[raulduke]

Well said Ampgog.

We simply have no way of knowing for sure, and those who claim to know are deluding themselves. You may believe (and that's good), but you don't know, and claiming to know is not helping those who are looking at this rationally. We should let people come to their own conclusions w/o all the coercion/missionaryism.

To those who claim to know the unearthly repercussions of my earthly intents/actions:

Have you ever died before?

No?

O.k. well you've spoken w/ someone who has then?

No?

O.k. well you've read about it in a book then?

Yes? O.k. then that sounds plausible, I'll accept all that as fact w/o ever questioning it.

The bible has some good if read like Aesop. They are stories that may or may not be relevant to you personally. I agree w/ Anchor here, just take what is relevant to you. Why does it all have to be true or all not true? I'm sure some stuff in there is true, and some is purely fabricated. Not to mention all the partial truths, just look at all the different interpertations of the same events from the different authors of the books of the bible. If "God" had soley inspired this work, why so many contradictions? But yeah even those "contradictions" are subject to personal interpertation. See what I mean?

I don't see why those who believe in the "truth" of the bible feel compelled to force their way of thinking on others. If you want to read the bible as literal fact then so be it, I couldn't care less, until you start forcing your beliefs upon others.

Do you really need a book to tell you to be a good person?

So please allow for each his/her own.