So... just to get this straight... all beings live with a deity as a "spirit child", then are sent to occupy human form but die in the womb and then go... where? Most sects of Christianity believe you are born a sinner and must accept their deity to be admitted into heaven, but the unborn cannot do that so can't ascend back again - which leaves only descent.
Seems... a bit weird to send a spirit child to eternal damnation without them ever having a chance to exist in human form. Almost cruel.
What does "during the Millennium" mean?
According to this:
The baptism of little children is an evil abomination—Little children are alive in Christ because of the Atonement—Faith, repentance, meekness and lowliness of heart, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end lead to salvation. About A.D. 401–21.
www.churchofjesuschrist.org
Any child under the age of accountability (8 is what we accept that to be, but may be different if mental capacity is limited) is given grace by the atonement of Jesus Christ. Therefore, they will return to live with God with no need for baptism. Any other necessary ordinances will be taken care of during the millennium.
As far as what the millennium is, it will be a period of 1000 years of total peace with Jesus as the supreme leader of the world. This will begin after the coming war, and will end before the final battle of this earth.
Yes, but which one? There are thousands, all described differently.
You have chosen to believe we all exist as your chosen deity's "spirit children" before our conception on the basis of having chosen to believe that?
There's... no scripture or teaching behind it? You're just "this is what I believe because I believe it"?
There are an infinite number of gods. However, what you (and most) refer to is the idea that people on this planet tend to think that "their" god is the one to believe in.
Yes, there is teaching and scripture, but I'm not able to look that up at this moment.
You haven't asked me that even once, and if you had my answer would have been straightforward without the need to repeat it: I do not believe in any of them.
Okay, fair, that was a bit out of the blue. I realized that after I sent it. So you refuse to believe in a god. No problem, not worried about it.
Are we not all "God"'s children according to most sects of Christianity? Does that not mean God has married one (or many) of his own children? Seems a bit... weird; not only marrying your own child, but holding a position of power over your wife. Takes grooming to a whole new level.
What would the purpose of such a union even be? Why would God need one (or many) female companions over and above any of the other women?
Also you need to, in a Christian marriage, have the ceremony performed by a representative of God, with God witnessing it, and you make your vows to each other and to God. Super-odd dynamic if God is one of the people being married...
This is an interesting question. It really echoes back to the question of where God came from. That is a deep and long argument that really has no answer. But....
God married his wife (s?) before our world was created, so I'm certain that he didn't create a woman just to sleep with her.
We are in a pattern of creation, growth, and learning that has happened many, many times. We just don't remember what we had before so that we can be tested to see if we really want to return to be with God.
Why? What's your reference point for that?
That's a long answer, but it boils down to the fact that I believe that God set in place the right and best people to prepare that specific compilation and give us the best version from what is there to work with.
Thus giving rise to the tens of thousands of sects of Christianity who each believe slightly different things - all based on their preferred translation of an anthology assembled and approved by men based on the translation of one man of hundreds of candidate scriptures (many of which were rejected) from dozens of languages into Latin.
And you all think your preferred English version of that is the perfect, immutable word of a deity - and all the others are not.
I agree that the Bible is a difficult question to begin with. What is right, what is needed, what is wrong, how many things are missing, how many things are added, etc.
I believe that we have the best version of the worst set of "maybe" we can have.
I feel that there is an element of truth in everything. Therefore, each religion (or off-shoot) has an element of the truth. However, I also believe that current, ongoing, and proper revelation is necessary for a church to be considered true. And I believe that my church has that.
But there is an interesting thing about the word translation. It can mean to change from one language to another, and it can mean the way that we understand something.
Take the statement, "Many people drive cars."
Well...
Which car?
Where?
When?
How?
In a game, or in real life?
I could write a TOME on all of the possibilities!
In the same way, each person can read a book or hear a statement and get a different understanding (or translation) for themselves.
This is why personal experience and knowledge from, with, and of God is important when receiving information that has any level of spiritual understanding. This really gets back to the fact that if you don't want to know, then you won't.