Dear Kathy,
Since you graciously agreed (in our recent conversation) to let me present you with some examples of the Bible’s problems, I decided to do it in this way so it would have its own comment thread. As I’ve said, when I was a Christian, one strike against the Bible was not enough to shake my faith — maybe it only seemed problematic, maybe there was an explanation we hadn’t uncovered yet, maybe the historical accounts were wrong, etc. But as the problems began to mount up, I reached a point where I could no longer deny the fact that the Bible had actual errors.
A couple of suggestions before we begin. Try to be as open-minded about this as possible. As you go through these examples, ask yourself if God would allow such problems to exist in a message that he wanted all people to accept and believe? According to the Bible, whenever God sent someone a message, whether it was Pharaoh or Gideon or Nebuchadnezzar or Paul, they had no question whom it was from. They didn’t always follow it, as we see with people like Pharaoh and Solomon, but they didn’t question the source of the message or what it stated. So why would God operate differently today? Why would he want us to be so confused about his message that we’re able to question whether or not it’s really from him?
Another thing to keep in mind is that even if you come to the conclusion that the Bible has actual problems, that doesn’t mean you have to stop believing in God. There are a number of Christians who don’t believe in inerrancy. And even if you lose faith in the Christian god, that still doesn’t mean you have to stop believing in God. A number of people, including several of our founding fathers, were deists. I have a lot of sympathy for that view and plan to do a post on it soon.
Some of the items listed here will have links that provide additional information, especially when the issue is too detailed to list here. I hope that you’ll check out those links, since some of them are quite significant points. And regardless of how this article strikes you, I hope it will help serve as a great springboard to launch you into your own research.
Some of the Problems
Creation
The creation accounts in Genesis do not match what we’ve learned through science. This isn’t shocking news, but it bears looking into. Evolution and the Big Bang Theory had nothing to do with my deconversion, but I’ve learned more about both since leaving Christianity. It’s shocking how much misinformation I had been operating under. Not to say that all Christians are that way — that was simply my experience. But the evidence for both evolution and the Big Bang are far more substantial than I had ever realized. Two good resources for learning more about these issues are the following (though I’d also recommend checking out the recent Cosmos series, as well as some of the PBS NOVA specials):
Another problem with the creation accounts is that Genesis 1 says that plants and trees were made on the 3rd day, while man was made on the 6th. But Genesis 2:5-9 says that man was created before there were any plants or trees in the land. Also, the 1st chapter says that man was created after all the animals, but the 2nd chapter implies that it was the other way around. It seems strange that such discrepancies would exist only a chapter apart, but there are a number of textual clues that suggest the first 5 books of the Bible were assembled over a long period of time from various writings written by a number of different people. Many scholars believe that Genesis 1 and 2 represent two separate versions of the creation story that were both included because the compilers didn’t know which was more accurate. Whatever the reason, there’s no question that the differences exist and are hard to explain.
10 Plagues
During the 10 plagues, God afflicts all of Egypt’s livestock with a disease (Ex 9:1-7), and it specifies that it would affect the “horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks.” We’re told that all of Egypt’s livestock died. But the later plague of boils was said to affect both man and beast (verse 10 of chapter 9). Maybe it meant non-livestock animals. But Ex 11:5 says that the death of the firstborn would also affect Egypt’s cattle, and in Exodus 14, Pharaoh pursues the Israelites with horses.
Hares Chew the Cud
Leviticus 11:6 tells us that hares chew the cud. They do not. Animals that chew the cud are called ruminants. When they eat plant matter, it goes to their first stomach to soften, and then it’s regurgitated to their mouth. They spend time re-chewing it, and then it is swallowed and fully digested. Ruminants (cows, sheep, goats, etc.) are recognizable because their chewing of the cud is very obvious. Hares (rabbits) don’t chew the cud; however, their mouths do move frequently, so it’s possible to see why some people may have assumed that they do chew the cud. Of course, God would know they didn’t, and this is why the passage is problematic. You can read more about this here.
Arphaxad
In the genealogy given in Genesis 11:10-12, we see that Noah fathered Shem and Shem fathered Arphaxad. At the age of 35, Arphaxad fathered Shelah. This information is confirmed in 1 Chron 1:18. But Luke 3:35-36 tells us that Arphaxad’s son was Cainan, and he was the father of Shelah.
Where does Luke get this information? It disagrees with the Old Testament, so who should we believe? Some have suggested that Genesis and 1 Chronicles simply left out Cainan for some reason. But why would they do that? To further complicate it, how could Cainan have fit in there? Genesis tells us that Arphaxad was 35 when he fathered Shelah. Does it really seem likely that Arphaxad became a grandfather by 35, especially when you consider the extreme old ages that people lived to at that time?
Another explanation is that some copyist messed up when copying Luke and Cainan is just a mistake. But this is not much better. First of all, the error would have needed to occur early for it to be in all our copies of Luke. Secondly, are we really comfortable saying that we have the inspired word of our creator, but it got messed up by some guy who wasn’t paying close attention? To me, that doesn’t lend a lot of credence to the idea of inspiration or inerrancy.
Instead, the most likely explanation is that Luke made a mistake. This, of course, would indicate that he was not inspired.
Problems in the Book of Daniel
In Daniel 5, the writer refers to Belshazzar as the son of Nebuchadnezzar 7 different times. Yet we know from multiple contemporary sources that Belshazzar’s father was Nabonidus, who was not related to Nebuchadnezzar. The same chapter says that Darius the Mede took over Babylon, but this person does not seem to have ever existed. Daniel says that he was the son of Ahaseurus, and in mentioning this, the author of Daniel indicates that he was thinking of a later ruler — the persian emperor Darius the Great, whose son was Ahaseurus. This post in particular goes into the problems surrounding the 5th chapter, but if you’d like to learn about the problems in the rest of the book, you can access each article in the series here.
Jairus’s Daughter
In Mark 5:23, Jairus finds Jesus and says that his daughter is at the point of death. While they’re on their way to the house, some of his servants find them on the way and say that she has died and there’s no point in troubling Jesus further.
However, in Matthew 9:18, Jairus already knows that his daughter has died, but tells Jesus that if he’ll lay his hands on her, she’ll live. This may seem like a minor difference, but honestly, there’s only one scenario that could be true. Either the girl was already dead, or she wasn’t. And if Jairus already knew she was dead, then there was no point in his servants coming to tell him that (so of course, they don’t appear in Matthew’s account).
The Centurion
This is similar to the previous issue. Matthew and Luke both record a centurion who asks Jesus to heal his sick servant. Matthew 8:5-13 says that the centurion himself comes before Jesus to ask for help. Luke 7:1-10 says that the Jewish elders went on his behalf, and then he sent servants to follow up. In Luke, Jesus never speaks to, or even sees, the centurion at all.
Hight Priest
In Mark 2:23-28, Jesus talks about the occasion from the Old Testament when David ate the showbread, which Jesus said was in the days of Abiathar the high priest. However, in 1 Samuel 21:1-6, it appears that Ahimelech was the high priest. Some have tried to answer this problem by saying that Abiathar was alive during that particular episode, so Jesus’ statement is still true. But that’s obviously not the intent of the passage. After all, we would correct anyone who said that the tragedy of 9/11 occurred during the days of President Barack Obama. He may have been alive at the time, but that event did not happen while he was President.
430 Years
Galatians 3:16-17 says this:
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.
Here, Paul says that the law came 430 years after the promises were made to Abraham. But in Exodus 12:40-41, we see:
Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the LORD’s divisions left Egypt.
If the Israelites were in Egypt 430 years, then there could not have been 430 years between Abraham’s promises and the law. God made the promises to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, and as we read on through Genesis, we see that Abraham had no children at this time. Later, he had a son named Isaac. When Isaac was 60 years old, he had Jacob (Gen 25:24-26), and Jacob had 12 sons that produced the 12 tribes of Israel. Already, we can see that some time has passed since Abraham received the promise. Once Jacob’s sons were all grown with families of their own, they finally settled in Egypt. Jacob was 130 years old at this time (Gen 47:9), and this marks the beginning of that 430 year period that the Israelites spent in Egypt.
That means that the time between the promise to Abraham and the giving of the law was actually over 600 years. So why did Paul say 430 years? I think it’s obvious that this was a simple mistake. He remembered the 430 year figure because that’s how much time the Israelites spent in Egypt, and so he simply misspoke. It’s not a big deal… except that he’s supposed to be inspired by God.
Jesus’ Birth
There are a number of issues surrounding Jesus’ birth. First, Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts contradict one another on virtually all the details, which you can read about here. Secondly, Matthew seems to invent an episode where Herod kills all the children in Bethlehem who are 2 and under, causing Mary, Joseph, and Jesus to flee to Egypt (instead of just returning home to Nazareth, because only Luke says that they started in Nazareth). Matthew does this in order to “fulfill” some Old Testament passages that actually have nothing to do with Jesus or killing babies. You can read about Matthew’s misuse of the Old Testament here — it’s quite blatant.
The Virgin Birth is one of the most famous aspects of Jesus’ story, and it was supposedly done in fulfillment of a prophecy from Isaiah. But it turns out that Isaiah was prophesying no such thing — he was talking about an event that was happening in his own time, and Matthew (once again) just appropriated the “prophecy” for his own devices. You can read all the details here.
Another problem concerning Jesus’ birth narratives is that Matthew and Luke both offer genealogies for Jesus, but they are completely different from one another. Worse, they don’t match the genealogies listed in the Old Testament, either. And Matthew claims that there was a pattern in the number of generations between Abraham and David, between David and the Babylonian captivity, and between the Babylonian captivity and Christ. But to get this neat division, he is forced to leave out some names. In other words, that pattern didn’t happen. You can read more about that here.
The Triumphal Entry
While not as blatant as most of these other issues, when Matthew recounts Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, he once again borrows from the Old Testament, but seems to make a mistake in his implementation. See here for more info.
Judas’ Death
Judas is well known for being the disciple that betrayed Jesus, but what’s not as well known is there are two different accounts of his death, and it’s very hard to reconcile them. According to Matthew, Judas threw his money down at the chief priests’ feet and went out and hanged himself. We’re not told where he did this. The priests then take the money, and instead of putting it back in the treasury (since it’s blood money), they buy a field to use for burying strangers. Because they bought the field with this money, it’s called the “Field of Blood.”
According to Acts, Judas bought a field with his money (we’re not told that he was remorseful), and he somehow fell down, bursting open in the middle and bleeding to death. The field was called “Field of Blood” after that because of the manner in which Judas died.
To make things more complicated, Matthew (of course) says that this happened in accordance with Jeremiah’s prophecy, but there’s nothing in Jeremiah that matches up. The closest reference comes from Zechariah, not Jeremiah.
These issues really complicate the notion of divine inspiration, and you can read more about them here.
The Crucifixion
There are several big problems with the way the gospels record the events of Jesus’ death, including the fact that different times of day are given for it, and even different days altogether. You can read more about this here.
The Resurrection
There are also a number of problems concerning the resurrection, some minor, some major. They’re too involved to get into here, but you can read all about them here and here.
The Problem of Hell
The notion of Hell is fraught with problems. It might even surprise you to learn that the Bible’s teachings on the afterlife change dramatically between the Old and New Testaments. I go into detail about Hell’s problems here, here, and here.
The Problem of Evil
Another huge problem for Christianity is the problem of evil, which I talk about here. This post also addresses the “problem of Heaven.”
The Bible’s Morality
While a number of people believe that the Christian god is the source of all morality, the Bible is actually filled with some monstrous acts that are either commanded by God, done with his consent, or carried out by him directly. I talk about some specific examples here, and I address some of the common responses to them here.
Conclusion
Kathy, there are a number of other examples that could be given, including the prophecy of Tyre that we’ve been discussing. But to me, these are some of the most significant and clear-cut problems. We could try to manufacture explanations for every one of these — some might be more believable than others. But why should we have to? If a perfect God inspired this book, why should it contain so many discrepancies? And honestly, some of these issues can’t be explained. They’re just wrong. The problems go well beyond internal contradictions and unfulfilled prophecies. There are problems of authorship, problems with the doctrines, and problems with the way the texts were written, transcribed, and compiled.
I’m sure you’ve spent your time as a Christian trying to reach those who are lost. You’ve always believed that Christianity is truth, and it’s the one thing that everyone needs. But could it be that Christianity is just as false as every other religion in the world? And if that’s the case, wouldn’t you want to leave it behind? When one is dedicated to finding truth, they have to be prepared to follow it wherever it leads. It’s not always easy or popular. It’s not even a guarantee that you’re right. All it means is that you follow the evidence where it leads to the best of your ability. If you find out that you’re wrong about something, you adjust course when the evidence dictates. If God exists, and if he’s righteous, what more could he ask for than that? I’ll close with my favorite quote:
Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.
— Marcus Aurelius
Finding Truth 
Kathy asked:
Just wondering what atheists here think about Meriam Ibrahim’s story. She was sentenced to death by hanging.. after receiving 100 lashings.. because she refused to deny her Christian faith. She is a physician.. obviously an intelligent educated woman.. what could cause her to refuse to say those few words that would spare her from torture and death??
Many people are willing to die or be put to death for things they believe whether they are valid beliefs or not. Suicide bombers have been brought up several times here, but I think they fit the context of this particular question. They are not only willing to die, but are willing to kill themselves and others because they believe so strongly that Allah is the true God. Jim Jones got an awful lot of people to drink his Kool-Aid. Believing things enough to die for them doesn’t make them true.
Having said that, Kathy, I once believed enough that I thought I would have been willing to die for it. Thankfully I never had to make that choice, but I believe at that time I would have – most assuredly – been willing to die for my faith.
Moreover, you should know that many of the liberals and atheists in this very group signed the petition that circulated that has contributed to her gaining freedom.
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“As ignorance was its mother and the source-spring of its world power, it is bound to cherish ignorance as its patron saint and monitor forever, for the breath of knowledge would wither it away.” (Dr Alvin Boyd Kuhn on Christianity)
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“This everlasting Hell people you have said people are going to sure doesn’t sit well with me.”
oh vey….now we have a new subject in this thread.
Well first off – I don’t, nor is it rational to, hold to this view of yours that people are just these wonderful, caring considerate life forms you claim.Its just cotton candy I live in a fake world of my dreams. every human I have ever met has a dark side
Second I am not aware of anyone in this thread has committed the undpardonable sin Port. You read it wrong – the updardonable sin was boring me – which obviously is a joke. Now upon reflection I realize that some people believe backsliding is but I am not one of them and not what I See in the appropriate verses.
Third before you go rambling on as if you know my theology you should ask first. The nature of hell is timeless/eternal but what many people (including many a preacher) forgets is this
Revelation 20:14 (KJV)
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
I know no way around this passage.
The physical body is already dead in this context therefor the only thing left is the soul/spirit. So in context that must mean the person ceases to have one just as the person who dies ceases to have an operational body. So am I down with all the passages that state hell is a timeless (or I would say time different)/eternal place) ? Yes just as heaven seems to be but if GOd said he was going to close down heaven everyone would understand that no one will be there for all eternity. The verse above seems to suggest thats exactly what in the future will happen to hell
Further, and millions of Christians are responsible for this, the whole idea that people will be in hell for “million and million years and every day sundown and sun upthey will be in torment” always was a load of huey. Eternal places do not have days and weeks sun rises and sunsets. Time is not the same in an eternal place and I don’t think we are even capable of understanding reality without time
SO I believe in Hell But due to rev 20:14 you can neither accuse me nor God of leaving people in it forever and ever because at some point something happens to hell and the passage seems to suggest pretty straightforwardly that people in it are destroyed.
Those who don’t think so have no real answer of what that verse means so the whole idea then becomes ambiguous as to say that Hell is a forever experience for anyone.
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Mike though I agree there is no eternal Hell, how do you explain this verse ?
“And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name” (Rev. 14:11).
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“So am I down with all the passages that state hell is a timeless (or I would say time different)/eternal place)”
So Rev 14:11 and Rev 20:14 would be contradictions ?
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Mike, aren’t you selecting biblical passages you choose to believe ?
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I used to select biblical passages and would as you put it , be down with all the passages which stated otherwise.
As an example when fellow christians stated I had to receive Jesus as my personal savior , I would refer them to John 5:24, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
I would say, “see, all I have to do is hear Jesus’ word AND believe in him (god) who sent him. That’s it.” But then one of them quoted John 6:29, ” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” An apparent contradiction.
So how would your comments above be any different from what I did ?
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BTW You are asking a question in the quote I used from you, but immediately you answer “Yes”
“So am I down with all the passages that state hell is a timeless (or I would say time different)/eternal place) ? Yes just as heaven seems to be but if GOd said he was going to close down heaven everyone would understand that no one will be there for all eternity”
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kk Just being honest
I kind of see you as a nit. I don’t read you much and I don’t think any conversation really has any chance of substance from you going forward. short one liners I might read and respond to (like this one) but just letting you now ongoing debate with you isn’t really worth our time from either of our perspectives
anyway no theres as usual no contradiction just your ignorance
Revelation 14:10-11 (KJV)
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
the only thing stated there forever and ever is the smoke
Not unusual to the Bible but you obviously wouldn’t know about it because you only read it for quote mining
Isaiah 34:10 (KJV)
10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.
and
Revelation 18:18 (KJV)
18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
Revelation 19:3 (KJV)
3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
Both referring to smoke from destruction of earthly places (Babylon) ascending forever. Smoke does not equal people and if you even read rev 14 its about judgement from God to the earth
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“As an example when fellow christians stated I had to receive Jesus as my personal savior , I would refer them to John 5:24, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
I would say, “see, all I have to do is hear Jesus’ word AND believe in him (god) who sent him. That’s it.” But then one of them quoted John 6:29, ” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” An apparent contradiction.”
and there you have it. Proof of why I consider you a nit. You just sliced out 5:23
“John 5:23 (KJV)
23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
which what is what precedes hearing his word on
John 5:24 (KJV)
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Too silly for words. You are dismissed
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Mike, this is the usual condescending answer I expected from you. But you yourself acknowledged a conflict when you used a scripture to say hell was not eternal then you went on to say you are down with scriptures that say it is.
“Revelation 20:14 (KJV)
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
I know no way around this passage.
The physical body is already dead in this context therefor the only thing left is the soul/spirit. So in context that must mean the person ceases to have one just as the person who dies ceases to have an operational body. So am I down with all the passages that state hell is a timeless (or I would say time different)/eternal place) ? Yes just as heaven seems to be but if GOd said he was going to close down heaven everyone would understand that no one will be there for all eternity. The verse above seems to suggest thats exactly what in the future will happen to hell”
You are admitting by saying you are down with passages that state hell is timeless by using Rev 20:14 to prove in your opinion that it is NOT.
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“anyway no theres as usual no contradiction just your ignorance”
“So am I down with all the passages that state hell is a timeless (or I would say time different)/eternal place) ? Yes just as heaven seems to be but if GOd said he was going to close down heaven everyone would understand that no one will be there for all eternity”
Your words NOT mine
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I knew a guy like Mike once, I didn’t like him either.
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“11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever:”
“the only thing stated there forever and ever is the smoke”
What produces this smoke, Mike ? their torment
Oh , I forgot . You believe in the supernatural. So to refute this, I guess you will claim god will supernaturally keep the smoke going without someone burning to produce it.
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“I knew a guy like Mike once, I didn’t like him either.”
It has been my experience Arch that when someone behaves this way it’s usually because no one wanted to play with them when they were kids. This was the only way to get other kid’s attention. 🙂
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“Your words NOT mine”
YAWN……Yes they are and I have no problem with them. No Christian believes though heaven shows itself as being outside of the Human concept of time that God could not destroy it if he wishes.
This silliness of quoting my statements back to me as if they prove your point when they don’t is one of the most tedious parts of debating you and another reason to ignore you and yes I am condescending to you because like William, Ark Arch and Nate you make it perfectly clear you do not give a flying fudge about anything buy holding on to every one of your alleged “contradictions” facts be damned. The only one that walks the talk sometimes at least is Ruth…and to be fair every now and again Howie
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“I knew a guy like Mike once, I didn’t like him either”
A sure sign he was a great guy. 🙂
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“It has been my experience Arch that when someone behaves this way it’s usually because no one wanted to play with them when they were kids.”
and he knows by experience of what he speaks
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“YAWN……Yes they are and I have no problem with them. No Christian believes though heaven shows itself as being outside of the Human concept of time that God could not destroy it if he wishes.”
Now you’re changing the meaning of your earlier statement.
This is another example of someone in total denial . Thanks for showing us again !
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“you used a scripture to say hell was not eternal then you went on to say you are down with scriptures that say it is.”
No christian believes hell was not created and therefore could never be destroyed. If you can’t grasp that point then babble on
“What produces this smoke, Mike ? their torment ”
which was what?
“Revelation 14:10 (KJV)
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with FIRE AND BRIMSTONE in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
rolling my eyes
” So to refute this, I guess you will claim god will supernaturally keep the smoke going without someone burning to produce it.”
I guess I could since you just appealed to the science of people’s emotions creating smoke
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He seems to have a lot of free time on his hands – probably retired, lonely, no one to talk too, and too close to the big dirt-nap to entertain the thought that he won’t live forever. That’s the beauty of the promise of eternal life – you never get a chance to learn first hand that it isn’t true.
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“Now you’re changing the meaning of your earlier statement. ”
ROFL……look whose in denial. My first post to port this subject
” So am I down with all the passages that state hell is a timeless (Or I would SAY TIME DIFFERENT/eternal place) ? Yes just as heaven seems to be but if GOd said he was going to close down heaven everyone would understand that no one will be there for all eternity. The verse above seems to suggest thats exactly what in the future will happen to hell”
Notice the capped words. You have no point. You never do. Talk to arch. I can’t even bother anymore reading you
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Kathy-
I’m not sure if Nate mentioned William Dever, as I haven’t read through this entire thread. I am currently reading some of Dever’s work, almost all of which is focused on ancient Israel and how the scriptures line up with the available historical evidence. Dever is not a Christian, not even a theist as far as I know, but he gives a very balanced assessment of the history as compared to scripture. I think, if one can let go of the idea that scripture was written with the intention of communicating detailed, accurate science or historical record, and remember the fact that the OT and NT were written with probably only one purpose in mind – the communication of God’s grace – you will be much better served in reading scripture. Placing it in boxes into which it was never meant to fit has been the source of a lot of pain for a lot of people who have fallen away from Christianity, as well as for those who never believed. This is solely the fault of Christians who have, throughout history, manipulated scripture to be what it was never meant to be.
Take Care,
-Josh
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Mike, thanks for clarifying what you believe,
I think I had misread your post above, and for that I apologise.
Sorry for accusing you.
You have actually given me quite a bit to think about regarding Revelation 20:14.
I was thinking about the Parable of the Lost Son today while at work (Luke 15) I believe that if we genuinely repent, and turn back to God, He is there longing for us…
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’
P.S, why are you and KC arguing? what’s are either of you getting out of it? KC seems like a nice guy,
anyway as always, all the best 🙂
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“He seems to have a lot of free time on his hands – probably retired, lonely, no one to talk too, and too close to the big dirt-nap to entertain the thought that he won’t live forever.”
I wish retired but no run my own business so time is my own for stretches. I woudn’t be cranking on retirees too much if were you though. I see gunsmoke went off the air 39 years ago so you already gave away you are getting up there.
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