One thing I find odd about Christianity is: God can do anything. Right? I assume we're all agreed on that point. If God wants us to be saved, he
can save us all, delete Hell and award us all eternal bliss with no hassle at all. So why did he bother letting his only son die on the cross "that we might be saved"? You can't tell me that the omnipotent God needs to crucify someone in order to prevent people from going to Hell. What was the actual point of Jesus' crucifixion?
Didymus wrote:
The crux of my own theology is not creation, but the atonement. What convinces me that there is a God is not a logical argument, but a historical fact: that God became a man, and being found in the likeness of mortal men, suffered death on a cross, then rose again from the dead on the third day.
That is not a fact. Although there are indeed reliable records confirming Jesus' existence, the only contemporary record which tells us that he rose from the dead is the Bible.
Prof. Tor Coolguy wrote:
I hear that once the rapture comes that then will come the only time for people who truely honist to God and deserved to go to heven in the first place but either died in their sin or wern't saved.
Can I have a Biblical source?
fahooglewitz1077 wrote:
I think that you're forgetting that there is a devil, who controls the non-believers.
I have to say I find that a tad bit confusing. I'm pretty certain that I'm the one in control of my body, not Satan. So unless I'm actually the Devil and don't know it, I think that sentence needs to be revised.
Quote:
And ask yourself this: Why would a God, who gave his Son for believers, save people who do not believe. He wants you to be saved, but that utimately is your decision.
You answered your question for me in the next sentence: because he wants me to be saved. It is not ultimately my decision whether I go to heaven or hell, because if God wants to override my decision, he can send me to either at a whim. You make it sound like I have some supreme power over God Almighty.
Didymus wrote:
He could, but why should he? The way you make it sound, God MUST because he CAN, and somehow his love is supposed to completely override his justice. Maybe the plain and simple truth is that he doesn't love everyone the same. "Jacob I love, Esau I hated."
Hmm, this is a new angle. In fact, because I don't believe in Jesus, God hates me and wants me to burn in Hell. Interesting, to say the least...
I'm going to give that some thought.