loved darkness rather than the light..."

etc

The road is long and narrow, few will arrive at their intened destination. It scares me becase I try but it is impossible to be perfect. My heart is pure though.

 

[nomadic5]

I do t have issues with the God of the Old Trstament. I actually like him far more than the God of the New Testament. The OT God makes sense. The NT God makes no sense to me.

I LOL at this!

I sometimes feel exactly the same way! I wouldn't go so far as to say I don't understand the NT God.. I u/stand most of what is written in the New T, but there are a few things that...

OK, I'll get pounced on for this by some holier-than-thou person... but I frankly have a problem with 1 John 4:8 where it says that God is love!

Um... OK. I used to think, upon hearing or reading that psg that.. "Well, God loves other people, but not me." LOL

It's not terribly funny, if you knew the details, but maybe you, anathema, don't need details since you know what it's like to feel that God is against you. If others here at the forum ever feel that way, they are NOT saying!

so anyhow... where was I? Yeh, the OT God was cool in a lot of ways because he didn't put up with any nonsense. It was "Either you chosen people (Why am I still calling you that?) obey me or you are toast" LOL

In the New T and in modern times, it looks like God just lets all these *^%$#@ who violate His laws get away with it until the very end. So we go through life not seeing Justice done and it's a BIG downer! I get depressed at all the injustice I see everywhere. And I could go on and on... but you get my point..

The good news is that God doesn't change. People think He changed bc the Old is so different from the New T, but no, God does not change. There will be Justice. That, we can count on.

 

[nomadic5]

The road is long and narrow, few will arrive at their intened destination. It scares me becase I try but it is impossible to be perfect. My heart is pure though.

If you have never spent much time in Christ's Real Presence (found only in HIS Church), your heart is not as pure as it needs to be to get into Heaven. Even non-Catholics will agree that only CHRIST can make someone pure... can't do that on your own. And we especially cannot do it in this impure world where Satan rules...

The Real Presence is still extant in SOME Catholic Churches... I am not sure I can say "all"

 

[nomadic5]

Catholic school teaches that hell is separation from God--it is not Dante's Inferno. Hell is one's own choice to be separated from God. As Jesus was tempted by Satan and resisted, so must we be aware of temptations, both by Satan and by our own inclinations, and resist both types of temptation.

I've read many accounts of Hell, both in Catholic books and on the internet. I don't automatically believe all of them, but a lot of them comport with what the Bible says about Hell.

In any case, even if you have no idea what Hell is like, you can imagine just how AWFUL it would be/ will be to be TOTALLY without God. I cannot even imagine such a thing. Well, actually, certain experiences in life make us feel we are without Him, if only for a time, so I guess I can imagine it ... sort of. When you lose God, you lose everything tht is good and wholesome. That is indeed difficult to imagine. And I don't want anyone to go there. I pray for sinners... I was going to say Often but not as often as I (we) should.

So there, I just confessed one of my sins. The Bible says to confess your sins to one another. I kind of prefer to confess them to a priest in a confessional but... that's a topic for another time

 

[Moonglow]

I do t have issues with the God of the Old Trstament. I actually like him far more than the God of the New Testament. The OT God makes sense. The NT God makes no sense to me.

My belief is that God CREATED most of the disasters in my life and then say there laughing His ass off as I have struggled with them. Prayer has never been a help for me.

I don’t drink, smoke or do drugs. I use caffeine minimally and try to avoid as many pharmaceutical products as I can. That last one has become far more difficult in recent years. Instead I use anger as my outlet. I BREAK stuff. NOT PEOPLE, just stuff. That and I simply shut myself away from the world.

 

[Batcat]

I do t have issues with the God of the Old Trstament. I actually like him far more than the God of the New Testament. The OT God makes sense. The NT God makes no sense to me.

My belief is that God CREATED most of the disasters in my life and then say there laughing His ass off as I have struggled with them. Prayer has never been a help for me.

I don’t drink, smoke or do drugs. I use caffeine minimally and try to avoid as many pharmaceutical products as I can. That last one has become far more difficult in recent years. Instead I use anger as my outlet. I BREAK stuff. NOT PEOPLE, just stuff. That and I simply shut myself away from the world.

I could have easily blamed God for the creating the tragedy that brought me to ask him for the strength to deal with it. I feel fortunate I didn’t make that decision.

We all have a choice and the freedom to accept Christ exists or to deny that he does, to love him, hate him or ignore him. We can even question his decisions and in the OT there were times he changed his mind.

It is totally fair to ask why bad things happen to good people. Below are three different ways of looking at that question …

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

Perspectives to help believers and non-believers make sense of random cosmic injustice.

www.psychologytoday.com

Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? | GotQuestions.org

Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? Why does God not prevent bad things from happening to good people?

www.gotquestions.org

Why Does God Allow Evil - Answering the Hard Questions

Why does God allow evil? We understand that God is all-powerful or omnipotent (Matthew 19:26). Therefore, He could eliminate evil within the world, but does not.

www.crosswalk.com

Or perhaps God is a computer programmer and we live in his matrix. Perhaps God is a computer. and we are use one of many simulations or parallel universes.

15 Irrefutable Reasons Why We Might Be Living in a Simulation

Weird news. Quarks with computer code. Missing aliens. The evidence discussed on a few sub-Reddits might actually be plausible.

www.vulture.com

 

[shockedcanadian]

I could have easily blamed God for the creating the tragedy that brought me to ask him for the strength to deal with it. I feel fortunate I didn’t make that decision.

We all have a choice and the freedom to accept Christ exists or to deny that he does, to love him, hate him or ignore him. We can even question his decisions and in the OT there were times he changed his mind.

It is totally fair to ask why bad things happen to good people. Below are three different ways of looking at that question …

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

Perspectives to help believers and non-believers make sense of random cosmic injustice.

www.psychologytoday.com

Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? | GotQuestions.org

Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? Why does God not prevent bad things from happening to good people?

www.gotquestions.org

Why Does God Allow Evil - Answering the Hard Questions

Why does God allow evil? We understand that God is all-powerful or omnipotent (Matthew 19:26). Therefore, He could eliminate evil within the world, but does not.

www.crosswalk.com

Or perhaps God is a computer programmer and we live in his matrix. Perhaps God is a computer. and we are use one of many simulations or parallel universes.

15 Irrefutable Reasons Why We Might Be Living in a Simulation

Weird news. Quarks with computer code. Missing aliens. The evidence discussed on a few sub-Reddits might actually be plausible.

www.vulture.com

Jesus is complicated. He didn't fullfill the Old Testament when he rose again, we've never had world peace, nor has the temple in Israel been raised. There are a number of considerations that make it more difficult to accept him as the Messiah. According to the OT, G_d is one, not a trinity. Was Jesus his son or more? Questions...

 

[Batcat]

Jesus is complicated. He didn't fullfill the Old Testament when he rose again, we've never had world peace, nor has the temple in Israel been raised. There are a number of considerations that make it more difficult to accept him as the Messiah. According to the OT, G_d is one, not a trinity. Was Jesus his son or more? Questions...

There are a lot of questions. I will agree with that.

Perhaps that is where faith comes in.

 

[Batcat]

What about those of us who didn’t want to go to “Heaven”

You say you don’t wish to go to heaven, I believe that decision is your right and your choice.

 

[ding]

It's quite easy to see why most people end up in Hell (as Jesus said)....

Your evangelical roots are showing.

 

[Anathema]

I could have easily blamed God for the creating the tragedy that brought me to ask him for the strength to deal with it. I feel fortunate I didn’t make that decision

My entire life has been one accident after another, so at some point either God is causing it, not stopping it, or just doesn’t give a fuck about me.

is totally fair to ask why bad things happen to good people

My conclusion has become… God doesn’t give a fuck about any of us.

Or perhaps God is a computer programmer and we live in his matrix. Perhaps God is a computer. and we are use one of many simulations or parallel universes

I’ve come to believe that “God” is more of a Universal Power than a sentient entity

 

[Batcat]

I think a power that can create a universe from nothing is so far above us that He is impossible for us to truly comprehend.

 

[Flash]

Want to stay out of Hell?

Have Faith and accept the Grace of God.

Then you will have The Peace of the Lord and everything will be fine.

 

[nomadic5]

Want to stay out of Hell?

Have Faith and accept the Grace of God.

Then you will have The Peace of the Lord and everything will be fine.

nothing about giving up sin? Not even mortal sin like adultery, abortion.. porn, fornication? There is no Once saved always saved. It's a lie from the depths of Hell.

Go and sin no more, Jesus said