1. Ten virgins are in the story, to walk through the night---the evil time of the present---and they are going to meet their groom, Jesus.
2. The five wise and five foolish correspond to wise and foolish Christians. I do not believe the number has a significance, other than poetic effect. It is a literary technique, and I had been tempted to draw some sort of meaning from the number, but such is a baseless reading of scripture. Trying to find meaning in numerology is a form of bad method for reading the Bible. It can only bring specious interpretations.
3. As a young man, I used to forget my homework. I could have even done the homework assignment, but I might have left it at home and thereby not received the grade for it. It ought to be evident that I was a foolish man in youth, and the literal meaning of this is to outline foolishness. A very practical observation of foolishness, which is forgetfulness.
4. The wise, again, take their oil. They do not forget. Likely, the forgotten element which the wise virgins do not forget is the Moral Teaching of Christ. Christ likens the teachings he gives in Matthew 5 - 7 as a rock, on which to build your foundation. The wise virgins practice obedience to these commandments, thus their lamps are filled. The foolish, not practicing the moral commandments of scripture, their lamps run empty.
5. The Bridegroom tarries. This is the time of life, the span between birth and death. Jesus tarries between life and death, so that we suffer much, until we slumber. The sleep is a forgetful state. Maybe a loll in the rhythm of a Christian's life. The virgins are tired, they fall asleep waiting outside the door of the church to be married---what this sleep means is a mystery. It cannot be a disobedience, but it may actually mean our worldly lives and the comforts of life, which loll us into a sleep, of sort.
6 - 9. The day of death is upon us, or the tribulation. The Bridegroom is coming to take the virgins to heaven. The virgins are to go out and meet him. But, the foolish virgins have not the law of God with them, so they then ask the wise virgins for their oil. Of course, a man cannot borrow righteousness from another man, so the wise virgins remain vigilant, and tell the foolish virgins to go out into the world and buy their oil. By this, it must mean there is no longer any time to repent. The oil of the world will never suffice---or the oil of the world's wisdom. They must trim their lamps with the world's wisdom, rather than Christ's moral teachings.
10. While the foolish virgins were out, trying to buy their oil---while they were trying to accumulate the knowledge of salvation from the world---the wise virgins, who retained the law and moral teachings of Christ were at the door, ready to be taken home.
11 - 13. The virgins who were foolish then come to the door, after the door has shut behind the Groom and his Bride, and they cry out, "Let us in!" But, it is too late, the wedding has begun. Christ then says, "Watch, therefore, that you know neither the time nor the hour which Christ returns!"

Notes: The issue here, I see, is with modern evangelical Christians who believe that "Works" are apart from God's teachings. The entire teaching of modern evangelicals discounts the clear teaching of Jesus, that we are to add works to our faith. Grace means that a person who has committed sin, like myself, can be saved. Freely, all of my sin is forgiven, past, present and future. But, clearly, the foolish virgins are the ones who take this as an excuse to do what they please, and they forget the clear prescripts of Christ who taught plainly that works were a part of our faith. As, faith without works is dead.

Aphorism 261. The atomic bomb proves Heraclitus was correct.

Aphorism 262, Lucretius gives the argument of Richard Dawkins, and more convincingly. Yet everything we know about physics proves him wrong.

Aphorism 263. The atom and law above atomic forces are Newtonian. Beneath that is fire.

Aphorism 264. Word is a third component of the Universe. There is Matter, Form and Word.

Aphorism 265. Nobody liked Heraclitus, and called him "The Dark One." Yet, his assumptions are proven true.

Aphorism 266. There is an infinite chain of cause and effect---without God's existence---which would unsubstantiate the entire universe.

Aphorism 267. Everyone is so impressed by causality out to the Big Bang. What about subatomic particles?

Aphorism 268. Even if there is a "God Particle", I will ask, "What is it made of?"

Aphorism 269. There will never exist matter apart from the void energy inhabits.

Aphorism 270. Energy is our modern day atom.

Aphorism 271. Energy is best described as addition, subtraction, division and multiplication existing within a vacuum.

Aphorism 272. Words are based on object, or else they cannot be shared.

Aphorism 273. Archetype and Form exist in the sense that they create similar patterns of thinking found in the objects they relate to. If they didn't, then nothing could truly be said.

Aphorism 274. Truth is what's shared by others.

Aphorism 275. A delusion is true only for oneself.

Aphorism 276. Belief in God is simple for me. Nothing seems to make sense without Him.

Aphorism 277. We know there is knowledge because this sentence can be understood.

Aphorism 278. What can be known relates to what is observed.

Aphorism 279. What we observe is a vacuum where, somehow, there miraculously is matter.

Aphorism 280. Whether in time or space, there must be a first cause. Otherwise, there cannot exist anything.

Aphorism 281. It is easy for me to believe the universe existed eternally.

Aphorism 282. It is what's in the universe, which makes me believe there is a Creator.

Aphorism 283. John said, "The Word is God" and Paul said, "In Him all things hold together," I can find no other way to make sense out of this cosmic dust.

Aphorism 284. It is hard for me to believe there is an end to measurements---whether macro or micro.

Aphorism 285. The Planc Length may be the smallest unit of measurement for matter, but matter is formed by energy, and energy exists within the gap of what we can measure.

Aphorism 286. A man, by use of polygons, found Pi to the Planc Length and could go no further with it.

Aphorism 287. Pi past the thirty-sixth digit cannot relate to matter, but must relate to energy.

Aphorism 288. I believe the Higgs Field will be where energy starts to be measured, rather than matter.

Aphorism 289. The laws of quanta are too difficult for modern scientists to understand; moral truths are no different.

Aphorism 290. If a form of math was invented, it could not be called math, could it?

Aphorism 291. The most brilliant man I know, still defies that one can know. This is not praise.

Aphorism 292. If the previous aphorism is true, then how can men rationally disprove God's existence?

Aphorism 293. If the previous aphorism is true, why is faith illogical?

Aphorism 294. By the very fact that even the most brilliant mind cannot know, it makes faith all the more logical.

Aphorism 295. All knowledge requires the bridge to God.

Aphorism 296. There are bad people in this world, and suffice it to say, spend enough time with them you'll question the most basic truths.

Aphorism 297. It is because there are liars and evil people that men will never fully find out the entirety of it.

Aphorism 298. The world looks just like the world would be, if only few men believed in hell.

Aphorism 299. Hell scares me more than heaven attracts me. I don't think this was a mistake.

Aphorism 300. If God did not execute final justice, there would be no order to anything.

Aphorism 201. Of the knowledge on my bookshelf would suit a fool nothing, for he will only see in it his desire.

Aphorism 202. There are beautiful women enough for every man; for every man will find beauty in the woman he loves.

Aphorism 203. Burning desire and vengeance are the cause of malignant wars. Forgive.

Aphorism 204. Had I handed the book of Mozi to a certain fool, he would have only read the chapters on defending a city.

Aphorism 205. I searched over my bookshelf, trying to find a piece of wisdom for a certain foolish man; I realized even in the wisest sage, he would only find his folly.

Aphorism 206. Bad men have reasons for being bad; this does not excuse them from justice.

Aphorism 207. A certain foolish man sought to weigh the scale of justice in his own hand.

Aphorism 208. Sangria and Voodoo work through the causal chains which hate breeds.

Aphorism 209. Prayer can uplift a man, even if he does not know who is praying for him.

Aphorism 210. Black Magic is simply the cause and effect of ill will.

Aphorism 211. When you know someone hates you, you can feel it.

Aphorism 212. Martial arts are worthless, save as a hobby; or, in combat, a lethal strike.

 Aphorism 213. If one man fights two, he shall be beaten.

Aphorism 214. The victor goes to the strongest army; which is summated in numbers.

Aphorism 215. Thermopylae and Gideon are recorded in history because they are not the norm.

Aphorism 216. If two men are destined for combat, the more skilled of the two will win.

Aphorism 217. Do not throw water on a sleeping dog. Rather, let him lie.

 Aphorism 218. Sin causes suffering.

Aphorism 219. Do not believe victory means you are in the right. It can often mean you simply got lucky.

Aphorism 220. I saw a poor man witness the feud of two great kingdoms.

Aphorism 221. Do not believe victory means you are in the right. A wise man will be often killed by a strong man.

Aphorism 222. It is better not to defend, if the defense will create an offense.

Aphorism 223. Lay yourself down, and let the nations walk on your back---heap up treasures in heaven.

Aphorism 224. If men heaped up their treasure in heaven, the Earth would look more like paradise.

Aphorism 225. I saw a foolish man seek counsel from a wise man for self defense; the wise man taught him self defense. It did not stop him from being a fool.

Aphorism 226. The stronger nation wins. It doesn't matter who is in the right.

Aphorism 227. In the end, Christ has possession of the iron rod to rebuke all nations.

Aphorism 228. When a man falls down, even if he is your enemy, pick him up.

Aphorism 229. The sage was a Christian, but his pupil learned idolatry. It is not the Sage who is at fault.

Aphorism 230. Learn to forgive.

Aphorism 231. The war is fought because of aggression.

Aphorism 232. To defend a nation, one must be a belligerent. 

Aphorism 233. If the nations went to war today, there would be nothing left for them to rule.

Aphorism 234. Israel committed genocide---consider who your enemy is and whether he deserves to be slaughtered down to the last child. If not, then there ought to be no war.

Aphorism 235. I speak of war only briefly, it is not my chief concern.

Aphorism 236. Fight the demon within yourself, and not the demon within others.

Aphorism 237. A kingdom's worst foe are the foes who come from within.

Aphorism 238. A Judas turncoats, and in that he creates bitter rivalry.

Aphorism 239. Rich men rule the world.

Aphorism 240. The masculine pronoun in English can be gender neutral.

Aphorism 241. I nearly vomited when I saw the doubt created by a teacher who thought Jesus rebuked the man at Bethesda.

Aphorism 242. Christians have great doubt because they do not know their God.

Aphorism 243. Elven misfits followed Jesus because of His kindness, and Judas, like the world, betrayed Him with a kiss.

Aphorism 244. A man who loves strife will be like a man who fights on either side.

Aphorism 245. The fool sees in wisdom the justification for his own mischief.

Aphorism 246. Do not put the little children in danger; there can be no lesson taught by that, save to make them fearful.

Aphorism 247. Fear is a cause of much strife.

Aphorism 248. Fear leads to rage, rage leads to loathing; loathing leads to shameful deeds.

Aphorism 249. The beginning of lust leads to the end of a shameful deed.

Aphorism 250. Men ought to be forgiven of all, for it is unforgiveness in a man which fetters him to his doom.

Danielson,
No teach karate;
Let go!

Dear,
Skeptic

Well, when describing miracles, I've seen many. And I don't think it's a matter of faulty memory. For one thing, I dreamt Hail Britannica before I wrote it. I also get, like the voice of my conscience, words. Often spoken in malapropisms that I would understand, and then when I search the word, I find the exact word I'm supposed to use. And that word is often a word I'd never heard used before. So, as I write, there is a little still voice telling me the perfect word, which I know most writers struggle with. In my own life, I saw a blind and deaf man healed of his blindness. He was blind. He was deaf. And when I left the building, after the Gospel was being preached, he stumbled out the door of The Barnes and Noble able to see. And I know he couldn't hear because he was spoken to, and I saw quite a look of astonishment like he'd never had that experience before. I've seen two demons cast out, I've seen people's eyes turn black as the pit of night, I've seen prophecies fulfilled. However, this is all hearsay, isn't it? 

Well, what's not hearsay is Isaiah 53. It can be about nobody beside Jesus. It is historically been a part of the Bible at all times, and because of that, I have no doubt that the rest of the Bible, and its predictions, have been preserved in the Bible's text, too. Such predictions are Deuteronomy's prediction of Israel obtaining a king, the collapse of Israel and Judah because of sin, and the restoration of Israel. All of this is predicted in Deuteronomy, and we know this because it's what the Prophets like Jeremiah and Isaiah spoke, having no evidence that they were forgeries created by the Persian Empire because the subject of the books are too invested in the material. It describes a siege in realistic ways that only someone who's witnessed it could describe. Then, Isaiah predicts Cyrus would restore Israel back from Babylon to the Holy Land. And if that's not enough, Isaiah also predicts Christ in no clearer terms than Isaiah 53. There are other chapters of the Bible, maybe about four hundred of them in the Old Testament, if taken in their literal context are talking about Jesus. And when you know this, the Bible is far more understandable.

Then, two miracles I've heard from witnesses were a man who spoke at the United Nations. He had a genetic aberration for heart disease. And he died of a Heart Attack. He was, like many others, healed from that heart attack and so completely healed that his genetic markers for Heart Disease were removed from him. So, even if homosexuality or serial killing are genetic, God can remove that genetic material from you to make you completely whole. And why couldn't He? And God distinguishes that both killing and sodomy are equal in weight as a crime; both deserve the penalty of death. And should a generational curse---as Solomon pointed out---be written in the DNA of someone, God can surely remove it completely, like a circumcision knife does the foreskin.

Finally, one more miracle which I found absolutely convincing, was a Muslim man who was an Imam. And he found Jesus through reading the Quran. In several ayahs it literally says Jesus is God, and to believe in Jesus. It says Jesus is the "Word of God" and the "Spirit of God" and that Jesus performed miracles. And Muhammad says that God created the Universe through the "Word", Who is Jesus, therefore making Jesus God in Islam. For, if Jesus is the Word, and the universe was created through the Word, then the world was created through Jesus, and any being Whom can create from nothing must be a god. And it is blasphemous to believe in three gods, there must only be one. This same man was nearly killed by His family, and an angel of the LORD wounded his assailant with the sword, so the man whom I speak of went free and lives to this day preaching the word of God joyfully.

There are many miracles like this. Both light and dark. Some men have witnessed a man like a dragon fly through the air, and breathe fire from the palms of his hand. Some men have witnessed the dead raised, as I was raised from the dead when I was overcome by a wave; and it was by spiritual force that I was healed; even on that day I saw the shadow of Satan on the shore in his dark robes. On that day I spoke with God and was revealed mysteries which I shall not speak. Men have created matter through light, thus, the greatest miracle of them all, Creation, is seen to be feasible even by our paltry science. There are many miracles. And that is why the faith is confirmed.

Dear,
Dr. Shermer

Christ prayed before the cross that the church would be unified, so men wouldn't doubt Him. Sweat blood actually. Which is an actual medical condition. Then, he died of a heart attack where the water lining cushioning his lungs and heart was ruptured, and it poured out His side when the Roman pierced Him.

Frankly, out of those 34,000 denominations of Christians, a very small number of them are heretical in the traditional sense. Christianity is complicated. And like all complicated things, people are going to have differing opinions about minutia stuff---such as whether there's free will or choice, which is probably what fractures the church the most. In my estimation, both. I believe Free Will and Determinism exist simultaneously. It's just human folly to believe that it's an either/or problem.

This gets to the meat and potatoes of why I believe in Christ. A Carpenter's Bastard, somehow develops a moral philosophy more cogent than Aristotle, Plato, Mozi, Confucius, Maimonides, Socrates, Lao Tsu and the entire schema of prior Religious Thinkers combined. I find that a miracle in itself. The fact that Christ's morality is more cogent than any other in history. Men find radical grasps at it---but Christ's is so self evident and He with no education finds this. He's either a genius---a very superb genius---with godlike intellect, or He's actually God.

And, it's unlikely His apostles would have even suffered an ounce if they had believed He didn't raise from the dead. People don't die for what they expressly don't believe. Men don't fight in revolutions for a cause that they think isn't worth dying for. So, it's about a 100% chance that the disciples saw Jesus after He died. And, the medical evidence found in the Bible suggests that He only could have died. 

And if you're going to suggest that he had a twin---I highly doubt that's the case. As, His birth records and death certificate are still housed at the Vatican, and no record exists of Him having a twin. I've had professors who've seen the certificate, and the Vatican hides it because it says something different than what the Gospel say. But, frankly, it's just what the Pharisees wanted to put above Jesus' cross in the first place. So, it's actually more convincing on that account.

It's almost hard to deny the evidence that Jesus is God. I've studied it for so long, listened to so many different debates on it---even what Academia commonly distributes about the Gospel and Judaism confirms what the Bible says. They interpret the facts, but the facts on their own prove what the Bible has already been saying. A good example of this is the so called "Cult of Righteousness" that turns up in Mesopotamia around the establishment of the Hammurabi's Code. Well, genealogically Abraham lines up right with that, if you backdate the records of Genealogies from the Persian Restoration of Israel. And Moses, coincidentally, lines up right with the Cult of Aten. And that's interesting because what on earth would cause a Pharaoh to abandon polytheism? I'd think seeing frogs fall from the sky, the Nile turn to blood and the Red Sea parted would be a good reason for him to convert to Monotheism.

Anyways, there's also the direct reference to Jesus in Zechariah 3 and 6. It quotes Him by name. There's Isaiah 53, there's Psalm 2 and 22, which are all proven to exist prior to Christ and Christianity. There's plenty of evidence that Jesus is the LORD. Too much, actually, for it to be ignored by someone like myself.

Now, I'm a big fan of Lucretius, as I just bought him today. I understand your arguments. But, the fact remains that it would make sense that if there were a God, He would directly reveal Himself to the world. And I think He did that through Prophets and Apostles, and at the center of that He came Himself and demonstrated what He meant. Leviticus 27:29 literally says that a man devoted to God must die. Abraham had to sacrifice Isaac, and God stopped him and said "I will Provide". I'm a student of literature. That seems more consistent, in theme, than most books have. 

There's a few errors in the Modern Bible. But, even that, I think Kierkegaard is right that the faith is more important than the object of faith. Because the Bible gets significantly more right than those very trivial details it gets wrong. Very trivial. And frankly, I don't trust Archeology is a complete enough field to reject the Bible's claims. And what the Bible says is often corroborated by Archeology, like the Tel Dan Stele, Nebuchadnezzar Chronicles, Isaiah 53 in the Dead Sea Scrolls---there's tons more. And then the ubiquity of flood myths. Even in the Americas there's flood myths. I mean, it's almost 100% certain that God is the God of the Bible.

Sincerely,
B. K. Neifert

There are at least two beautiful women in every town
One with curves, bust and beauteous face;
Every year a hundred thousand knock-outs 
Turn twenty-one. All it takes is to find one of them
Who has a mind like I and soft demeanor.

Aphorism 151. One day, everyone's sins will be as naked as mine.

Aphorism 152. Skeptics are appalled Abraham, yet I was taught the moral was he didn't sacrifice Isaac.

Aphorism 153. "God will provide," and He did.

Aphorism 154. Philosophy is the love of wisdom, not blind skepticism.

Aphorism 155. The skeptic is more blind than the man who has faith.

Aphorism 156. "Love your neighbor as you love yourself," does not mean you ought to love yourself so you can love your neighbor.

Aphorism 157. No one lacks self-love.

Aphorism 158. Suicide is an act of self-love, not self denial.

Aphorism 159. Hamnet is Romeo.

Aphorism 160. Prescient thoughts come from seeing it before.

Aphorism 161. No Mary Sues, info dumps, expositions or purple prose; show don't tell, start where the action is, don't use helper verbs... Follow all that advice and what do you get? Absolutely nothing.

Aphorism 162. Experiment with form not because you ought to, but because you want to.

Aphorism 163. Write how you want, just make sure it says something.

Aphorism 164. War and Peace had essays interrupting the narrative. It is the best novel ever written, bar none.

Aphorism 165. How do I know what Illuminism is? Because I read it in Tolstoy.

Aphorism 166. If you're interested in Freemasonry, they sit around and talk a bunch about geometry and tell old ghost stories.

Aphorism 167. America was created by Freemasons. It dies by Kings.

Aphorism 168. My complete knowledge of Freemasonry comes from a college student and Tolstoy.

Aphorism 169. America's most influential founders were not Christians. However, this does not mean they censured Christianity.

Aphorism 170. Separation of Church and State is good, until the State separates morals from State.

Aphorism 171. Farts are funny.

Aphorism 172. The Dark Ages were dirty, and that's not a myth disseminated by Victorians.

Aphorism 173. I find it amusing how the "Dark Ages" are no longer "Dark", like some malevolent force wishes to return us there.

Aphorism 174. Life was better when it was "After Death" and not "Common Era".

Aphorism 175. Theft, if you're poor, is still theft. What someone worked hard to create does not automatically belong to everyone.

Aphorism 176. Imagine you spent your whole life building something, and someone else came and said, "That belongs to me." That is essentially the moral problem with modern Democrats.

Aphorism 177. Imagine you were poor, and there was no work available to you. And then some rich, fat man judged that you were lazy. That is essentially the moral problem with modern Republicans.

Aphorism 178. Imagine there was a mountain, yet so many people repeated it didn't exist that everyone believed it. That is the problem with Atheism.

Aphorism 179. Imagine there was a teacher who was kind, yet His adherents decided to be cruel? That is the problem with Christians.

Aphorism 180. Imagine there was also a teacher who taught right from wrong, yet His adherents thought it merely a suggestion. That is also the problem with Christianity.

Aphorism 181. Buddhism appeals to narcissists.

Aphorism 182. To sit idly and tolerate suffering is the full sum of Buddhism.

Aphorism 183. Gurus always inculcate in the Western Mind the full extent of their teachings; which usually leads to disaster.

Aphorism 184. I am not a guru. I am not a moral philosopher. And I can't be a sage because of my writing. Rather, it's Christ... That's who you should really listen to.

Aphorism 185. Poetry is the act of reflecting on someone else's thoughts. Not your own.

Aphorism 186. The Tao Te Tsing can enlighten you. Yet, I've found enlightenment to be vanity.

Aphorism 187. What enlightened me, was the concept that words have meaning---it is not the words but what they mean. That is what enlightened me in Lau Tsu.

Aphorism 188. Christianity is the only religion that has proof.

Aphorism 189. Miracles do exist. They are not formed by a faulty memory.

Aphorism 190. You spend a whole life reaching Nirvana to forget the pain of those around you.

Aphorism 191. Buddhism makes sense to me. It is most popular in densely populated regions of the world where there are multitudes of poor. In the end, it's just a way to bear the grief.

Aphorism 192. If Buddha were wise, he would have used his wealth to enrich the people, rather than selfishly sate his own desire.

Aphorism 193. Muhammad created a book to do statecraft.

Aphorism 194. If the Bible were created for statecraft, it would have been much simpler.

Aphorism 195. It is said that the Bible is inconsistent. I read it every day. It is not.

Aphorism 196. Moses failed.

Aphorism 197. My religion is to comfort the weak and downtrodden. That was Christ's religion, also.

Aphorism 198. Had it not been for the book of Mark, I would not have kept my faith.

Aphorism 199. Had it not been for Jesus' stories and sayings, I would not have kept my faith.

Aphorism 200. In the end, I look at Jesus and say, "I hope He is God." I find no other who would suffice.

Dear,
Dr. Pinker

I will sidestep your saying archeology does not support scripture. It does. I will sidestep your argument that science does not support scripture. God is omnipotent.

What I will say, is that in your interview with Penguin you said, "This world seems to be exactly what the world would seem, if there were no God. Good men suffer, and bad men don't." I paraphrase. But that is the summation of why you don't believe in God.

I wrote you an email, saying, "This world is exactly what you would find, if men had no fear of God." I hope you infer from that where my argument will go.

Religion is not a noble lie. It is not something, like Plato posits, that men create to help regulate the populace, and allow for the most amount of happiness. It'd be easy to go that route, with severe amounts of doubt, but the tangible proof only can affirm what the Gospel teaches. The concrete historical evidence and the actual factual evidence. However, I've written about that evidence to other writers, whom I have published the correspondences.

However, what you said about creating justice for the purpose of helping people make choices---is that not why there is hell? And if bad men were to go unpunished, what would prevent them from making this Earth a hell? Men are unable to rationalize---without religion---the effects they have on others. Most religions were creations of men to help men get along, and so build societies which could work. Because the general Laws found in most religions are paralleled across all cultures and civilizations, with many exceptions.

Yet, without God---and you should know, as a Jewish Man---Who would ultimately judge, as that is what God means in Hebrew, isn't it? Is "Judge". And without fear of Him, what restrains a man from accomplishing all his desire on the innocent? Obviously a conscience. Yet, many cultures had their consciences removed---some even by religion---so to what effect does this have? Tangibly, scientifically, we see as many appeals to authority and law as there are civilizations. Yet, the human heart already comes wired with knowledge of equity. Where does this come from? And the worst individuals are those who see the abuse given to them, and then go out and try to rectify it with their own brand of justice. Is there no other one worse than this? Then the man whose only law is one appealed to himself? Therefore, Who is it that arbitrates the holy law? It must be God. As there are many pointless abuses caused by Human Justice which ought to be obvious. And when every man walks according to the justice he creates in his heart---what can there be but war? And in that, is why it seems like God is absent. Because men have gone astray from His law, and the cause of that is hardness of heart and unbelief. And a refusal to accept the entirety of His law. Which men, given free agency by God, can choose Him or not---as that is the only choice. And by not choosing him, they choose to live by their own standard, and thereby create enormous amounts of suffering ipso facto.