Do we all have eternal life? Whether it be with God or separated from God. Once the soul is created, is it ever destroyed? One would argue that being annihilated is more in line with God’s mercy than eternal life apart from God. In the case of justice, annihilationism is the ultimate comfort for evil-doers. If I know that there is an end to suffering, then why not just do whatever we want right now? Where is the justice in punishment for evil?
God will not force you into his presence for all eternity nor will he extinquish your existence. If you don’t want to be with God, then he will give you what you want. That’s the greatest gift.
I’ve attended many Bible Study Groups over the years, and one thing is for certain, there will be a point during one of the discussions where I’ll be labeled as a Calvinist. Early on,. I had no idea what that meant, I thought I was just reading the Bible and understanding it as it was plain and simple. Turns out there was a man named John Calvin who came up an acrostic called TULIP which after reading it made me super concerned that people would label me as such.
Fast forward, now I really don’t mind if people label me as such. It just show that people just don’t understand things. Do some research and understand for yourself. I guess the more concerning thing is that Xians throw out labels as pejoratives.
Big picture: Calvinism emphasizes that salvation is 100% God’s work from start to finish—humans don’t initiate it, earn it, or keep it going. It’s all about God’s grace and sovereignty.
🌱 T – Total Depravity → “Dead Battery”
🔋 Imagine a phone with a completely dead battery—it can’t turn itself back on.
We’re spiritually dead, not just weak. Only God jump-starts the heart.
🌤 U – Unconditional Election → “Adoption Papers”
📜 Parents don’t adopt based on a child’s achievements. They choose out of love.
God’s choice isn’t based on our goodness, but His mercy.
🎯 L – Limited/Definite Atonement → “Targeted Rescue”
🚁 A rescue helicopter doesn’t just circle overhead—it lowers the rope for specific people.
Jesus’ death doesn’t just make salvation possible—it guarantees it for His people.
🧲 I – Irresistible Grace → “Magnet Pull”
🪙 A strong magnet doesn’t force metal—it naturally draws it in.
God changes our hearts so that we freely want Him.
🛡 P – Perseverance/Preservation → “Tight Grip”
🤝 If it depended on us holding God’s hand, we’d let go. But He’s holding us—and He never drops His children.
Jesus merely fainted on the cross and was revived later
Romans were good at killing people
Beaten, Scourged (which most didn’t survive)
Nailed to a cross
The spear pierced his heart
It does account for the empty tomb. Fails to explain Jesus’ death. Fails to explain why enemies of Jesus saw him, but I doubt the disciples would think Jesus had defeated death, looking like he did.
Jesus had a twin brother who took his place
The twin would have had to hide all of his life
Only to die for Jesus’ manipulation and deceit
This is the opposite of the rest of his teachings
Luke makes no mention of the twin in the birth narrative
Doesn’t explain the empty tomb If Jesus’ brother were dead, he would be in the tomb
Hallucination Theory – Amid their profound grief, the disciples experienced private and corporate hallucinations. Giving everyone the same experience
Perception of objects with no reality usually arises from disorder of the nervous system or in response to drugs
An unfounded or mistaken impression or notion: DELUSION
The possibility of several different people having the same exact hallucination in the same way at the same time is improbable
Remember, Jesus appeared to over 500 people in 40 days.
Doesn’t solve the problem of the empty tomb
Wrong Tomb -The followers of Jesus simply went to the wrong tomb
Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” were at the tomb when Jesus was buried
The disciples recorded that women discovered the tomb, even though women were not considered reliable witnesses.
Pilate placed several Roman soldiers to guard the tomb
The oldest argument against the resurrection, which assumes that the correct tomb was visited
Doesn’t explain why friends and enemies saw Jesus after he died
The Alien Theory -Jesus was from another planet because:
Knowledge of Science and Medicine
Psychic abilities
Had the ability to heal himself in the tomb and escape unnoticed
Locate the disciples telepathically and transport himself there
It proves too much
Any objection can be dismissed by invoking Jesus’ alien nature
Everything looks supernatural to us, but is just common for his race
No way to prove right or wrong because it’s unfalsifiable
Commits the “confirmation bias” fallacy. Proves so much that it proves nothing
Legend
Christ was never taken down from the cross
Left to rot and eaten by wild animals.
Apostles didn’t care what happened to the body; they could carry on the ministry
Everything recorded in the Gospels about the burial and resurrection was invented to convey greater spiritual truths (via parables)
This was done to vindicate their slain leader
Doesn’t account for the Jewish claim of the Stolen body and the Empty tomb
There are so many historical details at the time that there would be plenty of evidence to counter the apostle’s claims
Daily Irritant 
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