McChick: Just some quick responses from me :DDN: : 1) Then there IS something I CAN do to be saved: I can HAVE FAITH and LOVE, correct? So…whenever someone says that there is NOTHING I can do to be saved – they are either mistaken or lying, correct? I am told frequently (even by the Bible itself) that there is NOTHING I can do to be saved.
McChick: Depends on if you class having faith as DOING something
DDN: Well, is "have" a verb or isn't it?
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:DDN :Anybody can make a mistake but shouldn’t you get your story straight before dispensing incorrect instructions for escaping eternal damnation? I think it’s the very height of irresponsibility to do otherwise.
McChick: That's why I think it would be wiser to discontinue this discussion, as it seems I'm doing more harm than good.
DDN: Then I graciously accept your surrender.
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:DDN : 2) Where does the bible say “physical action” in reference to terms of salvation? Are you just making things up again?
McChick: The Bible talks about "deeds" and says that you don't need to do any special good deeds to get into Heaven.
DDN:
1) Are you then retracting your comment about "physical actions"?
2) 'What doth the Lord require of thee but to DO JUSTLY and to love mercy and to walk humbly with God.' (Micah 6:8)
Do justly? Sounds like good deeds to ME.
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: Shaun: “All people, no matter who they are,who have heard the gospel and did not believe will not enter Heaven. It's in the Bible.”
: DDN: It appears to me to be exactly what you are saying except “heard about Jesus” is replaced with “heard the gospel”. So my basic question still stands: What do you mean by “heard the gospel”? How much of the gospel do you need to hear before your “rejection” of it (or Jesus) will land you in Hell?
McChick: I think what is called for is a definition of "The Gospel", but I don't have the time for that now, I really must start my assignment.
DDN: No time to save my eternal soul from burning in hell? Gee thanks.
McChick: ...There are some questions you have asked which I have deleted here.
DDN: Yes, you certainly have......quite a number of them. I guess that takes care of that. I'd say you dealt with them "Christian style". Nice going.
McChick: ....And there are some questions that God only knows the answers to....
DDN: Even questions regarding what one must do in order to escape eternal damnation in hell?! I thought the Bible said that God is "fair". You're going to hell if you don't get saved and the instructions for getting saved are God's special secret that only he can know. What's fair about THIS arrangement?!
McChick: .....God works in mysterious ways.
DDN: That's just a polite way of saying that the bible is a muddled hodgepodge of archaic jewish literature that somehow got missconstrued as a serious, universally applicable, spiritual text. Its the most common last line of defense for christians who don't understand their own religion and are incapable of sharing it or adequately explaining its most important aspects to anyone else. In response I'll submit a more applicable modification of this adage:
PEOPLE work in mysterious ways.
