With Odd Events of 2011, the End Times Countdown Begins!

Yes, it is comforting to believe there is meaning to our lives beyond this short physical life, and that we have God watching each and every one of us.

I am a point in my life where I don't know which to believe. Do I have blind faith based on a book which was translated by man which includes some contradictions as well as seeming a bit convenient to the white male dominant society.

Of course Jesus is a white man in a robe. Also, if he is sinless, then why wear a robe to cover himself when there is no shame of sin? Adam and Eve were naked until sinning. Also, doesn't it say in the Bible about how Jezebel's will be punished eternally but yet in another part is reads that when the villagers were trying to stone a Jezebel, Jesus asked for he who hasn't sinned to cast the first stone? It also says things like who are we to judge but yet he is able to. It makes God seem egotistical as well as contradicting.

Kind of like how we took over the west and wiped out Indians but yet we criticize Japan for trying to take over other countries. The U.S. can have all the power because we believe we are above other countries and know what's best for everyone based on OUR beliefs. This is why many other countries call us puritanical hypocrites.

Another part of the Bible I don't like is when God tells a father to kill sacrifice his own son for a purpose which seems a bit inhumane towards the child as well as evil in that a man is told to murder someone. (one again, did God really say this? or tell him to do this? or was this brought about by a religious craze. (Sounds almost similar to how the Christians in Salem murdered many women out of assumption and going too far with religion. ) I honestly don't believe that such a loving God would allow us to judge and murder anyone.

If anything…we have construed the true meaning of what a loving, righteous God has tried to teach us. (Like idle gossip.)

Our planet is like a small town in a huge unknown galaxy, and we are trying to make sense of what we know, which really isnt much. Have we become arrogant to even think we know so much? As crazy as it may sound to most, just because we are the dominant species,who are we to kill animals and insects which were also created by God? We say it's for our survival…but doesn't that sound a bit arrogant and selfish on our part to think everything else is below us and there to only serve our purpose?

Now…I obviously don't know the real answer to whether the end is coming or if God does exist…but I just feel alot of it to not make full sense at times. Also, we were created the way we are and alot of times cannot change the way we are.

What happens when the minds of mentally unstable people cause them to be who they are (go crazy, commit crimes) and it is at times, out of their power? Are they to be punished for committing crimes when they're not even able to control their actions? will they go to heaven? or are they considered defects or murderers who are shoved aside as sinners or lost causes?

As you can see, there are alot of questions before throwing myself fully into being a "believer". Here's another scenario…if you took a fully devoted Christian and started their lives over in a Buddhist community where the influence of Buddhism was strong and Christianity was not learned…wouldnt that person be preaching a completely different message without the knowledge of every other religion?

I dont think Agnostic people should be shunned or considered sinners being they still want to believe some form of God exists but yet doesn't blindly throw themselves into one particular religion. Religion has also been a big cause of wars and created for people to feel they belong to something and have a purpose.(not the best comparison, but its similar to why people created football and contests. Everything is a contest against one another to prove who is superior. We've been this way throughout history.)

I'm sure God would want us to be smarter than to jump into something without the full knowledge of other cultures and religions. Wouldn't that be considered ignorant on our part? If he created us, then you'd think he created us with minds in order to question and be aware as much as possible before assuming and foolishly jumping to the first convenient thing we find. Why would he want a bunch of foolish followers who'll believe the first thing they hear without the proper full knowledge of every worldly belief and our own questions of sincere doubts? You would think he'd respect us more if we applied our minds he's created for us to question and learn while being positive and kind to others at the same. It shouldnt matter if we go to a building each Sunday or we preach a few lines from the Bible.

Also, i find it sad that people are telling us to hurry up and repent or commit to God before its too late. What is God? after-life insurance? I think we shouldnt try to follow him in order just to cover our behinds. Selfish reasons?

We are all far from perfect, although many of us try to be righteous. We are what we are and should be accepted for what we are being we were created in that way. We are all born sinners. That doesnt mean to go around causing havoc but we know what we wouldnt want done to us and should treat others in the way we want to be treated. But we should not judge others and their belief being different beliefs do not make a person bad or unrighteous.

Another thing is that we say "how can a world so perfectly organized or put together" not have a God to be responsible? I'm just saying "what if" what we think is so complex and extroardinary, really isn't. what if as humans with limited knowledge, we just think it is. There could be other living forms somewhere in space that would think we were no smarter than rocks and that our existence is so miniscule. Of course, none of us want to believe that. Let's hope there is a God caring for each of us. BTW.. please don't take any of what i said to offense being I am just trying to throw my personal questions and opinions out there like anyone else.

The Greek word translated "coming" is parousia. It really means "presence." If parousia means "presence," then the fulfillment of the signs of this prophecy would mean that Christ is not coming shortly, but he is already secretly here as a "thief in the night." The Scriptures show that Christ's initial return would be a thief-like, secret presence (1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 16:15) before "every eye shall see him" (discern His Presence).
The following dictionaries (standard works in fundamentalist and evangelical bookstores) confirm this definition of presence.

W. E. Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: Parousia, literally, a presence, para, with, and ousia, being…denotes both an arrival and a consequent presence with."

Robert Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible: Parousia, a being alongside, presence."

Moulton and Milligan's Vocabulary of the Greek Testament Foreword: "Parousia, as applied to the return of the Lord, is simply the anglicizing of the Greek word which literally means 'presence.'"

http://bible411.com/iwillcomeagain/index.htm

No one should try to interpret the bible without a learned scholar helping.
Jesus sent apostles out to preach-not write – his message. Only 5-6 wrote anything and it is supposed that Paul wrote for them because they were illiterate. Some finally realized these "letters" were valueable and started to save them. So many were destroyed before that and the other apostles wrote nothing. They taught orally. The book called the bible is not finished. John says: if all that Christ taught, the earth could not contain it all! Read further the writings of many of the successors to the apostles- Faith of Our Fathers, by Jergens. These writings will explain much further how they lived and taught and in a more understandable way. Those writings are going on yet today because the apostles and their successors did not stop teaching more successors! Christ knew his apostles wouldn't live forever, nor their successors. They are still amassing more succossors daily-in the one true church.
There are 30,000+ sects today, all teaching different things that the "bible" says. That isn't what Christ intended I'm sure.

This count down is not perfect at all and can be closed