How did you make your decision to become a Christian? For me it was when I read the New Testiment. That being said, I know that I believed in God before that because I can recall times when I prayed to Him before that.
Is there a set of circumstances or arguments that I can reproduce that will lead me to the same conclusion? I would say to get a New Testiment and read it with a true desire to know who this Guy was and what He did. That is what worked for me.
As for arguments: One thing thet helped me overcome the idea that these stories have been exaggerated over time was knowing that the people who were there choose death rather then "admit" that the basic facts where lies.
1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire.",The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.
1037 God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end. In the Eucharistic liturgy and in the daily prayers of her faithful, the Church implores the mercy of God, who does not want "any to perish, but all to come to repentance"
Clearly the punishment of hell is refered to as "eternal fire". But then it goes on to define that "eternal fire" as a seperation from God.
I belive that the "Lake of fire" is sybolic. In the end, to see God and how much he loves us and to know that it was our own choice to seperate us from Him for eterity will torment us like being in a "lake of fire". The import thing is that it is our choice.
I once has a poster that had a VHS tape and a Beta tape on it. In the Beta tape was Sun's OpenView and in the VHS was OSF's Motif. Motif of course being supported but all the other major vendors at the time (IBM, HP, DEC, etc..)
You whould think Sun would have learned from that.
An important point to consider is that by hiring him you are sending a message to others that cracking is a good way to get a job.
Do we really want a bunch of script kiddies trying to make a name a for themselves thinking it will turn into a career?
Slashdot Mirror
It's called the ocean.
Just remember that with relitivity involved it could be the galaxy that is moving. The star could have just stopped.
This ring finds Hot Spots All say it is for the geek Now I want one too
For me it was when I read the New Testiment. That being said, I know that I believed in God before that because I can recall times when I prayed to Him before that.
Is there a set of circumstances or arguments that I can reproduce that will lead me to the same conclusion?
I would say to get a New Testiment and read it with a true desire to know who this Guy was and what He did. That is what worked for me.
As for arguments: One thing thet helped me overcome the idea that these stories have been exaggerated over time was knowing that the people who were there choose death rather then "admit" that the basic facts where lies.
I belive that the "Lake of fire" is sybolic. In the end, to see God and how much he loves us and to know that it was our own choice to seperate us from Him for eterity will torment us like being in a "lake of fire". The import thing is that it is our choice.
I once has a poster that had a VHS tape and a Beta tape on it. In the Beta tape was Sun's OpenView and in the VHS was OSF's Motif. Motif of course being supported but all the other major vendors at the time (IBM, HP, DEC, etc..) You whould think Sun would have learned from that.
An important point to consider is that by hiring him you are sending a message to others that cracking is a good way to get a job. Do we really want a bunch of script kiddies trying to make a name a for themselves thinking it will turn into a career?