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But can we apply Jeremiah 29:11 to our lives and say that God just wants to prosper us and make everything go well? no. Jeremiah 29:11 wasn't written to us. It was written to ancient Israel.
Jeremiah 29:11 has been so misused and butchered by evangelical culture it angers me when I see it printed on t-shirts, billboards, bumper stickers, etc. Thanks for pointing this out. With so many things in the Bible, you have to look at it in context, in terms of who the author is, who it was written to, etc. So much bad theology comes from cherrypicking verses. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is another one. Thing is, these have been misused and taken out of context for so long they are considered orthodoxy and its heretical to interpret them in their context.
Jeremiah 29:11 has been so misused and butchered by evangelical culture it angers me when I see it printed on t-shirts, billboards, bumper stickers, etc. Thanks for pointing this out. With so many things in the Bible, you have to look at it in context, in terms of who the author is, who it was written to, etc. So much bad theology comes from cherrypicking verses. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is another one. Thing is, these have been misused and taken out of context for so long they are considered orthodoxy and its heretical to interpret them in their context.
So you don't believe you go to heaven when you die? All those who have already died are still in the grave awaiting the return?
It does prove you are unsure of yourselves. If you really believed paradise was waiting, why get medical treatment for cancer? Why wear set belts? I mean, you are going to heaven if you die right? So what are you afraid of? (Not you specifically, but all believers)
Some may believe due to the reason you state above. But we cannot paint with such a broad brush that all who believe do so for the reason you stated.
Actually, we can. I'm not suggesting that everyone is fully and directly aware of the overarching fear of death / dissolution / insignificance, but social science and anthropology show us that no matter how it's sublimated or indirected, the rejection of mortality is at the very core of the human condition. It explains ritual sacrificial systems, the divine right of kings, the awe of political power, the rationalizations for and willingness to participate in war, man's chronic willingness to give up his freedom to despots, his fondness for religion, and a whole lot more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eusebius
I just don't see how an atheist can comfort someone over the loss of their loved one if the atheist truly believes life is just an accident, you live, you die, end of story.
Simply being present and bearing witness is all most bereaved really want. Expressing what the deceased meant to you personally is always appreciated too.
I know from personal experience that bereavement is a highly personal thing that you have to personally process, and most of what passes for "comfort" consists of pious platitudes designed to get the "comforter" off the hook and out of the room as soon as humanly possible -- or faux hope based on wishful thinking which is no comfort at all.
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