Is God giving us a warning?

[Bird Dog]

I do not want to hurt the feelings of non-believers but who has the power to put a pandemic on the world ......
Maybe we are being given a warning to stop our BS.
I don't believe the Chinese have that power, I don't believe the USA, Russians, the Muslims have that power.

Just a thought.....

 

[vraiblonde]

Well, man has the power to create a viral pandemic, but I like your topic.

I've been thinking about fundamentalist Christians lately and seeing some of them proclaiming this as the end of days. If it is the end, are you frightened or elated to finally meet your maker? Do you have the serenity to accept God's will, or are you trying to figure out how to thwart Him?

Obviously nobody wants to die, but if this is the prophesy of the Bible and S gotta HTF before Jesus can come back, wouldn't you be happy about that?

This is a real conversation, not some mocking gotcha thing. Those who've been on here for awhile know that while I don't believe in God, I respect others' religious beliefs.

 

[Bird Dog]

Well, man has the power to create a viral pandemic, but I like your topic.

I've been thinking about fundamentalist Christians lately and seeing some of them proclaiming this as the end of days. If it is the end, are you frightened or elated to finally meet your maker? Do you have the serenity to accept God's will, or are you trying to figure out how to thwart Him?

Obviously nobody wants to die, but if this is the prophesy of the Bible and S gotta HTF before Jesus can come back, wouldn't you be happy about that?

This is a real conversation, not some mocking gotcha thing. Those who've been on here for awhile know that while I don't believe in God, I respect others' religious beliefs.

Great reply....
i dont think this is the end of days, but I think it Is a wake up call for all of the worlds issues. More on that later.
if it is the end of time, I’m not either elated or frightened. We are all going sometime and I hope and pray my beliefs are true, but if not it does not matter. If I meet my maker, I trust I followed his/her ways and will live beyond this world.
i would never believe I could thwart God’s will.
i would be happy if Jesus came back tomorrow...

JMHO

May God bless you, your family, and all of your extended famIly on SOMD forums...

 

[SamSpade]

Hard to comment - not only do I not believe this is the end of days - but I think this will end much sooner than many are suggesting.

But - I am unsure how I will FEEL about the actual end of days. Am I a sheep - or a goat? I get the impression from Jesus that the end of the world will be really, really awful for a long time. Maybe I can face my OWN death - but I can't take the deaths of many I love. I fear if God took my children - all the knowledge, faith and wisdom might still cause me to curse him even in the face of certain judgment.

So I guess I don't know.

 

[General Lee]

Scripture in the Bible gives signs of the end of days. Wars, natural disasters (storms, fires, floods, etc) The world has been enduring these signs for some time now. Seems worse now than ever IMO.

 

[NextJen]

An interesting thought for me as a Christian, is to think about how the anti-Christ will be ushered in or onto the scene. He (or she, because the anti-Christ will be the opposite of Christ) will come on the stage and be so charismatic, have the answer to all the worlds problems, and people, like sheep, will be so eager, happy, and willing to follow the Anti. We are seeing now how easily some folks are willing to give up all their freedoms to have the government take care of them. We have been pretty conditioned already.

My prayer, as a Christian, would be that I am brave and bold to speak of my faith and to be a light to others, and that I would have the courage to boldly stand if we are indeed racing into the end times.

 

[Toxick]

I've been thinking about fundamentalist Christians lately and seeing some of them proclaiming this as the end of days.

Well, I've studied eschatology - not just in Judeo-Christian mythology. Almost every religion has one, and I've studied a bunch of them. It was quite a hobby of mine in my 20's. And, although I just referred to it as "mythology", I don't think it's any secret that I'm a believer in Christ. And although I often jokingly refer to this current crisis as "The Apocalypse" I do not seriously believe that we're there yet.

There is a crap-ton of stuff that has to happen before the Horseman of Pestilence rides the winds of destiny, most of which has not. So, I'm not overly concerned about End-times as a lot of these people. Those people, I believe are excited for it. Having studied it I realize it's not a party where Jesus shows up at the end and we say "Surprise!" and we all enjoy delicious cake.

It is a massively ****ed up period of time we will have to go through and I am most certainly not looking forward to it, and I pray that I'm long dead before it begins.

If it is the end, are you frightened or elated to finally meet your maker?

Personally - I'm ****ing terrified of it. I believe that I will be called to account to some of the things I've done in my life, and I believe I'm not going to like it when it happens..

Do you have the serenity to accept God's will, or are you trying to figure out how to thwart Him?

HAH! If I could stop it, I would. I wouldn't call it "serenity" to accept God's will, but I have no illusion that I could stop even the smallest bit. I do not possess the delusion of grandeur that it would to take to believe that I could stand on a beach and stop a tidal wave. Or a hurricane. Or an earthquake.

I don't call it serenity. I call it impotent resignation to the inevitable.

If the sun is going to supernova, WTF is teeny-tiny little Toxie gonna do to thwart it.

Obviously nobody wants to die, but if this is the prophesy of the Bible and S gotta HTF before Jesus can come back, wouldn't you be happy about that?

No. Happy is most certainly not how I would describe my emotional state when I believe the end is coming.

Those who've been on here for awhile know that while I don't believe in God, I respect others' religious beliefs.

It is a rare gem to meet an atheist that doesn't judge or belittle Christianity. Most atheists I've met enjoy taking spiteful glee in referring to "Your Sky Fairy" and referring to Christian beliefs as "fairy tales" or otherwise using deliberately mocking and diminutive phrasing. I spent much of my youth as an atheist - and I like to think I was not one of those.

 

[Louise]

Well, I've studied eschatology - not just in Judeo-Christian mythology. Almost every religion has one, and I've studied a bunch of them. It was quite a hobby of mine in my 20's. And, although I just referred to it as "mythology", I don't think it's any secret that I'm a believer in Christ. And although I often jokingly refer to this current crisis as "The Apocalypse" I do not seriously believe that we're there yet.

There is a crap-ton of stuff that has to happen before the Horseman of Pestilence rides the winds of destiny, most of which has not. So, I'm not overly concerned about End-times as a lot of these people. Those people, I believe are excited for it. Having studied it I realize it's not a party where Jesus shows up at the end and we say "Surprise!" and we all enjoy delicious cake.

It is a massively ****ed up period of time we will have to go through and I am most certainly not looking forward to it, and I pray that I'm long dead before it begins.



Personally - I'm ****ing terrified of it. I believe that I will be called to account to some of the things I've done in my life, and I believe I'm not going to like it when it happens..




HAH! If I could stop it, I would. I wouldn't call it "serenity" to accept God's will, but I have no illusion that I could stop even the smallest bit. I do not possess the delusion of grandeur that it would to take to believe that I could stand on a beach and stop a tidal wave. Or a hurricane. Or an earthquake.

I don't call it serenity. I call it impotent resignation to the inevitable.

If the sun is going to supernova, WTF is teeny-tiny little Toxie gonna do to thwart it.



No. Happy is most certainly not how I would describe my emotional state when I believe the end is coming.



It is a rare gem to meet an atheist that doesn't judge or belittle Christianity. Most atheists I've met enjoy taking spiteful glee in referring to "Your Sky Fairy" and referring to Christian beliefs as "fairy tales" or otherwise using deliberately mocking and diminutive phrasing. I spent much of my youth as an atheist - and I like to think I was not one of those.

Most excellent reply. Might be best ever that I have seen on this forum.

 

[GURPS]

...... have the answer to all the worlds problems, and people, like sheep, will be so eager, happy, and willing to follow the Anti. We are seeing now how easily some folks are willing to give up all their freedoms to have the government take care of them. We have been pretty conditioned already.

I don't think the Anti-Christ is here yet .... but this could certainly be paving the way

 

[Auntie Biache']

For consideration: Unlike Tox, I have not done a great deal of study in eschatology , but I'm not completely unfamiliar with it. I think we may be experiencing the beginning of sorrows. Note I said "think", "may be". I don't know. I believe there's a lot more going on behind the scenes than we will ever know. Kinda' like "need-to-know", know what I mean?

Also, unlike Tox, I'm not afraid. I believe I have been forgiven for my sins. I don't believe I'll be punished for them, so much as I will not be rewarded as generously as someone who has committed less sin, done what God expects, lived a more Christian life. So, I see myself somewhere way down the totem pole. Pretty much where I'm at in this life.

 

[Toxick]

I believe I have been forgiven for my sins. I don't believe I'll be punished for them

Well, I believe that I've been forgiven for them.

I don't believe that I will go unpunished, however.

 

[Auntie Biache']

Well, I believe that I've been forgiven for them.

I don't believe that I will go unpunished, however.

But that doesn't make sense. Why would you be punished for something you've been forgiven for? Would you punish your child, after forgiving him? See, that's why I think I will see less "fruit", that I will not be rewarded as well as some others. I believe if I'm not forgiven, then I'm going to hell, and of course, that would most certainly be punishment.

 

[b23hqb]

God has been giving man warnings for 6,000 years. Have we really paid attention?

 

[Toxick]

Would you punish your child, after forgiving him?

I do it all the time.

I will never not forgive them for something they've done. But yeah - they're getting a whooping* first.






*figuratively speaking.

 

[vraiblonde]

I believe that I will be called to account to some of the things I've done in my life, and I believe I'm not going to like it when it happens..

This is interesting. You already know the bad things you've done, and so does God. I would think you'd have already squared things up with Him so that when you have to account you'll be prepared for it.

Now, I definitely know Christians who are probably in for a shock when (if?) they meet their maker. You do not appear to be one of them, just based on your fear of reckoning.

 

[Toxick]

I would think you'd have already squared things up with Him so that when you have to account you'll be prepared for it.

Here's hoping.

Although, I think the reality is that when I'm in the (metaphorical) courtroom, and St. Peter is over there (metaphorically) reading "The Chronical of Toxick", and Jesus is over there with a blank look on his face with the occasional cringe, I'm gonna be standing there like:

Truth is, I don't know - nobody knows - what really happens, and the best we can do is try to be prepared, and I'm trying. But since there is literally no human being alive who has experience, even vicarious experience, so I can't even begin to fathom what exactly to be prepared for. Anything I dream up will be based in my own personal experience, so whatever reality turns out to be I can't pretend to be truly prepared.

 

[Auntie Biache']

I do it all the time.

I will never not forgive them for something they've done. But yeah - they're getting a whooping* first.






*figuratively speaking.

First. Before you forgive. I think we receive our punishment here, in this life. I hope you're wrong.

 

[vraiblonde]

I think we receive our punishment here, in this life.

See, I do too. We look at all these elite masters and wonder why such horrible people have all the wealth and power, but when you really look at their lives...good grief, who wants to live like that? I look at these terrible politicians and celebrities and think, how do these people live with themselves?

I think our reward for living a moral life is simple: we are at peace with ourselves right here on earth. Being able to live with myself, to me, is invaluable and better than some arbitrary reward after I die.

 

[Kyle]

As an Agnostic, raised Catholic, I dont' worry about it much.

If there does turn out to be something after this life and I'm to be judged, I just hope he has a good sense of humor.

 

[gemma_rae]

Punishment is the debt owed for your transgression, and accepting that punishment is atoning for your transgression. Forgiveness is meting out that punishment without malice, and the acceptance of that punishment as penance for the trangression.