This question has certainly given the catholic church some pause.
Actually Dante puts two pagans in Paradise: Ripheus of Troy and Trajan of Rome. He has a bit of trouble explaining clearly how they got there.
It is now commonly believed that they were on a JetBlue flight to O'Hare that was diverted due to weather conditions.
Also, scholars insist that Dante DID eat pasta with tomato sauce. They came to this conclusion from a passage in Vita Nuova where the protagonist is forced to change his shirt by his girlfriend before they go out because of a red stain on the front of it; clearly a reference to a spaghetti dinner (they were drinking Chianti). This spot was believed to be autobiographical, as Dante was known as a bit of a klutz. This was also thought to give Shakespeare the source for his famous line "out damn spot". Just thought you'd like to know!
People were around for hundreds of thousands of years before the Bible was written. Billions of currently-living people have never read the Bible and wouldn't believe it if they did. Are they all to be condemned?
Why would an omnipotent and omniscient god fail to transmit his commands to everyone at the same time in an unambigous manner and in a language they could understand, and why would he punish those who misinterpreted some contradictory stories and rules given to an obscure tribe thousands of years ago? The God portrayed in the Bible is too illogical to believe in.
I dont give a damn about the people before the bible and neither does anyone else. ok happy 2008 everyone.
Happy happy, merry merry to you too Stevoo . . .
The way i see it, we'll be much better off in Hell--with such a huge number of residents, our hours will be much shorter than the psalm-singers standing around the throne of that ego-maniac in heaven.
quite right Setanta, heaven is boring as hell. But hell aint boring. Hell no.
(you see all the years I bin communicating on this meedjum I'as beginning to talk ''Merican)
....apologies several pints of abbot Ale
It is always so cute when the Angles of Angleland attempt to imitate 'Merican speech . . .
well heres a bit a scottie sprech
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!
Chorus.-For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
And surely ye'll be your pint stowp!
And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o'kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
For auld, &c.
We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
Sin' auld lang syne.
For auld, &c.
We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne.
For auld, &c.
And there's a hand, my trusty fere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right gude-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.
For auld, &c.
They were lucky. They did not have to attend church.
I guess if they were good they fine and they could have a lot of wife and sex w/o marriage and still be good, but now the bible came around we not supposed to do them so it sucks for us.
