Uh, oh, the "P" word...

• Messages sorted by:[ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]

> 20	For since the creation of the world __God's invisible
> qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly
> seen_, _being understood from what has been made_, *_SO THAT MEN ARE
> WITHOUT EXCUSE_.

    21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him
    as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became
    futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

    22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools

    23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images
    made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and
    reptiles.

    25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped
    and served created things rather than the Creator--who is
    forever praised. Amen.

    28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to
    retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a
    depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.


My comments on "everyone hears about salvation."

While Scripture seems to indicate that "time and chance" is given to
everyone, and while I agree that nature and creation does indeed point
to the eternal power and divine nature of the LORD, my experience is
such that I don't think everyone has heard of Jesus Christ.  While
evangelists made great progess even in the first century after Christ's
resurrection, going as far as the British Isles and India, nobody in
the Americas had certainly heard of Jesus Christ until after the
Europeans started coming over (unless you believe the fiction in the
BoM).

It's not difficult to see that there are still portions of the world
who have not heard of Jesus Christ.  I know people who have encountered
people right here in the United States who have not heard of the
Bible!

Remember everyone, I grew up in Japan.  There is plenty of religious
freedom in Japan, and just about everyone there has heard of "Jesus" in
some sense but certainly not in a way indicating that he is the true
Way.  I'm not sure I met a Christian until I was about twenty-two years
old.  This guy is a raving right-wing gun-nut fundamentalist
hellfire-and-brimstone preaching Jesus-is-my-best-friend
heaven-is-my-home radical who's now one of my best friends :-) even if
he does have a penchant for conspiracy theories.  I'm almost certain
he's for the death penalty.

Richard Masoner