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I have no idea what you're talking about.  

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When people are destroyed in Ghenna (the second death) the memory of them is destroyed too so that nobody will be mourning them.

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I view Genesis as the awaking of mankind.

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I have no idea what you're talking about.  




Don't put words in my mouth or be obtuse.

I didn't say ANYTHING about how "love on earth is nothing more than a cure for boredom."  Show me where I said that.  

I know you didn't write those words specifically, but that's simply the overall way I read some of your comments about not needing in Heaven some of the things we need on Earth.



All true from my perspective as well.  Why, then, do you disagree with me?

As I wrote, my interpretation of your comments was different, if we agree so be it it's good to have some common ground at least.



Yes, still agree with you.




Agree again.  




]Is this world NOTHING but pain and suffering and death?  Is there NO happiness in your world?  It's a fallen world, true; but if you can't see evidence of God, you're not trying hard enough.

I see all that you talk about, but I also see the wonders of God's creation everywhere.  Ever been to Glacier National Park?  How can you look upon the wonderful, picture-perfect mountains on the Going to the Sun Road and NOT see God's handiwork?  A sunrise over the Rockies, painting Pike's Peak that beautiful golden-orange color?  The majesty and might of a thunderstorm in the distance, roaring across the Midwest?  The beauty of the Grand Canyon?

I see God in action when I see the volunteers at Special Olympics events; or when I see pictures of Mother Teresa working in India; or when I see busloads of volunteers going to Mississippi on their spring break to help clean up from Katrina––not for pay, but for the pleasure of helping someone in need.  Ever see the joy in the face of someone serving at a soup kitchen, and the responding thanks and gratitude of the people receiving that gift?  

That was the key, to some people and many animals that's what it is, pain and suffering and loneliness, or a life of survival and violence, much more bad than good, or in some unfortunate cases, hardly any good at all. You simply can't suggest that glacier national park, impressive as it might be, is a sight that should override the life of suffering to some, much less that everyone will ever even know that type of event or sight or peace. These are the ones I'm writing about.



He already does/did.  What part of "sacrificed His only Son" DOESN'T show love?    Dude––He DIED for you!  Isn't that enough?  Or are you so shallow that you need a demonstration of love every day, or it doesn't count?

The most often quoted verse in the Bible is John 3:16:  "For God so loved the world He gave is only begotten Son, so whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."    Right there, in the verse.....LOVE!

And not only did He show us––you––the ultimate expression of love (to die to pay for YOUR sins), but He shows love every day through His followers here on earth.  How many thousands––if not millions––of people are helped every day by Christian charitable organizations?  How many soup kitchens, shelters, suicide hotlines, hospitals, etc.  are run by Christian organizations, and how many people do they help?  The word "charity" even comes from the Old French word meaning, "Christian love!"

And last, but not least––what is the 11th Commandment?  John 13:34:  "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

The signs are out there––you just have to be receptive to them, and be looking for them.  Easy to get wrapped up in the whole "the world is a horrible place to live" mindset, but that's what sets Christians apart––we see the same world as you do, but we also see hope and love in it. Why?  Because we've been promised the way out––something that makes all the pain and suffering worthwhile––eternal life in Heaven.  And the cost of admission?  Believe in Him who died for you, accept Him, and follow Him.  Pretty small price to pay, really.

As much as I can relate to Jesus being such a loving person, as much as I used to really search, maybe still am just from a point of disbelief more than belief, Jesus has been just as silent as God.

not tell us how it was shown 2,000 years before we were born, never mind all the pain or death you see, that we shouldn't base of beliefs on the things "we actually experience".

You're going to have to try this part again.  I have no idea what you're trying to say.  

The point was when what I just wrote about, Jesus, He lived 2,000 years ago, people often answer that God showed us love through Jesus, and the point is Jesus is just a story to us 2,000 years later, a great story without doubt, but still a story people only read about 2,000 years later, as with any other story, it's only something read, not actually experienced in this day and age. So for all the God showed you His love answers, it seems to me that only applies to the people who actually lived when Jesus did and knew Him, to those people after it's just a story, real or not.
You can read stories from history that are impressive, about the spartan army for example, but that's not something you actually experience in today's world. It's "the past", and while we can read about it, we weren't part of it. Likewise we can read about God's love of the world in Jesus, but, we aren't any more part of the time then than we are part of the spartan society.



Here's a challenge for you: read the gospel of John, front to back.    Just one book out of the Bible.  www.biblegateway.com is a good online resource, and you can even choose the Bible version there (I'd stay away from the King James, and I think New Living Translation version is the best.)  Or, go to your nearest church and ask for a Bible––they'll give you one, for free.  

Read it, and see what you think about God and the Christian message.  Then tell me what you think.  Most of your answers are there.  

But, one condition––don't read it from the standpoint of "I'm going to look for every way to shoot this story down," read it from the standpoint of "I don't get this––what are the answers?"  You'll be amazed at how much you'll find in it.

I'll be waiting.