[Vision2020] Heaven and hell?

Donovan Arnold donovanarnold@hotmail.com
Sun, 29 Jun 2003 15:09:52 -0700


<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV>
<P>Ralph,</P>
<P>I have already been ten rounds with Luke about what you said about "Some of the most atrocious human actions have been done in the name of a god."&nbsp;He doesn't believe it and will argue tell he is&nbsp;blue in the face. : )</P></DIV>
<P>Luke is a little confused and young. However, he is good kid. I like him. But he doesn't understand "reality" from "fiction" when it comes to the real world.</P>
<DIV></DIV>
<P>So&nbsp;before you head down that road, just know you will never convince him of anything unless it is in the&nbsp;Bible, and even then, it is based on his interpretation of the bible, because the bible is infallible&nbsp;because God wrote it, and wrote it&nbsp;so Luke could in no possible way misunderstand it or its meanings. : )</P>
<DIV></DIV>
<P>Take Care,</P>
<DIV></DIV>
<P>Donovan J Arnold&nbsp;<BR><BR></P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;From: Ralph Nielsen <NIELSEN@UIDAHO.EDU>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;To: vision2020@moscow.com 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Subject: [Vision2020] Heaven and hell? 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2003 14:43:23 -0700 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;From: Luke <LUKENIEUWSMA@SOFTHOME.NET>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;Date: Fri Jun 27, 2003 5:49:24 PM US/Pacific 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;To: vision2020 <VISION2020@MOSCOW.COM>, David Camden-Britton 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;<DAVIDCB@ACM.ORG> 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Religious Diversity Education 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;Mr. Camden-Britton: 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;&gt;There are the interesting ideas of Utilitarian ethics, whereby 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;&gt;activities 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;which benefit &gt;society as a whole are encouraged, and those that do 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;not are 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;discouraged or halted. &gt;For simple situations such as murder or 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;theft, it 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;seems pretty clear that society does &gt;not benefit, so one has an 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;ethical 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;duty to not engage in these acts. 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;Non sequit[u]r. Perhaps society may not be helped, but then, if 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;there really 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;is no god at all, why should anyone bother to help society or worry 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;about 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;morals ? We'll all be dead in a few decades anyway[s]. 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;<SNIP> 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;Best, 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;&gt;Luke Nieuwsma 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Mr. Nieuwsma seems to have the idea that moral behavior depends on 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;the existence of a god or gods. Some of the most atrocious human 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;actions have been done in the name of a god. He also seems to imply 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;that it is the threat of postmortem punishment by a god that makes 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;people behave morally. This is flatly contradicted by the Hebrew 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Bible (Old Testament to Christians). 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;In the Hebrew religion there is no such thing as a separate soul and 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;there is no life after death. In the entire Old Testament not one 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;single person dies and goes to heaven. And no one dies and goes to 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;hell either (except in dishonest translations like the King James 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Version). 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;I'm afraid Luke Nieuwsma is mistaken to think that most people act 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;morally only by a bribe of heaven or a threat of hell. 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Ralph Nielsen 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Moscow 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt; 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;_____________________________________________________ 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;List services made available by First Step Internet, serving the 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;communities of the Palouse since 1994. 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;http://www.fsr.net 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ 
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV></div><br clear=all><hr>Add photos to your messages with  <a href="http://g.msn.com/8HMDENUS/2749??PS=">MSN 8. </a> Get 2 months FREE*.</html>