kriosalysia

... how would heaven truly be joyful, if you can witness the sorrows of those in hell, and hear their cries for help and release?

What would it be like to witness this for all eternity?

I refer to this question here:

"If Heaven has a gate, then what's outside the gate, hell?"

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=200802...

and Linda J's answer, which includes this part:

"we do know that those in heaven can see and talk to those in hell because of the story Jesus told about the rich man and the poor man and the conversation the rich man had with Abraham as well as Abraham mentioning to the rich man in hell that there was a great chasm between the two that he could not cross."

I am interested in getting reactions to this idea. What would YOU think if you were in heaven looking down on those in hell?

"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh." - Voltaire

I would be very interested in hearing any anecdotes or descriptions of how your religion or beliefs have helped you to be more disciplined, and/or if self-discipline is given importance in your religion.

Does your religion advocate using certain techniques, accountability with others, or anything else along those lines to assist you in being more self-disciplined?

Through prayer, evangelism, or anything else?

http://1040window.org/what_is.htm

The article:

Jan. 28, 2008

Beauty queen rejected as pageant judge

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/297985

An excerpt:

[Stephanie] Conover, who was crowned winner of the Miss Canada Plus Pageant last year, said she was recently invited to be a judge at the Miss Toronto Tourism pageant on Feb. 2.

"I said I'd definitely be there," Conover told the Star yesterday.

"Then, last week, on Monday, they asked me for a biography. I told them everything I do, how I'm an entertainer and a singer and a dancer. I talked about my charity work and I said I also have hobbies, including songwriting, knitting, painting, yoga, reiki and tarot cards."

That's where things got sticky.

"We just got her bio a week ago and we don't agree with it," said Karen Murray, Miss Toronto Tourism pageant director. "We want someone down to earth, not someone into the dark side or the occult."

This is a follow-up to this question:

http://malaysia.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?q...

Let's assume:

1. God created all life, and ONLY God can create life.

2. Bacteria are alive (they grow, eat, and multiply).

If you don't agree with these assumptions, please say why not.

For those who believe that disease only began after the Fall:

At what point did God create the bacteria that cause things like the bubonic plague, staph infections, malaria, tuberculosis, and so on? Before the fall when he created all other life, or after the fall during a second creation?

If you don't think God created disease-causing bacteria, what did?

And if something else (spontaneous generation, the devil, or something else) created life as disease-causing bacteria, then why does the presence of life in other forms require God as an explanation for its origin?

Operation Save the Kittens

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/219129/th...

I found it while searching for Christian p0rn as a follow-up to Ricky!'s response to this question:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvCem...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zy0d1HbItOo

I would be interested to know where it misrepresents Mormon beliefs. Thanks.

My understanding is that this group is for women who are daughters or wives of Masons. Is that still true? Can other women be involved? What does the Eastern Star do? Is it mostly a social club?

This question is prompted by this one:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=200801...

which is why I'm posting it in this forum.

No, I'm not trying to be a smart @ss. I really want to know, because the nature of time vs. eternity is not something I remember learning about in physics.

So, then...

If time itself is eternal, how is the big bang occurring within eternity different than Java Junkie's question where he asserts that nothing eternal can ever change or cause change? Am I missing something here?

And if time is not eternal, what came before it?

Proof is contained in this educational video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1Uo5DQTtzc

And if so, what do you think of it?

Mr Deity explains prayer:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=UaZDcS-rMf4

"I grew up within fundamentalist Christianity. When I left the faith I did become an atheist for a while, but religious experiences (my own and others') have led me to suspect that 'something' does exist. My beliefs now are not at all like what they were as a Christian. I find that I can both suspect that Gods exist (because of these experiences) but still acknowledge that there will probably never be concrete evidence proving it. I can be honest about my doubts yet still continue to investigate. I don't feel the need to 'stand by a claim' as much as simply state my suspicions and then experiment. I have no fear of hells or retribution if I'm wrong. I figure that if reasonable Gods exist, they would applaud any honest search for truth regardless of whether the searcher arrived at ultimate truth or not. And if they don't, then religious experimentation is still exploring something significant within the human mind and is thus worthwhile."

He came from a very religious family.

So what do you think happened?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071212/ap_on_re_us/ch...

I posted this over on Movies, too, but I want to ask here as well.

I saw it tonight and really enjoyed it. Did anybody else see it? What did you think?

I did and I really enjoyed it. Anybody else? What did you think?

As most people know, according to the story in the Bible, Job's entire family died, he lost all his wealth and was afflicted with a horrible sickness just so God could win a bet with Satan. At the end of it all, God gives him a new family, wealth, and health as a reward for being so good and faithful.

Doesn't this scenario strike anybody else as being really wrong? Is Job really supposed to not be sad about his old wife and family because he has a new one? Is it fair to his old wife and family to die for a measly bet? How can people think that "God made it OK" by giving him a brand new family, as if it were as easy to replace a family as it is a worn-out car?

Any thoughts?

P.S. I know there are other interpretations of this text. I'm asking specifically those people who take the story at face value, the way I was taught it should be regarded when I was a Christian.

Let's suppose that in the future, science developed a reliable and safe method for transplanting a first-trimester fetus from one womb to another. Most abortions occur in the first trimester, and this development would allow for women who might otherwise choose an abortion to transfer her fetus to someone willing to gestate it for whatever time is remaining.

Would you put your body where your mouth is and volunteer to take a fetal transplant? Remember that like any child, you would be fully responsible for its care after birth until it is a legal adult. How many fetal transplants would you take?

Men! For the helluvit, let's say that this technology allowed you to carry a fetal transplant as well, to be delivered later by caesarean section. How many would you take?

If God guides genetic adaptation, how exactly does he do it? Did he set up the conditions for evolution to occur very early on and then let it "run" without interfering?

Or does he occasionally stick his finger in the gene pool and cause something to happen that otherwise wouldn't?

If God does not interfere in evolutionary (adaptive) processes and lets adaptations and natural selection occur without interference, then how is this different than Deism?

If God does interfere in evolutionary (adaptive) processes, then how can genetic experiments be trusted to remain free of God's meddling to yeild accurate results?

Also, I have heard that I would be expected to wear a skirt and head-scarf, remove my shoes, and wash before entering the area where women worship. But then what would happen?