Quote:
Originally Posted by photon
Say there's a girl I like, I want her to marry me.
So I go to her and say, either you marry me, or I will lock you in chains in my basement forever.
Of course she agrees to marry me. Has she done it of her own free will? Of course not, she's being coerced.
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This doesn't match up. Clearly God has given everyone the ability to choose or else everyone would be Christians, which is unlike your scenario.
Quote:
Originally Posted by photon
And each person does not have the option to choose that.
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I have to disagree there. It's my belief that every person will hear of God at least once in their lifetime and have the choice. On the rare occasion where a person has not had the opportunity to learn of Jesus and his salvation I do believe they will go to heaven. I have no proof of this just my belief.
Quote:
Originally Posted by photon
Many people live and die without ever hearing of Jesus at all. Many people never know there's an important choice to be made so they don't read the Bible. Many people read the Bible but reason that the morality of it is bankrupt so don't believe. Many people read the Bible and research the history of it and decide that the conflicting themes and theology make it impossible to base a life on. Many people read the Bible and observe reality and see that the two don't match enough to make the Bible compelling. Many people read the Bible and find no acceptable theodicy. Many people read the holy books of other religions and find those more compelling and complete.
People are approaching the question and the issue honestly and directly and find the information insufficient to make a good decision.
If there's a test, and the material necessary to pass the test is partially hidden, doesn't meet reasonable criteria to accept, and is tossed in among lots of other material which if I accept will actually make me fail without any reasonable way to tell the difference between the material that'll help me pass and the material that'll make me fail, well that's not a fair test to begin with.
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Again people make the choices they make based upon their own beliefs or research. That's there decision and they will have to live with it. Just as I said before if I believe in the wrong God than I will have to live with the decision I've made. I made a choice that I believe is correct and I think I've made the correct decision and am happy with the decision I've made.