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Eternal damnation

What possibly could scare anyone out of being a Christian? Haven't you read that God's gifts are irrevocable? And one of those gifts is eternal life?

Does that scare you?
Yes it does, very much so.
 
Fear is not caused by a spirit and neither is love.
poetofparables, just for your information, spirits are emotions. To say fear or love is not caused by a spirit doesn't make any sense. It's like saying love doesn't cause love. Indeed love does cause love and fear does cause fear. You can't have fear without fear. You can't have love without love.
 
poetofparables, just for your information, spirits are emotions. To say fear or love is not caused by a spirit doesn't make any sense. It's like saying love doesn't cause love.
No, chemical reactions in your brain cause love.
 
Yep.


We also know that all humans who do not have eternal life will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:15). And we know that is where the 2 beasts and the dragon (satan) will be day and night forever and ever. Do you have any verses that state that humans won't be there night and day forever and ever?
Yes
The wicked will be no more. Psalm 37:10
Or John 3:16, Jude 1:7, 2 Peter 2:1, Matthew 10:28, Malachi 4, the list is endless really.
 
Well, I just got back from doing errands and as I was driving, I had a total revelation. Someone (I think Tim) mentioned that the bible doesn't say that un-believers are separated from God in eternity.

In the parable with the Rich man and Lazarus, the Rich man begged for water to be put on his tongue........Abraham told him that there is a great chasm fixed between where the Rich man is and Lazarus.

Who has the water? God. Revelation 22:17 "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life."

There was "no water" where the Rich man was.

Anything living needs water to live......The Rich man was aware, but he was dead.

What I said was "Where does the Bible say that death means separation and not death?"

The parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man does not apply to the topic of eternal damnation, because that was the intermediate state, not the final state. Notice that the man's brothers are still alive in the parable. That wouldn't be if the parable were set after Judgment Day.
 
No, chemical reactions in your brain cause love.
Poetofparables, chemicals are the basis of all physical elements. Chemical processes are how our bodies function. To say that chemicals cause love is an oversimplification since chemicals cause everything including pooping and peeing. But I guarantee you, happiness is not serotonin, nor is heroine. If I ask you what you are, you may say I am chemicals and you won't be lying. But if I ask you the more complex question of who you are, the answer "chemicals" is not an answer.
 
Poetofparables, chemicals are the basis of all physical elements. Chemical processes are how our bodies function. To say that chemicals cause love is an oversimplification since chemicals cause everything including pooping and peeing. But I guarantee you, happiness is not serotonin, nor is heroine. If I ask you what you are, you may say I am chemicals and you won't be lying. But if I ask you the more complex question of who you are, the answer "chemicals" is not an answer.
I am a biological factory designed for learning. The universe is a learning system, I am just chemically arranged the most efficient way to process information so I can learn.
 
I John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

fear has torment, do you want to be free of it?

tob
Man oh man tob, I need more coffee brb.
 
I am a biological factory designed for learning. The universe is a learning system, I am just chemically arranged the most efficient way to process information so I can learn.
I have no problem with that. I agree wholeheartedly. I'm just saying that I have learned that God is empathy and is of the most highest value. Given that I know this to be true, it is this knowledge that matters most.

When I was a young lad, I was afraid of the dark. When I turned out the lights in the basement where I played, I would run up the stairs, full of fear that something was going to grab me from out of the darkness. Now sure there was a chemical process happening in my brain which produced the emotion of fear. But that was just the mechanics of the brain. In truth, it was more that in my imagination, I fabricated things in the dark that were not really there. Hence the emotions I felt, came from not being able to know what was there, and as I formed the worst imaginings I felt the appropriate emotion or spirit. This is how psychosis works.

Truth is about sanity. What we believe to be true is what produces the emotions that motivate our actions. All behavior is directly connected to what we believe to be true. Hence the term God is a maxim, the beginning of all logical thought, the ultimate Truth, and not the ultimate falsehood. Therefore, and with all due respect, if you believe that emotions are just chemicals, then you have learned nothing about what causes people to fear and what causes people to Love.
 
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I have no problem with that. I agree wholeheartedly. I'm just saying that I have learned that God is empathy and is of the most highest value. Given that I know this to be true, it is this knowledge that matters most.

When I was a young lad, I was afraid of the dark. When I turned out the lights in the basement where I played, I would run up the stairs, full of fear that something was going to grab me from out of the darkness. Now sure there was a chemical process happening in my brain which produced the emotion of fear. But that was just the mechanics of the brain. In truth, it was more that in my imagination, I fabricated things in the dark that were not really there. Hence the emotions I felt came from not being able to know what was there and as I formed the worst imaginings I felt the appropriate emotion or spirit. This is how psychosis works.

Truth is about sanity. What we believe to be true is what produces the emotions that motivate our actions. All behavior is directly connected to what we believe to be true. Hence the term God is a maxim, the beginning of all logical thought, the ultimate Truth, and not the ultimate falsehood. Therefore, and with all due respect, if you believe that emotions are just chemicals, then you have learned nothing about what causes people to fear and what causes people to Love.
That's ok maybe there's a god who's responsible for all the processes. I don't try to push the idea of a creator out, but which creator? Now we need to connect the right god to the right picture of the universe we all see. Does the christian God really fit into this universe?
 
That's ok maybe there's a god who's responsible for all the processes. I don't try to push the idea of a creator out, but which creator? Now we need to connect the right god to the right picture of the universe we all see. Does the christian God really fit into this universe?

There is and his name is Jesus Christ...

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

tob

now, do you want to be free from that fear?
 
There is and his name is Jesus Christ...

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

tob

now, do you want to be free from that fear?
Tob, I embrace my fears, they have always kept me safe.
 
Tob, I embrace my fears, they have always kept me safe.

That doesn't answer the question, maybe you should read this it goes to the root of the problem..

John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Now do you want to be free from all fear?

tob
 
That's ok maybe there's a god who's responsible for all the processes. I don't try to push the idea of a creator out, but which creator? Now we need to connect the right god to the right picture of the universe we all see. Does the christian God really fit into this universe?
This is a sound line of reasoning. The question of who is the right god or which is the right god is a proper use of the term "God". The fact is that there are many images of god, and everyone has one including the imagery of no god at all.

Of course I have already explained that, morally speaking, we have to declare a right and a wrong in our behavior towards our fellow man, and also that we are equipped to understand that empathy requires that we treat others as we would want to be treated. Simply put, God's voice is the voice of empathy and His Spirit is Love. In this universe, the highest value perceived by mankind is Love. Here in a lifetime, we learn the value of Love through the loss of things we otherwise would take for granted. Therefore there is hope that such lessons are not in vain.

As to a Creator, this is the only meaning that can be derived as to His purpose for Creation. To come to know Him.
 
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Yes
The wicked will be no more. Psalm 37:10
Or John 3:16, Jude 1:7, 2 Peter 2:1, Matthew 10:28, Malachi 4, the list is endless really.
Psa 37:10 -
Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.

What does the verse say?

1. in a short while, the wicked man will be no more. Or literally, "shall not be". Does it say "shall be annihilated"? No.
2. the place of the wicked man will not be there.

I don't see anything here, or any of the other verses that speak of annihilation.

Again, Rev 19 and 20 are clear to me, and I don't recall that you've addressed the phrase "night and day forever and ever" as applied to the lake of fire, in which ALL humans who don't have eternal life will be thrown into.
 
That's ok maybe there's a god who's responsible for all the processes. I don't try to push the idea of a creator out, but which creator?
This is interesting. Which religions of the world teach that their god has created the universe?

Now we need to connect the right god to the right picture of the universe we all see. Does the christian God really fit into this universe?
No, He created the universe. He's much bigger than the universe. Just as He created time but exists outside of it.
 
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