Our ancestors can be excused for thinking that everything that happens in this life or an afterlife is the result of God's judgments, but I am at a loss to understand why any educated modern intellect would ever accept such a concept. No subject is more characteristic of sermons and exhortations to spiritual repentance by fundamentalists than the ominous threat of hell-fire at the end of the world when God will pass final judgment on us all, so I feel compelled to deal with it. My own eschatology...

"...Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning? Those who walk righteously and speak what is right....their bread will be supplied, and water will not fail them. Your eyes will see the King in His beauty and view a land that stretches afar." - Isaiah 33:14-17

The "everlasting burning" in this verse is not Hell, but rather is speaking of God. God is an all-consuming fire, and we are to become ignited so that we are...

"Mistaken repeated post, sorry."

"Mistaken repeated post, sorry."

"And it shall come to pass at that time, [that] I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will He do evil." - Zephaniah 1:12 KJV

"Settled", according to Strongs Concordance, means to become dense. "Lees" means dregs, old settlings! When our hearts do not believe that the Lord is moving in our lives, we turn to other things and become dense, settled,...