From: bskendig@netcom.com (Brian Kendig)
Subject: Re: There are two years left!
Date: Sat, 05 Sep 92 19:25:38 GMT
Organization: Starfleet Headquarters: San Francisco

davem@bnr.ca (Dave Mielke) wrote (in article <1992Sep5.154610.17229@bcars6a8.bnr.ca>):
[ nice summary of the Christian beliefs as given in the Christian holy book,
  but nothing we haven't heard before ]

>There is indeed "time no longer". God has decreed that each and every
>person must stand for judgement and it would appear that that day is
>now very close at hand.

Why do you say the day's close at hand?  I thought the Messiah was to
appear (the Second Coming, because your quotes from the New Testament
lead me to believe you're Christian) before the Final Judgement.  Have
you seen evidence that he's walking on earth again?

>Are you ready to face your Creator and give a
>detailed account of each and every one of your deeds, words and
>thoughts, no matter how public or private you may have felt they were?

I believe that I'm ready.  I'm at peace with myself.  Are you ready?

>There appears to be abundant Biblical evidence which indicates that the
>Lord Jesus Christ will return as the judge of all the earth sometime
>during September in 1994.

If you mean that there's abundant evidence that he'll return (and I
question your use of the word 'evidence'), then I agree; that's the
foundation of Christianity.  If you mean that he'll probably arrive in
September 1994 as opposed to another time, I disagree that there is a
reason to choose this date over any other.  Maybe your book explained
the significance of that month to you, but _you_ haven't explained it
to _me_.

>The proofs are far too lengthy for a short
>article such as this, but can be found in the book titled "1994" ....

Oh, please.  I've heard the claim many times before: "The REAL CORRECT
way to look at life the universe and everything is detailed in THIS
BOOK, and you can BUY it!"  Would you please at least outline the
proofs here?

>This book contains 576 pages of detailed Biblical analysis and does not
>rely in any way on human speculation.

An empirical proof of the Second Coming, derived from evidence that,
by its very definition, is based wholly on faith?  The author's
started without _any_ speculation at all, based his reasoning on only
the facts he sees, and yet he can derive all the Christian beliefs
from that and even tell when the Second Coming will be?  He must be
_good_.  ;)

>The only evidence offered is that
>taken directly from the Word of God and every single verse that has any
>potential bearing on the topic has been dealt with.

'Directly' from the Word of God (Jesus)?  Or do you mean 'indirectly',
from the Bible?  The Bible is only the human record of God's word, if
you believe what Christianity teaches.

>I urge and beseech
>you to please check out this evidence before it is too late as the
>divinely decreed punishment for sin, of which we are all guilty, is
>eternal damnation.

How will this book change anything?  So you now know when Dad's coming
home, so to speak; you hope to completely change who you are within
two years?  Do you honestly think your god will look favorably on a
frantic effort to become 'pious' before the 'deadline'?

Besides, to hear you speak of it (we're all guilty of 'sin', and the
punishment is 'eternal damnation'), we're all good as roasted anyway.
Why not just give up and have a fun, free, hedonistic life in these
last two years before we're all tossed into Hell anyway no matter what
we've done?

>With perhaps only two years at the most left, I
>would like to conclude my private remarks within this article with the
>question with which I began. Are you truly ready to meet your judge,
>His Majesty, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, God Almighty, face to
>face?

I am completely at peace with myself.  I acknowledge my shortcomings,
and I take pride in my strengths.  If a divine being wants to judge
me, I'm ready.

[ more Biblical quotes deleted ]

Honestly, the vast majority of us have read at least some of the Bible
before, and we either have access to one or we have no desire to read
one.  What purpose did you have in quoting Scripture to us?

Don't get me wrong: I'm not belittling your belief.  But most of what
you've said is nothing more than pointless hand-waving with a lot of
hyperbole thrown in for effect.  If you have a point and you want us
to agree with you, try to say what you mean as concisely as possible,
and back yourself up with facts and quotes from the book you've read.
Don't just recite stuff we've heard before.

     << Brian >>

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_/_/_/       Brian Kendig  Macintosh Jedi           Live never to be ashamed
 _/_/   Starfleet Captain  Oracle Employee         if anything you do or say
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