How will you view the future?

My wife and I went out for a car club cruise on Saturday, and along the way we realized that with it being Easter weekend, the door-to-door religion salesmen would probably be about. We saw a guy that look like he was selling Mormonism when we went through one town. I wondered if we'd miss whoever comes to our house, or if I actually be home for a change. When we got home, I got my answer... The Jehovah's Witnesses had let us yet another pamphlet in our door.

Since I love to analyze these things, let's do just that...

How do you view the future?

Will our world ... 
• stay the same 
• get worse?
• get better?

How do I view the world? I try to be optimistic, but also realistic. Anything could happen. Medical science could find the cure for cancer tomorrow, or WW-III could break out. The world could get better or worse. But all of that in mind, I try to remain positive, and work to make the best of whatever situation I find myself facing. I can tell you one thing though, the only future the Bible predicts is a bad one...

What the Bible Says
"God... will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away." -Revelation 21:3-4

Revelation? The end times? Really...? That is a pretty bleak future. In a nut shell, Earth becomes a living hell, Jesus returns, the faithful are ruptured, Satan is imprisoned for 1,000 years, he is then released, and Christ defeats Satan in one final battle. We are also told that this could happen at any time, and that we should look forward to it.

So the believers go to Heaven to become God's never ceasing worship slaves (the Bible says Heaven is worship, not hanging out with grandma and grandpap). Meanwhile, those left behind have to go through the tribulations and live through Hell on Earth. Sorry, but neither one sounds good, or like something to look forward to. Oh, and JW's believe that only 144,000 followers (throughout all of history) will go to Heaven. So yeah... the odds of not getting to live through Hell on Earth is pretty slim for everyone.

What that can mean for you
• Meaningful and satisfying  work. -Isaiah 65:21-23.

How is any work or anything supposed to be satisfying when you are told to expect devastating end times at any time?

• No more sickness or suffering of any kind. -Isaiah 25:8, 33:24.

No suffering... Unless, you know... You aren't one of the 144,00 that get admittance into Heaven. But hey, if you do get in, you won't get a cold while you're on your knees in eternal worship.

• A happy, unending life with family and friends. -Psalms 37:11-29.

Except for the fact that the Bible never actually mentions that version of Heaven that everyone seems to talk about.

Can we really believe what the Bible says?
Yes, for at least two reasons:

 No, we actually can't believe the Bible or trust it as reliable. There is no evidence that any of it's fantastic claims, and even many of the mundane claims are actually true. Furthermore, there is much in there that is ridiculous or just plain wrong.

• God has the ability to fulfill the promise. In the Bible, Jehovah God alone is called "the Almighty", for he has unlimited power. (Revelation 15:3) So he is fully able to keep his promise to change our world for the better. As the Bible says, "with God all things are possible." -Matthew 19:26.

God can do anything... Except defeat chariots of iron (Judges 1:19). If God has the power to change the world for the better, then why doesn't he do just that? That is what a loving god would do after all... Jehovah is the only one called 'the almighty'? Sorry, try again. And even so. What if Odin was the only one called the all-father?  Would that prove that Odin is the one true god?

• God has the desire to fulfill the promise. For example, Jehovah has "a yearning" to restore life to people who have died. -Job 14:14-15.

So go ahead and do it then... I thought this god was supposed to be loving.

The Bible also shows that God's Son, Jesus, healed the sick. Why did he do so? Because he wanted to. (Mark 1:40-41) Jesus perfectly reflected his Father's personality by his desire to help those in need. -John 14:9.

And the Norse religion says that Thor defeated the demon serpent during the final battle of Ragnarok. Prometheus also brought mankind fire. Why? He had befriended mankind and wanted to see us live on and succeed. Jesus 'perfectly reflected' God's personality by his 'desire to help those in need'? Did they ever read the Old Testament? How is the genocidal, egotistical, misogynistic, rape ignoring, slavery approving god of the Bible in any way helping those in need?

So we can be sure that both Jehovah and Jesus want to help us to enjoy a happy future! -Psalm 72:12-14; 145:16; 2 Peter 3:9.

Or maybe the Buddha will help you lead a happy future. Or, I could just lead a happy future with no gods or religion at all. Imagine that...

To think about
How will God change our world for the better?
That Bible answers that question at Matthew 6:9-10 and Daniel 2:44.

 Well, since he doesn't exist, he won't. And even if he did, his track record and the Bible's end times predictions paint a clear picture that he only ever makes things
worse.


-Brain Hulk

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