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Perseus · 04-18-2016

Posted by PigParty

Granted, it all comes down to your true beliefs, but my pastor gave a pretty good sermon not too long ago. He described how some people want to create their own religion, and pick parts of it that they like, and leave the rest out. He said that you can't do that, otherwise you're just fooling yourself. If you believe in that religion, you can't pick which rules you want to follow. Nothing is ever easy, and following the rules of each religion applies to that. I'm a Lutheran, which doesn't have many of the weird rituals that many religions have. We basically just read the Bible straight up and don't try to interpret it too deeply, or read into something that has nothing to read in to. For me (and Lutheranism as a whole), God doesn't judge us. In fact, they stress constantly how he forgives you for everything you do, hence Jesus dying on the cross. We also believe that in God's eyes, all sin is equal. Murder is no worse than thinking bad thoughts about someone, or stealing, or cheating, etc. Most of the "rules" honestly are simple moral rules, that most people (inside or outside of that religion) believe themselves. Such as murder is wrong, adultering is wrong, etc. Christianity doesn't care much about what you do, but rather that you ask for forgiveness and attempt to change (which really is what people should do, regardless of religion). Religion is a strong motivator for many (and myself) to fulfill that change that we want. It does come down to your actual beliefs, but if you would believe in a God, or a religion, I truly believed what I heard in the sermon that you can't take what you like and leave out the rest.

Before this thread, you were cool. After this thread, you are my new best friend. Capiche?

_I'm gonna add a short piece_

Lets just for a moment, presume that Christianity is correct, everything about it is true.

And for this moment you are have been married for 20 something odd years, never raised your voice with them, never did anything to harm them physically or emotionally your spouse. Now if your spouse went out and fondue'd a good friend of yours. How would you feel? Bad. That's probably strongly similar to the way God feels when you stray away and fall in sin. He is heartbroken that someone he loves would fall away from a good life that has been laid out for them. You're welcome for that Cappin' America reference.

_I'm gonna ramble more_

On the subject of "Why does Hell exist?" we are gonna jump on in. Now you are on trial, You are as innocent as a bag of lettuce, and the defendant in as guilty as that chocolate bar you just swallowed whole. The Judge is about to give the verdict, you're exited because you know you are innocent... And BOOM... You are the one going to prison for life. Not fair? You didn't do anything and the guilty party gets off scott-free. And now you are on your death bed, right beside the same person that wronged you. And he gets to go to Heaven and you burn in Hell. How does THAT make you feel? You did everything right in your life, believed in God, went to church, prayed, repented, donated, heck! Even sacrificed! ... And you get the short straw. And the one that should be sitting in your chair is partying it up in Heaven, never stepped foot in a church once, blasphemed, and all that bad stuff. You deserve that, and he deserves this. But why? God is the Judge, Heaven means free-life, and Hell is the prison. The difference between walking free and imprisonment is the believe in God. People who have scoffed at God.. And turned away and never did anything for anyone but themselves don't deserve to have to have eternal happiness. They deserve to suffer, just like that guy who cut you off in front of Wal-Mart. Meanwhile those who knew what was right and believed in God get to live in Heaven with all of their fellow Believers. That is why Hell exists. The same reason prisons exist today. To keep the evil from mixing with the good.