Why must we believe *before* we die?

I have personally believed that many people do, in fact, become believers once the choice is clear to them...which for some, happens after the physical death. God is not so mean as to limit the exclusivity of Heaven...He wills that whosoever can come in.Communion is a mystery and a beautiful love relationship.

*Ahem*...I believe that God reveals Himself to different people at different times of their lives and in different ways. Just because you have never seen evidence of Him does not mean that you never will.I believe that we do not "find" God. He finds us. It may happen a number of ways, Robin. If you were on a football team, you may miss the cut, but if you never knew what football even was, how could they cut you? (EvC Forum: A Play:
RR- (As Lt. Dan Taylor) So where in the heck is this "god" of yours?
Phatboy-(As Forrest Gump) And then all of a sudden, God showed up!
AdminJar-(As God) OFF TOPIC! DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE!This message has been edited by Phatboy, 09-18-2005 07:49 AM

Which is the better thing to teach your child?
1) You are a little petty creature! Be in awe of this great Universe and strive to understand it a bit more.2) You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You were foreknown before you were born. Be humble and strive to understand and get to know the One who created you?In the first case, humans are taught that they are of minor significance and our job in life is to be curious, uncertain, and reverential towards a creatorless "grand design"...a concept of human wisdom BTW (those petty creatures!)In the second case, a human is taught that they have a purpose and a destiny in life and that we were created..obviously by our parents, but in a grander sense by a Creator whose wisdom will always exceed our own. (which makes us loved and not petty little germs.)BTW..why is it so irritating that God is selfish?
It's Sinatras world...we just live here! This message has been edited by Phatboy, 09-18-2005 07:59 AM

A good example of how God reveals Himself..but I see no evidence that the others, some at least (probably John) did not already know the revelation. Judas, apparantly, did not. We see no evidence that any of the other disciples were less enlightened than Peter.
The Church was built upon the rock of revealed knowledge through the Holy Spirit...not on Peter the Apostle. Then again, this is a whole nother topic! Nice of you to be sensitive to us...I am sometimes a bit too abrasive also!
Alas....EvC is a play in and of itself, anyway! This message has been edited by Phatboy, 09-18-2005 09:02 AM

This makes sense to me!

Analogies DO have to be seen in context. In context, this would seem confusing lined up next to the scrip that says: Unless we understand who "us" is. Job gives insight.... Us must evidently refer to Heavenly angels and the LORD. Now...Revelation speaks of a conflict. So in a "literal" or parable type of context, God and His angels are of one Spirit and Satan and his angels are of another.For those of you who suggest that it is Gods fault, I suppose that in a sense He created all things. Remember, however, that He never created the War. There would have been no war without rebellion. Rebellion, by definition, is trying to be God instead of letting God be God.Trying to be God seems to me to be a type of allowable free will in an angelic sense.

In an angelic sense there is a difference.Right now, we just is as we is. Perhaps a question:Do we choose our destiny in life?I have heard it said that "we become the decisions that we make."What does this mean to you?

As to the sub-topic of this post, It should be noted that not only is there neither Male nor Female in Heaven, there is certainly no room for competing egos. The Lucifer/Satan tale taught us that. As for the drop of water analogy, it is very apt. Many of us (charismatics) often have inflated egos that we attribute to God. It is humbling to admit when I am wrong.