Since my dad passed away in November I'm not sure where my understanding of God really is anymore. I haven't lost my faith, I beleive in God more than ever and beleive my dad is in heaven but I wonder things like where exactly is my dad and the holy spirit that was in my dad, where did that go?
I wonder these things alot. Last week I was in Wichita and started reading Michael J Fox latest book "Always Looking Up". In the chapter on Faith he talks about a Bishop Carlton D. Pearson who he watched in an interview with 20/20. The Bishop had watched a news report on the terrible things that happened in Rwanda, now I'll quote from the book on what the Bishop said, "I remember thinking that these were probably Muslims because God wouldn't let that happen to Christians," he said, "And that's when I said, "God, how could you call yourself a loving God and a living God, and just let them suffer like that, and then to suck them into hell? That's when I thought I heard an inner voice say, "Can't you see they're already there?" He internalized these words as a message of love and inclusion and a refutation of judgement and condemnation. There is no hell". The book goes on to say because of the Bishops new found belief, the church hierarchy and the majority of the evangelical community condemned him for blasphemy and took away their support for him. Now I beleive in Hell. I beleive in it solely because I beleive the bible is God breathed and it talks about Hell. But when I think of the suffering, the massive suffering on this earth, even though due to the free will of others, such as the massacre of the jews in WWII, or of Christians in China or the Indians and slaves in the 18th century or of children getting raped by Sunday School teachers (or anyone else for that matter) or sex slavery etc and the references I hear that this world is not of God but Satans then why couldn't this be "the" hell for those who suffer so much? I see God as a loving God and in that I can't see him making one suffer so much just to go suffer some more to another hell. That doesn't fit Gods image in my mind. That doesn't come close to fitting the God I know at all. I don't know the bible well enough to say but couldn't the hell some people literally have to suffer in this earth be enough for God? Please understand I know Jesus had to suffer for us, for me, and I feel awful about that albeit very thankful, although I still can't get the good walk down which makes me feel even worse. And I know we all have our own crosses to bear but some suffering in this world seems more than bearing a cross. Could that Bishop be just a little correct and I guess the last question I would have is, does it matter if you think hell is not a literal place of darkness that you burn, as long as you beleive in Christ as your savior? Isn't that really the main thing? It just makes me wonder. (I definitely didn't agree with the Bishops thought process when he said they must be Muslims because God wouldn't allow Christians to suffer so much. I don't beleive God desires anyone to suffer, he just wants them to come to him)
I wonder these things alot. Last week I was in Wichita and started reading Michael J Fox latest book "Always Looking Up". In the chapter on Faith he talks about a Bishop Carlton D. Pearson who he watched in an interview with 20/20. The Bishop had watched a news report on the terrible things that happened in Rwanda, now I'll quote from the book on what the Bishop said, "I remember thinking that these were probably Muslims because God wouldn't let that happen to Christians," he said, "And that's when I said, "God, how could you call yourself a loving God and a living God, and just let them suffer like that, and then to suck them into hell? That's when I thought I heard an inner voice say, "Can't you see they're already there?" He internalized these words as a message of love and inclusion and a refutation of judgement and condemnation. There is no hell". The book goes on to say because of the Bishops new found belief, the church hierarchy and the majority of the evangelical community condemned him for blasphemy and took away their support for him. Now I beleive in Hell. I beleive in it solely because I beleive the bible is God breathed and it talks about Hell. But when I think of the suffering, the massive suffering on this earth, even though due to the free will of others, such as the massacre of the jews in WWII, or of Christians in China or the Indians and slaves in the 18th century or of children getting raped by Sunday School teachers (or anyone else for that matter) or sex slavery etc and the references I hear that this world is not of God but Satans then why couldn't this be "the" hell for those who suffer so much? I see God as a loving God and in that I can't see him making one suffer so much just to go suffer some more to another hell. That doesn't fit Gods image in my mind. That doesn't come close to fitting the God I know at all. I don't know the bible well enough to say but couldn't the hell some people literally have to suffer in this earth be enough for God? Please understand I know Jesus had to suffer for us, for me, and I feel awful about that albeit very thankful, although I still can't get the good walk down which makes me feel even worse. And I know we all have our own crosses to bear but some suffering in this world seems more than bearing a cross. Could that Bishop be just a little correct and I guess the last question I would have is, does it matter if you think hell is not a literal place of darkness that you burn, as long as you beleive in Christ as your savior? Isn't that really the main thing? It just makes me wonder. (I definitely didn't agree with the Bishops thought process when he said they must be Muslims because God wouldn't allow Christians to suffer so much. I don't beleive God desires anyone to suffer, he just wants them to come to him)
