-- Posted by Nerdandproud at 3:24 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Why would on omnipotent, all powerful, all loving god, care if he was believed in or not? Surely following all the moral rules he/she/ laid down, is far more important than believing in god itself?   Lead a good life, but don't believe, your damned for all eternity That sounds very petty to me -- Posted by ijustdontknow at 3:25 am on Aug. 28, 2008 True. -- Posted by SaintKris at 3:25 am on Aug. 28, 2008 omg I just said jesus loves you... -- Posted by Guardian at 3:26 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Congratulations, you've discovered a valid reason to not believe in God. Join the club. -- Posted by King Kong at 3:27 am on Aug. 28, 2008 why do you think God cares -- Posted by Ho Lee Fook at 3:27 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from Nerdandproud at 3:24 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Why would on omnipotent, all powerful, all loving god, care if he was believed in or not?   Surely following all the moral rules he/she/ laid down, is far more important than believing in god itself? Lead a good life, but don't believe, your damned for all eternity That sounds very petty to me Well you said that God is all loving and by that implication he cares for us. He created us and longs to be in relationship with us so it is of utmost importance to him whether we believe or not. -- Posted by Chevy Jackson at 3:30 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Think about it this way: Jesus is your lawyer, and you're being convicted for all your sins in your whole life. The punishment is death. But before you get sent to death row, Jesus takes you aside and says "hey man, I'm willing to do you a big favor here. If you believe in me do what I say for you to do, y'know, just be a generally good person, then I'll go to death row instead of you. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours...and then die for you. Sound like a fair deal?" Now if you say no, then Jesus tells the judge "Well, they didn't do what I asked, so I guess the only thing left is to send them to the chair. It's too bad they didn't do what I asked....It's not like it was that hard." I know that's not the best example, but hopefully it puts it into a different perspective for you. -- Posted by uwastedmyheart at 3:38 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from Guardian at 3:26 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Congratulations, you've discovered a valid reason to not believe in God. Join the club. Haha. Seriously. -- Posted by ErnestoTheTrippyOne at 3:44 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from Ho Lee Fook at 3:27 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from Nerdandproud at 3:24 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Why would on omnipotent, all powerful, all loving god, care if he was believed in or not?  Surely following all the moral rules he/she/ laid down, is far more important than believing in god itself?      Lead a good life, but don't believe, your damned for all eternity    That sounds very petty to me Well you said that God is all loving and by that implication he cares for us. He created us and longs to be in relationship with us so it is of utmost importance to him whether we believe or not. Yeah, that makes sense, but if you don't believe in Him, you'd go to Hell. I'd never do that to somebody I loved. Or even somebody that I hated. I doubt that the Bible says that. I bet it's a metaphor for something else. -- Posted by Fouad at 3:45 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from King kong at 1:27 pm on Aug. 28, 2008 why do you think God cares agree god doesnt care.. if u do u r blessed and all the afte life stuff etc.. if u dont u r screwed -- Posted by exceedinglyrare at 4:38 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Let's pretend I'm having a house party. Do you think I'm really going to want you there if you essentially say that I don't exist? -- Posted by Nimzo at 4:52 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from exceedinglyrare at 4:38 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Let's pretend I'm having a house party. Do you think I'm really going to want you there if you essentially say that I don't exist? I think the OP can see the reasoning in the fact that God may not want you at his sweet as party if you deny his existence. His point being, why would you punish those who choose not to come? -- Posted by exceedinglyrare at 5:14 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from Nimzo at 7:52 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from exceedinglyrare at 4:38 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Let's pretend I'm having a house party. Do you think I'm really going to want you there if you essentially say that I don't exist? I think the OP can see the reasoning in the fact that God may not want you at his sweet as party if you deny his existence. His point being, why would you punish those who choose not to come? Who says that He does? Generally speaking, I'd say that if there's a sweet party and you choose not to attend, that's your choice and no one else's. -- Posted by Nimzo at 5:41 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from exceedinglyrare at 5:14 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from Nimzo at 7:52 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from exceedinglyrare at 4:38 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Let's pretend I'm having a house party. Do you think I'm really going to want you there if you essentially say that I don't exist?    I think the OP can see the reasoning in the fact that God may not want you at his sweet as party if you deny his existence. His point being, why would you punish those who choose not to come? Who says that He does? Generally speaking, I'd say that if there's a sweet party and you choose not to attend, that's your choice and no one else's. The bible says He does (are you talking about God or the OP at this point?). If you interpret that way of course (not sure how you would read it substantially differently), add to that list a large percentage of people on this planet who would also say that. Back to your party, and I'm sorry to say that as awesome as it may be; if i don't come then it pretty much results in a non-outcome for me, life just continues on as normal as if nothing had happened. Hopefully i wouldn't be publicly flogged for my lack of attendance (and what would be the justification in doing so?). -- Posted by exceedinglyrare at 5:45 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Where, specifically, does the Bible say that GOD punishes people for not believing? -- Posted by Forever Angel at 6:06 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from Nerdandproud at 5:24 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Why would on omnipotent, all powerful, all loving god, care if he was believed in or not?   Surely following all the moral rules he/she/ laid down, is far more important than believing in god itself?   Lead a good life, but don't believe, your damned for all eternity That sounds very petty to me If you don't believe He exists, why are you worried about whether or not He cares if you believe in Him? -- Posted by Nimzo at 6:28 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from exceedinglyrare at 5:45 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Where, specifically, does the Bible say that GOD punishes people for not believing? Mark 9:43-49 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where " 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'Everyone will be salted with fire.   Revelation 20:14-15 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.   It seems fairly clear to me, everyone who doesn't believe in God goes straight to hell. hell=punishment. Can you think of another way that a persons name could be written in the 'book of life' other than belief? -- Posted by exceedinglyrare at 6:47 am on Aug. 28, 2008 I'm sorry, did either of those verses say "God punishes people who don't believe" or did they just say "people who don't believe go to hell?" I may have something in my eye and therefore have missed it, but I didn't see the "God does it" in either of those verses. -- Posted by PewPew at 6:57 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from exceedinglyrare at 4:38 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Let's pretend I'm having a house party. Do you think I'm really going to want you there if you essentially say that I don't exist? But if you are having a house party you first have to send people invitations, otherwise how can you blame them for not believing that you (or the party) exist. -- Posted by Forever Angel at 7:14 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from PewPew at 8:57 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from exceedinglyrare at 4:38 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Let's pretend I'm having a house party. Do you think I'm really going to want you there if you essentially say that I don't exist? But if you are having a house party you first have to send people invitations, otherwise how can you blame them for not believing that you (or the party) doesn't exist.   Obviously, the OP has received his invitation. And just as clearly, he knows that an RSVP is required to get his name on the guest list. He just doesn't seem to believe there is actually going to be a party, but he wants to drop by and be allowed in if there is. -- Posted by PewPew at 7:43 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from Forever Angel at 7:14 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from PewPew at 8:57 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from exceedinglyrare at 4:38 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Let's pretend I'm having a house party. Do you think I'm really going to want you there if you essentially say that I don't exist?    But if you are having a house party you first have to send people invitations, otherwise how can you blame them for not believing that you (or the party) doesn't exist.     Obviously, the OP has received his invitation. And just as clearly, he knows that an RSVP is required to get his name on the guest list. He just doesn't seem to believe there is actually going to be a party, but he wants to drop by and be allowed in if there is. The invitation not in order to be allowed into the party but as a form of evidence that is there is party. -- Posted by Forever Angel at 8:32 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from PewPew at 9:43 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from Forever Angel at 7:14 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Obviously, the OP has received his invitation. And just as clearly, he knows that an RSVP is required to get his name on the guest list. He just doesn't seem to believe there is actually going to be a party, but he wants to drop by and be allowed in if there is.  The invitation not in order to be allowed into the party but as a form of evidence that is there is party. I'm not sure what your point here is. If you assume there is no party, why would you worry about attending? -- Posted by PewPew at 8:48 am on Aug. 28, 2008 I am not worrying about attending. I was expanding on Rare's party analogy regarding belief and acceptance into heaven. -- Posted by exceedinglyrare at 9:16 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from PewPew at 10:43 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from Forever Angel at 7:14 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from PewPew at 8:57 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from exceedinglyrare at 4:38 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Let's pretend I'm having a house party. Do you think I'm really going to want you there if you essentially say that I don't exist?   But if you are having a house party you first have to send people invitations, otherwise how can you blame them for not believing that you (or the party) doesn't exist.   Obviously, the OP has received his invitation. And just as clearly, he knows that an RSVP is required to get his name on the guest list. He just doesn't seem to believe there is actually going to be a party, but he wants to drop by and be allowed in if there is. The invitation not in order to be allowed into the party but as a form of evidence that is there is party. For all we know, he's received dozens of invitations, but doesn't consider them to be real evidence that there is a party. -- Posted by Forever Angel at 9:20 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Quote: from PewPew at 10:48 am on Aug. 28, 2008 I am not worrying about attending. I was expanding on Rare's party analogy regarding belief and acceptance into heaven. That was more of a general question, not specifically aimed at you. -- Posted by osmoticdespair at 10:24 am on Aug. 28, 2008 Because he wants you to know and love him, don't ask me why, its not like I have a snowballs chance in hell of understanding an omnific mind. But you're not going to know and love God if you don't even believe he exists.