tam wrote:The point is of course that there is no death or suffering or mourning or tears in the Kingdom.
If I was there in "the Kingdom," then I would mourn the loss of those billions of people killed and, depending on your theology, burning in hell. I would suffer knowing that many of my friends and people I respect and even revere would be forever lost. I might even shed tears over the world-wide destruction of all non-Christian cultures.
So would you be happy knowing that societies all over the world were destroyed and that billions of men, women, and children had died?
As for the details of that "Christian vision", I suspect those details are merely yours (or others') interpretation.
Yes, I must struggle with my own very imperfect "interpretation" of the Bible reading it, coming to my own conclusions, and then having apologists tell me I'm lying if I disagree with what they say the Bible says.
Well, I don't blame you... even though "Christianity" (the religion) is in fact a part of this world.
Weren't Moses, the Temple, and Christ part of this world too? But I do understand that you say that you are a Christian but not "in Christianity." I'm not sure what that means, but you did say it.
[Jesus] preached a truly horrible future for humankind.
Would you like to list some things so I know what you are referring to?
Oh boy--here we go again! Get ready to tell me that what I say I've read is "false." Let's start with Matthew 10:28 (NRSV):
Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
So Jesus/God is going to be killing a lot of "souls and bodies" in hell. I'd prefer that that would never happen. I think it's horrible.
There's a more detailed version of this horror in Luke 12:5 (NRSV)
But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
Here we are told that Jesus/God
after killing people will cast them into hell. Again, that's a terrible vision of the future courtesy of Christ.
The next time you chat with Christ, you need to explain to him that he's really confusing people.
How could He be the one confusing people when those same people are not listening to
Him to begin with?
So Jehovah's Witnesses aren't listening to Christ? I'm not so sure about their not listening to him. Jehovah's Witnesses are avid Bible readers and place tremendous emphasis on what they read in it. So it's only fair to give them "credit" for trying to understand the gospel. If they have read the Bible--and they do read the Bible--then they've done their part. If they're still confused, then the blame lies with those who have written the Bible.
Tell him that although he may be "the LIFE," people are reading the gospel and hoping for death.
What people?
How does that even make sense?
I've known at least one Christian who wanted to die. Death for her was an escape from her earthly troubles. She told me she wanted to be "with Jesus," and to get to him she, of course, needed to die.
In any case, based on the gospel message and assuming we believe it, we are all better off dead!
