christians: Have u ever read 23 minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese?
819636
No but I will now :-)
786214
I was a passenger in my car going down the interstate. My husband was driving bad and I complained a few times. Finally I asked "why is it that just because you are the man, you always drive us? Why don't you just pull over and let me drive." \n\nHe agreed and pulled off at an exit and we changed at the gas station. I had only been driving a few minutes when I got this voice in my head that said "pull over and let Charley drive." I excused it as my own weird thinking and kept going. I then heard it again "Pull over and let Charley DRIVE" . \n\nBy then, I knew God (or his angels) were telling me this. I became upset about it because I thought I was being taught a lesson of submission which I didn't want to learn. I argued with God in my head. A third time, I heard "PULL OVER AND LET CHARLEY DRIVE." \n\nAt that point, I asked my husband "where should I pull over because I don't know why, but God is telling me to let you drive?"\n\nCharley said to just pull to the top of the ramp and we would switch out there. We did so and he pulled back onto the ramp. but no sooner than we got up to speed, we had to stop in the middle of the interstate. There had been a major collision. We sat for about 3 hours and watched news hellicopters, life line, and all kinds of emergency vehicles ahead of us by like a mile. When we finally got through we saw a 3 car collision had happened and they were mangled. There had been deaths. \n\nI knew right away it hadn't been about submitting to my husband at all, but about God or his angels letting me know of the danger ahead. I ws sure glad that I had been prayed up and reading the bible or I may have missed his voice.
654433
I'm an ordained evangelical minister and see no problem with either the movie or the book. The problem is that Dan Brown has stated that the book and movie are fictional, but Christians say it's misleading--but their problem is that they are trying to pick apart DVC without going to the Bible to find out what is true in DVC and what isn't. If they'd just stick with the Bible as their source for truth and read it and absorb it, and keep in mind that DVC is fiction, then it's absolutely no problem. I just wonder how many Christians are seeing the movie or reading the book without opening their Bibles. :-(
525800
Hi Tari,\nI met the ChristopherBetchel once, a few weekends ago. I was walking to the corner market for a loaf of bread when I had to pass by a neighborhood church. I was somewhat acquainted with the structure as it was always mentioned in the newspaper's community section. Known as "The loft," folks would gather there on Thursday evenings for poetry readings.\nHowever, this day happened to be a Saturday afternoon and a pair of gentlemen greeted me as I walked by. They invited me inside to sample an hour of their presentation. Ok, I went inside and found myself to be a prospective new recruit for their brand of religion.\n\nMost of the pews were filled with hooded monks chanting a haunting rhythm. There were others who like me, were wearing their regular denims. The service began like most others that church-goers would be familiar with. A grand master of ceremonies led the group through some songs and gave a sermon. Near the end of the hour it was time for their ritual of "laying on of the hands." Some of the parishioners would come forward and ask for prayers for their ailments or for a sick grand mum who fell down in the tub. All the hooded dudes whose faces could not readily be seen would all place a hand on the person and their combined energies were presumed to have a strength and expedite a solution to the problem.\n\nOK now, there was another new guy in the pews who was watching eagerly. I recognized ChristopherBetchel from a wanted poster viewed earlier at the post office. When he saw a chance, he approached the ring of conspirators and described how he was always moving around and never able to settle down. The hooded goons closed in upon him, all to make a physical connection. The master of ceremonies began a prayer, a dogmatic mix of logic and pure hocus-pocus. I immediately saw the effects of the procedure as the tension went out of ChristopherBetchel's body. When the beseeching was near an end, the master asked, "Are the brothers ready?"\n\nA suspenseful few moments passed until he almost shouted, "NOW!"\n\nOn that cue, the brothers began to pummel their hapless victim. Continually delivering blows over head and to the solar plexus until ChristopherBetchel was down on the floor getting stomped. After another minute, the grand Pooh-Bah decided the treatment administered was sufficient to induce a relaxing calm that would assuage the nervousness of ChristopherBetchel for a long, long time.\n\nI can't say for certain if ChristopherBetchel got the comeuppance he deserved as I had a loaf of bread to buy and some other errands to do that day. I hope for you Tari, that you do find a sense of closure to this difficult episode of life.\n\n-Justin
930937
Hello, my friend. This book--"Mere Christianity"--and especially this bit about Christ's being either a lunatic or else the Son of God, was instrumental in my opening up to Jesus, simply on account of the fact that I had, for years, "respected" Jesus of Nazareth as a great teacher, ever ignoring the (what I then thought to be) creepier things he was quoted as saying in the Gospels (such as "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light")...and Lewis, with this very simple and basic observation, blew my cozy little respect for Jesus of Nazareth out of the water.\n\nWhich did something to a door. Meaning, I then had to face the very choice that Lewis proposed in this book. In other words, I was either going to have to open the door all the way (and believe Christ was who he said he is) or else close it (and believe Jesus of Nazareth to be deranged and blasphemous).\n\nUltimately, I would say that I chose to believe that Christ is God's Son, but truly God gave me the knowledge that Christ is his Son (John 6:44)...and perhaps he gave me the gift of faith for the sole reason that I was seeking it.
1051532
The popular Christian vision of heaven is somewhat frightening I must admit. Yes hell seems more exciting indeed. I mean talking to the devil, wild parties, exceedingly loud music, drinking, (sex orgies without condemnation?), making fun of the devil to piss him off, etc. Well you know, people love fun, and for that you have to be a little naughty (or a lot). And we also need to consider that the Christians have demonised hell (like they demonise everything they don't understand), so yes I'll take my chances with hell and I bet it turns out to rock.
21954
I met the Lord through my older brother...I was going to commit suicide (my brother did not know this) he asked me if I wanted to go, I said I was not dressed, he said he would wait, I could not think of any other excuse, so I went to Church..\n\nI called the Pastor a Jesus Freak and I told him that he was crazy to believe in God and Jesus and the Bible was written by man not God..little did I know that our Lord, had other plans for me..\n\nThe following week I went back to Church to condemn them once more, but before I could say anything, the Pastor asked who would like to be baptized, without even realizing it, my hand went straight up into the air..I was baptized and asked Jesus into my heart that very afternoon on August 28, 1978..\n\nI was immediately delivered from drugs, swearing, and hatred for those that had done me wrong..Our Heavenly Father bestowed down upon me His Holy Spirit, which cleansed my heart from all unrightousness..Our Heavenly Father, who forgave my past sins, placed within my heart His Glorious and wonderful Love, His Joy unspeakable and His Peace that Passeth all Understanding..\n\nI can go unto my Lord in prayer, when satan comes to attack..for Greater is He Who is in me..that he who is in the world.. \n\nMy Faith means EVERYTHING to me..The Lord is my helper and my provider..He will always be there for me..when no one else is...For He will never leave me nor forsake me..Amen\n\nLet this my prayer be, More and More of Thee and less and less of me..Amen \n\nLet His Will be done..not mine...Amen
1128941
I'm not sure if it's a book you are talking about but I know of a man named Jesse Duplantis who is a famous preacher and he has actually been to heaven. It was the most wonderful thing I've ever heard about. I've heard him explain everything that he saw and did. He met Jesus and Abraham. He went up in a cable car with an angel and he said it was going really fast. He said there was a big city where God's throne is and light radiates from it because of all the goodness and greatness that radiates from God. He said that he saw his mansion (in heaven everyone gets their own mansion) and his was already decorated with the type of furniture that he likes. You can even get a condominium near the city and all you have to do is  ask for one. He said that there is no darkness in heaven. Not even your own shadow because there is so much light of goodness and awsomeness. It sounded really great. I can't wait to go one day. He said when he got back to earth not a minute had passed by but it seemed like an hour or so in heaven. That's only half of it. He said that families were going on picnics and stuff together.
667577
As a firm believer in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, I must admit, that the book was well written. The cast of the movie is top notch. However the movie is complete blasphemy against our Lord. The Bible clearly shows the Life of Jesus, no where does it mention Him being married or having children. \nIt is sad, but true, that many Christians and non-Christians that watch this movie are going to be shown a perverted view of Jesus Christ.\nIf somebody was really interested in learning about the Lord God, please I encourage you to pick up a Bible. \nCompare how Jesus fulfills all the prophecies about the coming messiah. Some of which were written 500+ years before His birth.\n\nJohn 3:16- For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son, that whoever shall believe in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved.\n18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God
737959
if you enjoyed the movie, be sure to read the book.  That is my favorite book!\nYes I believe that the afterlife is something like that.  The idea of hell being what we make of it rather than it being the same for all.  Like if your idea of hell is being poor, living in a trailer and being forced to scrub a floor that never gets clean for an eternity, then that might be your hell if you do something to get sent there.\nHell for me would not be that (that is pretty much daily life for me now!) my hell would be having to listen to Pres Bush speak and not being able to turn off the volume!\n\nThe Hell in the movie, the various levels based on what you did to deserve the punishment like those that walked on people in life are being walked on literally in death, are from the book Dante's Inferno.\n\nPersonally I believe that only our phsyical bodies die, our souls live on and are reborn over and over.  I believe in ghosts, reincarnation, heaven (which is also what you make of it, just like hell).
1142561
Why don't you Pray and meditate on that question and see if the Lord will reveal the truth to you.  The Book was written and categorized as Fiction.  The first line in the book says, "This is a book of Fiction"\n\nI am overjoyed for the fact that this book/movie has sparked such a great interest in my savior.  Can you imagine how many have picked up a Bible to read more about the Christ, that would have never touched it otherwise? Until this Movie came out, only about 10% of the population knew who Mary Magdalene was? I saw a blip on CNN News the other day that People are taking Bibles right and left out of hotel rooms since the release of the Movie.  I truly think that the Authors intention when writing this book was to promote Christianity.
510266
I'm a Christian, and I honestly didn't really see the big thrill with the book.  I feel the same way about Harry Potter.  I think that these two literary pieces of tripe are overrated hacks.
553783
Bill gates dies and when he goes up to heaven, St Peter says "i'm not sure what to do with you, I mean, you did help lots of people, but you did invent windows 95, so I'm going to give you a choice."\nSo he shows bill gates heaven and he sees a lot of people standing around praising god. then he shows him hell and he sees a lot of naked people lying around on a beach.\nBill doesnt stop to think and he says "im going to hell"\nthe next day after a night of unbearable torture, he goes back to see St Peter and says "What happened, i mean what i saw and what was actually there were completely different."\nSt Peter looks at him with disgust and says "well, what you saw was only the screen saver."\n\ni dont know whether this is a religeon joke or a bill gates joke, but it will do for me.\n(Do you consider your self enlightened now)
422439
I was hitchhiking through Montana one time. I was sitting on the on-ramp leading down to the freeway. I see this guy walking up the ramp from the freeway. He was dressed like a regular guy - jeans, t-shirt, tennies.\nHe walked up to me, said "Hi, how ya doin?" He noticed I was reading a book. He said, "Here's something else for you to read", and handed me a little pamphlet. He walked off as I looked at the pamphlet.\nI scanned the pamphlet for about 15-20 seconds - it dealt with Christianity. \nI turned to see if he had kept walking, but he was not there.\nIn the time space he handed me that pamphlet, and the time I turned my head, he could not have gone anywhere. It was a long on-ramp and nowhere else to go.\nEven writing about it now after 21 years give me goose bumps.
805041
If so, then as some on here have suggested, let's pack it all in and throw the whole mess away. Having spent a good deal of my life studying the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures I certainly don't come to that conclusion. Instead I see story after story about losers (not winners), the least (not the greatest), the littlest (not the biggest), the dim-est (not the brightest), the foulest (not the most righteous), the f__k-ups (not the ones who get it right), being the ones who are deeply loved and greatly prized. It is not a collection of winner's stories. It is an anthology of humanity with all of its beauty and ugliness, and a God who seems to be remarkably like his/her creation. It is an image (sacrament) about how God has always been in and loving his creation - and that his creation has always been "in" its God. So the redemption stories in those Holy books are not about god leaving anyone out (including herself), but about how everyone was always in (all along).  Contrary to what the moralists and hell-lovers proclaim, God has not changed his mind since saying in Genesis 1:31 about her creation: "it is so good, so very good!"
829760
Given the results of the midterm elections, and given the fact that large groups of American evangelical Christians seem to have changed voting patterns and abandoned Republican candidates, I'd nominate David Kuo's book, _Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction_.\n\nIt was on the NY Times Bestseller list the month before the elections, and even folks who don't read much heard about this book, since it got mass media coverage.
858106
Actually I worked with a very cruel woman who was a minister in the the No Name Church.  She justified mistreating those in her way as necessary in the world at this time.  (I don't think it was their belief, I just think the wrong person in their religion was given some power.)  I witnessed many manipulative cruel schemes in the work place to help her gain a position of power.   I grew up in a fundamentalist hotbed of religion and thought I had seen and heard everything up to that point.  People like Ted Haggard may do damage on a phenomenal scale, but I have never seen evil masked as Christianity as I did with this woman.  It was truly a eye opening experience as I listened to how other members had to come to her for council and her advice . . . such as advising one man to divorce his wife.  Part of her rationalization was the marriage ceremony was not printed in the Bible so it was a man-made contract not supported by the Church.