Hell's Immigrants

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Hell's Immigrants

Post #1

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According to Jesus Christ's testimony as a credible expert witness in all matters pertaining to the afterlife; most of the world's responsible souls haven't been making it to safety when they cross over to the other side.

Luke 13:22-24 . . And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then said one unto him, master, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them: Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Matt 7:13-14 . . Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matt 22:14 . . For many are called, but few are chosen.

Webster's defines "many" as consisting of, or amounting to, a large but indefinite number; while "few" is defined as consisting of, or amounting to, only a small number; viz: relative to many then, few is the lesser. Bear with me while I flesh this out.

According to the US Census Bureau: as of Sept 18, 2017 @ 11:36 pm New York Time, the resident population in the United States was approximately 325,908,667 with a death rate of approximately one every 12 seconds; which translates to an average of 7,200 American deaths of all ages, races, and genders during just one 24-hour calendar day.

According to 2009 US Census data; roughly 27.3% of America's daily deaths are under the age of 19, which would indicate that approximately 5,234 of the current daily death rate per 24 hours are adults.

Giving the "many" the benefit of the doubt by limiting their maximum percentage to 51%, would indicate a minimum of 2,670 American adults transferring to perdition every day: which translates to roughly 111 per hour.

That's a very conservative estimate as Christ didn't really specify exact percentages to represent the quantities of "few" and "many". But just think: by the time CBS completes its half hour evening news report, a bare-bones minimum of 55 Americans become new arrivals in the fiery sector of the netherworld.

Using the ratio of 2,670 condemned souls per 325,908,667 population: computing the number of condemned souls worldwide from a currently estimated global population of 7,422,223,068 people, would suggest something like 60,806 new arrivals in the fiery sector of the netherworld every 24 hours; which translates to approximately 2,534 souls every sixty minutes on the clock.

That rate would fill the 51,800 seats of the new Yankee Stadium to capacity in roughly 20 hours and 44 minutes. In other words: if the world's daily number of condemned souls started filing into the stadium at 06:00 am this morning, then by 02:44 am tomorrow, the stadium would be full to capacity.

Christmas and New Year are even worse. A study done of 26 years of death certificates shows that coronary fatalities are, on average, 11.9% higher on those days than any other days of the year; with non-heart deaths spiking to 12.2% higher.

Christianity's hell never closes; no, not at all: it's open for business 24/7/365 nonstop and indifferent to global warming, Wall Street crashes, massive layoffs, outsourcing, high school shootings, terrorism, tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, storm surges, nuclear meltdowns, air, water, and soil pollution, a mission to Mars, freeway pile-ups, brown-outs, threatened species, the price of oil, student debt, GMO, trade deficits, protests, Federal debt, factory recalls, outsourcing, overpopulation, desertification, genocides, revolutions, civil wars, acid rain, road rage, oil spills, conscious decoupling, ISIS, LGBT marriage, Obamacare, blood diamonds, fracking, twerking, and/or President Donald Trump's tweets.

If Christianity's perception of Jesus Christ and the hereafter is correct; then it's apparent that souls never stop cascading into the abyss in an endless procession like the unbelievable millions of poultry broilers passing annually through Tyson chicken-processing plants on their way to Wendy's, McDonalds, Carl's Junior, Jack in the Box, Burger King, Chic-fil-A, KFC, A&W, Arby's, Dairy Queen, Taco Bell, et al; and to supermarkets and restaurants all over the USA and wherever else Tyson vends its meats. The slaughtering and the butchering never stop.
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Last edited by WebersHome on Fri Dec 11, 2020 9:10 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Hell's Immigrants

Post #141

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I didn't set this thread up intending for it to be a venue for testimonies, they're off-topic; but what the hay; maybe it's time for an intermission.

I was christened an infant into the Roman Catholic Church in 1944, and eventually attended catechism to complete First Holy Communion and Confirmation.

My siblings are Catholic, my mother was Catholic, my eldest brother entered the priesthood and made it to the rank of Friar before passing away in May 2018 of cancer. (Though he was a Friar, my brother was no saint. He had a problem with alcohol till AA helped straighten him out). My wife is a former Catholic, her dad was Catholic, his wife was Catholic, my aunt and uncle were Catholics, and my wife's cousins are Catholic; one of them is qualified to teach Catechism.

I was loyal to Rome up until I was 24, then one day I was approached by a Conservative Baptist minister who asked me if I was prepared for Christ's return.

Well; I must've been either asleep or absent the day that the nuns talked about Jesus coming back because that man's question was the very first time in my whole life that I can remember somebody telling me.

My initial reaction was alarm because I instinctively knew that were I called on the carpet for a face-to-face with Jesus, it would not go well for me because I had a lot to answer for. Well; I don't like being made to feel afraid so I became indignant and demanded to know why Jesus would come back. That's when I found out for the very first time that it was in the plan for Christ to take over the world. (I had somehow missed that in catechism too.)

Then the minister asked me if I was going to heaven. Well; of course I had no clue because Catholics honestly don't know what to expect when they pass away. I was crossing my fingers while in the back of my mind dreading the worst.

Then the man said; "Don't you know that Jesus died for your sins?"

Well; I had been taught in catechism that Jesus died for the sins of the world; that much I knew; but honestly believed all along that he had been a victim of unfortunate circumstances. It was a shock to discover that Jesus' trip to the cross was deliberate, and that his Father was thinking of me when His son passed away, viz: my sins were among the sins of the world that Jesus took to the cross with him.

At that very instant-- scarcely a nanosecond --something took over in my mind as I fully realized, to my great relief, that heaven was no longer out of reach, rather, well within my grasp!

That was an amazing experience. In just the two or three minutes of conversation with that Baptist minister, I obtained an understanding of Jesus' crucifixion that many tedious years of catechism classes had somehow failed to get across. Consequently, my confidence in the Roman Catholic Church was shattered like a bar of peanut brittle candy dropped on the sidewalk from the tippy top of the Chrysler building.

Long story short; I eventually went with that man to his church and, side by side with him and a couple of elders, knelt at the rail down front and prayed a really simple, naive prayer that went something like this;

"God, I know I'm a sinner. I would like to take advantage of your son's death"

My prayer wasn't much to brag about; but it was the smartest sixteen words I'd ever spoken up to that time.

†. Matt 10:32 . .Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.

Immigration Update: 1,036 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post #1 are within reason, then something like 62,995,016 new arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of hades since Sept 18, 2017.
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Last edited by WebersHome on Wed Aug 19, 2020 1:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Hell's Immigrants

Post #142

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†. Matt 19:17 . . And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments

Seeing as none but God are good, then it's obvious that none but God can enter into life by means of goodness. However, if someone would like to give it a try anyway in spite of the fact that failure is a foregone conclusion; then Jesus suggests they begin their quest with the commandments.

Immigration Update: 1,057 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post #1 are within reason, then something like 64,271,942 new arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of hades since Sept 18, 2017.
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Last edited by WebersHome on Wed Aug 19, 2020 1:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Hell's Immigrants

Post #143

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It's not unlikely that all new arrivals in heaven are immediately shuttled off to quarantine in a sort of boot camp where they're indoctrinated with the 100% correct interpretation of the Bible so there'll be no debating with the general population when they get out.

Also, in boot camp, they're schooled in etiquette because people just in from the world can't expect they'll fit right into heaven's peaceful society upon arrival. I'd imagine that those of us who make it to heaven will need some pretty large adjustments made to our manners; most of all, how to keep a genuinely civil tongue in our heads.

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt." (Col 4:6)

Grace can be defined as kind, courteous, gentle, patient, lenient, inclined to good will, generous, charitable, altruistic, compassionate, sympathetic, thoughtful, cordial, affable, genial, sociable, cheerful, warm, sensitive, hospitable, considerate, and tactful.

I gather from the language and grammar of Matt 5:13, Mark 9:50, and Luke 14:34 that the primary purpose of salt is to enhance flavor and make otherwise naturally insipid and/or bad-tasting things palatable, viz: salt can be thought of as diplomacy; roughly defined as conversation that makes an effort to maintain peace rather than provoke conflict and/or annoy people and make them uncomfortable.

I doubt there's need of a boot camp for new arrivals in Hell as I suspect everyone destined for that place will fit right in down there just as naturally as a bug in a rug.

Immigration Update: 1,066 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post #1 are within reason, then something like 64,819,196 new arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of Hades since Sept 18, 2017.
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Re: Hell's Immigrants

Post #144

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Rom 8:9-11 . . If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

FAQ: What if someone doesn't have the Spirit of Christ?

A: Then, as the passage says: they do not belong to Christ, i.e. they are not his sheep; ergo: Christ cannot guarantee their safety; they'll have to face the afterlife on their own when they pass on.

Immigration Update: 1,093 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post #1 are within reason, then something like 66,460,958 new arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of hades since Sept 18, 2017.
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Re: Hell's Immigrants

Post #145

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Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.

Bohemian Rhapsody / QUEEN, 1975

Immigration Update: 1,102 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post #1 are within reason, then something like 67,008,212 new arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of hades since Sept 18, 2017.
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Re: Hell's Immigrants

Post #146

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Matt 8:11-12 . . I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Outer darkness is again spoken of in Matt 22:13 and Matt 25:30

It appears, from comparison of the available data, that "outer darkness" isn't a location, rather, a state of mind characterized by the deepest possible feelings of anguish and grief associated with loss.

It's akin to the day that God announced to Moses' people they were going to have to stay in that awful Sinai outback until they were dead. They missed their opportunity to enter the land of milk and honey and there was no way to regain it.

The people must've been pretty upset over that; no doubt they had all been joyfully looking forward to a new life over there; and there was no use in praying about it because God had made up His mind.

I've only experienced deep personal grief associated with irreversible loss but one time; that was when my No.1 nephew passed away suddenly of natural causes at the age of 51. I had held him in my arms upon returning home from three years in the Army when he was only a couple of weeks old.

News of his passing has thus far been the only time in my 76 years that I actually clenched my teeth, sobbing out of control, and choking, while clinging to a handrail in the front room to keep from losing my balance and falling to the floor.

Fortunately my wife was out on an errand at the time or she would've been very frightened as she has never seen me in such a state even once during our nearly 41 years of marriage.

Immigration Update: 1,117 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post #1 are within reason, then something like 67,920,302 new arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of hades since Sept 18, 2017.
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Re: Hell's Immigrants

Post #147

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The criminal records associated with the great white throne event depicted at Rev 20:11-15 likely won't be used only to condemn people's actions, but also to prove that the people themselves are not the kind of folk with whom God prefers to associate.

For example; God isn't comfortable with dishonesty. So if the records show that someone was deceptive and/or told a number lies during their lifetime, then they will be barred from heaven; not only for their dishonesty, but also because they are capable of dishonesty.

Matt 15:19 . . For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.

Immigration Update: 1,120 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post #1 are within reason, then something like 68,102,720 new arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of hades since Sept 18, 2017.
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Re: Hell's Immigrants

Post #148

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Eddie Van Halen passed away recently. He was a Roman Catholic. It's not easy to get into heaven via that version of Christianity.

Well; if perchance Eddie didn't make the cut (not saying he didn't; only saying "if perchance") then he will never again be allowed to even so much as see a guitar let alone pick one up with his hands.

Can you imagine a talented, pioneering musician like Eddie never again allowed to do the one thing in life that he enjoyed the most? I mean never again like as in permanently.

Hell is bad enough for ordinary folk; it must be doubly miserable for creative people: the poets, the painters, the sculptors, the architects, the fashion designers, the authors, the choreographers, the gourmet cooks, the engineers, the scientific geniuses, the explorers, et al.

Immigration Update: 1,125 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post #1 are within reason, then something like 68,406,750 new arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of hades since Sept 18, 2017.
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Re: Hell's Immigrants

Post #149

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FAQ: The New Testament says that the lost will be put to death in a lake of brimstone. (Rev 20:11-15.) If that's so, then why is it commonly believed that they will suffer till time without end? Don't people have to be alive in order to experience suffering?

A: People's body and soul are slated for destruction in hell fire (Matt 10:28) but I have yet to encounter a New Testament passage verifying that people's consciousness will be destroyed.

FAQ: How can people be conscious when they're dead? Isn't death eo ipso a state of unconsciousness?

A: I have never been dead so I cannot speak from experience about that condition. All I know about existence after death is what I read in the Bible.

Human life consists of three components: body, soul, and spirit. Matt 10:28 speaks of destroying people's body and soul while saying nothing about the spirit component. Genesis 2:7 strongly suggests that the spirit is what makes people living beings as opposed to inanimate objects. Luke 16:19-31 and Heb 12:23 suggest that one's spirit is transferable to an afterlife existence.

Immigration Update: 1,128 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post #1 are within reason, then something like 68,589,168 new arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of hades since Sept 18, 2017.
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Re: Hell's Immigrants

Post #150

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A rich man, in the story located at Luke 16:19-31, passed away and was buried. (Luke 26:22)

Though his corpse lay in repose; the man himself is depicted in the afterlife fully conscious and capable of intelligent thought and conversation; with his memories intact, with eyes that see, a tongue that needs water, a nervous system sensitive to temperature, and an emotional state capable of anxiety.

That all runs counter to passages in the Old Testament that seem to imply that people lose their sentient characteristics when they pass away. How do we deal with this apparent discrepancy between the Old Testament and the New?

Well, first off we need to deal with the fact that:

1» Christ is God's final word to mankind (John 3:31-34 & Heb 1:1-2)

2» He's greater than even Moses (Heb 3:3)

3» He's the incarnated voice of God (John 1:1 & John 1:14)

4» He's smarter than Solomon (John 3:31 & Matt 12:42 & Col 2:3)

5» He was involved in the creation of the cosmos with all of its forms of life, matter, and energy (John 1:1-3, Heb 3:3-4)

6» He has actually seen the afterlife for himself; therefore knowing from experience what he's talking about rather than something he read in a book. (Mark 1:21-22)

From all that, I think that we can safely conclude that Christ's teachings trump everybody else's teachings. So then, when it appears that the Old Testament contradicts Christ, I strongly suggest, for safety's sake, that we align ourselves with Christ.

Matt 17:5 . .This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.

John 3:34 . . For he is sent by God. He speaks God's words, for God's Spirit is upon him without measure or limit

John 3:36 . . He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Immigration Update: 1,132 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the figures in post #1 are within reason, then something like 68,832,392 new arrivals have checked into the fiery sector of hades since Sept 18, 2017.
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