Rob, this event and events like this has nothing to do with Jesus' return. Given what you have said on this blog in the past, I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry for his return, it won't be pretty for you. But it's not too late to be saved. I'll pray for that to happen for you.

I would agree this was bad timing on the eviction. They have been living there for quite awhile. They could have waited a few days. For WSP to do something a politically negative as this surprises me.

The reason Christians wear crosses are a reminder of the sin debit that was paid for us in full by Christ. Without his suffering for us, it would be our suffering to endure. And for that reason the cross is a symbol of love at a very high level.

I support your right to believe how you want to believe. In-fact God supports your right to believe how you want to believe, it’s called free will.

As far as what happens at death, this is God’s pond and you play by his rules. We all know them or have the ability to learn them. If we chose not to live by his rules, then we can’t say we didn’t know. God created us for his pleasure. But he wants us to come to him voluntarily, not by force or coercion. God is perfect, heaven is perfect, and imperfect humans don’t get into his heaven. The wages of sin is death, fuel rod, fire dancer. But by accepting Christ into your life, you are guaranteed your ticket to heaven. Now if you don’t accept Christ, you are on your own in front of God on Judgement Day. You have no one there to mediate (for the lack of a better description) on your behalf. You might make it on your own. As for me, I don’t want to chance it.

You see, if I’m wrong and you’re right about God/Christ, then hopefully I will have lived a better life and at death I will be just worm food. But if you’re wrong and I’m right, you will have the agony of Hell to suffer for all eternity.

RR says--I'm not afraid of death. There is a need for (the idea) heaven because people are afraid of death, and have to believe that there is a reward for living a good life. To me, living a good life is it's own reward. I don't need a carrot, just being alive and treating others with dignity is enough for me.

DD says--I’m not afraid of death either. But you need to be afraid of the after life if you go the wrong way, it won’t be pretty for you if you head south. I would agree living a good life is a good reward. You may get more or less than you are planning on though at the end.

RR says--I'm pretty sure your answer to this will be faith, but what makes you so sure you're right? There are many religions, and people that have just as much, maybe more, faith than you do. What makes you so sure you chose wisely?

DD says--I was a skeptic too at one point, perhaps nearly as much of one as you. But I did my research, and even those with purely scientific minds, I like science, will be convinced Christianity is the way if you take the time to do the research. My father is a humanist, like some of you here, and my mother is a Christian. Neither perspective was pushed on me, but I was exposed to both. I was closer to a humanist until 1993 than a Christian. I asked some of the same questions, and made some of the same statements as are made here with you, stevenl and others. The answers are there for you. But neither of you, or other non-believers here really want to know what the answers are, you mearly want to debate the topic from your point of view.

RR says--Another question, don't you think that if you grew up in a Muslim dominated culture you'd be Muslim right now? Would you rebel against Islam and move away to a Christian society? I think the honest answer is that you would be a devout Muslim. So then, I ask again, what makes you so sure you "chose" the right religion?

DD says--No, I wouldn’t be a devout Muslim after I had done my research. I might have been prior to research, but not after. Because the answer would be the same if discovered by a humanist or a muslim.

Stevenl says--His rule according to who? Or which sacred book? And then, which version of that sacred book? And then, which interpretation of that version of the sacred book? And specifically, which religious sect? I am not asking a rhetorical question here or trying to debate or argue or being hostile, I am really curious what brand of Christianity you are being so evangelical about. OlyBlog is dedicated to listening and discussing. Under what scope of beliefs, and, just as importantly, deeds, would guarantee us a ticket into heaven? And what makes this set of beliefs different than the thousands of other faiths out there?

DD—says, like I said above, the answers to your questions are out there. If you truly want to know the answers, seek them out.

RR says--Where did your research take you and what was the tipping point at which you decided on Christianity?

DD says--I discounted the pagan religions at the outset, long story and don’t feel like going into it, just know I think they are wrong. I couldn’t buy the stuff professed in Hinduism and offshoots of that. I then focused on the religions that are monothesistic, Christian Judism and islam. All three have their genesis from the same ‘God’. Islam breaks away from Judism, with Abraham’s bastard son, Ishmel. Judism and Christanity continues with Abraham’s other son, Isaac. Then comes Jesus. It’s a known fact even in the secular world he was a real person, and even Islam acknowledges he was a sinless man. So the question is was he God in the flesh. I believe he is. Different topic as to the reasons, but bible prophecy being fullfilled in the past and currently is one of the hinge pins for me. Jews don’t believe Jesus was the Messiah we do.

Islam is a religion of hate. Mohammed “their great prophet

This is precisely why I didn't want to get into discussing this here. This is a multi-faceted discussion, much easier to do face to face. It will be laborious to do this in a blog.

There are answers to all your questions, logical and non-faith based, (scientific). But it takes too long to discuss here. If you truly want to gain wisdom like you mentioned above, then do the research yourself. If not, that's cool too. But I have no interest to discuss this topic in depth here. Skim the surface, perhaps.

As far as conversions, there are many that have gone from skeptic or non-believer to hardcore believers (scientists, etc.). True there is no smoking gun to point to on either side. But like I said earlier, if you are wrong and I'm right, it will suck to be you.