Thread:JayZX535/@comment-26094355-20160425230258/@comment-27170788-20160427202050

Maltalidenta Kwuitidherali wrote:

JayZX535 wrote: So, how do you have evidence for lack of evidence? So far, what I've seen you propose as evidence is personal belief-- just as you undoubtedly see what I've proposed.

Again, this depends on your view of the afterlife, but even by my view, you're right. If you get sent to Hell, that won't be happiness...

Actually, Hell is mentioned throughout the Bible, and not just in Revelation. Matthew 25:41 states that "...he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.", and just a few verses later, in Matthew 25:46 we hear that "...these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.". In addition, Luke says in Luke 12:5 "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!", and even the Psalms speak of hell, saying "The wicked shall return to Sheol [Hell], all the nations that forget God.". And while fear of eternal punishment may be a motivator to lead people to salvation, it is a valid one. If your house was on fire, would you rather I tell you about it or not say a thing until there was no way out? That's how I see Hell. It is very real, and very dangerous, and I wish to alert people to the danger so they do not face eternal judgement and condemnation! My proof of lack of evidence is mainly based in the fact that all you've said is "it could be" not "this is why it is".

The first of your examples is a parable, to say the least. He was accentuating it also not on belief, but on ethics... as is the second.

The one from Luke is a passing reference, and without looking it up in a properly massive Concordance, we cannot tell if this wasn't merely a mistranslation.

The Psalms were written by men, so thus their own views get in the way. Almost all of the ones written by David have little to no divine inspiration, as far as I'm aware, anyway.

You provide four examples; the first two are a parable, the second is in passing, the third is in song. The latter two are most likely not divinely inspired in any small way.

"And I with yo alert people to the danger so they do not face eternal... condemnation!" But that's exactly the problem. You have little to no visible evidence to base it upon, yet your religion has you out preaching the "good news" that we'll all burn if we don't follow. Now, excuse my frankness, but it does indeed seem to be a claim made up to convert people so that the religion doesn't die. But see, my evidence comes from scripture, which you disregard. So then, perhaps we should look at scripture and its reliability, in order to test my evidence.

Actually, Matthew 25:31-46 is not a parable. It directly follows two parables earlier in the chapter, yes, but it itself is not a parable. The closest we get to a parable in that section is verses 32-33, where the analogy of a shepherd separating sheep from goats is made. But the rest of that section is not a parable.

It is true that the verse in Luke is isolated, however given the number of other times in scripture where Hell is mentioned (and I have not named all of them) and discussed, I do not believe it is.

I do believe the Psalms were inspired. Yes, they, like the rest of the Bible, were written through men, but as 2 Peter 1:21 tells us, "...no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." In addition, the Psalms are quoted or referenced numerous times by other books in scripture-- such as Mark 12:36 (Psalm 110:1), Matthew 21:42 (Psalm 118:22-23), Matthew 27:35 (Psalm 22:18), John 10:34 (Psalm 82:6), Acts 4:25-26 (Psalm 2:1-2), and many more. So I believe that verse is quite valid as well.

Little to no visible evidence? For those who believe in the scriptures, there is an abundance of visible evidence...