@SoLongDaisyMay No, I simply suggested that a pp's questions around exploring paganism might be more appropriate on a different thread, which I stand by.
If you think being a Christian is just about avoiding hell and getting into heaven, I think it shows a pretty poor understanding of Christ and relationship with Him.
Was that directed towards me @Mustardseed86 ?
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. It's been very busy here, but I'm enjoying finally catching up with the thread.
Forgive me for quoting C .S. Lewis again, but this extract from The Magician's Nephew jumped out at me the other day. I think it perfectly sums up the sort of attitude atheists have towards God and perhaps how they might be if He revealed Himself to them. If you're not familiar with the world of Narnia, Aslan here represents Jesus:
"Bring out that creature," said Aslan. One of the Elephants lifted Uncle Andrew in its trunk and laid him at the Lion's feet. He was too frightened to move.
"Please, Aslan," said Polly, "Could you say something to - to unfrighten him? And then could you say something to prevent him from ever coming back here again?"
"Do you think he wants to?" said Aslan.
"Well, Aslan," said Polly, "he might send someone else. He's so excited about the bar off the lamp-post growing into a lamp-post tree and he thinks -"
"He thinks great folly, child" said Aslan. "This world is bursting with life for these few days because the song with which I called it into life still hangs in the air and rumbles in the ground. It will not be so for long. But I cannot tell that to this old sinner, and I cannot comfort him either; he has made himself unable to hear my voice. If I spoke to him, he would hear only growlings and roarings. Oh Adam's sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good! But I will give him the only gift he is still able to receive."
He bowed his great head rather sadly, and breathed into the Magician's terrified face. "Sleep," he said. "Sleep and be separated for some few hours from all the torments you have devised for yourself."
Where believers see a majestic King, worthy of serving, others see a monster to be feared and avoided. Like the great Pharaoh who refused to release the captive Israelites, they have hardened their hearts. Jesus touched on this in Matthew 13:
The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’
But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."