[fergus51]

By the way Joules,
I am not a devout Christian or anything so this is a serious question: If the wages of sin are death, shouldn't that only apply to those who are sinful? I don't get why people would be killed because God is mad about abortion and gays if those people are not gay or have never had abortions. Any comments?

[CATHYW]

Fergus51, in the book of Romans, it says, "For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Even the best of us, trying our level best to do good, still manage to sin in some way, through thought, word or deed. If God intended that we all would be punished on a daily basis for our sins, few of us would be around to point fingers at one another! (As the antiabortionists, Jerry Falwell's, etc.) We must all be accountable for our actions, and the choice of believing or unbelief. At another place in the Bible, it says, "absent from the body...present with the Lord." "It is appointed unto man once to die, and then comes the Judgement." When our time comes, and we are in His presence, how will we speak for ourselves? What excuses will we make? Whose fault will it be then?

[fergus51]

Thanks Cathy, I understand the idea that we all sin. What I don't get is the idea that it is the abortionists fault that 6 000 people were killed. If abortion is why God allowed something terrible to happen wouldn't it be the abortionists who would suffer? That's what I don't understand about Fallwell's ideas. And if the wages of sin are death and we're all sinful, then we'll all die, but doesn't that go without saying anyways? I try not to worry about other people's choices and saying they're sinful or whatever. I live my life trying to be good for the most part, and that's enough for me.

I think we all have to be responsible for our own actions, so I don't go for the idea that God made this happen to punish us. I don't believe in a God that would kill little children to get a point across about abortion, gays and feminists. That's not what I was raised to believe God was like at all.

[CATHYW]

Ferg, I obviously don't have the answers, so this is strictly my opinion-while God is a God of love, he also said, "Vengeance is mine." In the category of us being accountable for the decisions we make, I think it will be God, and nobody else, who decides if the fact that someone had an abortion, or someone else performed an abortion, is a sin, and how serious a sin it is. I feel the same way about homosexuality-it is not what God chose for mankind when he created a man and a woman. However, there are those who feel that it is right for them, and I say that will be between them and God himself. He also said, "let him who is without sin cast the first stone." I think we've got some folks out there fooling themselves, don't you?

[fergus51]

Definitely Cathy. Thanks for the reply

[Joules]

Sorry, Fergus, that it has taken me so long to reply to you. Starting orientation on a new and challenging unit. About sin--the Bible says that we all have sinned, without exception. It also states that "the wages of sin are death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." God is not so much angry at us, as very grieved that his children are down here hating and hurting one another so--often ironically in the name of RELIGION! God hates sin because it hurts us so much--sin equals "hurt." Let me repeat that again--God hates sin because it hurts us so much! Sin is any action or motive that is done outside of the will of God. It's not God's will that there is so much misery down here on this planet. In fact, Jesus instructed us to pray constantly that God's Kingdom come and His will be done "on earth as it is in Heaven." In heaven, there are no murders, no hatred, no sickness, no crime, no prejudice, no injustice. Jesus put it this way, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself." God hasn't abandonned us in this dark, sin-sticken world. In His great love, He sent Jesus to be our Savior. Jesus is the only antidote for the virus of sin!

[fergus51]

Thanks for the reply Joules.

[NCNocRN]

We really are a sick species and we've made a mess of things down here on this earth. Fortunately, our Manufacturer has issued a recall to "fix" the problem: "Ye must be born again!" (John 3:7)

[Q.]

Originally posted by Joy Shepard
We really are a sick species (

I both agree and disagree.

I think for the most part, humans are good.
But I also think we are like a virus, a cancer, that spreads and spreads and eats up every resource this earth offers.