Hi Dan Foster; You are wonderful. So too are your OpenMinded thoughts -- and your writing is very clear, concise and to the point. Thank you for this wide-eyed Piece!
~~I spent 7-years in a stateside 'Missionary' program before I was 18. When I became of age, and began thinking for myself--not merely (repeating) Other's thoughts nor religious understandings; nor following our Parents--of grandParent's--of great-grandParent's "beliefs" I became a more relaxed, clear and un-wound person. My only suggestion to 'Believers' of every kind: just Read-Widely...then have a conversation with others about (any) thing of significance.
~~The Mesopotamians/Mesoamericans were the first to utilize the word "god"--and they Never 'capitalized' it! Persons (Others) who did great and wonderous things [see: Technological Works], were the 'gods' they loved, obeyed and when necessarily feared.
~~Olden history spells out that the place we were Sent to 'suffer': Hell--was a real and actual place. (From the comforts of Mesopotamia to the Deep Gold Mines of Southeastern Africa..c.200,000-100,000BCE. Located ('down'-below) the Equator. ~~Hot, steamy, and not to be escaped from--once sent there one was not expected to ever come back to the comforts of Mesopotamia: the LandBetweenTheRivers..
~~(Where by the way the location of: The E.DIN is proven by archaeologists to have been actually located in Olden times.) Scientific fact.
~~Regarding 'the heavens'..merely a place/space in the highest orbit. (Not so unlike the area we place our satellites in this the 21stCentury.) The I.GI.GI/Watchers/Astronauts of Olden times--transporters of Products, moved goods and services from various Landing Zones of which there are a few specified if one were to read the Olden Texts, in Greater Mesopotamia. From there to be off- loaded to a MotherShip; which in due time was on-loaded to PlanetShip Nibiru at The Crossing". (Again, never was 'the heavens' ever Capitalized either.)
All this INFOrmation is written down and copied many times from Sumer c.5000BCE, to Babylon to the Levant c.600BC, to Jerusalem. So "god", the heavens & Hell had a 4,400-year headstart on the 'bible', in Olden writings called Cuneiform Tablets. All this occurring long before these Works were filtered, (borrowed/copied/misinterpreted up and around the Fertile Crescent. Then very much later--versions were finally copied by the authors who over time put together the "K.J. v H.B.").
~~By the way I am not out to 'prove' any of what I write to any Judeo-Christian 'believers' nor any 'others'. -- Any more they they [Can Prove] their 'borrowed/copied/mistaken' Religious premises to me.
Final [note]: While maturing I was like many others then and now enrolled or subscribed into 'programs' which required reading the bible frequently. I indulged in the stories with gusto--from Genesis to Revelations, and reviewed them back again. Thus I know quite well both sides of this cute Heaven/Hell "game". :~ )
...Oops, sorry for going-on so!!
