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Interesting because I never considered anyone as a specific target audience.
Does make me wonder why an atheist would be wasting his time on a forum about Religion and Spiritually ______
In the 60's an atheist said to me how corrupt the clergy are.
I said that should Not be a surprise because they were corrupt in Jesus day.
He took me to see the Isaiah Wall at the United Nations Plaza and wanted me to explain Isaiah 2:4.
I never heard of Isaiah 2:4, so I went and bought a study reference Bible.
To me what the churches of Christendom teach is Not really what the Bible says.
I liked what t I was learning from the Bible and wanted to share with others what I was reading. So, I guess my target audience, if such a thing, would be someone who is -> H.H.H.
An Honest person, a Humble person (wanting to learn or exchange thoughts) and a Hungry person for spiritual food.
Yes, it's good to keep an eye out for people who ask genuine questions (truth-seekers). Most who claim to be truth-seekers, however, reject God for emotional and volitional reasons, not intellectual ones.
Well, I must say from reading some posts MOST do Not know what is written in the Bible.
I think your comment about paving my way to heaven was meant in a negative way.
I mostly post about the 'good news of God's kingdom' (thy kingdom come ...)
In other words, Not asking to be 'taken away' to the kingdom, nor asking to be 'taken up' to the kingdom.
So, by asking for God's kingdom to come... that means for those same good conditions that exist in Heaven exist on Earth.
Rather, I like to stress why we are all invited to pray the invitation for Jesus to come !
Come here is Not the same as a way to Heaven but a way to live forever on Earth.
Jesus promised that humble meek people will inherit the Earth.
I think we are nearing the separating time on Earth between the figurative sheep and goats and the humble sheep can be alive here on Earth to be here on Earth to see calendar Day One of Jesus' coming 1,000-year governmental reign over Earth with the opportunity to live forever on Earth as originally offered to Adam before his downfall.
No, Not helping pave my way to either Heaven or Earth, but just as Jesus said to do to declare the good news of God's kingdom is for a witness to the nations. In other words, how would anyone hear without someone to do as Jesus instructed to do. Or, as you say you can find all this on Google too now....
That makes we wonder, if others know, why I don't read many others talking about this coming time.
keep in mind matt. Most people believe in something. The science and engineering just points to us being part of a larger more complex system.
Its just that the god in the bible is just no where near the best we can do. Love compassion and understanding is great stuff. I am even ok (A weak sort of ok) with wiping out a dangerous group of humans, better stated as guided evolution, but died and rise because we are born sinners just doesn't make any sense.
IMO, "literal Jesus is the only way" is not even close to rational at this point.
I would just hope for peaceful rest when I perish from earthly existence. My ashes can act as compost for the earth’s soil or maybe those better versed in what constitutes compost for the soil can better direct me to a more apt /informed understanding of soil composition.
I would just hope for peaceful rest when I perish from earthly existence. My ashes can act as compost for the earth’s soil or maybe those better versed in what constitutes compost for the soil can better direct me to a more apt /informed understanding of soil composition.
If you want to be compost, find one of those cemeteries that will bury you in the old style without being embalmed or in a casket. They put you in a shroud, put you in the ground, put all the soil back on top leaving a mound (due to the displacement of your body) which as you decay gradually levels back out.
It's actually more environmentally friendly than cremation, although a bit more costly (but less costly than conventional burial). IIRC the plots have to be a bit larger for some reason but you save the cost of embalming, casket, etc.
I would just hope for peaceful rest when I perish from earthly existence. My ashes can act as compost for the earth’s soil or maybe those better versed in what constitutes compost for the soil can better direct me to a more apt /informed understanding of soil composition.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mordant
If you want to be compost, find one of those cemeteries that will bury you in the old style without being embalmed or in a casket. They put you in a shroud, put you in the ground, put all the soil back on top leaving a mound (due to the displacement of your body) which as you decay gradually levels back out.
It's actually more environmentally friendly than cremation, although a bit more costly (but less costly than conventional burial). IIRC the plots have to be a bit larger for some reason but you save the cost of embalming, casket, etc.
There is also green cremation.
The term is actually a bit of a misnomer, as there is no burning involved. Through alkaline hydrolysis, the body is dissolved. What then remains (no pun intended) is processed into a residue not unlike the ash after a standard cremation. It requires significantly less energy with no atmospheric releases. Compared to a green burial, it does lack the composting/nutrient benefit. On the other hand, the scattering takes up no space either in the long or short term, and allows disposal in places where it would be difficult or impossible to dig a grave. At present it is legal in about 20 states (it was briefly legal in New Hampshire, but opposition from traditional funeral interests (funeral home directors, casket manufacturers, etc.) and the Catholic Church led to its repeal.
Side note:
My stepfather dug the grave for his brother-in-law a few years back for a green burial. This was on private and in Oregon, and the grave had to meet certain county or state requirements (it was inspected when completed). There was no embalming, and this was in a wooded area. In this instance, no land was really taken over in any meaningful way. The body is surely still in the process of returning to the land. I would guess that the site has now returned to looking as undisturbed as the rest of the woods.
The term is actually a bit of a misnomer, as there is no burning involved. Through alkaline hydrolysis, the body is dissolved. What then remains (no pun intended) is processed into a residue not unlike the ash after a standard cremation. It requires significantly less energy with no atmospheric releases. Compared to a green burial, it does lack the composting/nutrient benefit. On the other hand, the scattering takes up no space either in the long or short term, and allows disposal in places where it would be difficult or impossible to dig a grave. At present it is legal in about 20 states (it was briefly legal in New Hampshire, but opposition from traditional funeral interests (funeral home directors, casket manufacturers, etc.) and the Catholic Church led to its repeal.
Side note:
My stepfather dug the grave for his brother-in-law a few years back for a green burial. This was on private and in Oregon, and the grave had to meet certain county or state requirements (it was inspected when completed). There was no embalming, and this was in a wooded area. In this instance, no land was really taken over in any meaningful way. The body is surely still in the process of returning to the land. I would guess that the site has now returned to looking as undisturbed as the rest of the woods.
I would bet that is the way God prefers our bodies to go after we die too!
The act of putting a body in a super expensive casket (to somehow protect it from harm) is strictly done so greedy people can make a buck off the dead. That casket serves absolutely no purpose at all once its buried...and in our state, they also put in a solid concrete box (for the casket to sit in!!!) Just another high ticket item that is REQUIRED. LOL
In my early 30's and from what I have learned from my time on this earth is I don't believe for one second that there is a heaven and hell or people walking around after dying or any type of afterlife at all Just don't believe it at all.
The most logical approach is this:
As one gets older, they realize more and more that they will be leaving behind so much to the point where they simply don't want to die, they want to live on. They want to look upon their legacies and accomplishments they have left behind. They want to see their children and their children's children go on to represent their legacy. They want to remember every great thing that happened in their lives.
That is completely understandable, but ego is a trait for the living, NOT THE DEAD.
Death is just as beautiful as a child's birth. If you enter this world knowing nothing, why would you know anything when you leave it?
It truly is amazing that just about everyone on Earth can accept the beauty of birth, but a lot of people just cannot accept the beauty of death when they are the same exact thing.
I don't belive in an afterlife but I was always under the impression that people believed in an afterlife because:
1. They have a hard time coming to terms with 'this is it' ie billions of years passed before and billions of years pass after and they are here for less than a fraction of a fraction of the blink of an eye.
2. They don't want to believe that their loved ones are really dead.
I don't think the above are necessarily related to ego.
More like an inability to grasp the fleetingness and finality of it all.
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