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The story told by Jesus of Lazarus and the rich man is a real account; this is no parable, as the real names of Lazarus and Abraham were used. Can you show one other parable where Jesus used real names? You can't, because this account is no parable, but a warning about the flames of hell.
What's more, this true account shows how the rich man still retained his selfish spirit in hell. He wanted Lazarus to leave the comfort of Heaven to come down to hell to serve him cold water. Furthermore, the rich man was only concerned about evangelizing his 5 brothers, yet there was a whole world of people marching toward the very hell that he was experiencing.
In conclusion, the rich man is still in the torments of hell today after all these years. I am quite certain that his 5 brothers are now there too. They did not give heed to Moses and the prophets, and they are suffering the consequences of rejecting the truth.
The problem with taking that account literally is that it demonizes the creator and makes him fit to be hung from the highest tree or else targeted with nuclear armed ballistic missiles. That in itself and that alone makes the literal interpretation unacceptable for persons who are familiar with what morality is all about.
However, for those who abide by the might-makes-right concept anything goes. However, that might-makes-right idea doesn't have the approval of the United Nations nor of any other human organization which stands for humanitarian principles. In short, when we accuse God as capable of torture or approving of torture as punishment, we criminalize him and make him anathema to all those who condemn torture as punishment due to its inherent savagery.
In fact, accusing the creator that way puts us in league with the Devil who's sole purpose of existing is to denigrate and cast doubt upon the creator's basic decency as he did in Eden.
The truth is that we have just two choices. We either uphold God as righteous and just and in that way vindicate his name and reputation or else we go right along with Satan in depicting him as a monster.
Those who propagate the hellfire idea, unfortunately, are doing the latter regardless of their sincerity-and regardless of their noble intentions to the contrary. The satanically approved damage is done and one can only pray that God haver mercy on their souls for they know not what they do.
The problem with taking that account literally is that it demonizes the creator and makes him fit to be hung from the highest tree or else targeted with nuclear armed ballistic missiles. That in itself and that alone makes the literal interpretation unacceptable for persons who are familiar with what morality is all about.
However, for those who abide by the might-makes-right concept anything goes. However, that might-makes-right idea doesn't have the approval of the United Nations nor of any other human organization which stands for humanitarian principles. In short, when we accuse God as capable of torture or approving of torture as punishment, we criminalize him and make him anathema to all those who condemn torture as punishment due to its inherent savagery.
In fact, accusing the creator that way puts us in league with the Devil who's sole purpose of existing is to denigrate and cast doubt upon the creator's basic decency as he did in Eden.
The truth is that we have just two choices. We either uphold God as righteous and just and in that way vindicate his name and reputation or else we go right along with Satan in depicting him as a monster.
Those who propagate the hellfire idea, unfortunately, are doing the latter regardless of their sincerity-and regardless of their noble intentions to the contrary. The satanically approved damage is done and one can only pray that God haver mercy on their souls for they know not what they do.
Clearly an appeal to the emotional side of the brain. ^^^
God is who He is regardless of what we think. He created the Universe and as such has every right to do as He sees fit.
Clearly an appeal to the emotional side of the brain. ^^^
That you see no rationality and reason in the evaluation of the outcomes from a moral point of view could be used as a sign of an undeveloped moral sense. Since our purpose is to learn to make such distinctions . . . I would be worried if I were you.
Quote:
God is who He is regardless of what we think. He created the Universe and as such has every right to do as He sees fit.
Axiomatic. But that does not preclude our employing our God-given abilities and judgment of Good and Evil to evaluate the likelihood that God WOULD do such pointless and evil things with His own creation.
The LORD is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
Nonsense. Who else but an entity with a clear moral sense could possibly decide such a thing. Abandoning our moral sense to some asinine presumption of privilege vested in a Creator is the epitome of evil.
So let me have a guess..............what you believe is definetly what God decided ?.
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