Don’t you think it strange that none of the early church councils spoke or wrote about an “eternal punishment” for the first four centuries plus? And isn’t it a bit odd that most early church fathers were not in the eternal hell-fire and brimstone paradigm? But, then in 553CE the Catholic church (can you say needing control?) declares that the concept of “Ultimate Reconciliation” is pure bunk and heresy. Fearful of losing control and in need of a fear-factor that would keep people indebted to the church-mediated, sacramental grace paradigm, hell became the weekly topic. Repent you damn sinners you, or else God will burn your butt for ALL of ETERNITY- and that’s a very, very long time. And guess what! Continue reading ‘Hellish Damage!’
Monthly Archive for July, 2007
And that is exactly what an eternal hell would be! Think about it! Why would God want to torment and burn (how does that work, even metaphorically?) someone in this place called hell (a fictional word from the Dante’s Divine Comedy)? Doesn’t infinite punishment for finite sins seem a bit severe? Where’s the LOVE? Seriously, if God is love, and you can’t read the New Testament and not come to that conclusion, tell me how this is love. If God is JUST, and I believe He is, how can anyone say this is justice? Seriously! Continue reading ‘Punishment Without Purpose Is Perversion!’
Every now and then I like to at least remind myself, if not the occasional reader as to why I spend some time writing on one of the two dozen web sites that I loving call my “spiritual net“. Different people respond to different things. You can’t use the same “bait” on every fish (pun intended). And by the way, you don’t catch fish in the Sporting Goods Store (can you say church), because fish are OUT THERE in what’s called WATER! Ask a fish to define WATER and he can’t because he doesn’t have anything (think land) to compare water to. Oh yes, and fish can’t speak as well; but, you knew that one. Ah, and therein is a key for people who call themselves Christians (Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic), because since they are afraid to read a book by someone outside their pedigree, they just live life religiously incestuously (is that good English?): and you know where that leads in the natural (weaker and weaker). Continue reading ‘Hit The “Refresh” Button’
I simply can’t help myself. I guess I am hopelessly addicted but to the things of God primarily, so the addiction can’t be all bad. Right? A friend of mine, Gregory Gibson, is the reason and cause of this web site. I am into the Kingdom of God , and what happens after we leave this 3rd dimension is part of that, but not all of it. But some people are fixated on hell. Many people hear that God is love, and then go to church to be beat up and threatened with an everlasting hell for lying, saying a curse word, or watching a PG-13 movie (PG is you’re a fundamentalist). So, for those of you who have such interests should find this web site water for your thirst. Hopefuly. Continue reading ‘What Are You?’
How many times have you heard it said that the Dead Sea Scolls were a great find that totally affirmed the reality of Jesus and the New Testament works? I not only heard that, as a good Baptist boy, but I believed it and told everyone about it. But, what was this IT that I was speaking in reference? The Dead Sea scrolls are objects of great mystery, intrigue and significance—are widely acknowledged to be among the greatest archaeological treasures ever discovered. They comprise roughly 900 documents, including texts discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves in and around the Wadi Qumran (near the ruins of the ancient settlement of Khirbet Qumran, on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea) in the West Bank. But, guess what? Continue reading ‘Nag Not Dead Sea!’
We now enter that long extended time frame where the church ruled. Historians like to say that the church really was IN CHARGE and RULED for 1,000 years, which also is the time frame called the DARK AGES. What a sad commentary, eh? This period is roughly from 325 to 1500 or thereabouts. Again, don’t get caught up in an exact beginning or end, just recognize the paradigm that existed and what defined it. I call this period the Ecclesiastical Christian Era. Unfortunately! Continue reading ‘# 3- The Kingdom Is NOW’
People approach the Bible in so many ways- and all are with a BIAS! I know, I know, you’re completely objective, and if so, you’re the only one my friend. Seriously, we all read the Bible with filters that carry labels such as: denominations, parents, teachers, and culture to name a few. But, even more fundamental that all of those is the fact that the very READING of the words on the paper, we’re interpreting what we’re reading. But, I want to share with you four views that a spiritual mentor of mine (long deceased) came to. His name- John. A. T. Robinson. Continue reading ‘What’s Your Biblical Approach?’
There’s no magical date that could set, so let’s use the year 100CE. About 70 years after waiting, and waiting for Jesus to return and nothing happening, the people were getting discouraged. Most had died and it was now up to a second and third generations to try and keep the embers of His return burning. This was not an easy thing to do. You can only offer so many excuses for so long you know! Various communities were beginning to give up and think Jesus would not return. And diversity of thoughts and ideas was becoming more numerous. What’s to be done? Continue reading ‘# 2- The Kingdom Is NOW’
This Thursday I will once again try and convince some people that God really is who Jesus said He was. It’s amazing the impact that RELIGION has had on perverting the historial, the real, JESUS! There just seems to be this paradigm among Christians, especially fundamentalists, that life needs to be FAIR. And in order that everyone is treated fairly, what is implied, and probably not understood, but there nonetheless is that there’s no room for GRACE! Continue reading ‘A Loving God Means?’
# 4- The Kingdom Is NOW!
We now move from the Dark Ages to the Enlightenment and Reformation eras. The world was done with Pope’s who loved to party, make money off of brothels, and the sale of indulgences. It was time for Science to take a shot at what it could tell the world about life. Copernicus, Newton, and others made history and in so doing doing ran afoul of the church that was still desperately trying to CONTROL WHAT people might THINK! It was one thing to put off the return of Jesus for a few decades, but giving excuses for His “no show” for more than a dozen centuries was just getting too old to hold up. Telling a more and more diversified world and varied cultures that they could not translate the Bible in their own tongue was just too much. At least it was too much for a man named Martin Luther. Continue reading ‘# 4- The Kingdom Is NOW!’