@alan fraser said:

The definition of Scientific Method:-
"Scientific method refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. To be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of reasoning."

'Alan F.' I referred to the broad/popular sense of term "scientific": done in an organized way, based on research, knowledge, etc. Because of that, I combined it with “laborious” and “systematic” ...
Do not speculate!

Apart from this, you were totally wrong saying abaut me: “empirical investigation was only in its INFANCY and God remained the best explanation for many things.”

@alan fraser said:

People like Cornel can be relied upon to point out that many people back then were still ardently religious. Of course they were; empirical investigation was only in its infancy and God remained the best explanation for many things.

‘Alan F.’ I am not "religious" but true believer, in real God!
My "investigations" have not been "empirical", but very laborious, systematic and scientific…
Do not explain you about me, just making some wrong assumptions...!

Does Crisis, ‘bring’ us something...?!

At first they give us an ACCURATE PERCEPTION OF OURSELVES, and wipe to us the illusion and pretense that we are in control of situations and circumstances. Often, we have a false impression that we control our reality, forgetting that God is one who has.
Man is not above the times, and how things work does not depend on his skill and wisdom. As many ‘artifices’ would make the man, God is controlling everything...

Many ignorants say that all is to ‘think positively’, to be 'logical', to not let yourself beaten or intimidated by the situation... etc., but, apart from God, all those measures are useless...
To experience great and useful things in our lives, it is necessary to be honest , to admit that we aren’t masters of situations, and that God decides every detail.

Crisis bring us ‘breaking’ that we so need, eliminating the pride of our lives, and removing one of the biggest obstacles to God's mercy.

We resist to the will of God and give not Him free to act as He wants. We are almost always tempted to keep in our thoughts, and to self-appreciate in the condition in which we are…

Who never said seriously: “I want Your will to be done, not mine” , that needs ‘crushing’ and crisis shall not delay to appear ...!

@alan fraser said:

If you have any intellectual honesty, you also have to question the relationship between the primitive Middle eastern concept of the scapegoat, a blood-sacrificial animal which could be used to absorb evil and thus remove it from society; and the concept of a blood-sacrificial man who was also a son of god that could do the same thing for sin.

'Alan F.', “if you have any intellectual honesty”, you have to recognize that animal blood only ‘covered’ sin, and showed symbolically to ‘Lamb of God’ who cleaned sin of the world ...!

@mike lucey said:

Cornel,

I've tried to do a search about you and got a few results but of course I cannot be sure they are actually you.
Most of the guys that debate with you here are pretty open about how they are, where they come from and what they do. Its called being friendly

How about you give us an idea about who the mystery man 'Cornel' is and what makes him tick. I am genuinely curious.

OK, 'Mike L.', voila:
MY EDUCATION:
Bachelor in Fine Arts: Painting and Sculpture.
Bachelor of Interior Design and Industrial Design.
Master of Architecture and Urban Planning.

MY COMPUTER SKILLS (besides SketchUp…):
AutoCAD, Architectural Desktop, Revit, Allplan, VectorWorks, ArchiCAd, Cadvance, DataCAD, ProgeCAD, TurboCAD, SmartSketch, 3DS Max/Viz , Rhino3d, SolidWorks, Accurender, Artlantis, Piranesi, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, Adobe Graphic Studio, Camtasia Studio, Scan2Cad, MacroExpress, Microsoft Office etc.

AT PRESENT, I take care of grandchildren…!
So far I have worked mainly as Industrial Designer, Interior Designer, Architect, Urban Planner, Art Consultant, Professor, etc.

@gilles said:

What kind of test?

It is up to you, 'gilles'...

Ask God for something serious, with all your heart,
being prepared to give Him thanks, proper honor,
praise and glory...!

Give to God the supreme position in your life,
and He will give you everything you ask!

@tig said:

Cornel,
What proof do you have that YOUR VERY OWN SPECIAL VERSION of God is the EXACTLY CORRECT one... and that anybody else's is therefore COMPLETELY WRONG, and invalid?
Your only proof is that your scriptures tell you so !

God tells you so: "[Test Me, says the LORD Almighty, and you will see!]"

@andybot said:

God is a human construct, no matter which way and by which society it gets constructed.

You are wrong, 'andybot', that is an IDOL...!

Where 'go' the souls of men to death?
Old Testament speaks about Sheol/Hades, and tells us that the souls of the dead go there.

"Sheol" should not be confused with the term "grave" (or 'hole'), for which Jews have separate/dedicated term, and only use it when referring to human BODY, such as in these verses: Genesis 5:20, 50:5; Deuteronomy 34:6; Isaia 53:9, etc.
The term “Sheol” is distorted in ignorance or deliberately, by some religious groups, as "grave".

Read some texts about Sheol, such as those from Job 7:9, Psalm 6:5, 16:8-10, 86:13..., to begin to edify ...!
It is easy to notice that like difference between body and soul, so is a distinction between "grave and "Sheol".
Even in same verse, for example in Psalm 16:10, respectively : “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption/dissolution” (prophecy, targeting the Messiah), is the distinction between SOUL, which arrives in Sheol, and the body subjected to decay, which reached the grave.
Refer to this, both, apostle Peter, in his sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:27), and apostle Paul, in his sermon (Acts 13:27), held in the synagogue of Antioch of Pisidia.

The term "Sheol" comes from Sha'ul/Sha’al which means ‘place of tension’, ‘place of questions’, ‘place of turmoil/of struggles’ ... It originally consisted of two 'compartments':
a) Department of the UNSAVED SOULS (unchanged department), which is characterized by terror and suffering, awaiting ‘the Last Judgement’;
b) Paradise (moved to Heaven, once the resurrection of Jesus Christ), for the SOULS OF THE FAITFUL, which were "comforted" and waiting to be solved by the redemption plan prepared by God (work already accomplished by Messiah/Jesus Christ).

Both, the unsaved souls, and saved souls, do not experience annihilation...!

@solo said:

I'd like to add the greek word "tartaroos" or tartarus from which Hell is translated in 2 Peter 2:4 which describes the deeps parts of the dark pit where the fallen angels are reserved for punishment. This is the same place the demons in the swine did not want Jesus to sent them; that is, the Abyss. Also, consider a careful study in the same context of 2 Peter and that is 2 Peter 2:9 which places the deceased wicked in the same place as the fallen angels.

@ ‘Solo’.
Rebellious angels, incarcerated in Tartarus, have nothing in common with Satan’s angels, who are in ‘freedom’... It is obvious that you have not studied the subject...!

@box said:

I look forward to spending eternity hangin out with Satan,
...

I believe in the real existence of the Satan/Devil (Job 1:6,etc.)...
He is a being which was created, originally holy, then fallen through pride and rebellion against God, and became the enemy of God and man (Ezechiel 28:12-17).
He is the one who instigated man into disobedience (Genesis 3:4-5; 2 Corinthians 11:3).
He is 'the ruler of the kingdom of the air’ (Ephesians 2:2); the "accuser" of the holy ones (Revelations 12:10); the falsifier of God’s works (Matthew 13:25,38,39).
He was restrained at the cross (Colossians 2:15), and is destined in the end to be striped of all his power and to be thrown in the ‘lake of fire’ (Revelations 20:10).

@box said:

I look forward to spending eternity hangin out with Satan, beats the hell out of hanging around with close minded, brainwashed,
...

"I look forward to spending eternity" with God!

I believe in the only true God (John 17:3) revealed in the Scriptures as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). I believe in the oneness (Deut. 6:4), the trinity (Matthew 3:16-17) and the trinity unified as one God (Matthew 28:19).
God is a spirit (John 4:24), infinite and perfect in all His attributes (Psalms 139:1-12), the One that CREATED ALL THINGS (Rev. 4:11), and keeps all things through the power of His Word (Hebrews 1:3).
In Him we live, we move and have our being (Acts 17:28).
He is the SOURCE, the SUSTAINMENT and the FINALITY of all things (Romans 11:36).

@tig said:

So... what specific unique insights does your source bring to bear on this particular debate [if any] ?

@ 'TIG'. It is God who works in the person who trusts in Him, to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose. A man of true faith, quit smoking once for all life, not for 50 times…!

@tig said:

Cornel, did [your] God say anything about "smoking" in 'His' scriptures?

'TIG', primarily in the Scriptures, God shows us some principles. Examples, both positive and negative, from the Bible does not refer directly to smoking, but warns us about the waste of our health, energy, time, money, and so on… Also, there are references to moderation, self-control, patience, etc.

Take it logically, not speculative...!

@ ‘Rich O’Brian’ (and other, similar…), You play with ‘fire’…!

At Galatians 6:7 is written:
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows!”

P.S.: Take into account the fact that Satan does not agree to be underestimated and incited...!

@solo said:

Similar to understanding mental illness after visiting an asylum.

You are erroneous, ‘Solo’, because you start with preconceptions!

Dear colleagues, it is evident that some of you have not yet studied the whole Bible, but quickly jump in for contradicting…
I recommend that after you finish reading the Holy Scripture, go through books explaining how God works, like “KNOWING God”, by J.I.PACKER, book with following content:

I KNOW THE LORD
1 The Study of God
2 The People Who Know Their God
3 Knowing and Being known
4 The Only True God
5 God Incarnate
6 He ShallTestify

II BEHOLD YOUR GOD!
7 God Unchanging
8 The Majesty of God
9 God Only Wise
10 God’s Wisdom and ours
11 Thay Word Is Truth
12 The Love of God
13 The Grace of God
14 God The Judge
15 The Wrath of God
16 Goodnessand Severity
17 The Jealous God

III IF GOD BE FOR US…
18 The Heartof the Gospel
19 Sons of God
20 Thou Our Guide
21These Inward Trials
22 The Adequacy of God

After that, it will be much easier for you to understand my ‘language’…!

@mike lucey said:

This is an article well worth reading I think. Its on Edge,
CAN SCIENCE HELP SOLVE THE ECONOMIC CRISIS?
http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/brown08 ... index.html

You're right, ‘Mike L.’, that article appears to be seriously prepared, but, “separated from God we can do nothing” (John 15:5)

The crisis are REORIENTING us.
We always need RESEARCH, as David says:
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24)
King David knew that we could easily grab a wrong way ... We need correction, straightening of life, because sometimes we lose direction and correct vision. While economic crisis, we regain clear vision of reality and we focus on what is really important.

So we begin to DISTINGUISH PRIORITIES and follow them more carefully, we come to recognize how much Jesus Christ was right when He advised us, referring to the heavenly Father:
“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all other things will be given to you as well.” (Mattew 6:33)

Crisis teaches us about DEPENDENCE on God and living through FAITH. When all goes well and we have plenty of money, it seems that we are sufficient, it seems that we have no need of something or someone, even of God...
The Lord allowed crises and reminds us how dependent we are on Him, and we begin to live by true faith. Those who always have all, in abundance, they have no intimate experience with the Lord...!

@mike lucey said:

Now, how can we help ourselves? I think the first thing to do is try and fully understand what has happened to cause the problem also what is currently happening and then act to try and remedy the mess!

OK 'Mike L', start from CAUSES!

Can we propose something special, in the crisis situation in which we deep?! Most people, in crisis, are happy to survive ...!
Field more 'obvious' hit is the economic one, but the **ECONOMIC CRISIS (natural, manipulated ... or combined) ARE actually TRIGGERED AND FUELED BY OTHER TYPES OF CRISES, SUCH AS MORAL AND SPIRITUAL, plus social and political.**The economic crisis is that which 'bothers' more, other types being more easily tolerated/accepted ... God uses economic crises, (even those social or political) to open our eyes to the crisis of higher order: as moral and spiritual!