Hi Lat.
I am new to this site but I would like to take a whack at responding to your post. Obviously the first thing I have to address is the fact that you did post on a “flaming” board. This is the type of board where you will be bashed. That’s what a flaming board is all about. Believe me, I fully expect to be raked over the coals after I post my response to you. Believe it or not that is half the fun of a flaming board. Truthfully, I am looking forward to the bun warming I am about to get for my post to you. In other words, try to relax and let things take place as they will.
I don’t claim to know all the answers to any problems but I am happy to share what I have learned, and only from my own perspective, of what is happening on this big beautiful planet we call home. I don’t know if you know it but basically the questions you are asking is, “Why are we here?” “Where are we going?” and “Why do we suffer? You said, “Why haven’t we moved off of this planet in order to inhabit better places?” What “better” place would you have us inhabit? “Better” by whose standards? As far as I know, and I am sure you would agree, this planet is the only planet we can inhabit. But there is a more important issue in your questions.
It is completely impossible for humans to live a better life on a moon, space station, another planet or in an underwater city until the problems you lament in our society are solved. In other words, we would just take all the problems we have now to anyplace else we choose to inhabit! Sickness would just follow us! Hatred, greed and prejudice would raise it’s ugly head, in this utopian society you imagine, because it’s part of who we are!
Here is where I expect to get burned by those reading this thread, and possibly by you, but, “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.” When He did that he made this planet a potential Paradise. God then put our first parents there and told them what they could and couldn’t do in order to live there. Basically this was a way for God to find out if they loved Him and would submit themselves to (or worship) Him. (Genesis chapters 1 and 2)
In Genesis chapter 3 we see that Adam and Eve rebelled against our heavenly Father. When they did this they were, in essence, saying that they didn’t want God to rule over them. Basically they were saying, “Thanks, but no thanks! Hey, we can do this on our own! Now butt out!” So He did. But not entirely.
So, why does God allow wickedness and suffering? Romans 5:12 tells us, “That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned—“ I encourage you to look up the scriptures I quote in your own Bible and read the context too.
So anyway the reason we die is because we all sin. Sin is wickedness (I’m sure some will debate that). It is missing of the mark of perfection. When we sin we bring pain and suffering upon ourselves and others. Just as one example of why things don’t work the way most of us would like them to is found in Jeremiah 10:23 “ O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” That’s from the “American Standard Version” of the Bible. If we are not designed to direct our steps then surely we (mankind in general) aren’t designed to govern ourselves. Remember this is only one of the reasons, there are many, that we suffer and that wickedness abounds.
The answer to the question, why are we here, is a whole lot more simple than most would think. Here is the answer found in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The conclusion of the matter, everything having been heard, is: Fear the [true] God and keep his commandments. For this is the whole [obligation] of man. 14 For the [true] God himself will bring every sort of work into the judgment in relation to every hidden thing, as to whether it is good or bad.”
In this verse the word “fear” can seem a little daunting. The word here is the kind of fear a child would have in displeasing his/her parents. I am not talking about an abusive parent that would beat, whip and lash a little one for some supposed misdeed. No, here we are talking about the kind of fear that a child would have in displeasing a very loving parent. Have you ever seen a loving father just give a look of displeasure at his young one and that one breaks out crying? The child knows there is nothing more that will be done than that look still it hurts the child in the heart that s/he has displeased his/her father. That’s the kind of relationship we can have with our loving heavenly father.
Now, where are we going? Remember I talked about Adam and Eve and the paradise earth? The Bible has so many scriptures that talk about the earth being restored to that condition where we, and the resurrected dead, will live forever. Nothing to dread. No sickness, prejudice, greed, hatred and no oppressive government ruled by man. No, we will have a Theocracy. That is, we will be ruled by God himself.
Lat. let me ask you a question now. Let’s see if your money is where your mouth is. Let’s see if you understand what this utopian society you talk about means down to the individual level.
You mentioned that you didn’t like the fact that people kill each other over territory, and what not. Okay, first thing. Are you patriotic? Do you say things like, “God Bless America”? If so you are desiring that one nation be elevated above another. If you want progress it has to be on a world level. You yourself said that we think on too small of scale. If you want to advance the way you talk then it’s the whole world that has to move forward not just one state in the U.S. or one country like the U.S. or one continent. It has to be the whole world. Jehovah’s kingdom will do that.
Do you realize that what you are proposing would mean that you would have to give up patriotism and any interest in your country over another. When you mention that you don’t like the fact that people are killing people over territories you are saying that there should be no differences based on ethnicity or nationality. I can, and have, accepted that but can you?
What if your government tells you that it wants you to go to war with another nation; would you go, or would you say, “NO!” and suffer the consequences even though that may mean a prison sentence? What if it meant death to you? Jesus said something like, ‘no greater love does a man have than that he would die for another.’ Would you do that? Are you willing to lay down the sword, gun, tank or nuclear bomb in the name of peace and move forward?
Do you even know what advancement, or development means? It takes place one mind and heart at a time. If only one soul and spirit is changed than we are advancing. Advancement is not found in governments, technology, one person or the latest gadget. It takes place on a personal level, that is, it takes place on your own level. Advancement takes place in your heart and soul. Are you willing to move forward, if so start there.
I’m sorry that this post was so long but you really are talking about, or asking about, deep things. Are they things that you even understand? Let’s put it another way, you have opened a huge can of worms, so to speak, it takes a whole lot to respond to your questions.
Hey Lat.: I do hope to hear from you here. Maybe we can take this discussion to another thread, or maybe even correspond through e-mail; whatever happens I do wish you and any of those reading this post the best. Bye for now, tlsmall[/FONT]
