What sort of things keep people from experiencing God's perfect rest?
359932
Yeah, I prefer the "perfect rest" of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.  I like those imaginary creatures better than the baby-killing "God."
368450
Eternal torture is perhaps a misleading term.  Eternal separation from God is more accurate.  God is perfect, and we chose (by eating forbidden fruit) to be imperfect.  It was our choice.  In making this decision, we forfeited the ability to atain perfection on our own.  No matter how good natured we are (and most people are), we are not stain free.  Even as adults, we do things that hurt others and take us further from perfection.We cannot return to a perfect God if we are Imperfect.  That is why he himself (as Jesus) sacrificed his own perfect self, so he could GIVE us the perfection we could never attain on our own.  If we refuse to accept this gift, if we refuse to admit that we cannot be perfect, no matter how hard we try, no matter how good we are, then we remain imperfect and cannot return to God.  The common notion of hell was concieved by Middle age monks and radicals and have no foundation in scripture.  By my translation (which I cannot guarantee is correct), Hell does not yet exist, and won't exist until after the End times.
321797
i don't think we can ever prevent suffering.because it is part of our life.but what we can do is to console those who suffers,like give food to the hungry,cloth the naked,comfort the sick,etc.but the best of all,our mission is to lead others to Christ, so that they may be able to find Christ in their life.to find peace in the midst of all sufferings.
459749
You asked how to be happy and wholesome. Cool. You asked the question of non-Christian folk. OK. Lets remember what you didn't ask ... How to attain enlightenment, or get to heaven, or please any Deity. Fair enough. So we'll just stick to those first two things ... How to be happy ... Learn to be content with things as they are. That means to practice simple acceptance of other people, places, things, circumstances, etc. When you can accept things as they are you can live without trying to change those things or control those people or etc. You get the idea. While you're accepting others as they are in order to be happy don't forget to extend that same acceptance to your self. Its just a matter of letting everything be what it is, and knowing that its that way for a reason, and ... that's OK. So far ... HAPPINESS = ACCEPTANCE. Now, wholesome. A dictionary definition of "wholesome" is: #1; Promoting good health or wellbeing, healthful. #2; Improving the mind or morals. #3; Looking healty or vigorous. ... Whoa! You're not asking for much, are you? lol Its not that complicated, really. Give life a little thought. Keep your self and your space clean. Get some exercise. Try to eat a ballanced diet. Take a multiple vitamin daily. The health aspect isn't all that hard. That part about improving the mind and morals? A little more work. Improve the mind? Exercise it a little. Read. Watch a little History Channel. I think you know how to exercise your mind already. Just do it consistently. Your morals? That's simple. Simple ought never be confused with easy. Pick a moral code, and ... LIVE IT! Which one? Hey, not my call. Suggestions? Sure. Center your life on (and you don't have to be any of these things to use something they have that YOU find useful) ... The Wiccan Reede. The Jewish 10 Commandments. The "Golden Rule" of Jesus. Whatever. Picking is the easy part. That's simple. Now, living it, that's another story. Be consistant, but be loving with yourself when you make a mistake too. Just DON'T GIVE IT UP! BE CONSISTANT! And last, but not least, get out of self. You do that by helping others and being there for them. It also gives you the exercise you need in acceptance AND your morals. Neither of those work well in a void. ~ Peace & Blessings ~ ;-)
88508
Having no motion to some degree\nBeing at rest in some manner\nSorta stationary\netc
693828
You can meditate and leave your body. The thing about going where God is, well, that's kind of tricky because you are God. Everything is made of energy. God is that energy. \nLove & Light\nSharon\nOne Planet = One People
169401
Gosh! It has nothing to do with that. This is the third time someone has asked that question. Just pray for Goodness sake! Pray naked if you want to, just as long as your sincere in your heart just pray, standing, sitting, hats on or off, it doesn't matter! I prayed while I was sitting on the toilet once and God still answered the pray. He isn't worried about all of our crazy thinking! And I am a christian, but I'm frustrated with all of this religious stuff! No wonder people don't want to come to church, they think the church is CONFUSED!
1042778
Stop worrying about whatever you're thinking about.  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which trancends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4:6-7)\n\nI like to read, which helps me to fall asleep.  Nothing heavy, just some light fiction to help me take my mind off whatever problems I've been working on that day.\n\n\nWarm milk before bed also helps.  My son really likes that.
531597
Believe whatever makes you happy and what you feel comfortable with.  God isn't keeping score up there saying "Christians 499-J.W. 498".  It's ok to believe what you are comfortable with.
33914
Philippians 4:6\nBe anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.\n\nColosians 2:20\nTherefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.\n\nPhilippians 4:8\nFinally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
393957
In my experience, if you set goals and work towards them, you will accheive them. If God does not want you to attain a specific goal for some unknown reason, I'm sure He will stop you.
361174
First, don't dwell on the negatives in life. There are so many little blessings in life that so many people overlook. I am also a Christian, so I also have the comfort that God is control, and He makes no mistakes. God gives us trials in our lives to draw us closer to Him, and God would not give us a trial that we do not have the strength to overcome. Hang in there, and just look on the better side of life.
901639
I feel bad Adam always takes the flak of the failure of humanity to understand God's beauty and master plan.\n\nWe are here because of the spirit in us that could not resist the urge to possess a body and thus become complete.  But, I say, but far from being perfect.\n\nWe reincarnate because it takes more than one lifetime to perfect the art of Godhood.  We resurrect if perfection is achieved. \n\nYou see, even Jesus needs a body because its the same spirit in Him that is also with us. The difference is that Jesus is both perfect and complete(because of the body) therefore earned the title being the right hand of God.\n\nOur quest is to understand the spirit.  Once we do, we can overcome the karma. Jesus' Resurrection, in turn,  saves us from going thru the same suffering. Our thought will be aligned his and to God.  In effect, there's only one Will - God's will.
88681
Better neighbors than Christians...\n\nChristians will try to ban you from watching certain tv shows, stop you from reading some books, prevent you from buying some albums, and from having control over your own body.
830537
The same way you do anybody else.  Communicate.  Last I checked, God doesn't send a burning bush for every prayer concern.  He gave us a brain to study his word and a soul to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leanings...don't turn God into a cosmic fortune teller.
1165317
Religions such as Christianity lock their followers in for generations with the promise of eternal suffering if disobeyed. So while their subconscious is held with fear of pain after death, their conscious mind is mislead by truths of love and compasion from a high creator who was created from nothing.
915259
First and foremost, a human should have his/her basic necessities like food, clothing and a conducive house structure that is well ventilated, has potable source of water, has protection against harsh elements like air pollution, and can regulate heat. It is very essential to satisfy the physical needs of human before transcending to a higher level of consolation.\n\nNext is mind comfort or peace of mind. This is established wholistically through the person's state of being - as a social part of the community, as a follower of his faith/religion, as a responsible provider to his inner soul (feeding it with good thoughts and unadulterated emotions).\n\nPractically, a human should have satisfactory ample amount of physical resource as well as mental, psychological and spiritual gains. This can be better reinforced if like in the case of a happy family being able to get their daily needs and being able to communicate openly to each other within suverting anyone's feelings or thoughts.