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Quite simply, to live. The point of life is to live, to be alive. To embrace the life given. Live it to the fullest. To share life. To grow, increase, multiply life itself. Sadly, many merely exist, as if the goal is but to survive, almost a burden. As if life is not enough in and of itself. To merely survive implies that life itself isn't enough, that there must be something other than life for which to survive.

I find this so sad. Ryan Bell got into trouble for ministering to people who others would over look. He has been willing to seek and to search. I have to admit I would have liked to see him remain a theist and to have been a Seventh-day Adventist lay member coming to Sabbath School and Church on Sabbath, but spend Sunday through Friday pastoring say a Methodist or United Church of God church, encouraging them to be a bit more moderate and open to the Bible and continuing his ministry that he started with us but we did not have room for. (and maybe this should not have been one of our ministries, but could have worked out like how I describe above). At times our church is too centered on ourselves and getting more tithe payers, instead of equipping people for ministry. Brother Bell has been the focus of this shortcoming in our church. He has been unnecessarily hurt. He has found a fantastic job in helping the homeless and he has been finding among the atheistic community a lot of searching and questions that they are afraid to reach out to believers for answers. He says that he feels like he has become a minister to the Atheists, and he had been opposing stereotypes of believers that atheists tend to have. When Satan comes claiming to be Jesus, there will be no Atheists. They will fall to "Seeing is believing". What is going to be their downfall is their ignorance of scripture for their safeguard. Brother Bell might be able to help some of them see that this is Satan when he comes and as Atheism comes to an end he may be able to point many of them to the true Jesus. He has always been willing to minister in unusual ways. Our job is to stop inflecting pain on him. Pray for him and be his friend. Share with him what we find helpful and let him decide what to do with the information and what and how to share.

I was one of at least 4 people I know of who wrote thoughtful comments on the Review site challenging the author of the article on some of the points others have raised in this thread. None of those comments was accepted for publication. The Comments section looks like a litany of agreement... but that's due to censorship and selection, not to what readers actually said and thought.

I am lost for words on how the truth is finally coming out. My major problem is where my people are in Afrika. I truly would like to meet them. That has been taken from me. I took the DNA at ancestor.com and I am 87% Afrikan. I have also Irish, England, Scandinavian and 1% Chinese. I long for my soil and my home. My joy is that I will get a new name and not this slave name I have name. It will never change here because of sin. Thanks about the book and the history. Thank you for those that are White who care and want to see a change. We still are all related and I love you all. ELOHIM Created one race-mankind! Blessings!

You have used a word that I think holds the key to the reprogramming, the rewriting of our software, rewriting our story. The word is joy. Joy overwrites pain and misery. Jesus said as much. To give joy overflowing, rinsing the pollution of sin completly out ofour lives.

The Bible likens the times ahead of us, maybe the times we are in now, to a woman in labor. The comparison shows us how painful our experience will be -- but we need to also remember that when the time is past, we will hardly remember the bad time. A woman in labor is moaning in pain one moment and full of joy the next, when it is all over. She knows she's had excruciating pain, that it was almost too much to bear, but she forgets it, she can't even recall how bad it was except in words. The feelings are gone. I like to think that's how our memories will be. We will know we have endured many troubles, but we will be joyful that they are behind us, and a new life is ahead.

The REVIEW Website is moderated. Comments are only posted if the editors want them posted. I feel good if I get one-half of my comments posted on that website. Check out my reference to an Adventist Today website--post # 17. You are more likely to get posted there.

I'm not sure how to interpret what you are saying. Are you saying that the four gospel accounts is analogous to the theological diversity that we see in the Christian world today?

Surprise! It's not all about you. If you're wondering about the "point of life," then you need to get one. Think of what it cost for you to be here.

PK, very good post! I agree, but wont that be painful for God 20,000,000,000 years down the line? Will He carry that pain thru all eternity?

When you have a loved one die, do you still love them?? I still love my dad, and he's been resting for 15 years now. I say that God will love those that are not with him in heaven and the earth made new, forever!!

A very interesting interview. I was disappointed by the comments of the 'pastors' and others. Not much compassion expressed for his journey. I liked his comments about how Christians and atheists should see each other, not the stereotypical. Thanks for posting.

Why generally is the only topic white on black racism? Are blacks seen as incapable of racism and racists acts?

I just learned that Little Jimmy Dickens died on January 2. So far this has been a sad year loosing Donna Douglas, Governor Como, and Little Jimmy Dickens... http://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/2015/01/02/little-jimmy-dickens-opry-star-dies-obit/21210809/

the above is one of the most bizarre pieces of undocumented, rambling conjecture I've read in quite some time...

I've always been rather intrigued by God dragging that shady character, Lot, kicking and screaming out of the path of destruction.