Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Tradition or Biblical?

I am beginning to recant this because I have been thinking on this, reading scripture and seeking counsel of others and am looking for a verse, if my memory serves me, where it says something about God reveals Him self to all .... does that strike a bell with any one else? Study in progress ....

FWIW, here is something that strikes a better chord ....

For all of Mankind

While the Bible lists many types of sinners who will not be in the Kingdom, it does not mean to say that anyone who has sinned is excluded (Revelation 21:8, 27 & 22:15). We have all sinned (Romans 3:23). It is through the process of conversion that even the worst sinner can change and become acceptable in God's eyes. Some are called to repentance and conversion at this time, others will be called later on. Eventually all who have ever lived on this earth will have been given the opportunity to enter into the process of conversion.

Those who have not been called and have not repented, nor been baptized and received God's Holy Spirit in their lifetime, are not lost as some churches teach. It would be grossly unfair if the many millions who lived before Christ was born, or who never heard of Christ, were condemned to eternal death. God has a plan that provides a way for all who have ever lived to repent and go through the process of conversion so they too have the opportunity to enter into His Kingdom.

This is the Kingdom the prophets like Isaiah and Daniel anticipated It is the good news Christ and his disciple preached, and it is the message that is still being preached today by the people of God. It is a message about the Kingdom that God will establish on earth when Christ returns. It is indeed a very real Kingdom and Jesus instructed us to pray for it to come (Matthew 6:10). Those who are called and respond in this life have a commission to continue preaching about the Kingdom to those who will listen.

I've always had quite enough to be curious about and to worry about with considerations of my own eternity without worrying about or judging the mysterious specifics of others' spiritual standing or eternal status.

If a religion (like Christianity) actually changed people's behaviour - then a nation founded on Christian beliefs, and with the huge majority of it's people professing to be Christian should have a very low incarceration rate and it would be a very peaceful and love-filled society - would it not?

Do we find this to be true - on any nation on earth?

Nations?

No. But, if you look at pure Mennonite or Amish communities, you'd find likely the closest approximation of such cultures, and crime rates are nearly non-existent.

To a larger, and somewhat lesser degree, the Mormons are also a rather good example of that which you seek, BCB......

In a way - I agree with you.

But let me offer this analogy. In BC private schools frequently "out-rank" public schools in provincial-exam test scores. So - private schools are better - right?

No.

When you think that the public school system takes EVERYONE (under-performers, troublemakers, FAS kids, mentally challenged kids etc.)- and let's ALL students write the exam - it is very surprising how close we are in test results. Most private schools "bounce" students that are under-performing and don't accept student's with real problems in behavior or having learning disabilities.

Same with religions and sub-groups of religions.

The Amish (and the LDS church) "bounce" anyone they disapprove of - out of their communities. So - society at large gets all of the "under-performers" from these groups - while the church gets to claim superiority by having society look at only the "honour role" people - in other words - the people it decides to allow to retain membership.

Do you see my point?

PS - In regards to the Amish - Does a "love-filled" parent ever choose to "shun" and give up on a wayward child - just because such a a child might wish to live life a just bit differently than his parents do?

IIRC, such actions are in line with their beliefs and teachings, so (again, if I am correct in my recollection) such actions would actually go to support the earlier position that they are a "nation" founded upon and in harmony with their religious ideals.

To my way of thinking - a nation is a place stuck with everyone born in it.

Once they can "pick and choose" - they aren't a nation.