Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Hell Hath No Fury

As a bit of a change from drawings a discussion has broken out at The Cartoon Blog about eternal torment and that. Go and pitch in. Look at the links to the sites of the people who believe in taking the Bible literally. I'm off to count their hands and eyes.

1 comment:

Sam said...

Hi Steve,
I've had a look at the discussion. When people read Jesus' warnings and then say "oh they're culturally conditioned", they are right. However, then often this truth is taken and used to come to very strange conclusions to the point where we are agnostic about everything, and judgement is no longer something to be feared.

I think a better approach is to state the things we're sure about:

Q: Will we stand before God to be judged at the end of our lives?
A: Yes, and it will be fair and just.
Q: Should we fear that judgement?
A: Yes, because Jesus warned people.
Q: Is there a way to be "safe"?
A: Yes, it means taking refuge in God (to use an OT image), which implies and includes repentance, which in the NT means trusting in and following Christ.

Another point worth making is that to discuss the nature of judgement in a "tabloid exclusive" manner is totally unbiblical. God's judgement is always grounded in his holiness and goodness, and when his judgement is described he is always portrayed as being trustworthy and righteous.

Those are my thoughts. What do you think?