KFC, some parts of the Bible support reincarnation.

There is nothing in scripture that supports reincarnation including the two you chose to list.

First of all Elijah never died. He was one of two (Enoch the other) that was brought up alive. So how does this fit with reincarnation? Also, as Xythe already said, John denied he was Elijah. The truth be told, John was like Elijah. He was a forerunner and from his description looked and dressed liked Elijah did.

The blind man? If you go to the Psalms you'll see that it says "In sin did my mother conceive me." We are conceived in sin. We are born with sin. Jesus in fact did, and I agree with Baker on this, create this man with this infirmity for such a time as this.

You may think it odd Jen but you are looking at it from an earthly perspective not a Godly one. See, by doing this, many came to a saving knowledge of Christ as a result of seeing these miracles, wether it be via a blind man, a lame man or a person with leprosy. So because of these people many, many, people were able to live for ever in eternity. Belief is all that is needed for eternal life and because of these people many more came to believe in the miracle worker (Jesus) believing he was God in the flesh as they saw him at work.

I would gladly suffer blindness if I knew that many would be in heaven as a result of my blindness.

As a matter of fact you may want to read Helen Keller who was blind, deaf and dumb. She said there is something worse than being blind. Those that are able to see but have no vision.

You may also want to check out a lady named Jennifer Rothschild who has been blind since the age of 15. She is amazing and is also bringing many people to Christ with her attitude and love for God. God is using her to touch people's lives. She says being blind on earth is nothing in comparison to living forever in eternity. I've seen her on stage and I swear she's actually glowing when she speaks.

Good job Xythe. Keep up the good work~~

You seem not to believe that the Bible is as the true Word of God. Yes it was written by man and things have been translated through the years, but it is STIlL the Word of God.And the Truths of it are as strong as they were when the Bible came into place

Amen!

God is big enough to keep an eye on this book, his own words. The ones that doubt it have never really read it and studied it from my experience.

I recently heard of a Scienctist who was in the field of Genetics. He was an atheist until he went through his residency in a hospital. There he encountered many who were dying. He was perplexed as he saw the joy in those that were Christians regardless of their trials. He saw a difference in those that were believers and those not. Then one day when an 80 year old woman questioned him and his belief, he replied he didn't believe in God. She asked "why not?" That question haunted him. He had no scientific reason to give her and it bugged him to no end. So he went on a mission to find one. He went to a Pastor who led him to C.S. Lewis's "Mere Christianity"

For those who don't know, Lewis also was an atheist before he came face to face with God. This book is one of logic and when this Scientist read the book he saw his own arguments crumble with Lewis's logic and it all came together for him. He had no choice but to believe that there was indeed a God.

I heard about this on the radio, but a friend of mine said you can get the book and the story on C-Span.

Again, KFC, the examples you use have zilch to do with the Bible being inerrant. The change you describe in people refers to God and what He does, not the Bible. If it is because the people chose the religion of the Bible, then you have to deal with the millions who change their lives and become devout Muslims.

Does their conversion prove the Koran to be inerrant?

I have no doubt that God COULD make an inerrant book if He wanted to. He's God, after all. What I can't do, however, is vouch for a book that doesn't itself purport to be inerrant. How could it? It wasn't a "book" until centuries after the authors had died.

In order for me to believe it is inerrant, I have to a) take the word of worldly religion, and overlook a ton of things that tell me that it isn't perfect. I consider some of it slanderous toward God, and I think there is pretty much no greater blaspheme than to blame God for evil acts. If a god can't keep its own commandments, it isn't really a god at all.

The difference between you and I is if, and I admit it is an IF, the Bible ISN'T perfect, you have to change your image of God to fit something that is flawed. That's why some people rationalize and excuse the barbaric acts of the OT god in order to keep their book inerrant. If you don't support biblical inerrancy, then you don't have to accept evil acts that are below even vile humanity as somehow being God's holy work.

I recently heard of a Scienctist who was in the field of Genetics. He was an atheist until he went through his residency in a hospital. There he encountered many who were dying. He was perplexed as he saw the joy in those that were Christians regardless of their trials. He saw a difference in those that were believers and those not. Then one day when an 80 year old woman questioned him and his belief, he replied he didn't believe in God. She asked "why not?" That question haunted him. He had no scientific reason to give her and it bugged him to no end. So he went on a mission to find one. He went to a Pastor who led him to C.S. Lewis's "Mere Christianity"

Lewis also was an atheist before he came face to face with God. This book is one of logic and when this Scientist read the book he saw his own arguments crumble with Lewis's logic and it all came together for him. He had no choice but to believe that there was indeed a God.

The trouble with testimonies like this, is that for every testimony a person gives about converting to Christianity, another testimony can be told about someone who converted to Islam, or became a Buddhist, or lost faith in Christianity and became an atheist. (I once attended a Muslim seminar to check out what the preacher had to say. The place was full of people who had beliefs equally as rigid and firm as yours, KFC, but they simply believed in another book and in another religion. They believed that the Qur’an was inerrant, and nothing would sway their view. They believed that all other religions, including Christianity, were “wrong”. Many of the people there were white Muslims, who had once been Christian and had since converted to Islam. At the end of the seminar, after conversing with a lot of the people there, I thought, “Room for growth for these folk. They're too narrow minded and are too dogmatic for their own good.”)

But our own personal experience is what really counts, and if we’re at peace with our beliefs, then we’re doing okay.

I thank you for you comments Baker...can we kindly more on?

feel free to quote the Koran or whatever.

Is the Hall of Souls a fact or a myth?

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Xythe - are you going to start a thread on this to tell us more about it? It sounds interesting.

Actually Jen, THIS thread is SUPPOSED to be about the Hall of Souls, or the Guf.

It would be nice if Mr Baker would comment on that. I myself would be interested to hear what he has to say on this.

It should be esay for him, as there is no reference to the Guf or The Hall of Souls in the bible.

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Jen,

Please understand that NONE of what I am going to say is biblical in any way shape or form. Besides, my understanding of all this is pretty limited. Anyhow, this is all I know about the 7th heaven (mythical?):

For starters, the 7 heavens are ruled by the 7 archangels.

The archangel Cassiel rules the most holy 7th heaven. Supposedly this heaven is the house of Gods throne.

It also houses the 3 highest chiors of angels, the Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones.

This is the heaven where supposedly the unborn souls of men are held.

- The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, a Jewish Spiritual work mentions the 7 heavens, as well as the Islamic Koran (as I am told, I have never read the Koran).

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Your welcom Jen....Let us know what you find!

I would truly be interested in what the Koran has to say about the 7th heaven.

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