Hell's Population Clock

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Matt 5:8 . . Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

A rough-hewn definition of "pure in heart" is when someone is the same on the
inside as they are on the outside; which is just the opposite of dissembling; defined
as: to put on a false appearance, i.e. conceal facts, intentions, or feelings under
some pretense.

Dissembling is a very common form of dishonesty which is practiced by just about
everybody at one time or another. Most of us do not always want others to know
what we are actually thinking and/or feeling about certain things. The very opposite
of that is transparency, which most of us want from others, but prefer not to
reciprocate with transparency of our own.

Here's a really good example of someone pure in heart.

"When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him: Here is a true Israelite,
in whom there is nothing false." (John 1:47)

Jesus was pure in heart too.

"No deceit was found in his mouth." (1Pet 2:22)

I think we may safely assume there are no exceptions to the sixth beatitude, i.e. no
one is exempt; sincerity and forthrightness aren't optional with God; they're
mandatory.

"Who may ascend into the hill of The Lord? And who may stand in His holy place?
He who has . . a pure heart . . he shall receive a blessing from The Lord." (Ps 24:3-5)


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 285 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 19,793,250 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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I obtain quite a bit of useful information from YouTube; for example how to replace
a microwave oven motor, resolve a computer issue, adjust an electric guitar's
intonation, read a water meter, and the proper way to position a lawnmower
for an oil change, etc.

I also tour the world with YouTube, visiting amazing man-made wonders and
natural wonders too. I will likely never travel and get to see those wonders for
myself as they really are before I'm dead; but out ahead is coming a one-thousand
year era on Earth wherein I've no doubt there will be plenty of opportunity to see
everything in the next life that I missed in this one.

Rev 20:6 . . Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection.
The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of
Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

I suspect that God is keeping a massive, fully comprehensive library that can
satisfy all my curiosity-- an archive of information far exceeding the contents of the
great library of Alexandria. For example: how did the ancient Egyptians build the
pyramids? How did the people of Easter Island move those massive stone heads
into position? Is there an end to space; and if so, what's on the other side? Things
like that; but also nature's secrets too. How did nature fashion those remarkable
rock formations in Utah? Or carve out the Grand Canyon?

There are many mysteries like those that I sincerely hope to find answers to some
day. But people in Hell won't be allowed access to God's library. They will never get
answers to their deepest questions about the cosmos; nor be allowed to travel to all
the exotic places on Earth that they missed in this life before passing on to the
next.

Another benefit to the coming era is safety. I will have nothing to fear from the
animal kingdom like I do now, and plus; those of us who make the cut will be
immortal; so we won't fear heights, nor speed, nor any other risk. I love to explore,
but don't like to explore places that might cost me my life, lose an eye, or put me
in a wheel chair. Well; in the future, I'll be able to explore every corner of the globe
to my heart's content in perfect safety and thoroughly enjoy myself without
worrying about hazards associated with the journey like piranha, head hunters,
frost bite, hypothermia, deadly reptiles, predatory beasts, poisonous insects, toxic
vegetation, violent storms, hijackers, terrorists, bandits, and/or shipwreck, etc.

One thing that prevents many of us from touring the world is old age. Well,
diminished capacity will never again be a factor dictating what I can eat and drink,
were I can go, nor whether I can make it.

Rev 20:5-6 . . But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years
were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in
the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power.

People in Hell are not only in terrible discomfort, but they're also missing out on the
pleasures of adventure, discovery, and exploration; which are three very
stimulating activities that, just about everybody I've ever met would agree, make
one's existence worthwhile.


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 290 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 20,140,500 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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Matt 22:36-40 . . Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said
unto him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is
like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets.

The Greek verb translated "love" doesn't necessarily imply either affection and/or
fondness. It's just as much about the way we treat our fellow men as our personal
feelings about them. This is the kind of love that we ought to be extending to
everyone-- friend, foe, family, and stranger alike. It's the very same love that Jesus
taught in Matt 5:44 which reads:

"You have heard that it was said: You shall love your neighbor, and hate your
enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies,"

In other words; you don't especially have to like your neighbors, you family, and/or
your enemies, but you do have to be benevolent, i.e. courteous, kind, charitable,
tolerant, patient, diplomatic, tactful, gentle, reasonable, fair, deferential, cordial,
genial, affable, sociable, helpful, thoughtful, sympathetic, considerate, and
cooperative, etc. And of course those all apply to the way that people associate with
God too because the same Greek verb is used of loving God as loving one's
neighbors and enemies.

The above tells me that quite a few people are on the road to Hell simply because
their manners are uncivil, and insufferable, with both God and Man, viz: they not
only aren't nice to their fellow men, but they aren't even nice to God-- they don't
care about marginalizing Him, tuning Him out, insulting Him, chafing Him, and/or
hurting His feelings. In other words: the two most important of all the
commandments bounces off their thick skulls like a banana thrown at a Russian
tank.


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 295 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 20,487,750 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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John 18:37-38 . . Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. Pilate said to
him: What is truth?

Pilate's question was meaningful in his day because ancient philosophers
perpetually discussed and debated the nature of truth without ever achieving a
unanimous decision about it.

Well; one of Webster's definitions of "truth" is: a state of being the case; viz: fact;
which Webster's defines as the quality of being actual. In other words: truth is the
way it is; viz: truth is reality as opposed to speculation, fantasy, opinion, error,
inaccuracy, inexactness, theory, imagination, and false impressions, etc.

Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.

Bohemian Rhapsody, QUEEN 1975


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 300 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 20,865,000 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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Ps 115:17-18 . .The dead do not praise The Lord, nor do any who go down into
silence.

Down below, on the wrong side of the netherworld, 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.

Matt 8:11-12 . . I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west,
and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.

"children of the kingdom" is very likely Jacob's posterity; the Jews. Well; for sure,
not all of his people will be permitted citizenship in the kingdom predicted in the Old
Testament. According to Ezek 20:33-38 a number of them will be culled from the
herd and sent elsewhere.

Outer darkness is again spoken of in Matt 22:13 and Matt 25:30

It appears, from comparison of the available data, that "outer darkness" isn't a
location, rather, a state of mental anguish characterized by the deepest possible
feelings of grief associated with loss.

It's akin to the day that God announced to Moses' people they were going to have
to stay in that awful Sinai outback until they were dead. They missed their
opportunity to enter the land of milk and honey and there was no way to regain it
because God had made up His mind.

I've experienced deep personal grief associated with loss but one time thus far; that
was when my No.1 nephew passed away suddenly of natural causes at the age of 51.
I held him in my arms upon returning home from three years in the Army when he
was only a couple of weeks old.

News of his passing has thus far been the only time in my 80 years that I actually
clenched my teeth, sobbing out of control, and choking, while clinging to a handrail
in the front room to keep from losing my balance and falling to the floor. Outer
darkness is likely speaking of a similar depth of grief, or possibly worse.


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 305 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 21,182,250 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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The criminal records associated with the great white throne event depicted at Rev
20:11-15 likely will be used to not only condemn people's actions, but also to prove
that the people themselves are not the caliber of folk with whom God prefers to
associate.

For example: God isn't comfortable with dishonesty. So if the records show that
someone is capable of deception, then they will be barred from heaven.

Ps 15:1-3 . . Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy
hill? He who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who
does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman. He who does these
things will never be shaken.


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 310 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 21,529,500 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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FAQ: What if I'm naturally dishonest; you know: born that way?

REPLY: You mean like Ps 58:3, which says:

"The wicked are estranged from the womb; these who speak lies go astray from
birth."

Well; that's pretty serious.

Rev 21:8 . . . All liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and
brimstone, which is the second death.

Rev 22:15 . . Outside are . . those who practice falsehood.


OBJECTION: I'm not a degenerate liar. I'm basically honest and lie only on
occasion.

REPLY: But you're not 100% honest, i.e. you're a person of marginal integrity
whom God cannot rely upon to always tell Him the truth.

Liars don't need a rule book, instead; they need a miracle to liberate them from
themselves so they don't end up on the wrong side of things. In other words: they
need an overhaul from top to bottom and inside and out, i.e. a full and complete
renovation to get rid of that lying streak they were born with; to wit:

John 3:7 . . You should not be surprised at my saying that you must be born
again.

It's my guess that most natural-born liars would agree that it's to their advantage
to start over again from scratch.

Ps 15:1-2 . Lord: who may dwell in Your sanctuary? Who may live on Your holy
hill? . . . He who speaks the truth from his heart.


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 315 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 21,876,750 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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PLAINTIFF: Your religion's supreme being knew ahead of time, by means of
precognition, that the human life he was about to create would all have to die
because of just one man's mistake, plus:

1» They would become so bad that he would have to exterminate most of
them in a global deluge,

2» They would be suffering with diseases, poverty, wars, famines, and oppression,

3» And many of them would end up in Hell.

4» To top it off: your supreme being has the chutzpa to advertise himself as a god
of love, concern, compassion, and sympathy when in reality he's cruel, fiendish,
and criminally insane.


REPLY: So in your honest opinion my religion's supreme being is a merciless
tyrannical despot far more dangerous than Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Benito
Mussolini, Idi Amin, Mao Tse-tung, Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein, Robert Mugabe, Xi
Jinping, and Kim Jong Un?


PLAINTIFF: Yes!

REPLY: And yet you aren't afraid of such an one?

PLAINTIFF: What's to fear? Your supreme being doesn't exist: he's a fantasy; along
with the likes of Mickey Mouse, Peter Pan, and Pikachu.


REPLY: Well then; I suggest utilizing whatever amount of time you have remaining
to begin preparing yourself for the worst. If things should work out for the better,
then great; but if not then at least you won't be taken by surprise.

Prov 22:3 . . A sensible person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions;
the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 320 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 22,224,000 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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FAQ: What if I'm naturally dishonest; you know: born that way?

REPLY: You mean like Ps 58:3, which says:

"The wicked are estranged from the womb; these who speak lies go astray from
birth."

Well; that's pretty serious.

Rev 21:8 . . . All liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and
brimstone, which is the second death.

Rev 22:15 . . Outside are . . those who practice falsehood.


OBJECTION: I'm not a degenerate liar. I'm basically honest and lie only on
occasion.


REPLY: But you're not 100% honest, i.e. you're a person of marginal integrity
whom God cannot rely upon to always tell Him the truth.

Liars don't need a rule book, instead; they need a miracle to liberate them from
themselves so they don't end up on the wrong side of things. In other words: they
need an overhaul from top to bottom and inside and out, i.e. a full and complete
renovation to get rid of that lying streak they were born with; to wit:

John 3:7 . . You should not be surprised at my saying that you must be born
again.

It's my guess that most natural-born liars would agree that it's to their advantage
to start over again from scratch.

Ps 15:1-2 . Lord: who may dwell in Your sanctuary? Who may live on Your holy
hill? . . . He who speaks the truth from his heart.


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 326 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 22,640,700 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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FAQ: There are no human sacrifices specified in the covenant that Moses' people
entered into with God on oath in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy. Plus, according to Deut 4:2 and Deut 5:29-30 it is prohibited to
revise the covenant. Since Jesus was a Jew whose religion was governed by that
covenant; then how was it legal for him to die for the sins of the world?

REPLY : The Bible's codified laws are not retroactive (Deut 5:2-4, Gal 3:17) This is
extremely important because Jesus was designated, and scheduled, to die for the
sins of the world prior to the voice of God creating even a single atom for the
current cosmos. (1Pet 1:18-21 & Rev 13:8) In other words: the cross was
anticipated.


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 331 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 22,987,950 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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Insensitive folk who come from the womb unable to feel compassion, are in very
grave danger of the sum of all fears.

Matt 5:7 . . Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Jas 2:13 . . For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no
mercy.


NOTE: There are a number of instructional web sites offering lists of helpful do's
and don'ts to assist sympathy-challenged people to at least respond appropriately
to others' misfortunes.


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 336 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 23,335,200 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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Rev 20:13 . . I saw the dead, and they were judged, every one of them

That verse says that "every one" of them were judged. Well; I don't know precisely
how many every one will eventually number, but let's say that it's 100,000.

If each of these 100,000 cases were to take an hour to complete, we'd be looking
at roughly 4,167 calendar days, i.e. 11½ years-- that's if the judging by a solo
judge goes around the clock 24/7/365.

According to Daniel 7:13-14, John 5:22-3, and Acts 17:31, Messiah has been
designated to preside at the event. However, there's reason to suggest that he
won't be handling every case himself.

1Cor 6:2-3 . . Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the
world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law
courts? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? (cf. Matt 12:28)

Moses was assisted in his judicial duties by a select group of Jewish men. (Ex
18:17-26) It's possible that certain among Messiah's followers will be recruited to
serve as judges with him in the same manner, which will expedite his case load
considerably.

There's a few points related to that scene worth special mention.

1) According to Jude 1:14-15 the dead will be given a fair trial.

2) According to Matt 12:36, every word that the dead have spoken will be used as
evidence both against them and/or for them; not just their serious words, but also
their careless words.

3) The scene doesn't depict one future out of a variety of possible futures; no, it
depicts the actual future.


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 341 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 23,682,450 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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1Kings 22:18-23 . . I saw the Lord God sitting on His throne, and all the host of
heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. And Jehovah said: Who will
entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said this while another
said that.

. . .Then a spirit came forward and stood before The Lord and said: I will entice
him. And The Lord said to him: How? And he said: I will go out and be a deceiving
spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. Then He said: You are to entice him and also
prevail. Go and do so. Now therefore, behold, The Lord has put a deceiving spirit in
the mouth of all these your prophets; and Jehovah has proclaimed disaster against
you.

Now that is scary. Can you just imagine the horror of being targeted like that and
not aware of it! (cf. 2Thess 2:8-12)


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 346 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 24,029,700 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot released a sentimental song back in 1975
that speaks volumes about sympathy. Its lyrics are very touching. Here's a few that
I feel especially appropriate when talking about things like sickness, death, and the
hereafter.

Rainy day people always seem to know when it's time to call.
Rainy day people don't talk, they just listen till they've heard it all.
Rainy day lovers don't lie when they tell 'ya they've been down like you.
Rainy day people don't mind if you're cryin' a tear or two.

I sometimes wonder how much sympathy one can expect in the fiery netherworld. I
mean; sure they'll understand how we might feel about the unfortunate
circumstances in life that led us down there, but once you're there, everyone's
pretty much in the same boat and the others are all longing for sympathy too.

In point of fact, I'd not be surprised if the competition for sympathy down there is
on the level of dog eat dog; and likely a fair number of sympathy hoarders
demanding total market share of it. I can just hear their feigned indignity; like this:

"Oh, stop whining already! Don't be such a baby. I deserve a lot more pity than
you. I've been down here for two millennia and you've only been down here for a
decade. What've you got to cry about? You should be grateful that your time down
here is shorter than mine."

I'd imagine that after a few years in that place the only sympathy that people can
feel after a while is sympathy for themselves because nobody is getting out down
there; they're all lifers so it's not unlikely that the only humanity that inmates pay
forward in that place is misery.


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 351 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 24,376,950 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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1Cor 1:26 . . Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in
the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you.

Faith in Christ isn't an achievement like a Nobel prize in chemistry nor as if one ran
for public office or climbed a corporate ladder. None of us would be an integral
member of Christ's body were it not for God's incredible IQ and His access to a
remarkable variety of supernatural resources.

1Cor 1:30 . . God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our
benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself; he is the one who made us acceptable
to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom.


NOTE: If there's a Devil, then I think we can safely assume he's been doing his best
to make it impossible be in Christ; but God's free will trumps the Devils' free will
along with everybody else's free will.

Education and/or a high IQ have their uses; but are insufficient when it comes to
spiritual matters. In point of fact, too many smarts can actually be an impediment.
Take for example Carl Sagan. Had his knowledge and his IQ been a spiritual
advantage, then Carl would've stood on the side of intelligent design instead of
opposing it.

It's tragic that Carl went to his grave with his curiosity and so many scientific
questions about the cosmos unanswered, and to top it off, a day is coming when
even Carl's pale blue dot will no longer be available for study.

"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be
remembered, nor come into mind." (Isa 65:17)

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth
were passed away." (Rev 21:1)

Can you imagine how delighted Carl would've been to explore Heaven's libraries
where everything to know that can be known about the cosmos is stored? But alas,
Carl will never find out because he was at best an agnostic, at worst an
atheist.


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 356 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 24,724,200 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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Isa 66:22-24 . . From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to
another, all mankind will come and bow down before me-- speaks the Lord-- and
they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against Me:
their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome
to all mankind.

That rather ghastly scene depicts a sort of tourist attraction similar to the La Brea
Tar Pits museum in Los Angeles where the remains of prehistoric creatures,
excavated from ancient asphalt deposits, are on display.

A worm that thrives in brimstone is pretty amazing, but not unreasonable. The 4
inch Pompeii worm lives in sea water temperatures of 176° Fahrenheit; hot enough
to kill salmonella and sanitize an egg. So I guess if God could create a worm like
the Pompeii, it shouldn't be too difficult for Him to create worms that like it even
warmer.


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 361 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 25,071,450 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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FAQ: The human body is made of organic materials. So then, how can it survive the
fire as perpetual nourishment for the worms spoken of by Isa 66:22-24?


REPLY: I think we can safely assume the hand of God will have a role in sustaining
perdition. For example the flaming bush per Ex 3:1-3 burned and burned but wasn't
consumed; and the three Jewish lads per Dan 3:23-27 who survived in a furnace so
hot that it slew the guards outside.


FAQ: Won't the worms eventually exhaust their food supply?

REPLY: There are incidents in the Bible where small amounts of food stuffs were
miraculously multiplied. One example is 1Kgs 17:8-16 where a tiny bit of flour and
oil nourished Elijah, and a widow woman and her son, for a good many days during
a time of prolonged drought.

Another incident is at 2Kgs 4:1-7 where a certain widow's husband died and left her
deeply in debt. God multiplied her last pot of oil sufficiently to sell enough to pay off
her debts, thereby saving her two sons from slavery.

No; I'm pretty sure those worms won't need to worry about running out of human
remains with which to nourish themselves.


POP CLOCK UPDATE: 366 days have elapsed since beginning the thread. If the OP's
figures are in the ball park, then something like 25,418,700 new arrivals have checked
into the fiery sector of Hades since Oct 09, 2023.
_
 
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