Christos

Mine is a private school and people travel from far away to go to ours (I travel 20 miles) and as a result, mobile phones become quite important. If I went to school locally it wouldn't bother me so much. In many ways I wish I did live more local to my school.

I still believe that the rewards of Heaven is a mystery. Much of Christianity is a mystery, and every so often another mystery revealed.

exactly :) It is really late here (again) and I am not sure if I have an external exam tomorrow. If you ever get the choice to send your children to a british school.....don't! I swear, if I didn't have a reason to live, other than my education...I would have commited suicide by now. Just four more weeks to go. When I get out of education I think I'll go and join a monastery...that is my ideal life. :) (well, something of the sort anyway...I hate the rat race style of life. Life is for living, not for working) But no! I have to go to university .

He truely is. :)

Does it not occur to you that when a sentence is conceived it can be written in a more concise than it needs to be, on the assumption that the audience understands the subject. What I mean by "sentence" is a series of words joined in a row to create a senseful statement, or question, or command. What I mean by conceived is not the sexual nature that such a word is associated with but rather the act of creating from little or non existing material. What I mean by written is not to be written by a pen but rather to be typed onto the internet in a string of electronic information bearing numbers. What I mean by assumption is to have a pre thought out knowledge of who my audience is, to know or guess what their current knowledge is on the subject I wish to write. What I mean by audience is the person who chooses to browse this webpage (of whom I hope is lost) What I mean by "understands" is similar in meaning to comprehend....look it up. What I mean by subject is the semantic area or field of which I am writing in. I wouldn't hold your breath on a commentary of the commentary.

If God, the Father has a human body, what was the point of sending down his son, when he could have gone down himself? It would deem the incarnation pointless. We must not think of the God-head in earthly human terms. Out of curiosity, I hear that you believe that God physically came down to Earth and physically had intercourse with the virgin Mary. BTW, I know better than to believe all that your Joseph Smith has to say.

We are not God. We are created in the image of God BUT we are now created in the image of Adam. One must remember that when it says in Genesis that man was created in the image of God, it actually means more than just image in the english sense. The original hebrew word is tseh'-lem which is from an unusual root meaning to shade; a phantom, that is (figuratively) illusion, resemblence; hense a representative figure. This is known to theologians as a natural image, as opposed to an artificial image, such examples could be Icons, photographs, statues or even works of literature. Man is a natural image of God. God doesn't look like man, this isn't a visible image otherwise it would use a different hebrew word plus it would be an artificial image. God also says to Moses that man shall never see his face unless he should die. God was existant before time itself.

Nobody here knows how we will be rewarded or what with (apart from life eternal). I keep my original statement, you have only interpreted it.

First of all I will say this. I do not know, nor does anyone else, know who or what will be rewarded, or on what degree. But what we do know is that we shall be rewarded. Mat 5:2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Mat 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Mat 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Mat 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Mat 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Mat 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Mat 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. I don't believe there are any degrees of Hell. Are there any degrees of total destruction? However, I found some diagrams on the e-sword website (they have to be downloaded) and the writer draws the diagrams of the underworld as having. Hell as a waiting place for the damned (opposite of paradise) Tartaris is the prison of the fallen angels The Abyss is the bottomless pit (obviously) into which the beast is cast. And that everything eventually gets sent to the lake of fire (after judgement)....which would make the place we're thinking of, Hell. Heres a diagram that has the same information I'm referring to on it. http://www.baptistlink.com/rklist/larkin_r...0Underworld.png I put it as an url because it is a big picture.

Thankyou for showing us the link! It is a wonderful tool! I am currently using it to look at the seven seals of the apocalypse (something I've been interested in for a while). I love how easy it is too see the greek words...who knows, I might even learn more greek through my study! I downloaded it also because I am studying Galatians chapter one for my English Language...about language change through translations. Thanks so much

Cool! So if hell is what you say it is. When I am in Heaven I'll take one of those little excursions to Hell and back. All you have to do is hate God for a day. This all seems to liberal to be true, and I don't know what scriptures you are using but they certainly don't appear to be mine.

My Priest accepts my baptism. Like him I am protestant in background. Though he was charismatic and I was high anglican. My past church was really orthodoxesque....it even has icons, unaccompianied male four part choir and similar processions. Chrismation is the joining of a catechumen to the Orthodox communium, regardless of parish....besides, if I was visiting an Orthodox church elsewhere (after Chrismation), no one is going to ask as I am partaking of the Eucharist "so, are you from one of those new fandangled orthodox churches that accept ex-protestants?!?! If so, we cast thee out!"

I could choose not to go to school tomorrow. But I might not enjoy being at home, on my own, with nothing to do. Every sin I act, I choose. I actually choose to sin against the heavenly father. This doesn't mean that I get pleasure from it. I actually feel like ripping my own stomach open at the thought of it.

Good answer PrisonChaplain I think that considering God as Spirit answers a lot of questions on omnipresence. God is Spirit. Only the Son has become incarnate of human flesh. It is easier and more convenient to teach God as human but he really isn't. It is just easier for people to understand. Yet God is shrowded in mystery. We cannot expect to understand everything.

It is better to agree than to disagree or at the very worst, to agree to disagree. I can't see the non-LDS churches joining with the LDS church due to doctrinal issues but as humans we can be as one...though doctrinally differ. Equally as you want a union of all Christians to the LDS church, I want a union of all Christians to the Church. The way. The one Holy Catholic* and Apostolic Church. * this comes from the Greek word which means union, or whole, not a reference to the Roman church which has adopted this name.

Thanks for the somewhat interesting reply . Unless Judaism hadn't come to England, I would probably be pagan. :) I am aware that Christmas day falls upon (not by coincidence) the pagan festival of light. We Christians liked to do that in the early days Cast out the heresies by pain of torture (gotta love the spanish inquisition ) Actually I think it is optional to say either "upon" or "on". It has the same meaning and the extra syllable can really help with some of the chant tones. Yes, Christotokos is the same in meaning but I think that Theotokos may have been (I haven't researched) adapted because of some heretical churches that considered Christ entirely human or a mere prophet. As Christ is God and Mary bore Christ, that would make Mary the Bearer of God...thus the Theotokos....though the Roman church does take it a few steps further . I dion't know if my personal opinons are shared by bishops of the Orthodox church but if they are, all I have to say is....Cool! If you assumed that I am an Orthodox Bishop, I say.....mega cool! I am actually not Orthodox, I haven't been Christmated yet, and I don't really intend to be for a few years. Till then, I am teechnically still in communium with the anglican church. I will probably be Chrismated when I go to university and I am independant from my family.

Good stuff!

It's quite common over here (england). A few years ago there were many reports of people being threatened by text messaging and being attacked both mentally and physically.

Hve I frightened everyone away

We too believe in a repentance of our sins. Washed in the blood of Jesus Christ.

No man is perfect. One sin is just as condemnable as a thousand. The word "sin" was used by the greeks in javellin competition and means "to fall short of the mark". God uses no learning curve. Mormons are very nice people and they have a reason to be. But even the cleanest of people can hold the filthiest of sins. No man can become God. Hell isn't a sort of custody. A time for reflection on our transgressions. It is the very state of non existance. Hell is the existance of non existance (and that isn't an oxymoron) It seems to me that the LDS faith is a very emotional faith, always seeking for warm or cold emotions. "When you find the truth you get a warm feeling in your bosom"....if you've been taught to have that feeling, you will. Warm feelings can be invented by the mind. We are taught to feel good when we give a charitable gesture and to feel bad when we transgress, but are emotions a good measure for goodness? I have a friend who has just left paganism and he used to get the most wonderful feelings when a spell he cast would perform. Is this good? Basically what I am saying here is that emotions are not something to consider when we think about eternity. Eternity is black and white, you are either saved or you are not. Lets just hope we're on the right side of the fence.

Our Lord Jehova. The Father Almighty, Creater of Heaven and Earth and of all things visible and invisible is an awesome God. He is also, the only God.

Excellent post! I believe that Hell is the eternal seperation between man and God. When God knows you not. N.I.V. Matthew 7:21 21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Eternal seperation from God is worse than death, so incomprehensible to us. As there will be NO presence of God, there will be nothing good. There will be no hope of escape because those persons have been judged and will not be known by the Lord. It astounded me how liberal the Mormon view is on Hell. The idea that after life you can be baptised. Also the idea that you can be freed from Hell . Hell is something that is not to be taken lightly, it is the ultimate place of destruction. And by the way. Hell is not where the devil reigns . Satan was cast from the Heavenly host. He now walks about Earth. He will be bound in the abyss for a thousand years, freed and then defeated. If Satan were in Hell....we wouldn't know him and there would be no sin.

Wow. Some great thoughts here. Thank you very much for sharing. :) But one thought I would like to add is that our kind of God is the best kind of God there is out there, because our kind of God has dominion over all the other kinds of Gods out there... as Man has dominion over all the other kinds of life living on this Earth. What Is Mormonism so liberal that it accepts other Gods from other religions? Is Mormonism a polytheistic religion? I am hoping that I am quoting the greatest of all commandments in vain. Exodus 20 1And God spake all these words, saying, 2I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Death has a purpose, that is why Christ defeated it. Death is what seperates us from God. It is destruction. In effect, hell. The seperation from God and life eternal. One must remember the difference between Earthly death and eternal death. I would write more to clarify but I have college tomorrow and it is 1:22am here.