Bernice: I do understand. I've heard similar stories before and it's sad really. People meant well I suppose.

Frankly, I find the Bible quite convincing. I think God has adequately revealed himself in his Word, and through His Son. I think that God reveals himself through the world (but not as Rod sees it but as a demonstration of his creative power). There are many things I've investigated through the years that demonstrate intellectually that Christianity is true. That appeals to me because when I was young I was told to 'just believe." Well, the skeptics in the world challenged me and I had no answers to their questions. "Just believe" was no longer good enough. So I began asking lots of questions. And honestly I haven't stopped asking. I know what I believe to be ultimate true and I know what I am totally clueless on. God for example, is incomprehensible. Anyone who fully understands God is either a liar, a deceiver, or a complete fool. No one can fully know God as he really is.

We can't begin to fully understand the ways of God. We know some things, but not all. So the things I say I believer to be true are really only those things that are revealed. Each one I could make a rational argument for (such as baptism and it's place in the church). Ask me about hell and I'll tell you honestly that neither do I know and neither does anyone really know about the nature of hell. There are four views of hell and they are all well supported by rational argument and based on the Bible. Why is there no agreement? Well the Bible isn't exactly crystal clear on this. There are some things we know, some things we absolutely don't know, and other things of which we have only a glimpse. ;)