"I am not about to become a Christian, at least yet."
____________________________________________________
Ooo! Well, maybe you just need one of my fiery sermons. Here goes:
"I like my religion the way I like my tea--hot!
'Cause I'd rather be a fool on fire than a scholar on ice,
'cause it's easier to cool a hot coal than to warm up a corpse.
Honestly, when I drive by them liberal churches, I take my hat off out of respect for the dead.
Fubar, God wants you to be happy and prosper. But before you can receive from God, you need to give to His work by faith. Send a check to my ministry at the address given in the private message section, and just watch your new income pour in. You know, Fubar, when people attend my meetings, they often ask me why there are so many cadillacs in the parking lot. Well, God blesses those who give generously to this ministry."
"My principal reason for rejecting Christianity (though FAR
from the only one!) is the idea that a "god" exists who would
create a race of mortals (without their express consent...)"
__________________________________________________
Uh, how can a guy consent to his creation before he even exists?
"...refuse to give them clear instructions on what they're supposed to do
with the exception of a moldy, musty, dusty...almost-incomprehensible ancient book?"
_______________________________________________________________________
OK, when I moved from Buffalo to Washington state, I forgot that I had put my old pizza on top of my Bibles, and, well, the rotting pizza made my Bibles moldy and musty. I only opened that box a month later. Bookstore Bibles might not be contaminated in this way.
"and then consign most of them to a torture pit for some nebulous offense called "original sin," a fate to be avoided ONLY by an act of groveling called "the sinner's prayer?"
______________________________________________________________
Actually, you are mistaken on all 3 counts! Hell is merely a self-chosen state of separation from God. (2) The Bible does not teach original sin. That doctrine is a much later patristic invention. (3) Nowhere in the Bible do you find "the sinner's prayer." I have some more palatable prayers that work very effectively, and even allow you to keep drinking beer and gambling."
"#3. Vindictive sadism. That's what we're left with, folks! (Never mind
that unless "God" is an incompetent boob, "he" MEANT for
humans to "sin.""
______________________________________
Well, I must confess that the thought of you eternally watching reruns of Jerry Falwell's sermons does seem wickedly delicious!
I
"Anyway...I think that annihilation of unbelievers makes WAY more
sense than "eternal torture" for these reasons...P.S. As for annihilation of unbelievers... well, why not? It's what most of them thought they would get after death anyway!"
_______________________________________________________________________
Annihilation is revealed as a possibility by Bruce Moen's astral travels, Jesus' revelations to atheist Howard Storm during his NDE, and, yes, by the Bible. Paul never mentions a word for Hell in his discussions of fate of sinners. But he does agree with Bruce Moen and Howard Storm's Jesus in allowing for the possibility of annihilation just as you suggest (see e g. the use the Greek 'apoleia" [= "annihilation"] in Romans 9:22; Philippians 3:19).
Welcome back, B-man. I recognize your mellow understated style anywhere (e. g. your use of "darn" instead of the D-word). After you left, there was a rumor that you had gotten religion and joined a Southern Baptist church. Can it be that that rumor was mistaken. Oh, say it isn't so, Lord!
Don