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From: cosmos@druhi.UUCP (GuestRA)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Trinity: the fine line
Message-ID: <2777@druhi.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 26-Aug-85 12:01:41 EDT
Article-I.D.: druhi.2777
Posted: Mon Aug 26 12:01:41 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 27-Aug-85 06:30:53 EDT
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On fear of death as the motivation for being Christian:

I'm afraid that if I tell you I almost never think about death (or a fear
of it) and that death plays no part in my continual decision to be a
Christian that you'll be disappointed.  I guess if you asked me what
I thought the immediate benefit of being a Christian is (and I would
consider the removal of a fear of death as an immediate benefit),
I would say that it is a fullness, happiness and contentment.  God
provides for all of our needs.  I don't know what churches you go to
(have gone to), but I'm not familiar with churches that really play
on the fear of death (or supernatural punishment), although I'm sure they
exist.  This is not the message people need to hear, nor is it Christ's
approach in the NT.  Christianity offers a large number of present-world
benefits to believers.  And for those who are looking purely for objective
and convincing evidence that the Bible is true, you will not find it.
The witness that Christ was true is the Holy Spirit, as He stated in the NT.
Have you opened your mind and heart and read the NT?  Don't be afraid to be
a "fool" just because you can't prove that the Bible is the Word of God.
And for the skeptics --  No, I'm not saying you are not supposed to use
your mind and think things through.  But "heart" and "mind" in synergy
form the human, and it is just as wrong to completely exclude the heart
as it would be to completely to exclude the mind.
    That should be enough to attract lots of flack!

    Ron Guest
    ihnp4!druxj!cosmos