Hell's Population Clock

[Olde Tymer]

.
The rich man spoken of in Luke 16:19-31 addressed Abraham as "father" and he in
turn addressed the man as "son" which suggests they are very distantly related as
grandfather/grandson.

(cf. Luke 16:29. Moses and the Prophets came along several centuries after
Abraham's passing.)

I have two grandsons. I'm not sure how well I will cope should either of them end
up in the wrong place.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 193 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 13,403,850 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

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The laws of God require eye for eye, tooth for tooth, burning for burning, hand for
hand, foot for foot, wound for wound, and stripe for stripe.

Where does that leave people like Ted Kaczynski who killed and/or maimed 26
people with homemade bombs; or Stephen Paddock who indiscriminately sprayed a
music concert in Las Vegas with a rifle equipped with a bump stock resulting in 471
dead and/or wounded; and the numerous serial killers that are in and out of the
news from time to time? How are those murderers supposed to balance the scales
of justice for all the illegal deaths they've caused?

Well; the fact of the matter is: they can't balance the scales because they simply
don't' have enough lives of their own with which to atone for their victims' lives.

This makes me suspect that perdition isn't uniform, i.e. there's one Hell, but its
circumstances may be something akin to the nine levels of Inferno in Dante
Alighieri's Divine Comedy. Wouldn't that be something?

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 198 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 13,781,100 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
● Rom 6:23 . .The wages of sin is death

That rule is very serious because, at most, people have only two lives to forfeit for
sin-- the life they have now, and the one they'll have later at their resurrection; but
unfortunately, their current life has already been forfeited due to Adam's
disobedience in the garden of Eden so they can't use this life to atone for any of
their own disobedience.

And when they're resurrected to stand trial at the Great White Throne event
depicted at Rev 20:11-15; that'll be their last life because according to Dan 12:2
and John 5:28-29 there's only one resurrection allotted per person.

That's at least one of the reasons why no one is coming back from the second
death depicted at Rev 20:11-15, i.e. there's no third death, nor fourth death, ad
infinitum.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 203 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 14,098,350 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
When people neglect to think about the hereafter; they become like a frog boiled to
death by starting it out in cold water.

● Mark 4:3-19 . . Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: and some fell
among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. These
are they such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness
of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh
unfruitful.

Well, hello there
My, it's been a long, long time.
How am I doing?
Oh, I guess that I'm doing fine.

It's been so long now
But it seems now that it was only yesterday.
Gee, ain't it funny
How time slips away?
(Billy Walker, 1961)

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 208 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 14,445,600 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

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FAQ: What might Hell's culture be like?

REPLY: Seeing as how nobody down there has any more reason to be civil, then I
think new arrivals can expect to be ill treated in that world.

Also, folks down there are deprived of the regeneration spoken of per John 3:3-8 so
they are there as they were here. Well; human nature tends to deteriorate, sort of
like the decay experienced by road kill and spoiled fruits and vegetables. I'd expect
that the lost get badder and badder and badder as time goes on so that even a
saint like Mother Teresa would eventually become so evil that her conduct in Hell
would be disturbing to behold.

And then; according to Matt 7:21-23, not everyone talking the talk will make the
cut.

Well; I would not want to be one of them because they will surely be mocked
cruelly and without mercy by some of the netherworld's unruly crowd. I can just
hear their giggling as they taunt:

Hey Christian! How's about sharing the gospel with us ay? Tell us about the love of
God and how that's working for ya. Awwwww-Haw-Haw-Haw- Hawwwwwwwww!

I'd rather end up in Hell as a Bernie Madoff than a failed Christian because ol' ponzi
schemer Bernie is sure to be given far more respect down there than a bible
thumper.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 213 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 14,792,850 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
● Ps 115:17-18 . .The dead do not praise The Lord, nor do any who go down into
silence.

The first "dead" in that verse are not yet deceased but might just as well be seeing
as how their attitude towards God lacks reverence.

"any who go down into silence" are the dead who've passed on. Well; they're no
different down below than when up here on the surface, i.e. they're still irreverent.

The wrong side of the netherworld is likely pretty noisy, but communication with
God is impossible. The Bible says to call upon God while He is near. Well, there
comes a time for the dead when God is too distant, i.e. He's permanently
estranged. That's a kind of silence that no one should take lightly.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 218 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 15,140,100 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

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I think most folks would agree that monsters like Kim Jong-Un, Xi Jinping, Robert
Mugabe, Muammar Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, human traffickers,
drug cartel kingpins, mass murderers, and serial killers belong in Hell; but why are
decent people down there?

Well; obviously humanity's moral compass points to a different north than their
maker's, viz: sometimes what's tolerable in human reasoning is unacceptable to
God. Why is that?

Well; in the beginning; humanity was created with a conscience patterned after its
maker's conscience.

"And God said: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . So God created
man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female
created he them." (Gen 1:26-27)

Then came the forbidden fruit incident, whereby humanity's conscience lost its
innocence and became humanistic.

"Then the Lord God said: Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good
and evil." (Gen 3:22)

In other words; Man became a tin God conducting himself in accord with his own
moral values.

* There's a rather humorous scene in Dante's Inferno where these two guys who
knew each other in life are quarreling over who deserves Hell more than the other;
which is pretty silly when it's considered that both were condemned to the same
level down there. For example: a number of elitist Christians are far more tolerant
of dishonesty than they are of immorality yet both the liar and the deviant are on
track for the very same fate. (Rev 21:8)

I rather suspect that quite a few folks sincerely believe God has made a big mistake
sending them down there. In their judicious estimation; others deserve it for sure,
but not themselves.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 225 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 15,626,250 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

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FAQ: Was Adam's disobedience a Hell-worthy transgression?

REPLY: According to Gen 2:17 it was a death-worthy transgression. In other words;
the proper penalty for Adam's mistake was simply his loss of immortality; and of
course loss of access to the tree of life to make sure he'd die. (Gen 3:22-24) Now
as for Adam's later sins; that's another story.

FAQ: Did Jesus' virgin conception insulate him from Adam's fall?

REPLY: According to Romans 5:12-21 the so-called original sin isn't hereditary,
rather; it's imputed; and it isn't imputed to each in his own time, but was imputed
to all in real time. In other words: the moment Adam tasted the forbidden fruit his
entire posterity was doomed to mortality right then and there: no delay and no
waiting period.

The thing is: although Jesus wasn't biologically related to Joseph, he was
biologically related to his mother, and she in turn was biologically related to Eve
who was constructed top to bottom, inside and out, front to back, and side to side
with material taken from Adam's body; thus making Jesus a legitimate member of
Adam's posterity. So then; had Jesus not died on the cross, he would've eventually
died of some other cause because The Word per John 1:1-3 didn't come into the
world per John 1:14 as divine flesh, rather, as ordinary Jewish flesh. (Gen 49:10,
Rom 1:3, and Rom 8:3)

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 230 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 15,973,500 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

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It's believed by a pretty large percentage of modern Christians that the sinful
nature per Eph 2:2-3 is inherited from one's paternal father. Oh? From whence did
Eve get it?

She was already alive and fully constructed with material taken from Adam's body
prior to the forbidden fruit incident. Since himself tasted the fruit after his wife was
already in existence; then it was impossible for Adam to pass the fallen nature to
her via heredity.

In the past, I was sure that the chemistry of the forbidden fruit had something to
do with the first couple's altered moral perception; but now I seriously doubt it
because Eve was the first to eat the fruit, and when she did, nothing happened. She
remained just as shameless in the buff as before. It wasn't till Adam tasted the fruit
that she began to feel exposed; so I'm pretty sure that the underlying cause is far
more serious than the chemistry of that fruit.

FAQ: If Eve's fallen condition wasn't due to the fruit, nor due to heredity, then
what?

REPLY: Well; obviously the Serpent did it to them, a.k.a. the Devil (Rev 20:2)

The ruler of the kingdom of the air-- i.e. the spirit world --has the power of death
(Heb 2:14) and the ability to tamper with the human body and the human mind in
ways not easily detected; e.g. Luke 13:16, Mark 5:1-5 plus Eph 2:2-3.

The Serpent was apparently all set and ready to wield his power the moment that
Adam crossed the line and ate that fruit. It amazes me how quickly it takes effect.
Not long after Adam tasted the fruit, he and his wife both immediately set to work
cobbling together some rudimentary aprons to cover up their pelvic areas.

This power of death allowed the Devil is apparently binding and could only be
overturned by Christ's crucifixion.

● Heb 2:14 . . Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their
humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death,
i.e. the Devil.

That is at least one good reason why folks need to RSVP God about His son's
crucifixion to avoid leaving this life under the Devil's supervision. They've got to get
that arrangement dissolved now, while an opportunity for liberty is on the
table.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 235 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 16,320,750 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
Consider a hypothetical Jewish man. He's undergone circumcision the eighth day as
required, and successfully completed Bar Mitzvah. From that point on he is
obligated to comply with the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God on
oath per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Now supposing that same Jewish man begins to have second thoughts about the
covenant and thinks maybe he would like to try something else. Well; he is not at
liberty to just up and walk away from the covenant; no, not when he is very likely
indebted to it via one or more of the curses listed at Lev 26:14 39, Deut 27: 5-26
and Deut 28:15-68. Those curses have to be satisfied first before he can even
surmise himself free to transfer his affections to another religion. However; if that
man would like; Christ can do it all for him.

● Isa 53:6 . .We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own
way; and The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

● Rom 7:1-6 . . Do you not know, brothers-- for I am speaking to men who know
the law --that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?

. . . For example: by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is
alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. If she weds
another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her
husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though
she marries another man.

. . . So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you
might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we
might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the
sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit
for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from
the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the
written code.

● Gal 3:13 . . . Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse
for us, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 240 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 16,668,000 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
The disturbing scene depicted at Rev 20:11-15 will be presided over by none other
than the sweet little babe away in a manger.

● John 5:21-23 . . Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all
judgment to the Son

● Acts 17:31 . . He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the
man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the
dead.

Misogyny was given quite a bit of negative press during former US President Donald
Trump's administration; while misandry was condoned as if acceptable. But malice
is unacceptable with God on any level; and I think we have to accept the possibility
that there are just as many, if not more, man haters in Hell as there are woman
haters.

● Rom 2:9-11. .There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does
evil: For God does not show favoritism.

Women are not a protected species with God; nor is their gender a mitigating
factor. They will be judged solely on the basis of their lives just the same as men.

● Rev 20:12-15 . . I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and
books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead
were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea
gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were
in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. . . And
whosoever's name was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of
fire.

* I would really hate to be a woman infected with militant misandry because in the
end, it will be a "toxic male" that casts angry women into the lake of fire and permanently
ruining any chances they might have had for happiness in the future. For all eternity,
condemned man haters will grind their teeth with hot tears and white knuckled fury that
they ultimately lost out on everything because of one man's obsessive control over
their lives.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 245 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 17,015,250 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

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● 2Tim 3:1-3 . . This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For
people shall be . . .without natural affection

The Greek word translated "without natural affection" means hard-hearted towards
kindred; viz: lacking in sympathetic understanding i.e. unfeeling, pitiless,
thoughtless, insensitive, cruel, and inhumane.

* That was played out very large during China's cultural revolution under Chairman
Mao Zedong. (1966-1976)

There are actually kids growing up in homes right here in the USA where their
parents never give them even one atta-boy. As a result, they grow up feeling ugly,
unwanted, stupid, useless, marginal, expendable, incompetent, and unnecessary.

There are also kids growing up in homes where moms never hug them nor bother
to take the time to forge a bond between mother and child. Thus they grow up with
reactive attachment disorder; feeling convinced that no one could possibly ever
love them or be their best friend forever. RAD kids grow up to become adults with
some serious trust issues.

There are monsters at large burning their kids with cigarettes, pouring Tabasco
sauce in their eyes, locking them in hall closets and basements without food and
water for days, ignoring their opinions, demeaning them with denigrating labels,
ridiculing them, threatening their lives, working them as slaves without
compensation, denying their kids things just so they won't appear to indulge them,
and/or saying "no" to their kids' requests for no good reason than that they don't
want to seem weak and under their control.

Those cruel beasts routinely abuse their kids' human rights and relegate them to
the level of livestock rather than bona fide human beings with feelings and a mind
of their own. They nurture within their kids a feeling of unimportance, of not
belonging in their own home, and making them feel like an invasive species and
uninvited guests.

Ergo: people without natural affection can't be allowed to associate with the
civilized folks of Heaven-- they have to be quarantined; kept back.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 250 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 17,362,500 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

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The way I figure it: seeing as how God is an intelligent, mature adult (so to speak)
who's never petty, nor capricious, nor biased, nor fickle, nor impulsive, nor
unreasonable, and takes no kind of sick pleasure in causing people harm; then God
must be just as stuck with Hell and can't make it go away with any more ease than
we can.

For reasons I have yet to even guess, Hell is unavoidable even for God because it's
somehow the right thing to do; i.e. it has to be utilized for confinement in order to
satisfy a level of justice that our limited little minds may never be able to fully
grasp.

● Ps 145:17 . .The Lord is righteous in all His ways

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 255 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 17,709,750 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

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FAQ: Doesn't 1Tim 2:4 say it is God's will that everyone be spared?

REPLY: It was likely God's will that no one perish in the Flood, but many did
anyway.

● 2Pet 2:4 . . God did not spare the ancient world when he brought the Flood on its
ungodly people; but saved only Noah plus seven others.

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is a fair warning of terrors yet to come.

● 2Pet 2:6 . . He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to
ashes; making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 260 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 18,057,000 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

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● 1John 4:10 . . . God loved us when we didn't love Him, and sent His son as an
atoning sacrifice for our sins.

The Greek verb for love in that passage speaks of benevolence sans any particular
affection and/or fondness. This is the manner of love we're required to extend to
everyone regardless of whether we like them or not.

In a nutshell, the love expressed in sending Christ to die for God's enemies was an
act of gratuitous kindness, care, pity, courtesy, and sympathy which should not be
mistaken to indicate that He particularly likes any of us. In point of fact, God most
likely detests a pretty large number of people for whom Christ died; yet He's not
indifferent to their safety because God is basically a neighborly sort of person. (Matt
5:44-48)

"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of
the whole world." (1John 2:2)

BTW: If perchance somebody hasn't done so already; take a moment to speak with
God about what His son has done for you.

You might begin by finding a private place to pray: anywhere quiet away from
people will do.

Cover your face with your hands, it will give you a sense of connection; and aloud
or under your breath, share with God your concerns; tell Him you're worried: you
know you're a sinner and will likely never be any different. Then tell Him you've
heard Christ died for the sins of the world. Tell Him you'd like to take advantage of
His son's death for your own sins.

* Be sure to thank God for His time. It won't make any difference but He does
appreciate courtesy.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 265 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 18,404,250 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
● Zech 1:5 . .Where are your forefathers now? And the prophets, do they live
forever?

Both my parents are gone, and the great preacher Billy Graham is gone. My
favorite rock and roll guitar player during the years I was a teen-ager was Chuck
Berry. He's gone. When I was a sophomore in high school, me and a buddy went to
see "The Blob" starring a rather unknown actor at the time named Steve McQueen.
He's gone. My eldest brother entered the Catholic priesthood and anon became a
Friar. He's gone. My kid brother, who was the strongest and the bravest among all
of us kids, is gone. My bestest friend ever, whom I'd known since the 2nd grade in
elementary school is gone; shot to death by law enforcement. My very favorite
nephew is gone too; dropped dead to the floor of unknown causes at 51.

There's hardly a year goes by without someone passing away that at one time was
very important to me --constant reminders that nobody lives forever and neither
will I. At my current age of 80+ and diagnosed with esophageal cancer, I'll be
passing away not too long from now. Most of my life has already been lived and I'm
in the home stretch; heading for the exit. When I was a youngster, life's horizon
seemed forever far away; but now, looking at my deteriorating body, it seems I'm
walking on the horizon's very edge and gazing into an abyss.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 270 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 18,751,500 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.

NOTE: Today's update is roughly equivalent to the current population of Greater Los
Angeles; which consists of five California counties: Ventura, San Bernardino,
Riverside, Los Angeles, and Orange. That's a huge area; and were it sealed off as a
penal colony, the extent of its walls would be very impressive viewed from a drone high
in the sky.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
I would like it very much if my BFF, my associates, and my loved ones on death row
down in Hades were allowed visitor days in the afterlife because after they're transferred
to the lake of fire depicted at Rev 20:11-15, I may never get to be with them ever
again.

Christians are sometimes asked how they can possibly be happy in Heaven while
aware that their loved ones are imprisoned in an eternity of suffering. Well; Rev
21:4 predicts there will neither sorrow nor tears in the future cosmos, apparently
made possible by starting over from scratch and leaving all else behind, including
memories of the past.

● Rev 21:5 . . He who was seated on the throne said: I am making everything new.
Then he said: Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 275 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 19,098,750 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
In the story told at Luke 16-19-31, the beggar Lazarus died and was carried by
angels to the afterlife. Curiously, the rich man's transportation isn't specified.

One of the most disturbing scenes I've yet to observe in a Hollywood movie occurs
in "GHOST" starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. When someone marked for
the wrong side of the afterlife passes away, these eerie phantoms emerge, having
the appearance of black oily smoke, uttering awful moans, and drag their panic
stricken captives down into the ground.

I don't know if that's how the rich man in Luke's story was transported, but if so; I
can well imagine just how shocking and horrifying it must've been for him at death
to suddenly be able to see menacing spirit creatures surrounding him with looks on
their faces that could only convey but one unmistakable intent; and I suspect those
sinister beings had been hovering around that poor man and stalking him every day
and night of his entire life without him knowing it and patiently waiting for the
green light to take him down.

So, I wonder if the angels that provided Lazarus transportation were not also
assigned as security to protect him from being shanghaied by something similar to
those dark mists.

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 280 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 19,446,000 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_

 

[atpollard]

POP CLOCK UPDATE: 280 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 19,446,000 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.

... and YOU have wasted 280 days preaching to the saved as you count the destruction of the lost.
Not even sharpening iron with your words.

 

[atpollard]

... and YOU have wasted 280 days preaching to the saved as you count the destruction of the lost.
Not even sharpening iron with your words.

@Olde Tymer responded ...

Hello;

This is to inform you that I don't have the patience to be distracted by your
remarks so I've placed you on my ignore list. Others will still be able to view your
content; just not me. Sorry.

... sorry sinners, the CHOIR NEEDS TO HEAR!
[and people complain about "Calvinists" and evangelism ... he ain't one of ours, he is one of your Synergism gang.]