In Reply to: Re: Jesus' words posted by Rocky on February 20, 2006 at 20:43:53:
there is so much of the bible that is a puzzle. People try and put it together and often make a mess of it and yet say, look - I fixed the puzzle. But they haven't really. I think some things are basic and some things are not.
As far as heaven and hell - I think there has to be some punishment otherwise there would be no right or wrong. Why do we put people in jail? We do it for a couple of reasons - we do it 1 - to protect the public and 2 - for punishment. Would the people who use the reason they can't believe in a God with a heaven and a hell, not want to have any prisons for criminals here on earth? Some prisoners get life without the possibility of parole. That's a very long time, it might as well be an eternity for them. I don't see any campaign of citizens trying to get prisoners released just because they hate the idea that there are jails.
I also believe that God looks on the heart - I think people with good hearts regardless of their faith will be with God, but that's just my opinion. But if God is just, then I believe it is right.
I'm not saying I understand heaven and hell - there may be such a thing as the restoration of all things. That's a doctrine a lot of people believe in. That one day, everything will be restored. But who knows - no one really knows.
It's enough for me to believe 110 percent that there is a creator and that this creator is the one spoken of in the bible. The rest to me is neither here nor there. Sometimes I think the notion of hell has been embellished to keep people from doing things they would have done otherwise. Maybe someone stopped a suicidal act because he didn't want to go to hell. Again, who knows. There are many questions about the bible that are yet unanswered. We are told that now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face and we will know even as we are known.
All I know is that I believe in a just God and that in the end, things will be made right.