Oh, so they can hate their families and sell all their stuff? No worries.
So care programs and sheltered employment programs for mentally retarded people have been wasting their time - actually holding back the mentally retarded ... like inadvertently hiding the answers.
Jesus said to love your neighbor, love your brothers, and even love your enemy. Jesus said to hate your family. Here we are at the surface. How do you put these thoughts together? In short, here is the meaning of Jesus' words. "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." (Mt 10:37 ASV) The Bible will interpret itself if you allow it. That is why the Bible says, "do not interpretations belong to God." (Genesis 40:8 )
1. Why did the consecrated communion host not bleed when I bit into it?
2. Why is there random suffering? Earthquakes and Tsunamis for a start?
3. Why are there contradictions in the Bible? Between Gospels, and between OT and NT?
4. Why doesn't prayer work - even for good stuff like peace or healings or signs that might help faith along a bit?
5. Why isn't there one religion if there is one God?
1. I have no idea what you're talking about.
2. I'm discussing that in another thread, The Problem of Evil.
3. Because it was written by humans with different perspectives, but most contradictions are not contradictions and there are no contradictions about worship or morality, the things of primary importance.
4. Prayer does work. But one must work in harmony with their prayers. You cannot pray for peace and prepare for war. And some things we pray for are simply not available at this time, like miraculous healing and signs. These things served only one purpose in the past. That purpose is over, at least for now. In the future they will have a purpose again.
Why did God choose the Jews to receive and reject Jesus. God's own chosen people killed Jesus That is ridiculous!!!
To keep his word to Abraham. And everything God is doing now and in the forseable future is to keep his word to Abraham. "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Because thou hast obeyed my voice." (Genesis 22:18 ASV)
So what is not going to heaven like? (Probably where I'm going.) And some references please?
"in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Genesis 3:19 ASV)
"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in
Sheol, whither thou goest." (Ecc 9:10 ASV)
"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the
grave, whither thou goest." (KJV)
"Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly: for neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge shall be in
hell, whither thou art hastening." (DRB)
"And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire." (Rev 20:14 ASV)
"And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." (KJV)
"Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death." (NLT)
Since hell (a lake of fire), nor death, can be cast into a lake of fire it should be evident the language is symbolic. The fires of hell and the lake of fire are symbols of death and/or destruction. More correctly hell is death (gravedom) and the lake of fire is destruction. Death, the grave, Satan and his angels, and all those whose name is not found written in the Book of Life will be destroyed in the Lake of Fire. This is the second
death. All those in hell will be resurrected. "Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which
all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth....." (John 5:28,29)