| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Somebody Who Loves You Somebody Who Loves" |
| Date: |
16 Jul 2007 07:27:01 AM |
| Object: |
Moving the Equator North |
Moving the Equator North
The Rise of Christianity in the Global South
Like other northern European countries, Denmark has historically been a
homogenous society. Also like its neighbors, this has changed in recent
years with the arrival of immigrants from what's called the "Global
South."
The religious fervor of some of these immigrants, like that of immigrants
to other European countries, has shaken things up among the "notoriously
staid" Danes. But if you're thinking this is "another story about Muslims
in Europe," guess again.
A recent Washington Post story described the impact that Christians from
Africa, Asia, and Latin America are having on the Danes. Immigrants have
started more than 150 churches in Denmark. These churches not only
minister to foreign-born residents, but increasingly to native Danes as
well.
Karsten Nissen, a Lutheran bishop, called the immigrant Christian churches
"a gift to our Danish Lutheran Church" that helps Danes understand how
Christians are supposed to live.
According to Bess Semer-Pederson, who runs Alpha Denmark, a course that
teaches the basics of Christianity, Denmark "[needs] these immigrant
churches, because they are bringing a message that we have forgotten."
What's happening in Denmark is only a small part of a larger trend.
"Churches in countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, South Korea, and the
Philippines have sent thousands of missionaries to Europe to set up
churches in homes, office buildings and storefronts." African Anglican
bishops are reaching out to conservative congregations in the United
States, breaking away from the apostate Episcopal church.
Phillip Jenkins isn't surprised at these developments. Jenkins, a
professor of history at Penn State, has chronicled the rise of what he
calls "The Next Christendom." As he writes in The New Faces of
Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South, 60 percent of the
estimated two billion Christians in the world live in Africa, Asia, or
Latin America. By 2050, there will be an estimated three billion
Christians, 75 percent of whom will live in what is the "Global South."
But numbers only tell a part of the story. These Southern Christians have
a much stronger belief in the authority of Scripture than their Western
counterparts. As a Kenyan bishop said, "Our understanding of the Bible is
different from them. We are two different churches."
This belief in biblical authority produces the exuberant faith and the
desire to share it that Europeans and Americans desperately need.
It also promises to change Christianity-and not just in the Global South.
According to Jenkins, "as the center of gravity of the Christian world
moves ever southward, the conservative traditions prevailing in the global
South matter even more."
The most visible example is what's happening in the Anglican Communion.
Africans are not only dominating the Communion statistically-they are
defining the theological agenda, as well.
Along with other non-Western bishops, they are working to transform "two
different churches" into one Bible-believing one. A similar process is
taking place in Methodist circles.
The author John Updike once said, "I don't think God plays well in Sweden.
God sticks pretty close to the equator." Whether or not Updike was right
about Sweden (or Denmark), there's one thing he didn't anticipate: that
God would bring the equator to them and, in doing that, would remind the
West of what it had forgotten.
By Chuck Colson
------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Further Reading and Information
Kevin Sullivan, "Foreign Missionaries Find Fertile Ground in Europe,"
Washington Post, 11 June 2007.
Mary Jordan, "Albanians Rediscover God, If Not Old Time Religion,"
Washington Post, 4 April 2007.
Phillip Jenkins, The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the
Global South, (Oxford University Press 2006).
"Nigerian Bishops Ready to Boycott Anglican Summit Over Homosexuality,"
Africasia, 7 April 2007.
Breakpoint Commentary No. 050322, "Voted Off the Island? The Southern
Christian Struggle Against Apostasy."
.
|
|
| User: "Jack Baun" |
|
| Title: Re: Moving the Equator North |
16 Jul 2007 08:44:09 AM |
|
|
"Somebody Who Loves You" <Somebody Who Loves You_fan_club@yahoo.com> wrote
in message news:13cdo6.g4h.19.1@news.alt.net...
Moving the Equator North
The Rise of Christianity in the Global South
Like other northern European countries, Denmark has historically been a
homogenous society. Also like its neighbors, this has changed in recent
years with the arrival of immigrants from what's called the "Global
South."
The religious fervor of some of these immigrants, like that of immigrants
to other European countries, has shaken things up among the "notoriously
staid" Danes. But if you're thinking this is "another story about Muslims
in Europe," guess again.
A recent Washington Post story described the impact that Christians from
Africa, Asia, and Latin America are having on the Danes. Immigrants have
started more than 150 churches in Denmark. These churches not only
minister to foreign-born residents, but increasingly to native Danes as
well.
Karsten Nissen, a Lutheran bishop, called the immigrant Christian churches
"a gift to our Danish Lutheran Church" that helps Danes understand how
Christians are supposed to live.
According to Bess Semer-Pederson, who runs Alpha Denmark, a course that
teaches the basics of Christianity, Denmark "[needs] these immigrant
churches, because they are bringing a message that we have forgotten."
What's happening in Denmark is only a small part of a larger trend.
"Churches in countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, South Korea, and the
Philippines have sent thousands of missionaries to Europe to set up
churches in homes, office buildings and storefronts." African Anglican
bishops are reaching out to conservative congregations in the United
States, breaking away from the apostate Episcopal church.
Phillip Jenkins isn't surprised at these developments. Jenkins, a
professor of history at Penn State, has chronicled the rise of what he
calls "The Next Christendom." As he writes in The New Faces of
Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South, 60 percent of the
estimated two billion Christians in the world live in Africa, Asia, or
Latin America. By 2050, there will be an estimated three billion
Christians, 75 percent of whom will live in what is the "Global South."
But numbers only tell a part of the story. These Southern Christians have
a much stronger belief in the authority of Scripture than their Western
counterparts. As a Kenyan bishop said, "Our understanding of the Bible is
different from them. We are two different churches."
This belief in biblical authority produces the exuberant faith and the
desire to share it that Europeans and Americans desperately need.
It also promises to change Christianity-and not just in the Global South.
According to Jenkins, "as the center of gravity of the Christian world
moves ever southward, the conservative traditions prevailing in the global
South matter even more."
The most visible example is what's happening in the Anglican Communion.
Africans are not only dominating the Communion statistically-they are
defining the theological agenda, as well.
Along with other non-Western bishops, they are working to transform "two
different churches" into one Bible-believing one. A similar process is
taking place in Methodist circles.
The author John Updike once said, "I don't think God plays well in Sweden.
God sticks pretty close to the equator." Whether or not Updike was right
about Sweden (or Denmark), there's one thing he didn't anticipate: that
God would bring the equator to them and, in doing that, would remind the
West of what it had forgotten.
By Chuck Colson
Thank you very much I heard of the success in Korea and Africa but not
Denmark
Jack------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Further Reading and Information
Kevin Sullivan, "Foreign Missionaries Find Fertile Ground in Europe,"
Washington Post, 11 June 2007.
Mary Jordan, "Albanians Rediscover God, If Not Old Time Religion,"
Washington Post, 4 April 2007.
Phillip Jenkins, The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the
Global South, (Oxford University Press 2006).
"Nigerian Bishops Ready to Boycott Anglican Summit Over Homosexuality,"
Africasia, 7 April 2007.
Breakpoint Commentary No. 050322, "Voted Off the Island? The Southern
Christian Struggle Against Apostasy."
.
|
|
|
| User: "Somebody Who Loves You Somebody Who Loves" |
|
| Title: Re: Moving the Equator North |
16 Jul 2007 08:52:13 AM |
|
|
"Jack Baun" <bluejay@gwis.com> wrote in message news:139mthcron0gld0@corp.supernews.com...
"Somebody Who Loves You" <Somebody Who Loves You_fan_club@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:13cdo6.g4h.19.1@news.alt.net...
Moving the Equator North
The Rise of Christianity in the Global South
Like other northern European countries, Denmark has historically been a
homogenous society. Also like its neighbors, this has changed in recent
years with the arrival of immigrants from what's called the "Global
South."
The religious fervor of some of these immigrants, like that of immigrants
to other European countries, has shaken things up among the "notoriously
staid" Danes. But if you're thinking this is "another story about Muslims
in Europe," guess again.
A recent Washington Post story described the impact that Christians from
Africa, Asia, and Latin America are having on the Danes. Immigrants have
started more than 150 churches in Denmark. These churches not only
minister to foreign-born residents, but increasingly to native Danes as
well.
Karsten Nissen, a Lutheran bishop, called the immigrant Christian churches
"a gift to our Danish Lutheran Church" that helps Danes understand how
Christians are supposed to live.
According to Bess Semer-Pederson, who runs Alpha Denmark, a course that
teaches the basics of Christianity, Denmark "[needs] these immigrant
churches, because they are bringing a message that we have forgotten."
What's happening in Denmark is only a small part of a larger trend.
"Churches in countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, South Korea, and the
Philippines have sent thousands of missionaries to Europe to set up
churches in homes, office buildings and storefronts." African Anglican
bishops are reaching out to conservative congregations in the United
States, breaking away from the apostate Episcopal church.
Phillip Jenkins isn't surprised at these developments. Jenkins, a
professor of history at Penn State, has chronicled the rise of what he
calls "The Next Christendom." As he writes in The New Faces of
Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South, 60 percent of the
estimated two billion Christians in the world live in Africa, Asia, or
Latin America. By 2050, there will be an estimated three billion
Christians, 75 percent of whom will live in what is the "Global South."
But numbers only tell a part of the story. These Southern Christians have
a much stronger belief in the authority of Scripture than their Western
counterparts. As a Kenyan bishop said, "Our understanding of the Bible is
different from them. We are two different churches."
This belief in biblical authority produces the exuberant faith and the
desire to share it that Europeans and Americans desperately need.
It also promises to change Christianity-and not just in the Global South.
According to Jenkins, "as the center of gravity of the Christian world
moves ever southward, the conservative traditions prevailing in the global
South matter even more."
The most visible example is what's happening in the Anglican Communion.
Africans are not only dominating the Communion statistically-they are
defining the theological agenda, as well.
Along with other non-Western bishops, they are working to transform "two
different churches" into one Bible-believing one. A similar process is
taking place in Methodist circles.
The author John Updike once said, "I don't think God plays well in Sweden.
God sticks pretty close to the equator." Whether or not Updike was right
about Sweden (or Denmark), there's one thing he didn't anticipate: that
God would bring the equator to them and, in doing that, would remind the
West of what it had forgotten.
By Chuck Colson
Thank you very much I heard of the success in Korea and Africa but not Denmark Jack
-- +Sig+
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------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Further Reading and Information
Kevin Sullivan, "Foreign Missionaries Find Fertile Ground in Europe,"
Washington Post, 11 June 2007.
Mary Jordan, "Albanians Rediscover God, If Not Old Time Religion,"
Washington Post, 4 April 2007.
Phillip Jenkins, The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the
Global South, (Oxford University Press 2006).
"Nigerian Bishops Ready to Boycott Anglican Summit Over Homosexuality,"
Africasia, 7 April 2007.
Breakpoint Commentary No. 050322, "Voted Off the Island? The Southern
Christian Struggle Against Apostasy."
.
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "The Rev Dr. Hugh Jarse NLAHN." |
|
| Title: Re: Moving the Equator North |
16 Jul 2007 12:06:14 PM |
|
|
On Jul 16, 1:27 pm, John B Loiodice vomited:
<snip>
Oh well, he's such a stupid *****. I can't think what's the matter
of him.
He's a Christian?
Oh! Right!
.
|
|
|
| User: "Somebody Who Loves You Somebody Who Loves" |
|
| Title: Re: Moving the Equator North |
16 Jul 2007 12:50:16 PM |
|
|
"The Rev Dr. Hugh Jarse NLAHN." <hugh.jarse@heathens.org.uk> wrote in message
news:1184605574.955347.311570@22g2000hsm.googlegroups.com...
On Jul 16, 1:27 pm, John B Loiodice vomited:
<snip>
Oh well, he's such a stupid *****. I can't think what's the matter
of him.
He's a Christian?
Oh! Right!
========================================================================
.. Hell - Part 1.
========================================================================
Hell is one of those subjects that makes people uncomfortable. We
hear stories of hell being a place of fire, demons, and endless
torment. Throughout history many authors have written about it,
Dante's Inferno for example. Western culture is very familiar with
the concept. Even Hollywood has made it the subject of many movies.
Whatever the context, whatever the belief, hell is definitely taught
in the Bible. But even the doctrine of hell is not without its
controversy. Some say it is only the grave with no consciousness.
Others say it is a place of correction and punishment that is not
eternal. Others say it is an endless agonizing punishment in fire.
Whichever it is, hell is the total absence of the favor of God.
"The best way to drive out the devil, if he will
not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and
flout him, for he cannot bear scorn."
Heaven & Hell
http://76.162.173.93/prophecy/=CD-R=heaven-and-hell/
The words associated with Hell
Gehenna In the OT, the word for hell is 'ge-hinnom' meaning "Valley of
Hinnom." It was a place to the southwest of Jerusalem. This place was
once "called 'Topheth' and derived from an Aramaic word meaning
'fireplace.' It was here that some pagan kings practiced human sacrifice
by fire (2 Chron. 28:3; 33:6; Jer. 7:31; 32:25)(1). This is probably why
in the NT the word came to be associated with destruction by fire. The
word 'gehenna' is found in the NT 12 times and every instance is spoken
of by Jesus. In the NT, "gehenna" is used of a condition and never of a
place.
Hades This word only occurs in the NT, ten times, and corresponds to the
OT word "sheol." Jesus uses the word four times: (Matthew 11:23);
(Matthew 16:18); (Luke 10:15); (Luke 16:23). The other six occur in Acts
2:27,31; Rev. 1:18; 6:8; 20:13,14. It was probably the "subterranean
abode of all the dead until the judgment. It was divided into two
departments, paradise or Abraham's bosom for the good, and Gehenna or
hell for the bad."(2) In particular, in the account of Lazarus and the
Rich man of (Luke 16:19-31), it is the place of the conscious dead who
are wicked.
Sheol "The Hebrew word Sheol is probably derived from a root "to make
hollow," and was seen as the common receptacle of the dead and in the
great many places the word appears in the OT, it is referring to the
grave.(3) It is a place and is mentioned in Gen. 37:35; Num. 16:30,33;
Psalm 16:10, etc. Sheol has many meanings in scripture: the grave, the
underworld, the state of the dead. It was supposed to be below the
surface of the earth (Ezek. 31:15,17; Psalm 86:13).
Is Hell Eternal Conscious Torment?
There are some Christian groups and many cults that deny the idea
that hell, in the general sense, means eternal, conscious
punishment. Some maintain that God's eternal punishment is
annihilation, or non-existence. Others say it is temporal and that
eventually all will be saved out of hell. Perhaps the most common
objection is that a loving God would never punish people in eternal
torment. We agree that God is love (1 John 4:8), but He is also just
(Neh. 9:32-33; 2 Thess. 1:6), and eternal (Psalm 90:2; 1 Tim. 1:17
). God punishes the evil doer (Isaiah 11:13) and this punishment
will be eternal. But the question remains. Is this eternal
punishment conscious or not? There are verses that can be
interpreted to support the idea that the dead are not conscious
after death: (Ecc. 9:5 - the dead know nothing(4) and Psalm 146:4 -
their thoughts perish, are good examples.) Other verses compare the
dead to sleep: Acts 13:36; 1 Cor. 15:1-6; 1 Thess. 4:13, etc. But
these latter verses are merely comparing the similarity between the
appearance of the dead and the appearance of someone sleeping.
The Dead are Conscious After Death
The wicked descend alive into Sheol Num. 16:30, "But if the Lord brings
about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows
them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then
you will understand that these men have spurned the Lord . . . 33So they
and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth
closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly."
Cast to outer darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth Matt. 8:12,
"but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness;
in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Those cast into the fire suffer consciously Matt. 13:41-42, "The Son of
Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom
all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42and will cast
them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth." See also Matt. 13:50.
Cast into a tormenting fire Rev. 14:9-10, "And another angel, a third
one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the
beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his
hand, 10he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is
mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented
with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the
presence of the Lamb." See also, Rev. 21:8.
Hell is a place of eternal fire and punishment
Unquenchable Fire Matt. 3:12 "And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and
He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His
wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable
fire."
Fiery Hell Matt. 5:22, "whoever shall say, 'You fool,' shall be guilty
enough to go into the fiery hell." See also, Matt. 5:29,30.
Fiery Hell Matt. 18:8-9, "And if your hand or your foot causes you to
stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter
life crippled or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into
the eternal fire. 9"And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out,
and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye,
than having two eyes, to be cast into the fiery hell."
Eternal Fire Matt. 25:41, "Then He will also say to those on His left,
'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been
prepared for the devil and his angels.
Eternal Punishment Matt. 25:46, "And these will go away into eternal
punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." The word 'eternal' in
both places is "aionios" which means 1)without beginning and end, that
which always has been and always will be; 2) without beginning; 3)without
end, never to cease, everlasting. The word 'punishment' is the word
kolasis and it means "to punish, with the implication of resulting severe
suffering - 'to punish, punishment.'"(5)
Eternal Fire Jude 7, "Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around
them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality
and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example, in undergoing
the punishment of eternal fire."
Lake of Fire Rev. 20:15, "And if anyone's name was not found written in
the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Luke 16:19-31, Lazarus and the Rich Man
In Luke 16:19-31 is the story of Lazarus and the rich man.
Basically, Lazarus is a poor man who suffers during life. The rich
man is, of course, rich. They both die. The rich man goes to Hades.
Lazarus goes to Abraham's bosom, another term for paradise. In
Hades, the rich man lifts up his eyes and sees Lazarus far off. He
cries out to Abraham and asks for mercy because he is in agony in
flame. Abraham says no. Then the rich man asks if someone from the
dead were to rise and go tell his brothers not to come to this
terrible place. Abraham teaches him that that will not be done
either. Some say that this is a parable. However, if it is, it is
unique because no other parable actually names a person. It isn't a
story. It is history. It really happened. But many who believe in no
consciousness after death will say it is still a parable. The
question then is, if it is? What is it teaching? If hell fire is
false and if self-awareness after death is also false, then Jesus is
using false doctrines to teach a truth. Parables illustrate truth.
If it is a parable what does the consciousness after death
symbolize? Also, what does the agony in flame symbolize? Are they
not real? Of course they are.
Conclusion
Hell is a real place. It is not mere unconsciousness. It is not
temporal. It is eternal torment. Perhaps that is why Jesus spoke
more of hell than heaven and spent so much time warning people not
to go there. After all, if people just stopped existing, why warn
them? If it was temporal, they'd get out in a while. But if it were
eternal and conscious, then the warning is strong.
Jesus said, "And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and
throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your
body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30"And if
your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off, and throw it from you; for
it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for
your whole body to go into hell," (Matt. 5:29-30).
_________________
1. Achtemeier, Paul J., Th.D., Harper's Bible Dictionary, (San
Francisco: Harper and Row, Publishers, Inc.) 1985. 2. Unger, Merrill
F., Unger's Bible Dictionary, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1966, p. 437. 3.
Vine, W. E., Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament
Words, (Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell) 1981. 4. Ecclesiastes is
a book that is addressed as things appear "under the sun" (Ecc.
1:3,9,14, etc.). In fact, the phrase "under the sun" occurs 29 times
in Ecclesiastes, a book written from the human perspective and boldly
states that all is vanity. 5. Louw, Johannes P. and Nida, Eugene A.,
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains,
(New York: United Bible Societies) 1988, 1989.
========================================================================
. Hell - Part II.
========================================================================
By popular demand, I have been required to add to the original material
on this subject.
Much of this material will overlap with the original material, however is
will demonstrate that there even more scholars that have the same
understanding on this subject.
My simple understanding is that I don't know "where" it is, but I don't
want to go there!
All of the posts will be archived on a web sire with a sufficient index
for your connivance.
More on Hell
1. Hell will be a place of unquenchable fire Matt. 3:12; 13:41-42;
Mark9:43 2. It will be a place of memory and remorse.
Luke 16:19-31 3. It will be a place of thirst.
Luke 16:24 4. It will be a place of misery and pain.
Rev. 14:10, 11 5. It will be a place of frustration and anger.
Matt. 13:42; 24:51 6. It will be a place of separation.
Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 15 7. It will be a place of undiluted divine wrath.
Hab. 3:2; Rev. 14:10 8. It was originally prepared for Satan and his
hosts. Matt. 25:41 9. It will be a place created for all eternity.
Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46; Jude 7
[1]
Willmington's Book of Bible Lists
Hell
Matthew 3:12 ...place of unquenchable fire Matt. 3:12; 13:41-42; ...
12 "His ?a?winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly
clear His threshing floor; and He will ?b?gather His wheat into the
barn, but He will burn up the ?c?chaff with ?d?unquenchable fire."
Matthew 13:41-42 ...fire Matt. 3:12; 13:41-42; Mark 9:43 ...
41 "?a?The Son of Man ?b?will send forth His angels, and they
will gather out of His kingdom ?1?all ?c?stumbling blocks, and those
who commit lawlessness,
42 and ?a?will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that
place ?b?there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mark 9:43 ...12; 13:41-42; Mark 9:43 2. It ...
43 "?a?If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is
better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands,
to go into ?1??b?hell, into the ?c?unquenchable fire,
Luke 16:19-31 ...of memory and remorse. Luke 16:19-31 3. It will ...
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 "Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in
purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day.
20 "And a poor man named Lazarus ?a?was laid at his gate,
covered with sores,
21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from
the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking
his sores.
22 "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to
?a?Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.
23 "In ?a?Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and
?*?saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 "And he cried out and said, '?a?Father Abraham, have mercy on
me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in
water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in ?b?this flame.'
25 "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that ?a?during your life
you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but
now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.
Luke 16:24 ...a place of thirst. Luke 16:24 4. It will ...
24 "And he cried out and said, '?a?Father Abraham, have mercy on
me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in
water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in ?b?this flame.'
Revelation 14:10-11 ...of misery and pain. Rev. 14:10, 11 5. It will
....
10 he also will drink of the ?a?wine of the wrath of God, which
is mixed ?1?in full strength ?b?in the cup of His anger; and he will
be tormented with ?c?fire and ?2?brimstone in the presence of the
?d?holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
11 "And the ?a?smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever;
?b?they have no rest day and night, those who ?c?worship the beast
and his ?c?image, and ?1?whoever receives the ?d?mark of his name."
Matthew 13:42 ...of frustration and anger. Matt. 13:42; 24:51 6. ...
42 and ?a?will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that
place ?b?there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 24:51 ...anger. Matt. 13:42; 24:51 6. It will ...
51 and will ?1?cut him in pieces and ?2?assign him a place with
the hypocrites; in that place there will be ?a?weeping and gnashing
of teeth.
Revelation 2:11 ...a place of separation. Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 15 ...
11 '?a?He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to
the churches. ?b?He who overcomes will not be hurt by the ?c?second
death.'
Revelation 20:6 ...separation. Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 15 7. It will ...
6 ?a?Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first
resurrection; over these the ?b?second death has no power, but they
will be ?c?priests of God and of Christ and will ?d?reign with Him
for a thousand years.
Habakkuk 3:2 ...of undiluted divine wrath. Hab. 3:2; Rev. 14:10 ...
2 Lord, I have ?a?heard ?1?the report about You and ?2?I
?b?fear.
O Lord, ?c?revive ?d?Your work in the midst of the years,
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember ?3??e?mercy.
Revelation 14:10 ...wrath. Hab. 3:2; Rev. 14:10 8. It ...
10 he also will drink of the ?a?wine of the wrath of God, which
is mixed ?1?in full strength ?b?in the cup of His anger; and he will
be tormented with ?c?fire and ?2?brimstone in the presence of the
?d?holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
Matthew 25:41 ...Satan and his hosts. Matt. 25:41 9. It will ...
41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, '?a?Depart from
Me, accursed ones, into the ?b?eternal fire which has been prepared
for ?c?the devil and his angels;
Daniel 12:2 ...created for all eternity. Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46; ...
2 "?a?Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will
awake, ?b?these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and
everlasting ?1?contempt.
Matthew 25:46 ...eternity. Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46; Jude 7 ...
46 "These will go away into ?a?eternal punishment, but the
righteous into ?b?eternal life."
Jude 1 ...2; Matt. 25:46; Jude 7 ...
The Warnings of History to the Ungodly
1 ?1??a?Jude, a ?b?bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of
?2?James,
To ?c?those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and ?d?kept
for Jesus Christ:
HELL
Confused about eternal future, Job 10:19-22. "Down to the pit," Job
33:24. Depth of the earth, Psalm 63:9. Enlarged capacity, Isaiah 5:14
(kjv). Agreement with hell, Isaiah 28:18 (kjv). Fires of Topheth, Isaiah
30:33. "The world below," Ezekiel 32:19 (cev). Broad road to hell,
Matthew 7:13 (See gnb). Fiery furnace, Matthew 13:37-42, 49-50. Excluded
from God's presence, 2 Thessalonians 1:9. Lake of fire, Revelation
19:19-21. Those not in Book of Life, Revelation 20:7-15.
[2]
HELL
The Valley of Hinnom
A deep, narrow ravine south of Jebus (later Jerusalem) called the Valley
of Hinnom, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, was the boundary between
the territories of Benjamin and Judah (Josh. 18:16). The location was
unremarkable in Joshua's day, but came to have great significance later
in Israelite history.
In the period of the divided monarchy, this valley was the site of a
pagan altar, or "high place" (see Deut. 12:2), known as Tophet
("fireplace"). Parents sacrificed their children there to the god Molech.
The Bible singles out Ahaz and Manasseh, kings of Judah, as having led
the way in this grotesque ritual (2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6). But Scripture
praises King Josiah for destroying this idolatrous altar during his
reforms (2 Kin. 23:10).
Jeremiah, who was called as a prophet during Josiah's reign, foretold
that God would judge the Israelites for committing the awful abomination
of human sacrifice, among other evils. The Lord would cause such
destruction that the Valley of Hinnom would become a cemetery known as
the Valley of Slaughter (Jer. 7:31-32; 19:1-6; 32:35).
This prophecy began to be fulfilled when Jerusalem was destroyed by the
Babylonians in 586 b.c. Later, the Valley of Hinnom became the city dump
for Jerusalem. Fires continually smouldered there, as the site was used
as a burning ground for refuse and the dead bodies of criminals and
animals.
In time, the valley became so noxious that its name became a synonym for
hell. The Hebrew phrase ge ("valley of") hinnom eventually became the
Greek Gehenna (Matt. 5:22; Mark 9:43, 45, 47). At one time, Jewish
tradition even held that the entrance to hell began at that valley.
[3]
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
"The Gates of Hell"
Jesus referred to "the gates of Hades" (hell) in His bold statement to
Peter (Matt. 16:18). For Matthew's original readers, the word "gates"
held special significance.
Ancient cities erected walls to protect themselves from invaders. Here
and there along the walls they inserted massive gates to allow traffic in
and out. In times of trouble, they could close the gates against
attacking armies or bandits.
City gates, then, tended to be thoroughfares through which communications
and commerce passed with frequency. Not surprisingly, bazaars and forums
tended to congregate around a city's gates, so that they became an
important arena in a town's public life. Goods were traded there and
decision-makers gathered to hear news and deliberate on events of the
day. Such gates exist to this day in some cities of the world.
Given this phenomenon, "gates" became a metaphor signifying the economic
and political life of a walled city. The influential and powerful did
their business "in the gates." For example, the husband of the virtuous
woman of Proverbs 31 is "known in the gates, when he sits among the
elders of the land" (Prov. 31:23). Boaz, the intended husband of Ruth,
went to the gate to buy a marriage license (Ruth 4:1-12; also Deut.
25:7). War plans were devised and military treaties signed in the gates
(Judg. 5:8, 11). Kings sat in the gates to address their people (2 Sam.
19:8). Even conspirators against kings hatched their plots and were
exposed in the gates (Esth. 2:19-23).
So when Jesus spoke of the gates of Hades, He was drawing on a powerful
image. Matthew's original readers would have seen it as a political
metaphor, the way we use the terms City Hall, the White House, or the
Capitol today. For them, the gates of Hades were not just a spiritual
abstraction but actual forces of evil at work among human systems-the
Roman government, for instance. While not evil in and of itself,
first-century government was quickly becoming corrupted and also
anti-Christian.
Jesus was alluding to a spiritual warfare of cosmic proportions. His
followers are pitted against the powers of hell itself, which not only
attack individual believers but seek to corrupt institutions, enlisting
them in their campaign against Christ. Satan's guises can take many
forms, as a look at any day's news will attest.
Fortunately, Jesus also promised that in the end the gates of Hades would
not succeed. That offers great hope to believers who live in difficult
places and contend for good against powerful entities that, in ways known
and unknown, are backed by spiritual forces of wickedness. In the midst
of the fight Jesus has declared: "I will build My church!"
[4]
What Does the Bible Say About
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Hell
Joshua 18:16 ...of Benjamin and Judah (Josh. 18:16). The location ...
16 The border went down to the edge of the hill which is in the
?a?valley of Ben-hinnom, which is in the valley of Rephaim
northward; and it went down to the valley of Hinnom, to the slope of
the Jebusite southward, and went down to En-rogel.
Deuteronomy 12:2 ...or "high place" (see Deut. 12:2), known as Tophet
("...
2 "You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations
whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the ?a?high mountains
and on the hills and under every green tree.
2 Chronicles 28:3 ...in this grotesque ritual (2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6). ...
3 Moreover, ?a?he burned incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom and
?b?burned his sons in fire, ?c?according to the abominations of the
nations whom the Lord had driven out before the sons of Israel.
2 Chronicles 33:6 ...2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6). But Scripture praises ...
6 ?a?He made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of
Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced
sorcery and ?b?dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil
in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger.
2 Kings 23:10 ...altar during his reforms (2 Kin. 23:10). Jeremiah, who
....
10 ?a?He also defiled ?1?Topheth, which is in the valley of the
son of Hinnom, ?b?that no man might make his son or his daughter
pass through the fire for ?c?Molech.
Jeremiah 7:31-32 ...the Valley of Slaughter (Jer. 7:31-32; 19:...
31 "They have ?a?built the high places of Topheth, which is in
the valley of the son of Hinnom, to ?b?burn their sons and their
daughters in the fire, which I ?c?did not command, and it did not
come into My ?1?mind.
32 "?a?Therefore, behold, days are coming," declares the Lord,
"when it will no longer be called Topheth, or the valley of the son
of Hinnom, but the valley of the Slaughter; for they will ?b?bury in
Topheth ?1?because there is no other place.
Jeremiah 19:1-6 ...Jer. 7:31-32; 19:1-6; 32:35). This ...
The Broken Jar
1 Thus says the Lord, "Go and buy a ?a?potter's earthenware
?b?jar, and take some of the ?c?elders of the people and some of the
?1??d?senior priests.
2 "Then go out to the ?a?valley of Ben-hinnom, which is by the
entrance of the potsherd gate, and ?b?proclaim there the words that
I tell you,
3 and say, 'Hear the word of the Lord, O ?a?kings of Judah and
inhabitants of Jerusalem: thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of
Israel, "Behold I am about to bring a ?b?calamity upon this place,
at which the ?c?ears of everyone that hears of it will tingle.
4 "Because they have ?a?forsaken Me and have ?b?made this an
alien place and have burned ?1?sacrifices in it to ?c?other gods,
that neither they nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had
ever known, and because they have filled this place with the
?d?blood of the innocent
5 and have built the ?a?high places of Baal to burn their
?b?sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I
never commanded or spoke
Jeremiah 32:35 ...32; 19:1-6; 32:35). This prophecy began ...
35 "They built the ?a?high places of Baal that are in the valley
of Ben- hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass
through the fire to ?b?Molech, which I had not commanded them nor
had it ?1?entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to
cause Judah to sin.
Matthew 5:22 ...became the Greek Gehenna (Matt. 5:22; Mark 9:...
22 "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother
shall be ?1?guilty before ?a?the court; and whoever says to his
brother, '?2?You good-for-nothing,' shall be ?1?guilty before
?3??b?the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be
?1?guilty enough to go into the ?4??c?fiery hell.
Mark 9:43 ...Gehenna (Matt. 5:22; Mark 9:43, 45, 47). At ...
43 "?a?If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is
better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands,
to go into ?1??b?hell, into the ?c?unquenchable fire,
Mark 9:45 ...22; Mark 9:43, 45, 47). At one ...
45 "If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better
for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast
into ?1??a?hell,
Mark 9:47 ...Mark 9:43, 45, 47). At one time, ...
47 "?a?If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is
better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than,
having two eyes, to be cast into ?1??b?hell,
Viewing Salvation as an Escape From Sin's Judgment
Perhaps many believers fall far short of the biblical norm because they
are not truly interested in reaching it. For those who fit this category,
the focus of their encounter with Christ is often on personal salvation
from the guilt and the penalty for their sins. While this emphasis is
harmonious with Scripture as one begins his walk with God, it is not
sufficient for a life that could be called "Christian" in the full sense
of the word.
The experience of one of my high school classmates is a case in point. At
the time I was a sincere Roman Catholic with a deep God consciousness. I
had a hunger to know the Lord in a personal way but did not find him
within my church. I lived a very moral life and was known as one of the
"good religious boys" on campus.
The only Protestant churches I knew anything about we called "holy
roller" churches. And they were! I remember one located a few blocks from
my home. While walking near the church during evening services I could
hear their "worship" half a block away from the church.
At first I was amused by it all. Later I became repelled by their
emotional frenzy. It seemed eerie, almost fearful. I was glad I didn't
belong to that kind of church. A group of us would occasionally stand
outside one of the windows to watch the spectacle. The noise level was
unbelievable. Men and women were shouting and falling on the floor.
Everything seemed to be in total confusion.
One of my high school friends was a nice "unsaved" Protestant even as I
was a Roman Catholic. He too lived a very moral life. We enjoyed our
friendship, loved the outdoors, sports, and the good things kids did in
high school without getting involved in "sinful" activities.
One day I heard that my friend had "gotten saved" at a "holy roller"
meeting. "John, we heard you 'got saved' last Sunday. What does that
mean?" a group of us asked him.
"Well, the pastor preached a sermon on hell. It scared me so much I was
determined I didn't want to go there if I could avoid it," he replied.
"He said if we would come to the altar and confess our sins we would 'get
saved' from hell. So I did. I don't want to go to hell."
"What else did he tell you?" we asked.
"He said it is a sin to go to the movies and dances. I have to stay away
from those things or I could still end up in hell," he replied.
This was too much for all of us, me included. While I understood sin and
believed in hell, I had never heard that movies and dances were sinful
and would send you to hell. We all told him to leave the holy roller
church. After a short time he did.
By his own confession he went forward to "get saved" to "escape hell."3
Evidently the love and beauty of God's plan of salvation was not
presented or, at least, did not reach him.
Did he truly find the Lord? I don't know. Perhaps we were the voice of
the Evil One through whom the Word sown was removed from his heart (Matt.
13:19). Perhaps he never was given the "word of the kingdom," so there
was really no firm truth to remove from his heart.
[5]
HELL-the place of eternal punishment for the unrighteous. The nkjv and
kjv use this word to translate sheol and hades, the Old and New Testament
words, respectively, for the abode of the dead.
Hell as a place of punishment translates Gehenna, the Greek form of the
Hebrew word that means "the vale of Hinnom"-a valley just south of
Jerusalem. In this valley the Canaanites worshiped Baal and the fire-god
Molech by sacrificing their children in a fire that burned continuously.
Even Ahaz and Manasseh, kings of Judah, were guilty of this terrible,
idolatrous practice (2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6).
The prophet Jeremiah predicted that God would visit such destruction upon
Jerusalem that this valley would be known as the "Valley of Slaughter"
(Jer. 7:31-34; 19:2, 6). In his religious reforms, King Josiah put an end
to this worship. He defiled the valley in order to make it unfit even for
pagan worship (2 Kin. 23:10).
In the time of Jesus the Valley of Hinnom was used as the garbage dump of
Jerusalem. Into it were thrown all the filth and garbage of the city,
including the dead bodies of animals and executed criminals. To consume
all this, fires burned constantly. Maggots worked in the filth. When the
wind blew from that direction over the city, its awfulness was quite
evident. At night wild dogs howled and gnashed their teeth as they fought
over the garbage.
Jesus used this awful scene as a symbol of hell. In effect he said, "Do
you want to know what hell is like? Look at the valley of Gehenna." So
hell may be described as God's "cosmic garbage dump." All that refuse to
be made fit for heaven will be turned away into hell.
The word Gehenna occurs twelve times in the New Testament. Each time it
is translated as "hell." With the exception of James 3:6, it is used only
by Jesus (Matt. 5:22, 29-30; 10:28; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke
12:5). In Matthew 5:22, 18:9; and Mark 9:47, it is used with "fire" as
"hell fire." So the word hell (Gehenna) as a place of punishment is used
in the New Testament by Him who is the essence of infinite love.
In Mark 9:46 and 48, hell is described as a place where "their worm does
not die and the fire is not quenched." Repeatedly Jesus spoke of outer
darkness and a furnace of fire, where there will be wailing, weeping, and
gnashing of teeth (Matt. 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke
13:28). Obviously this picture is drawn from the valley of Gehenna.
The Book of Revelation describes hell as "a lake of fire burning with
brimstone" (Rev. 19:20; 20:10, 14-15; 21:8). Into hell will be thrown the
beast and the false prophet (Rev. 19:20). At the end of the age the devil
himself will be thrown into it, along with death and hades and all whose
names are not in the Book of Life. "And they will be tormented day and
night forever and ever" (Rev. 20:10).
Because of the symbolic nature of the language, some people question
whether hell consists of actual fire. Such reasoning should bring no
comfort to the lost. The reality is greater than the symbol. The Bible
exhausts human language in describing heaven and hell. The former is more
glorious, and the latter more terrible, than language can express.
[6]
Your Destiny
Whom will you serve? God leaves that choice in your hands. Love knows no
other way. In order to respect your free choice, God has made the
evidence for Christianity convincing but not compelling. If you want to
suppress or ignore the evidence all around you (Rom. 1:18-20)-including
that which is presented in this book-then you are free to do so. But that
would be a volitional act, not a rational one. You can reject Christ, but
you cannot honestly say there's not enough evidence to believe in him.
C. S. Lewis said it best when he wrote, "There are only two kinds of
people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to
whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.' All that are in Hell,
choose it. Without that self-choice there would be no Hell. No soul that
seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek
find. To those who knock it is opened."?5?
The door is being held open by Jesus Christ. How can you walk through it?
Paul wrote, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe
in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For
it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with
your mouth that you confess and are saved" (Rom. 10:9).
You say, "I believe that Jesus rose from the dead." Good. But merely
believing that Jesus rose from the dead is not enough. You need to put
your trust in him. You can believe that a certain person would make a
great spouse, but that's not enough to make that person your husband or
wife. You must go beyond the intellectual to volitional-you must put your
trust in that person by saying "I do." The same is true concerning your
relationship with God. Trusting him is not just a decision of the head
but one of the heart. As someone once said, "The distance between heaven
and hell is about eighteen inches-the distance between the head and the
heart."
What happens if you freely choose not to walk through the door Jesus is
holding open? Jesus said you will remain in your condemned state: "For
God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save
the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but
whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not
believed in the name of God's one and only Son" (John 3:18). In other
words, you'll remain condemned and separated from God forever. God will
respect your choice by saying to you, "Thy will be done."
You say, "God doesn't send anyone to hell!" You're right. If you reject
Christ, you'll send yourself there.
You say, "God will just annihilate those who don't believe." No, he
won't. Hell is real. In fact, Jesus spoke more of hell then he did of
heaven. God will not annihilate unbelievers because he will not destroy
creatures made in his own image. That would be an attack on himself.
(What would you think of an earthly father who killed his son just
because his son chose not to do what his father wanted him to do?) God is
too loving to destroy those who don't want to be in his presence. His
only choice is to quarantine those who reject him. That's what hell
does-it quarantines evil, which is contagious.
You say, "God will save everybody!" How? Against their will? Some people
would rather be ruined than changed. They'd rather continue their
rebellion than be reformed. So God says, "Have it your way. You may
continue your rebellion, but you'll be quarantined so that you can't
pollute the rest of my creation." Besides, it would be unloving of God to
send people who can't bear to spend an hour on Sunday praising him to a
place where they will be praising him for eternity. That would be "hell"
to them!
You say, "I can't believe there is only one way to God." Why not? Do you
need more than one way to get into a building? Do you bring this charge
against Muslims for saying that Islam is the only way? How about Hindus?
They say reincarnation is the only way to salvation. We have shown
philosophically and biblically that Jesus is the only way to reconcile
infinite justice and infinite love. If that's not true, then God sent
Jesus to die a brutal death for nothing.
You say, "But what about those who have never heard?" Why should that
affect your decision? You have heard!
"Because I can't believe in a God who would torture people in hell just
because they haven't heard of Jesus." Who said God does this? First, God
doesn't torture anyone. Hell is not a place of externally inflicted
torture, but a place of self-inflicted torment (Luke 16:23, 28). Those in
hell certainly don't want it, but they will it. Hell is a terrible place,
but its doors are locked on the inside. Second, people may choose hell
whether or not they've heard of Jesus. Everyone knows of God because of
the starry heavens above and the Moral Law within (Rom 1:18-20; 2:14-15).
Those who reject that natural revelation will reject Jesus too. However,
those that truly seek God will be rewarded (Heb. 11:6). Since God wants
everyone to be saved (even more than you do-2 Pet. 3:9), he will ensure
that seekers get the information they need. And since God is just (Gen.
18:25; Ps. 9:8; Rom. 3:26), no one will go to hell who should go to
heaven, and vice versa. "In the meantime," as C. S. Lewis said, "if you
are worried about people on the outside, the most unreasonable thing you
can do is to remain outside yourself. Christians are Christ's body, the
organism through which he works. Every addition to that body enables Him
to do more. If you want to help those outside, you must add your own
little cell to the body of Christ who alone can help them. Cutting off a
man's fingers would be an odd way of getting him to do more work."?6?
You say, "You Christians just want to scare people with hell!" No, we
just want people to know the truth. If that scares them, maybe it should.
We certainly don't like what the Bible says about hell. We wish it
weren't true. But Jesus, who is God, taught it, and for good reason. It
seems to be necessary. Without a hell, injustices in this world would
never be righted, the free choices of people would not be respected, and
the greater good of a redemption could never be accomplished. If there is
no heaven to seek and no hell to shun, then nothing in this universe has
any ultimate meaning: your choices, your pleasures, your sufferings, the
lives of you and your loved ones ultimately mean nothing. We struggle
through this life for no ultimate reason, and Christ died for nothing.
Without heaven and hell, this incredibly designed universe is a stairway
to nowhere.
"So what?" says the atheist. "Maybe this universe is a stairway to
nowhere. Just because you want life to have meaning doesn't mean it
does." True. But we don't just want life to have meaning-we have evidence
that it has meaning.?7?
We end with the greatest news anyone could ever hear. Your choices do
matter. Your life does have ultimate meaning. And thanks to Christ, no
one has to experience hell. Every human being can accept his free gift of
eternal salvation. It takes no effort at all. Does it take some faith?
Yes, but every choice-even the choice to reject Christ-requires faith.
Since the evidence shows beyond a reasonable doubt that the Bible is
true, accepting Christ is the choice that requires the least amount of
faith. The choice is up to you. Do you have enough faith to believe
anything else?
You say, "I still have doubts and questions." So what? We do too.
Everyone has doubts and questions. And why shouldn't we? As finite
creatures, we shouldn't expect to understand everything about an infinite
God and how he does things. Paul certainly didn't (Rom. 11:33-36), and
many of the Old Testament writers expressed doubts and even questioned
God.?8? But since we are finite creatures who must make our decisions
based on probability, there has to be a point where we realize that the
weight of the evidence comes down on one side or the other. We'll never
have all the answers. But as we have seen throughout this book, there are
more than enough answers to give God the benefit of our doubts.
Finally, have you ever thought about questioning your doubts? Just ask
yourself, "Is it reasonable to doubt that Christianity is true in light
of all the evidence?" Probably not. In fact, in light of the evidence,
you ought to have a lot more doubts about atheism and every other
non-Christian belief system. They are not reasonable. Christianity is. So
start doubting your doubts and accept Christ. It takes too much faith to
believe anything else!
[7]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
[1]Willmington, H. L. (1987). Willmington's book of Bible lists. Wheaton,
Ill.: Tyndale House.
kjv King James Version
cev Contemporary English Version
gnb Good News Bible
[2]Anderson, K. (1996). Where to find it in the Bible. Nashville: T.
Nelson Publishers.
[3]Thomas Nelson Publishers. (2001). What does the Bible say about-- :
The ultimate A to Z resource fully illustrated. Nelson's A to Z series
(197). Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson.
[4]Thomas Nelson Publishers. (2001). What does the Bible say about-- :
The ultimate A to Z resource fully illustrated. Nelson's A to Z series
(378). Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson.
3 3. Hell is a reality. The New Testament is filled with references to
it, many from the lips of Jesus Himself. This was not His main message,
however. His main message was the kingdom of God and eternal life.
[5]Murphy, E. F. (1997, c1996). Handbook for spiritual warfare (89).
Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[6]Hayford, J. W., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995). Hayford's Bible
handbook. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
5 C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce (New York: Macmillan, 1946), 72.
6 C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan, 1943), 65.
7 For more on hell and objections to hell, see Norman Geisler, Baker
Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1999),
308-313.
8 For examples of Bible books where doubt and questions about God are
expressed, see Job, many of the Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and Lamentations.
[7]Geisler, N. L., & Turek, F. (2004). I don't have enough faith to be an
atheist (384). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.
.
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| User: "Somebody Who Loves You Somebody Who Loves" |
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| Title: Re: Moving the Equator North |
16 Jul 2007 12:57:17 PM |
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"The Rev Dr. Hugh Jarse NLAHN." <hugh.jarse@heathens.org.uk> wrote in message
news:1184605574.955347.311570@22g2000hsm.googlegroups.com...
On Jul 16, 1:27 pm, John B Loiodice vomited:
<snip>
Oh well, he's such a stupid *****. I can't think what's the matter
of him.
He's a Christian?
Oh! Right!
Judgment Day
Evangelist: Let me put it this way-are you ready for the
Judgment Day?
Store clerk: When will it be?
Evangelist: Could be today, could be tomorrow!
Store clerk: Well, when you know exactly, be sure to let me
know. My wife will probably want to go on both days.
==
(Matthew 7:20-23 NASB)
20 "So then, you will 1know them aby their fruits.
21 "aNot everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will
enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of
My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 "aMany will say to Me on bthat day, 'Lord, Lord,
did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast
out demons, and in Your name perform many 1miracles?'
23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you;
aDEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'
7:19, 20 The destiny of the false prophets is to be thrown into the
fire. The doom of false teachers and prophets is "swift destruction" (2
Pet. 2:1). They can be known by their fruits. V. I Never Knew You
(7:21-23)
7:21 The Lord Jesus next warns against people who falsely profess to
acknowledge Him as Savior, but have never been converted. Not everyone
who calls Jesus, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven. Only
those who do the will of God enter the kingdom. The first step in doing
the will of God is to believe on the Lord Jesus (John 6:29).
7:22, 23 On judgment day when unbelievers stand before Christ (Rev.
20:11-15), many will remind Him that they prophesied, or cast out
demons, or performed many wonders-all in His name. But their
protestation will be in vain. Jesus will declare to them that He never
knew them or acknowledged them as His own. From these verses we learn
that not all miracles are of divine origin and that not all miracle
workers are divinely accredited. A miracle simply means that a
supernatural power is at work. That power may be divine or satanic.
Satan may empower his workers to cast out demons temporarily, in order
to create the illusion that the miracle is divine. He is not dividing
his kingdom against itself in such a case, but is plotting an even worse
invasion of demons in the future.
==
We are to recognize them by their fruits. That is what we are to watch
for in their lives. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven [Matt. 7:21]. You can run around and mouth
about living by the Golden Rule, but the point is: Are you doing the
will of the Father in heaven? If you are doing His will, you'll come to
Christ, recognizing that you need a Savior. Many will say to me in that
day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name
have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And
then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that
work iniquity [Matt. 7:22-23]. Obviously these verses do not refer to
believers today. Every believer, living or dead, will be caught up to
meet the Lord in the air. None will hear the Lord say, "depart from me."
This passage has particular reference to the Great Tribulation period
and the Millennium. This is the place to suggest that the Sermon on the
Mount will have a particular meaning for the remnant during the Great
Tribulation.
==
7:21 Not everyone who says . but he who does. The barrenness of this
sort of faith demonstrates its real character (cf. v. 20)-the faith that
says but does not do is really unbelief. Jesus was not suggesting that
works are meritorious for salvation, but that true faith will not fail
to produce the fruit of good works. This is precisely the point of James
1:22-25; 2:26.
7:22 have we not prophesied . cast out demons . and done many wonders.
Note that far from being totally devoid of works of any kind, these
people were claiming to have done some remarkable signs and wonders. In
fact, their whole confidence was in these works-further proof that these
works, spectacular as they might have appeared, could not have been
authentic. No one so bereft of genuine faith could possibly produce true
good works. A bad tree cannot bear good fruit (v. 18).
7:23 lawlessness. All sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4), i.e., rebellion
against the law of God (cf. 13:41).
==
"It is hard for humans to conceive of how literal fire can bring torture
to nonphysical beings, but the reality of unbearable pain inflicted on
Satan is unquestionable. However the Bible may speak of that future
punishment-whether as the lake of fire, outer darkness (Matt. 8:12;
22:13; 25:30), wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 8:12; 13:42, 50;
22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28), a never-dying worm and unquenchable
fire (Mark 9:48), or fire and brimstone-it presents a picture of mental
agony and corporeal suffering combined in proportion to the guilt of
those who have sinned (Luke 12:47-48) . . ."704
==
THE TWO FOUNDATIONS
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I
will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and
beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock
[Matt. 7:24-25].
If you have come to Christ, He is the foundation-"For other foundation
can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11).
When you are resting on Christ, you can build on that foundation. By
yielding to the Holy Spirit, you can build a life which the Bible likens
to gold, silver, and precious stones.
But there is another kind of building- And every one that heareth these
sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish
man, which built his house upon the sand:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and
beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it [Matt.
7:26-27].
What is that sand? It is human goodness and human effort. It is the old
weakness of the flesh. My friend, I say to you that you need something
better than the flesh has to offer. Matthew concludes this section by
saying- And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the
people were astonished at his doctrine:
For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes
[Matt. 7:28-29].
Our Lord Jesus was that kind of teacher-He taught with authority; He
wasn't just repeating something He had read. And you and I need to
recognize that we have nothing worthwhile to say unless it is with the
authority of the Word of God and unless we believe it is the Word of
God. I don't want to hear a man who gives me a string of theories,
theories which he himself has never tried and actually knows nothing
about. Today we have a gospel to give, a message of salvation. We know
it works because it has worked in our case. And we have seen it work in
the lives of others who have come to Christ.
My friend, the Sermon on the Mount is a glorious passage of Scripture.
Don't bypass it. If you read it aright, it will bring you to the person
of Jesus Christ. It will show you how you fail to measure up to its
precepts. It will show you that you are weak and guilty. It will make
you cry for mercy and will bring you to the person of Christ for
salvation. When you accept Christ as Savior, He will give you the Holy
Spirit who will enable you to live on this high standard.
==
(Isaiah 23:1-23 NASB)
Judgment on the Earth
1 Behold, the LORD alays the earth waste, devastates
it, distorts its surface and scatters its inhabitants.
2 And the people will be like the priest, the servant like
his master, the maid like her mistress, the buyer like the
seller, the lender like the borrower, the acreditor like the
debtor.
3 The earth will be completely laid waste and
completely despoiled, for the LORD has spoken this
word.
4 The aearth mourns and withers, the world fades and
withers, the bexalted of the people of the earth fade away.
5 The earth is also apolluted 1by its inhabitants, for they
transgressed laws, violated statutes, bbroke the everlasting
covenant.
6 Therefore, a acurse devours the earth, and those who
live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the binhabitants of the
earth are burned, and few men are left.
7 The anew wine mourns,
The vine decays,
All the merry-hearted sigh.
8 The agaiety of tambourines ceases,
The noise of revelers stops,
The gaiety of the harp ceases.
9 They do not drink wine with song;
aStrong drink is bbitter to those who drink it.
10 The acity of chaos is broken down;
bEvery house is shut up so that none may enter.
11 There is an aoutcry in the streets concerning the
wine;
bAll joy 1turns to gloom.
The gaiety of the earth is banished.
12 Desolation is left in the city
And the agate is battered to ruins.
13 For athus it will be in the midst of the earth among
the peoples,
As the 1shaking of an olive tree,
As the gleanings when the grape harvest is over.
14 aThey raise their voices, they shout for joy;
They cry out from the 1west concerning the majesty of the
LORD.
15 Therefore aglorify the LORD in the 1east,
The bname of the LORD, the God of Israel,
In the 2ccoastlands of the sea.
16 From the aends of the earth we hear songs, "bGlory
to the Righteous One,"
But I say, "1cWoe to me! 1Woe to me! Alas for me!
The dtreacherous deal treacherously,
And the treacherous deal very treacherously."
17 aTerror and pit and snare
1Confront you, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 Then it will be that he who flees the 1report of
disaster will fall into the pit,
And he who 2climbs out of the pit will be caught in the snare;
For the awindows 3above are opened, and the bfoundations
of the earth shake.
19 aThe earth is broken asunder,
The earth is bsplit through,
The earth is shaken violently.
20 The earth areels to and fro like a drunkard
And it totters like a 1shack,
For its btransgression is heavy upon it,
And it will fall, cnever to rise again.
21 So it will happen in that day,
That the LORD will apunish the host of 1heaven on high,
And the bkings of the earth on earth.
22 They will be gathered together
Like aprisoners in the 1dungeon,
And will be confined in prison;
And after many days they will bbe punished.
23 Then the amoon will be abashed and the sun
ashamed,
For the bLORD of hosts will reign on cMount Zion and in
Jerusalem,
And His glory will be before His elders.
24:1-23 On Judgment Day: Tottering like a tent. Having warned several
specific nations (see 13-23), Isaiah now spoke in broader terms about
God's ultimate triumph over evil
(24-25) and exaltation of Israel (see 26-27). He began by describing a
future time of universal suffering and devastation (24:1-13), sent by
God because all humankind had transgressed his laws
(24:5). A few will escape this judgment, just as a few olives or grapes
can be gleaned after the harvest
(24:13), and they will rejoice (24:14-16; see exposition on 10:20-23),
but for most of humankind there will be only judgment
(24:16-23). The earth will shake. It will "stagger" like a "drunkard"
and "tremble" like "a tent in a storm"-clearly a description of the
Tribulation. Out of this terrible devastation, however, will come the
glorious light of Christ in his millennial kingdom
(24:23; see 60:19-20; Rev. 21:23; 22:5). Because of its description of
the Tribulation and Millennium,
24-27 is often called "Isaiah's Apocalypse." (Apocalypse is Greek for
"revelation"; the book of Revelation also describes the Tribulation and
Millennium.)
==
The Day of His Wrath
Revelation 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be
able to stand? The Great Day is a Judgment Day of evil angels Jude 6 And
the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own
habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto
the judgment of the great day. A battle is held on God's Great Day
Revelation 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles,
which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to
gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
The righteous are revealed on this day Romans 2:5-11 But after thy
hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against
the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who
will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by
patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and
immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do
not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9
Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the
Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to
every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11 For there is no respect of persons with God. Wicked have reservations
to this day
Job 21:30 That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they
shall be brought forth to the day of wrath. Riches mean nothing on that
day
Proverbs 11:4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness
delivereth from death.
==
And if you have trouble digesting what Jesus said to the rich young
ruler, then his description of the judgment day will stick in your
throat. It's a prophetic picture of the final day: "Many will say to me
on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your
name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' " 4 Astounding. These
people are standing before the throne of God and bragging about
themselves. The great trumpet has sounded, and they are still tooting
their own horns. Rather than sing his praises, they sing their own.
Rather than worship God, they read their résumés. When they should be
speechless, they speak. In the very aura of the King they boast of self.
What is worse-their arrogance or their blindness? You don't impress the
officials at NASA with a paper airplane. You don't boast about your
crayon sketches in the presence of Picasso. You don't claim equality
with Einstein because you can write "H2O." And you don't boast about
your goodness in the presence of the Perfect. "Then I will tell them
plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers.' " 5 Mark it
down. God does not save us because of what we've done. Only a puny god
could be bought with tithes. Only an egotistical god would be impressed
with our pain. Only a temperamental god could be satisfied by
sacrifices. Only a heartless god would sell salvation to the highest
bidders. And only a great God does for his children what they can't do
for themselves. That is the message of Paul: "For what the law was
powerless to do . God did."6 And that is the message of the first
beatitude. "Blessed are the poor in spirit .."
==
JUDGMENT DAY The apostle begins by pointing out that although the
believers had suffered persecution, this was not a sign that the
judgment day had already come. It will be just the opposite when that
day actually does come. Believers will be rewarded; oppressors will be
condemned (1). Further, the day of the Lord could not possibly have
arrived yet, because it would be preceded by a falling away from the
faith and the appearance of the man of lawlessness (known also as the
son of perdition, the man of sin, or the antichrist). Although the
antichrist will lead many astray, he will be destroyed by Christ at his
coming (2). The letter draws to a close with further thanksgiving and
admonitions concerning prayer, ungodly living, and disobedience. There
is also a greeting written in Paul's own handwriting.
==
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is a frequent theme throughout
Scripture, both in the Old Testament (e.g., Deut 29:23; Isa 13:19; Amos
4:11) and in the New Testament (e.g., Matt 10:15; II Pet 2:6; Jude 7),
being used in both testaments to warn that unrighteousness is fearsomely
judged by God. Sodom is used to symbolize abject decadence (Lam 4:6; Rom
9:29; Rev 11:8), and Sodom and Gomorrah epitomize God's abhorrence of
homosexuality and all sexual depravity. As Scripture puts the narrative
of these two cities to these purposes, we must be instructed in these
points. In fact, this point is made in the narrative itself, for 18:19
states plainly that God involved Abraham in this episode so that he
would learn from it and teach his descendants (including his spiritual
descendants) that it is necessary to ??do righteousness and justice? in
order to escape God's judgment. II Peter 2:6 is an inspired commentary
on the reason Scripture includes this narrative, for it states plainly
that Sodom and Gomorrah were made ??an example for those who would live
ungodly thereafter. This theme of judgment occurs many times in
Scripture, but nowhere more graciously than John 3:18, where the means
of attaining righteousness, and thereby avoiding judgment, is also
disclosed.
==
This event vividly displays God?s abhorrence and condemnation of all
sexual sin (Jer 23:14; Ezek 16:46?58), homosexuality (Jude 7), and of
blatant, rebellious sin (Isa 3:9). This is in harmony with Leviticus 18
and 20:10?21 which state God?s absolute and unambiguous position against
licentiousness, incest, homosexuality, and sexual aberrations. However,
the passage is not all condemnatory in its instruction, for it also
reminds us that God will both rescue the righteous and judge the
unrighteous (II Pet 2:6?14). Jesus Christ cited the punishment of Sodom
and Gomorrah as an example of the final judgment and a standard by which
to gauge that judgment.
Mills, M. (1999). Genesis : A study guide to the book of Genesis (Ge
19:12). Dallas: 3E Ministries.
==
True and False Conversions
Overview:
http://Bibleweb.Info/Bibleweb.Info-True-and-False-Conversionsf.pdf
True and False Conversions (58 min) There is an entire industry built
around proving precious items - like diamonds and gold - to be
authentic - the "real thing". And, since the Bible says our faith is
more precious than gold, our Christianity should be tested to see if
IT is real - or fake. From a Bible teacher's perspective, this task is
NOT a job for the faint-hearted. So we again enlisted evangelist Ray
Comfort, known for his signature "pull-no punches" style. Using some
important litmus tests, Pastor Comfort helps all professing Christians
who are willing... to "examine themselves to see if they are in the
faith". Presented by: Ray Comfort
Available in our Guest Area under Misc Video Set 3
==
Are We There Yet?
Heaven & Hell: Biblical Images of the Afterlife (1 hr) - Are Heaven
and Hell real places? - Where are they located? - What will they
be like? - And who is destined to spend eternity there?
Heaven & Hell examines the histories of both places. How did they
come to be? What events dictated their creation? What, if anything,
lies for us beyond the grave? As human beings we are drawn to these
same timeless questions. The Bibles view of the afterlife is embraced
by more people living today than any other generation in history.
Interviews with noted authors, scholars and theologians including
George H. Gallup, Jr. (George H. Gallup International Institute, and
author of Adventures in Immortality), Joni Eareckson-Tada (author of
Heaven: Your Real Home), and Dr. Larry Poland (theologian, educator
and author of 2084) will cast light on the spiritual mysteries of
Heaven and Hell. The video incorporates dramatic recreations, art of
the masters and leading edge computer animation to present visual
clues to the physical characteristics of Heaven and Hell. Heaven &
Hell will strengthen the faith of those who believe and challenge the
skepticism of those who doubt the existence of either place.
George H. Gallup Jr. provides the statistics (53 percent of Americans
believe in Hell, 70 percent in Heaven), and two religious authors and
a priest provide the spiritual interpretation in this exploration of
the basis of belief in the afterlife. The video is divided into
segments on Revelation, Hell, and Heaven, and actors read Biblical
passages underlining the narration by Ed Ragozzino and the scholarly
input. Apostle John's dramatized visions of the end of the world and
the Second Coming, images of Hell (hint: fire is involved), and an
artist's depiction of the 1,500-square-mile cube that would be the
heavenly New Jerusalem bring the content alive. Father Pompei of
Philadelphia compares his parish neighborhood to Hell, and author
Joni Eareckson Tada (Heaven: Your Real Home) movingly describes how
she came to look forward to a heavenly afterlife, and the new body
she believes will come with it, after an accident in her teens left
her paralyzed from the neck down. Author and theologian Dr. Larry
Poland (2084) rounds out the panel of experts. --Kimberly Heinrichs
==
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| User: "Pastor Kutchie, ordained atheist minister" |
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| Title: Re: Moving the Equator North |
16 Jul 2007 01:14:23 PM |
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On Jul 16, 6:57 pm, "Somebody Who Loves You" <Somebody Who Loves
You_fan_c...@yahoo.com> wrote:
"The Rev Dr. Hugh Jarse NLAHN." <hugh.ja...@heathens.org.uk> wrote in messagenews:1184605574.955347.311570@22g2000hsm.googlegroups.com...
On Jul 16, 1:27 pm, John B Loiodice vomited:
<snip>
Oh well, he's such a stupid *****. I can't think what's the matter
of him.
He's a Christian?
Oh! Right!
Judgment Day
Judgement day is an individual thing. For you, Loiodice, it is the day
you die. There will be no waiting angels, no waiting God, no waiting
Satan, just worms, bacteria, and slow, inexorable decay.
It's roughly the same for all of us, except that for you believers,
you will have wasted the only lifetime you get believing in all sorts
of nonsense, and those beliefs will have led you to waste every breath
you ever took.
Judgement day is indeed a day of reckoning, and for you, the ledgers
will all be empty. Entropy is irreversible, and once the sands of time
run out, there is nothing more to be said or done. Too bad. You have
staked your life on Pascal's wager, and its dog was lame before it
left the trap.
.
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| User: "Somebody Who Loves You Somebody Who Loves" |
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| Title: Re: Moving the Equator North |
16 Jul 2007 01:56:50 PM |
|
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"Pastor Kutchie, ordained atheist minister" <666@heathens.org.uk> wrote in message
news:1184609663.396000.57330@k79g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
Judgment Day
Judgement day is an individual thing. For you, Loiodice, it is the day
you die. There will be no waiting angels, no waiting God, no waiting
Satan, just worms, bacteria, and slow, inexorable decay.
It's roughly the same for all of us, except that for you believers,
you will have wasted the only lifetime you get believing in all sorts
of nonsense, and those beliefs will have led you to waste every breath
you ever took.
Judgement day is indeed a day of reckoning, and for you, the ledgers
will all be empty. Entropy is irreversible, and once the sands of time
run out, there is nothing more to be said or done. Too bad. You have
staked your life on Pascal's wager, and its dog was lame before it
left the trap.
.. Monkey Morality - Can Evolution Explain Ethics?
St. Jackanapes is a chimp. He's being punished by other members of
the chimpanzee band for not sharing his bananas. St. Jackanapes is
selfish. Bad St. Jackanapes. Moral rule: Chimps shouldn't be
selfish.
One of the strongest evidences for the existence of God is man's
unique moral nature. C.S. Lewis argues in Mere Christianity that
there is a persistent moral law that represents the ethical
foundation of all human cultures. This, he says, is evidence for
the God who is the author of the moral law.
Not everyone agrees. Scenarios like the one above have been offered
as evidence for rudimentary forms of morality among animals,
especially the "higher" primates like chimpanzees. This suggests
that morality in humans is not unique and can be explained by the
natural process of evolution without appeal to a divine Lawgiver.
This view of morality is one of the conclusions of the new science
of evolutionary psychology. Its adherents advance a simple premise:
The mind, just like every part of the physical body, is a product of
evolution. Everything about human personality--marital
relationships, parental love, friendships, dynamics among siblings,
social climbing, even office politics--can be explained by the
forces of neo-Darwinian evolution.
Even the moral threads that make up the fabric of society are the
product of natural selection. Morality can be reduced to chemical
relationships in the genes chosen by different evolutionary needs in
the physical environment. Love and hate; feelings of guilt and
remorse; gratitude and envy; even the virtues of kindness,
faithfulness, or self- control can all be explained mechanistically
through the cause and effect of chance genetic mutations and natural
selection.
One notable example of this challenge to the transcendent nature of
morality comes from the book The Moral Animal--Why We Are the Way We
Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology, by Robert Wright.
.. How Morals Evolve
.. The Blind Moral-Maker
In his popular defense of evolution, The Blind Watchmaker, Richard
Dawkins acknowledges that the biological world looks designed, but
that this appearance is deceiving. The appearance of intelligent
order is really the result of the workings of natural selection.
Robert Wright holds the same view regarding man's psychological
features, including morality. The strongest evidence for this
analysis seems to be the explanatory power of the evolutionary
paradigm when dealing with moral conduct. The argument rests on the
nature of natural selection itself:
If within a species there is variation among individuals in their
hereditary traits, and some traits are more conducive to survival and
reproduction than others, then those traits will (obviously) become more
widespread within the population. The result (obviously) is that the
species' aggregate pool of hereditary traits changes.[1]
Wright argues from effect back to cause, asking what is the
simplest, most elegant solution adequate to explain the effects we
see. To Wright, the evolutionary explanation is "obvious." In
order to survive, animals must adapt to changing conditions. Through
the process of natural selection, naturalistic forces "choose"
certain behavior patterns that allow the species to continue to
exist. We call those patterns "morality."
.. Wired for Morality
The thesis that evolution explains all moral conduct requires that
such conduct be genetically determined. Morality rides on the
genes, as it were, and one generation passes on favorable morality
to the next. Wright sees a genetic connection with a whole range of
emotional capabilities. He talks about "genes inclining a male to
love his offspring,"[2] and romantic love that was not only invented
by evolution, but corrupted by it.[3] Consider these comments:
If a woman's "fidelity gene" (or her "infidelity gene") shapes her
behavior in a way that helps get copies of itself, into future
generations in large numbers, then that gene will by definition
flourish.[4] [emphasis in the original]
Beneath all the thoughts and feelings and temperamental differences
that marriage counselors spend their time sensitively assessing are
the stratagems of the genes--cold, hard equations composed of simple
variables.[5]
Some mothers have a genetic predisposition to love their children,
so the story goes, and this genetic predisposition to be loving is
favored by natural selection. Consequently, there are more women
who are "good" mothers.
What is the evidence, though, that moral virtues are genetic, a
random combination of molecules? Is the fundamental difference
between a Mother Teresa and a Hitler their chromosomal makeup? If
so, then how could we ever praise Mother Teresa? How could a man
like Adolph Hitler be truly guilty?
Wright offers no such empirical evidence. He seems to assume that
moral qualities are in the genes because he must; his paradigm will
not work otherwise.
.. Wright's Double-Standard
.. Morality Above Morality
In a public relations piece promoting his book, Robert Wright says,
"My hope is that people will use the knowledge [in this book] not
only to improve their lives--as a source of 'self-help'--but as
cause to treat other people more decently." [emphasis mine]
This statement captures a major flaw in Wright's analysis. His
entire thesis is that chance evolution exhausts what it means to be
moral. Morality is descriptive, a mere function of the environment
selecting patterns of behavior that assist and benefit the growth
and survival of the species. Yet he frequently lapses,
unconsciously making reference to a morality that seems to transcend
nature.
Take this comment as an example: "Human beings are a species
splendid in their array of moral equipment, tragic in their
propensity to misuse it, and pathetic in their constitutional
ignorance of the misuse."[6] [emphasis mine] Wright reflects on the
moral equipment randomly given to us by nature, and then bemoans our
immoral use of it with words like "tragic," "pathetic," and
"misuse."
He writes, "Go above and beyond the call of a smoothly functioning
conscience; help those who aren't likely to help you in return, and
do so when nobody's watching. This is one way to be a truly moral
animal."[7]
It's almost as if there are two categories of morality, nature's
morality and a transcendent standard used to judge nature's
morality. But where did this transcendent standard come from? It's
precisely this higher moral law that needs explaining. If
transcendent morality judges the "morality" that evolution is
responsible for, then it can't itself be accounted for by evolution.
Social Darwinism
Like many evolutionists, Wright recoils from social Darwinism. "To
say that something is 'natural' is not to say that it is good. There
is no reason to adopt natural selection's 'values' as our own."[8]
Just because nature exploits the weak, he argues, doesn't mean we
are morally obliged to do so.
Natural selection's indifference to the suffering of the weak is not
something we need to emulate. Nor should we care whether murder, robbery,
and rape are in some sense "natural." It is for us to decide how
abhorrent we find such things and how hard we want to fight them.[9]
Wright argues that the reductio ad absurdum argument from social
Darwinism is flawed. Though life is an unregulated state of nature
is, as 17th century English philosophy Thomas Hobbes described it,
"solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short,"[10] we're not required
to take the "survival of the fittest" as a moral guideline.
Evolutionists may be right when they argue that we're not compelled
to adopt the morality of evolution. The danger of social Darwinism,
though, is not that society is required to adopt the law of the
jungle, but that it is allowed to. The exploitation of the weak by
the strong is morally benign according to this view.
What Darwinists cannot do is give us a reason why we ought not
simply copy nature and destroy those who are weak, unpleasant,
costly, or just plain boring. If all moral options are legitimate,
then it's legitimate for the strong to rule the weak. No moral
restraints protect the weak, because moral restraints simply
wouldn't exist.
Monkey Morality
Recent studies have attempted to show that animals exhibit
rudimentary moral behavior. In one case, a group of chimpanzees
"punished" one "selfish" member of their band by withholding food
from it. Apparently, the moral rule was this: Chimps shouldn't be
selfish.
Conduct, Motive, and Intent
There are some problems with this assessment. First of all, drawing
conclusions about animal morality simply from external behavior
reduces morality to conduct. Why should we accept that morality is
exhaustively described by behavior? True morality entails
non-behavioral elements, too, like intent and motive.
One can't infer actual moral obligations from the mere fact of a
chimp's conduct. One might talk descriptively about a chimp's
behavior, but no conclusion about morality follows from this. One
can observe that chimps in community share food, and when they do
they survive better. But you can't conclude from this that St.
Jackanapes, the chimp, ought to share his bananas, and if he
doesn't, then he's immoral because he hasn't contributed to the
survival of his community.
Further, in fixing blame, we distinguish between an act done by
accident and the very same act done on purpose. The behavior is the
same, but the intent is different. We don't usually blame people
for accidents: The boy didn't intend to trip the old lady.
We also give attention to the issue of motive. We withhold blame
even if the youngster tripped the old lady on purpose if the motive
is acceptable: He tripped her to keep her from running in front of
a train.
Motive and intent cannot be determined simply by looking at
behavior. In fact, some "good" behavior--giving to the poor, for
example--might turn out to be tainted if the motive and intent are
wrong: being thought well of with no concern for the recipient.
Indeed, it seems one can be immoral without any behavior at all,
e.g. plotting an evil deed that one never has the opportunity to
carry out.
Morality informs behavior, judging it either good or bad, but it's
not identical to behavior. Morality is something deeper than
habitual patterns of physical interaction. Therefore, one can't
draw conclusions about animal morality simply based on what he
observes in their conduct.
Morality: Explained or Denied?
This leads us to the second problem, which runs much deeper. When
morality is reduced to patterns of behavior chosen by natural
selection for its survival value, then morality is not explained;
it's denied. Wright admits as much. Regarding the conscience he
says:
The conscience doesn't make us feel bad the way hunger feels bad, or good
the way sex feels good. It makes us feel as if we have done something
that's wrong or something that's right. Guilty or not guilty. It is
amazing that a process as amoral and crassly pragmatic as natural
selection could design a mental organ that makes us feel as if we're in
touch with higher truth. Truly a shameless ploy.[11] [emphasis mine]
Evolutionists like Wright are ultimately forced to admit that what
we think is a "higher truth" of morality turns out to be a
"shameless ploy" of nature, a description of animal behavior
conditioned by the environment for survival. We've given that
conduct a label, they argue. We call it morality. But there is no
real right and wrong.
Does St. Jackanapes, the chimp, actually exhibit genuine moral
behavior? Does he understand the difference between right and wrong?
Does he make principled choices to do what's right? Is he worthy of
blame and punishment for doing wrong? Of course not, Wright says.
St. Jackanapes merely does in a primitive way what humans do in a
more sophisticated way. We respond according to our genetic
conditioning, a program "designed" by millions of years of
evolution.
The evolutionary approach is not an explanation of morality; it's a
denial of morality. It explains why we think moral truths exist
when, in fact, they don't.
.. Why Be a Good Boy Tomorrow?
This observation uncovers the most serious objection to the idea
that evolution is adequate to explain morality. There is one
question that can never be answered by any evolutionary assessment
of ethics. The question is this: Why ought I be moral tomorrow?
One of the distinctives of morality is its "oughtness," its moral
incumbency. Assessments of mere behavior, however, are descriptive
only. Since morality is essentially prescriptive--telling what
should be the case, as opposed to what is the case--and since all
evolutionary assessments of moral behavior are descriptive, then
evolution cannot account for the most important thing that needs to
be explained: morality's "oughtness."
The question that really needs to be answered is: "Why shouldn't
the chimp (or a human, for that matter) be selfish?" The
evolutionary answer might be that when we're selfish, we hurt the
group. That answer, though, presumes another moral value: We ought
to be concerned about the welfare of the group. Why should that
concern us? Answer: If the group doesn't survive, then the species
doesn't survive. But why should I care about the survival of the
species?
Here's the problem. All of these responses meant to explain
morality ultimately depend on some prior moral notion to hold them
together. It's going to be hard to explain, on an evolutionary view
of things why I should not be selfish, or steal, or rape, or even
kill tomorrow without smuggling morality into the answer.
The evolutionary explanation disembowels morality, reducing it to
mere descriptions of conduct. The best the Darwinist explanation
can do--if it succeeds at all--is explain past behavior. It cannot
inform future behavior. The essence of morality, though, is not
description, but prescription.
Evolution may be an explanation for the existence of conduct we
choose to call moral, but it gives no explanation why I should obey
any moral rules in the future. If one countered that we have a
moral obligation to evolve, then the game would be up, because if we
have moral obligations prior to evolution, then evolution itself
can't be their source.
Evolutionists Are Wrong about Ethics
Darwinists opt for an evolutionary explanation for morality without
sufficient justification. In order to make their naturalistic
explanation work, "morality" must reside in the genes. "Good,"
beneficial tendencies can then be chosen by natural selection.
Nature, through the mechanics of genetic chemistry, cultivates
behaviors we call morality.
This creates two problems. First, evolution doesn't explain what
it's meant to explain. It can only account for preprogrammed
behavior, which doesn't qualify as morality. Moral choices, by
their nature, are made by free agents, not dictated by internal
mechanics.
Secondly, the Darwinist explanation reduces morality to mere
descriptions of behavior. The morality that evolution needs to
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