heaven or hell.....what do you believe????? (Page 3)

Zanjan: You don't have to be. Nobody actually cares about those who aren't convinced because they have nothing to contribute to the subject.

People just like to talk about their experience - not preaching to the choir but sharing the highlights of their journey.

BigBadWolfe: Well said.

ghostgeek: I cannot tell If Heaven or Hell exists but I have been wondering recently which I would rather go to if they did exist. The answer seems self-evident, Heaven of course, but is it? Consider what is on offer if you go to Heaven. An eternity of bowing down before God, of worshiping Him, telling him how marvelous He is, etc., etc. Basically, sycophantic arse-licking without end. That sounds like hell to me. If, on the other hand, you go to the other place what can you expect? Fire and brimstone, the tortures of the damned, the usual turn off stuff? Is that realistic? Burning in Hellfire can only really apply if there is something to burn but we leave our bodies behind when we die. Go to any cemetery to see the truth of this. Therefore the flesh cannot be tortured for eternity. Second, we must consider the nature of the Devil himself. Is he not supposed to be a rebellious angel? Why then would he do God' bidding? Why would he punish sinners for God? Of course he wouldn't. Third, Hell must contain an awful lot of interesting people. Doesn't Hell sound as though it could be quite a pleasant place? Yep, Hell must be the destination of choice.

Zanjan: ".and they like to preach, too."

Freedom of Speech was written into N.American constitutions for a reason. Learn to deal with it.

I wonder at the complainers who can't find a way to leave if they don't want to listen to somebody preaching. Don't they realize what's happening?? They've been listening intently to the speaker; being SO interested in the preaching, they've pondered how to present a challenge or, most commonly, a defense.

Yeah, we know how you hate preaching when you've stayed in the room.

"Burning in Hellfire can only really apply if there is something to burn"

The majority of unbelievers choose to have their bodies cremated when they die.

"we must consider the nature of the Devil himself. Is he not supposed to be a rebellious angel? "

The rebellious angel was Lucifer, not the devil; Lucifer was once obedient. The devil has been personified as Beelzebub or Satan - that is, the human ego, which always has and always will follow the promptings of self, not God.

We have two natures - the lower, animal nature, and the higher, divine nature. For the Spirit of Man to appear, that human ego has to be chained up and flung into the dungeon of the past. The soul can't hope to overcome ego until it has learned submission to God; by that submission, God gives the soul power over the self.

"Hell must contain an awful lot of interesting people"

I used to think a stormy and turbulent life was interesting.....the bang up action and shiny glitter caught my attention. Eventually, the screaming got old and distracting. I got over it. Now, I find the dammed are dull, dorky, deficient, and unlovable.

Valhalla........standing around watching stags and goats eat leaves is Vanilla to me.

Where do the dead go who didn't die in combat, huh?

ghostgeek: I don't know Zanjan but this God fella seems like a creepy guy to me. He creates people and then expects them to worship him. Why? Why should he want us to submit to him? What is the point of it? It sounds very needy to me. Certainly not what you would expect from a perfect being.

ezekiel420: Hell is a condition in your mind when evil gets a hold of you and brings you down. Just like psychics we all have a connection to the other side just most of us don't realize or believe it.

CoIin: Hey! I have an idea for a fun game. Let's make up stories about what Hell is.

After that we can make up stories about what God is

lori100: Hell is arguing with people who just want to argue non-stop. I believe God is everywhere , in everyone and everything, and I have had connections to the other side....what side I'm not sure...how many sides are there?

CoIin: Why not ask God?

CoIin: IMMANENT - 468 points!!!!

lori100: I haven't figured out how to get direct contact yet.....working on it....

lori100: lol wrong room Colin....

CoIin: Well, if you do, ask him if he knows any cunning nostrums for haemmorrhoids.

CoIin: Dammit, I mean haemorrhoids

lori100: Are you talking dirty to me....? ...and what is that spelling of haemmorrhoids?

CoIin: Beat ya!

CoIin: Here's a nice song dedicated to God the Immanent

But then again, other people tell me He's transcendental. Perhaps it depends on the day of the week.

Zanjan: That's a fine attempt at canned love You know what somebody should invent?

A scent photograph.......seriously, not a scratch & sniff. I mean, if you could snap a picture of a rose and also capture its perfume simultaneously IN the pic so you could share that..........omg.............!!

Ghostgeek, where your heart is, that's where your treasure is.

By loving God, you'll treasure Him above all else (this is adoration and worship). That power pulls you near to the good and far away from the bad. When you're near, everything is magnified - it's all around you........above, below, by every side.........you're steeped in it. Then all the divine powers and gems are in your hand as spiritual wings lift you up.......intoxicating love and happiness changes a man into a totally different person with fantastic energy.

Conversely, if you're too attached to the devil of self, you can't even make out a reasonable facsimile of the divine; like a black and white photograph, you can't inhale the subject's perfume, feel the warmth of its sunlit skies, or taste the refreshing waters. You'll treasure the dark; light will hurt your eyes, heat will make you wilt. You'll long for quiet and sleep.......um, yeah, what a vampire needs.

What you worship is what you get - how can it be any simpler?

Zanjan: Right now, I'm eating toast, thickly spread with mascarpone, loaded in tiop with fresh-picked blueberries. It's divine! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm

ghostgeek: Zanjan, go easy on the mascarpone. Think about your heart. As for God, when he taps me on the shoulder, then I'll believe.

ghostgeek: Colin, if you've got piles, go see the doc. Ask him to put those little elastic bands on them. Soon does the trick.

Zanjan: Thank you for your concern Ghost, however, mascarpone is a healthy alternative to real butter and margarine. Besides, dying from a heart attack is the easiest way to go..if I am to die a Martyr, I want my killer to shoot straight for the heart.

"As for God, when he taps me on the shoulder, then I'll believe."

That will be your last breath..... it will be too late then because your time is up.

ghostgeek: Something's got to get us all Zanjan so I suppose you might as well go for the quick option, so enjoy. I was reading about the Aztecs today. According to them, how you behaved in life made no difference to where you ended up after death. So you see Zanjan, I've got nothing to worry about.