Today's Our Daily Bread, "Bad Choice" (May 31), jolted me into a serious consideration of what I've heard before about people "choosing" (as if they COULD) to go to Hell. I've heard, "I wanna go to Hell, 'cause all my friends are gonna be there, and we're gonna party!!" Interestingly, the same person declared not a week later, "My life is a living hell on earth!!" - - - I cannot figure out WHY this person would actually choose MORE of that kind of a "life"!!! - - - and I am 99% sure he HAS NOT read "The Book" (The BIBLE), in which there is not one mention of "fun" or "partying" or "friends" or "interesting people" EVER connected with Hell!!
The only descriptions of Hell as found in The Bible do not even remotely suggest that it is a place where pleasure will be found. The Bible talks of, "sorrows" in 2 Samuel, "pains" and "destruction" in the Psalms, "cast into;" "torments;" and "weeping and gnashing of teeth" in the Gospels, "death" and "the lake of fire" in Revelation. Every one of the scriptures dealing with Hell clearly paints a vivid picture of the most undesirable place in which to find oneself!!
On the other hand, the descriptions of Heaven are in stark contrast!!
Deuteronomy speaks of "the precious things of heaven."
2 Kings and Malachi talks of "windows in/of heaven."
Ecclesiastes exults that "God is in heaven."
Isaiah says that God declares, "Heaven is my throne."
Matthew states "great is your reward in heaven."
1 Corinthians gives the greatest reason for wanting to be in heaven: "the second man is the Lord from heaven."
Revelation elicits praise with: "a door was opened in heaven;" "there was silence in heaven;" and "appeared a great wonder in heaven"
You will notice the contrast here:
There is no mention of even a few moments silence in Hell.
There is no mention of "sadness" or "darkness" or "sorrow" connected with heaven.
There is no mention of those crossing over from Hell to Heaven or vice versa.
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It seems to me that the definition of insanity is:
"Knowingly choosing the most foolish, unwise, and irrational options, while expecting, perhaps even demanding them to yield the same results (or better) as the rational and wise options."
jfn - 5-31-2011
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