blackbird

It is not a question of one or the other. The Bible commands us to take care of those less fortunate and love thy neighbour. It goes without saying that we should be good stewards of this world as well. That does not mean we worship Mother Earth, but we do what is reasonable to take care of it.

"The soul and the spirit are the two primary immaterial parts ascribed to humanity in Scripture. Discerning the precise differences between the two can be confusing. The word spirit refers only to the immaterial facet of humanity. Human beings have a spirit, but we are not spirits. However, in Scripture, only believers are said to be spiritually alive (1 Corinthians 2:11; Hebrews 4:12; James 2:26); unbelievers are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1–5; Colossians 2:13). In Paul’s writing, the spiritual is pivotal to the life of the believer (1 Corinthians 2:14; 3:1; Ephesians 1:3; 5:19; Colossians 1:9; 3:16). The spirit is the element in humanity that gives us the ability to have an intimate relationship with God. The word spirit refers to the immaterial part of humanity that “connects” with God, who Himself is spirit (John 4:24)." What is the difference between the soul and spirit of humanity? | GotQuestions.org "The Bible is not perfectly clear as to the nature of the human soul. But from studying the way the word soul is used in Scripture, we can come to some conclusions. Simply stated, the human soul is the part of a person that is not physical. It is the part of every human being that lasts eternally after the body experiences death. Genesis 35:18 describes the death of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, saying she named her son “as her soul was departing.” From this we know that the soul is different from the body and that it continues to live after physical death." What is the human soul? | GotQuestions.org

Millions of people down through the ages believed in God and Jesus Christ. Many went into monasteries and convents in every generation since they began because they feared God and wanted to please Him. They may not have had all their beliefs absolutely correct and many of them probably knew little of what the Bible actually teaches about many things, but they definitely believed in God and lived to try to please Him. So what is all this nonsense in this present age claiming there is no God. This is an area where Canada has sunk so low. Many of our leaders seem to be living and ruling as if their is no God to whom they are accountable. They are fooling others and leading millions astray. Where else did the universe and all the extremely complex life come from? Mathematical laws of probability show that evolution could not have produced life. This is because the law of probability does not allow enough time for random chance processes to produce life such as an infinitely complex cell. There are insurmountable obstacles that simply cannot be overcome. There are a number of things within a cell that would have to be created at the exact same time to enable a cell to live and reproduce. That can't happen by chance. It is just too improbable and complex to happen at the same time. People think that complex things like cells can just "evolve" but they don't understand the complexity of these things is so great that it is impossible to happen by chance. It required a infinitely powerful and knowledgeable Creator.

I am not speaking about a materialistic universe in the afterlife or eternity. God is a spirit and when we speak about heaven or hell, we are talking about something supernatural, that is, beyond the material universe. That is the first concept you need to understand. The supernatural realm is eternal and above the created universe. So when speaking about heaven or hell, that is what we should be focused on, not the material universe. The key word is supernatural. Before God created the universe, He existed eternally, forever and God is a spirit that is present everywhere. There are no limits to what he can do and no limits to the number of people he can deal with. His power is infinite. So God will have no trouble distributing the dead to their destined place. Their souls and spirit live after death on into eternity. "Hell is a place of misery and suffering; hell is where torment and anguish never cease (Revelation 14:11). Whether the flames are literal or symbolic of some even greater woe, we can be certain that all this world has to offer—money, fame, reputation, power, or sexual gratification—is hardly worth the forfeiture of our eternal souls (Mark 8:36–38)." What does the Bible say about hell? | GotQuestions.org

The main reason many people end up in hell appears to be because they spurned God's offer of mercy and forgiveness. There are lots of people with misconceptions about hell and why many people go there. This article debunks some of the myths: quote Myth 1: The devil’s headquarters are in hell. The devil is not in hell now. Hell, or the lake of fire (also referred to as the second death), will receive its first occupants at the end of our Lord Jesus’ millennial reign (Revelation 20:7–10). Also, hell is a place of torment (Luke 16:23–24; Revelation 20:10), so cartoonish images of prancing devils brandishing pitchforks while merrily dancing around a ring of fire are nonsensical. Rather than partying with his legions of demons, Satan will languish in hell. Myth 2: Hell is reserved solely for the worst of evildoers such as cruel dictators and serial killers. While there are likely degrees of eternal punishment (Luke 12:47–49), all who refuse God’s mercy must endure His wrath (John 3:18). There is heaven, and there is hell; there is no third option. While this reality makes the average person uncomfortable, there will be more unrepentant barbers, plumbers, middle school teachers, bricklayers, airline pilots, and accountants in hell than tyrants such as Hitler, Stalin, and Mao. Stalin will not be sent to the lake of fire because he murdered millions of his own countrymen; rather, Stalin, like the unrepentant librarian, will suffer in hell because he scorned God’s mercy and rejected Christ. Myth 3: A loving God would not send people to hell. If, by “love,” one is thinking of an indulgent, enabling, misguided sort of sentimental affection, then there would be no eternal punishment. But God is not to be confused with a drowsy old man who winks at his grandchildren’s mischievous antics from a rocking chair. God is just (Romans 12:19), and He will repay evil with affliction (2 Thessalonians 1:6). Rather than accusing God of being cruel, we should remember hell is reserved for those who, by their own volition, snubbed God’s mercy (Hebrews 2:3). Salvation is a free gift for the asking (Ephesians 2:8–9), but the world is filled with those whose minds and hearts are so full of earthly matters they haven’t any room for what God would gladly give them. Ultimately, hell will prove to be a place for those who were willing to settle for less than God’s best. Myth 4: A just God would not send people to hell. Of all the arguments against hell, this may be the weakest. Where else would a just God send rebels who stubbornly and steadfastly refused to repent of their evil? Even in our own sometimes corrupt criminal justice system, lawbreakers are sent to prison. Should a just God reward hardened evildoers with eternal bliss? Additionally, those who will occupy hell will be those who avoided contact, companionship, and communication with the One who made them. Why should we think the unrepentant sinner who ran from the presence of God here on earth would be happy in His intimate company in heaven? unquote What does the Bible say about hell? | GotQuestions.org While this article seems to be very informative, I would caution you to remember it is man's interpretation of the Bible. The Bible or Holy Scripture, that is, in English, the King James Version (1611) is the absolute truth and final authority. It should be studied to know exactly what all this means. Modern Bible versions have corrupted much of the Bible truth by changing thousands of words.

This article explains it better than I could. Here is a part of the article. quote “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). The effects of the Fall are numerous and far reaching. Sin has affected every aspect of our being. It has affected our lives on earth and our eternal destiny. One of the immediate effects of the Fall was that mankind was separated from God. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had perfect communion and fellowship with God. When they rebelled against Him, that fellowship was broken. They became aware of their sin and were ashamed before Him. They hid from Him (Genesis 3:8-10), and man has been hiding from God ever since. Only through Christ can that fellowship be restored, because in Him we are made as righteous and sinless in God’s eyes as Adam and Eve were before they sinned. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Because of the Fall, death became a reality, and all creation was subject to it. All men die, all animals die, all plant life dies. The “whole creation groans” (Romans 8:22), waiting for the time when Christ will return to liberate it from the effects of death. Because of sin, death is an inescapable reality, and no one is immune. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Worse still, we not only die, but if we die without Christ, we experience eternal death. unquote The rest of the article is at: How did the Fall affect humanity? | GotQuestions.org

That should be clarified. It is collective punishment only in the sense every individual is born as a rebel with a corrupt heart. So everyone gets the justice that they deserve. God is a just God and His justice is absolutely just. All are guilty by virtue of the fact their parents sinned and passed their rebellious sinful nature to their offspring. The Bible teaches every descendant of Adam and Eve has a evil, corrupt heart. You might say universal guilt. Because Adam and Eve were the head of the human race, the fallen corrupt nature which they had was passed upon all. You look at things through humanist eyes and reasoning, but forget that is not the way God looks at things. God created man with a free will but man chose to disobey God. There are things we do not understand or not completely, but it is better to trust God and his word rather than human wisdom which is often false or corrupt. " 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." Romans 5:18, 19 KJV

Here is where you show you do not understand the Bible at all. God created a perfect world, a paradise called the garden of Eden where he placed Adam and Eve. They would have lived forever in paradise if they had obeyed God in one thing. That is, not to eat the one fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden. However, the serpent (Satan) tempted Eve and she did eat of it and gave to Adam and he ate also. That was the end of the paradise and the fall from a perfect world to the beginning of death. Since God created man and woman and the world; it is His prerogative to make the rules. He is the Creator and in spite of what happened in the fall, he loves man and in his accordance with his plan, he sent His Son to redeem mankind. However, because of the fallen nature we inherited from Adam and Eve as their descendants, we have a corrupt fallen nature. That means we are easily tempted to oppose God and do our own will rather than God's. We are full of pride. Pride is one of the deadly sins. Pride prevents men and women from acknowledging their sinfulness and evil nature. Everyone thinks they are not as bad as some others. This is pride. Also, rejecting God and thinking we do not need him is pride. Pride is deadly. It is easy to just reject God and the Bible, but that is taking the broad road to destruction. It is the narrow road that leads to life eternal with joy and happiness.

No, that is not what the Bible says. It is not what being born again means. We must become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Bad people, which we all were born as, must repent of ours sins and accept Christ as our Savior. That is the only way. quote Q: What will heaven be like? A: Heaven for the Christian will be a place of glorious life that will never end. Joy inexpressible, limitless peace, pure love, beauty beyond description—that’s what heaven is. Greatest of all will be the presence of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, with whom we will enjoy fellowship forever. Loved ones who have known and loved the Lord will be there. Revelation 21:2 says, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Mr. Graham has written: “Heaven will be a place in which its inhabitants will be freed from the fears and insecurities that plague and haunt us in the present life. No energy crisis there … Free from the economic and financial pressures that burden us down here. Free from the fear of personal and physical harm … No fear of personal failure … Our relationship with Him will be intimate and direct. I’m looking forward to that glorious day of going to heaven. “Heaven will be what we have always longed for. It will be the new social order that men dream of. All the things that have made earth unlovely and tragic will be absent in heaven. There will be no night, no death, no disease, no sorrow, no tears, no ignorance, no disappointment, no war. It will be filled with happiness, worship, love, and perfection. Heaven will be a place to challenge the creative genius of the unfettered mind of redeemed man.” Revelation 21:4 says, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” However, the Bible makes clear that there is only one way to heaven, and that is through repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ who said, “I am the way …” (John 14:6). Jesus paid for our sins through His death on the cross. God offers us the free gift of friendship with Him in this life and eternal life in heaven when we die if we will but turn from sin and trust in Jesus as our Savior and Lord. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved …” (Acts 16:30). unquote What will heaven be like? (billygraham.org)

You totally misunderstand everything. I tried to explain and gave you an encyclopedia but apparently you refuse to ready anything and stick to your narrow, false view of the world. God loves everyone even though everyone is a corrupt fallen being. He loved man so much he sent his Son, Jesus Christ to suffer and die on a cross for the sins of mankind and gave you and me and everyone else the opportunity to get right with God. So in fact God is a merciful and caring God. It's your choice. The truth is some people are born rich, some born poor, some born as labourers, some born as Kings or Queens. There is no rule that says you must receive equal wealth or security or anything else in this world. Don't forget God created the world and everything in it. So it is his prerogative. He has a long term plan and when he returns he will establish His rule over the earth and all evil doers will be destroyed. But in the meantime, everyone has the chance to get right with God. We should never forget he is the Creator, the Almighty, and loves mankind. You really need to study the Bible to get the drift of that and understand we are as nothing. So all the complaining we do in the world will not change a thing. I have tried to help by giving you my perspective. What you do with it is your choice. You can be angry and reject it all. But in the end, that will not help a bit. As far as the Jews are concerned, I never said they are superior to the gentiles. They were chosen for a special purpose and God gave the Jews his Old Testament revelation to man. I am not an expert on how the Old testament period went with the gentiles. You can study that yourself if you wish. I would not make any assumptions about anything if I were you. You could be dead wrong in assuming anything. God simply chose the Jews as his vehicle to communicate with mankind through the Holy Scriptures and send his Son into the world. Jesus Christ was a Jew and a descendant of King David of the Old Testament. All I can tell you is Jesus Christ is the Son of God who took on human flesh, and he suffered and died for mankind and was raised from the dead. Everyone is not a king and everyone does not have privileges or wealth. That is just the way the world is. There is no guarantee of equality in anything except we were all created in the image of God and have the opportunity to become his Sons for eternity. Reject anger and resentment.

I have a son in his 50s. When he was a teenager he worked in McDonalds. He told me a few years ago he used all his money to buy marijuana. Then at about age 20, he lost his marbles and suddenly became a schitzophrenic and had to go into a group home for people with mental problems where he remained for 30 years. He smoked cigarettes since he was a teen. Nobody could warn him about smoking to get him to quit. He was not to be reasoned with because of his condition. He probably felt it was all he had in life. Because of his mental condition he didn't really have any close friends in the group homes. He had a bad stroke a couple years ago which totally paralyzed one side, leg and arm. Now he spends at least 20 or 22 hrs a day in bed in a care home and must be helped by care workers to even get out of bed and into an electric wheelchair. He even eats all his meals in bed. That's his life. I strongly suspect marijuana caused the schitzophrenia and cigarettes caused the stroke. I don't know of any other possible cause. He seemed normal when he was a minor. Now it is impossible to have a normal conversation with him. He does not respond to any questions about anything. This has been tragic.

We know you're happy with Christians who do not try to spread the gospel or talk about the Bible. Why does that scare you so badly? Are you afraid they might be right and you could be wrong? The Bible says those who believe in Christ as their Savior will be saved and go to heaven and those who don't will be damned, that is, be condemned to hell. I guess if you think that might be true or you are unsure, it might be a terrifying thought. On the other hand if you are absolutely convinced that Christians are wrong and the Bible is not true, you shouldn't be concerned about what Bible believers say or preach.

According to studies, there are a number of serious consequences of marijuana legalization and use. One of them is: quote The molecular shape of THC is similar to the brain chemical anandamide to the point where the brain accepts the shape of the THC molecule in place of anandamide, resulting in an alteration in normal brain function. Anandamide (a type of endogenous cannabinoid) functions as a neurotransmitter, facilitating the transfer of messages in the sections of the nervous system that control movement, coordination, concentration, memory, pleasure, and time perception. THC is thus able to disrupt certain mental and physical functions, causing the effect of intoxication.8 THC impacts the area of the brain known as the hippocampus and a portion of the frontal cortex, both of which have profound influence in the development of new memories and enable the shifting of attention (see illustration on pages 18–19). A NIDA report states: As a result, using marijuana causes impaired thinking and interferes with a person’s ability to learn and perform complicated tasks. THC also disrupts functioning of the cerebellum and basal ganglia, brain areas that regulate balance, posture, coordination, and reaction time. This is the reason people who have used marijuana may not be able to drive safely….9 In 2007, a careful study exposed rats to THC at different phases of their life: before birth, after birth, and prior to maturity. All three samples demonstrated significant problems with learning and memory function for the rest of their lives.10 Other related studies showed that the exposure to THC prior to maturity increased the likelihood that the individual would self-administer other drugs to acquire the same or greater effect.11 unquote For the whole article including the other consequences of marijuana use go to: Marijuana: What They Aren’t Telling You | Tomorrow's World (tomorrowsworld.org)

Because when in a restaurant or public place, nobody should have to listen to loud-mouthed blasphemers using obscene or blasphemous language. Freedom of speech has its limits. Keep your dirt and perversions away from kids especially.

LOL... You only want people who agree with your perversions, like killing unborn babies on demand, same-sex marriage, teaching kids in public schools that sexual orientation and gender identity is a choice and any kid can be any sex he wants on any given day, a loose justice system that allows offenders (sexual, thieves, violent criminals) to be arrested one day and released that afternoon. This is common today in your liberal Canada. NO thanks. Give us more social conservatives that believe in law and order and decency, not some drunken drug addict liberal's idea of freedom and law and order. God bless those that stand for righteousness and oppose anarchy and criminality.

Of course there is more to it than that. I assume you didn't bother reading the Britannica encyclopedia article on the history of anti-Semitism. I gave the link several times and posted parts of it. The Jews were God's chosen people in the Old Testament times, and he still has a plan for them. I don't think it "went to their head". It's not the Jew's fault for being chosen by God for a special purpose. If you read the history article you would see the anti-Semitism was very common and even became a major political force. It happened but had nothing to do with what they thought as individuals. It had more to do with the fact man has a corrupt, evil heart.

I don't think I said I was "in favour" of that. I simply pointed out that is how the world was settled. You twisted it and put emphasis on me favouring it in your attempt to discredit me. That's exactly what you do with most comments you make to me. Your whole purpose is to try to put me in a bad light. We know the reason for that. It has to do with your opposition to the Bible and God. Am I right? As I pointed out before, there are two classes of people in the world. Born again believers in Jesus and his word. The other class are those who oppose Him and follow the evil world's system and ideologies.

You don't ask rational questions to begin with. I do proselytize sometimes because sometimes the gospel needs to preached. Isn't that what Jesus said to do? When did I ever say anything remotely close to that? It is a hypothetical nonsensical question. It was not meant as a sincere question.

Which you don't do. You pretend you are asking a legitimate question, but the question is usually foolishness or irrational. I never said it made it right. Colonization is just how the world was settled. If a handful of aboriginals lived in what we call Canada, and never occupied much of the vast wilderness, was it wrong for the white man to move to Canada from Europe? I don't think so. Wrong. Read the Old Testament. Israel began in the area we call Israel several thousand years ago.

Your questions are obviously just taunts . You are not discussing anything. Israel took official possession of land that is absolutely theirs. You are getting into a subject that is way over your head and you are not the least interested in facts. You prefer to just taunt and insult as I said. You should just read your question before you post it. It is obviously frivolous. Almost all countries were formed by colonization. Do you have a problem with that. That is the way the world is. We can't change it. It is just a fact, good or bad. Israel is a special case. It was occupied by Israel thousands of years ago and they have permanent title to it whether you like it or not. If you don't agree, I doubt anything anyone says will change your mind.

Well that is a huge question. I suppose we could write long essays on that. In the very informative part of the article from Britannica encyclopedia I quoted above, I noticed that they mentioned how the Enlightenment thinkers in the late middle ages not only opposed Judaism, but they were opponents of Christianity. Nothing wrong with disagreeing with something like Judaism or Islam. But there is a fine line between disagreement and being hostile or anti-Semitic or persecuting Jews. That is not civilized. I am not not a fan of Enlightenment thinkers that mock or reject Christianity. They obviously never studied the Bible. Or perhaps they were opposed to Rome's Papal version of Christianity, which is a false form of Christianity. Unfortunately it is not Biblical Christianity. But it was dominant throughout Europe for most of the past 1,700 years. There may well have been some Christians among the populations. The world has always had an assortment of different people, Christians and non-Christians and many scoffers. But the Britannica article is pure gold. I have read many articles about everything under the sun, but I must say stumbling on this article was like finding gold or diamonds on the ground. I sincerely hope you will give it some consideration. "Even in France itself, emancipation did not end anti-Semitism but merely transformed it. With the emergence of nationalism as the defining factor in European society in the 19th century, anti-Semitism acquired a racial rather than a religious character as ethnically homogeneous peoples decried the existence in their midst of “alien” Jewish elements. Pseudoscientific theories asserting that the Jews were inferior to the so-called Aryan “race” gave anti-Semitism new respectability and popular support, especially in countries where Jews could be made scapegoats for existing social or political grievances. In this new climate, anti-Semitism became a powerful political tool, as politicians were quick to discover. In the 1890s Karl Lueger won the mayoralty of Vienna—a city of diverse culture and many Jews—with his anti-Semitic campaigns. In both Germany and Austria in the late 19th century, anti-Semitism became an organized movement with its own political parties." Anti-Semitism - Medieval Europe, Prejudice, Persecution | Britannica I know we agree about some things such as we oppose the massive immigration from the third world which is destroying our western values and civilization. Perhaps we can find more to agree on.

Well, at least we agree about something.

Why do you try to taunt or annoy people on here constantly? Do you drink a lot?

Careful dealing with TreeBeard. I think he deliberately tries to taunt or annoy people on here.

No. I gave a link to Encyclopedia Britannica. This encyclopedia has been published since 1768. It is not gibberish but is probably a highly respected source of information. Anti-Semitism | History, Meaning, Facts, & Examples | Britannica The article says in part: "Anti-Semitism in modern Europe The end of the Middle Ages brought little change in Jews’ position in Europe, and the Catholic Reformation renewed anti-Jewish legislation and reinforced the system of ghettoized segregation in Roman Catholic countries. Jews remained subject to occasional massacres, such as those that occurred during wars between Eastern Orthodox Ukrainians and Roman Catholic Poles in the mid-17th century, which rivaled the worst massacres of Jews in the Middle Ages. Periodic persecutions of Jews in western Europe continued until the late 18th century, when the Enlightenment changed their position, at least in the West. It did not necessarily reduce anti-Semitism. Although the major Enlightenment figures championed the light of reason in debunking what they regarded as the superstitions of Christian belief, their thinking did not lead to any greater acceptance of Jews. Instead of holding Jews responsible for the Crucifixion, Enlightenment thinkers blamed them for the advent of Christianity and for the injustices and cruelty committed by followers of monotheistic religions. Some of the most prominent, including Denis Diderot and Voltaire, pilloried the Jews as a group alienated from society who practiced a primitive and superstitious religion. Until the French Revolution of 1789, the status of Jews in Europe remained tenuous. Treated as outsiders, they had few civil rights. They were taxed as a community, not as individuals. Exclusion from the larger society reinforced their religious identity and strengthened their communal institutions, which served judicial and quasi-governmental functions. In the French Revolution, with its promise of liberty, equality, and fraternity, the rights of citizenship were extended to Jews. Still, respect and rights were conditioned on the willingness of Jews to abandon their age-old customs and their communal identity. This was the meaning of the slogan “To the Jews as individuals everything, to the Jews as a people, nothing.” France was the vanguard of the movement that gave civic and legal equality to the Jews. Napoleon’s conquest of the German states led to emancipation in some of them, but after his defeat, Jews faced a series of legal setbacks. Full emancipation of Jews throughout Germany came only with the unification of Germany in 1871. Even in France itself, emancipation did not end anti-Semitism but merely transformed it. With the emergence of nationalism as the defining factor in European society in the 19th century, anti-Semitism acquired a racial rather than a religious character as ethnically homogeneous peoples decried the existence in their midst of “alien” Jewish elements. Pseudoscientific theories asserting that the Jews were inferior to the so-called Aryan “race” gave anti-Semitism new respectability and popular support, especially in countries where Jews could be made scapegoats for existing social or political grievances. In this new climate, anti-Semitism became a powerful political tool, as politicians were quick to discover. In the 1890s Karl Lueger won the mayoralty of Vienna—a city of diverse culture and many Jews—with his anti-Semitic campaigns. In both Germany and Austria in the late 19th century, anti-Semitism became an organized movement with its own political parties."