If you want to ask a question

Ana! It's alright. Take no notice. I'm just in a "no-one understands me" mood.

It does make sense, though ana

In the light of biblical writings and both historical and current global realities, why do Christians persist in talking about peace on earth and goodwill to all men?

My last post was to jingl of course.

No, it wasn't meant to be an explanation rosequartz, I was questioning Eloethan's interpretation that's all...

Not sure why you think I deserve that. Not to worry...

That sounds a likely explanation, ana. Let 's hope they don't carry on fighting.

I guess we all have to decide on the answers ourselves.

Whatever Ana.

No, jingl, I wasn't being facetious at all. My post was a serious response to Eloethan's statement

I thought the mansions in "in my house there are many mansions" symbolised the various belief systems that all lead to one God.

Elegran - the appendage!

Re my query about christians taking over pagan festivals, no-one knows the exact dates of events in the NT so christian festivals were timed to coincide and then 'take over' these festivals:

www.goodnewsaboutgod.com/studies/holidays2.htm

Jings Try this mansions link. www.craigkeener.com/tag/in-my-fathers-house-are-many-mansions/

It may make it clearer (or it may not)

"In the context of John’s entire Gospel, there is no reason to assume that the “Father’s house” refers to heaven, though it might be an allusion to the Temple (John 2:16) or to the Father’s household (John 8:35; and we are His new temple and His household). More helpfully, Jesus goes on to explain the “dwelling-places” (NIV: “rooms”) explicitly in the following context. The Greek word for “dwelling-place” used in 14:2 occurs in only one other verse in the New Testament—in this very context, in 14:23, part of Jesus’ continuing explanation of 14:2-4. “The one who loves Me will obey Me, and My Father will love that one and we will come make our ‘dwelling-place’ with that person” (14:23). The related verb appears throughout John 15:1-10: “Dwell [abide]” in Christ, and let Christ “dwell” in you.

eloethan I'm not sure I like some of the Christians on this thread.

I am a bad Christian. Perhaps even a failed one.

And yet the creed says "I believe in . . . . the resurrection of the body . . ."

So why the "many mansions"?

Lilygran I don't the Pope himself is that 100% sure.

jingls spirit I would think (the body is what is left behind here).

Spirit. No-one will need a body. Not that I am really convinced that there will be anywhere to need spirit either, but if there is, then bodies would be too clunky.

And how would anyone get around if their body had been seriously damaged by a traumatic death? The Egyptians believed you had to have the whole body - they added fake parts when they mummified, even added a rolled-up bandage to one corpse which had lost a small vital appendage.

jingle I am becoming increasingly confused by your posts. You seem to veer from indignant to flippant. And I felt sure you were a Christian yourself and yet you are being quite scornful about some of the Christians on here.

Ana! I hope you're not laughing (too).

Lilygran, you say:-
"I think this is where the tolerant secularist and the believer have to part company. As far as we're concerned, matters of faith are matters of fact. Do you want us to say, 'this is what the religion teaches, but of course, it isn't true' ?"

No I don't, but I would hope you to be able to admit that even for you it cannot be more than a matter of belief, for surely a matter of faith can ultimately only be a matter of belief? A verified fact ceases to be a matter of faith.

As an atheist I do not believe that there is a god, but I cannot prove it any more than Richard Dawkins can, and I do not expect science ever to be able to prove the existence or non-existence of some kind of supreme being or originator of the universe. At it's most basic, who lit the touch paper for the Big Bang?

So it would actually be rather like it is here on earth - people segregated according to their religious beliefs in different mansions. Because every religion thinks theirs in the one and only God.

.... and we only have to look around the world to see that what falls under the "umbrella" of one religion often has many offshoots which all have their own interpretations of what their holy books say - they all believe what is often only slightly different things and yet even those slight differences have in the past caused, or continue to cause, mayhem and conflict.

So, have any of you highly intelligent, profoundly knowledgeable, love-thy-neighbour, Christians got an answer to my question. Bodily or spirit only, when the trumpets sound?

WhOops! Not very Christian to laugh.

Never heard of that one before eloethan. Do you really mean there will be separate housing available for all the different religious groups that manage to finish up in Heaven?