Is salvation analogous to a vending machine? Salvation sodas are filled with faith and are in plain sight of everyone. Big advertisement on the machine, plenty of sodas available for the entire world, come one, come all.
Now those sodas are held back behind the glass since they require the human "tokens" of acceptance in order to obtain that salvation. Don't worry, the sodas are free, the price has already been paid and you've been given the tokens to buy the soda.
So we put the acceptance-prayer tokens into the machine, and out pops the salvation, and we receive our relationship with God. Tastes great, and we want to tell everyone about the machine. After all, everyone has tokens anyway, and for those that might lose their Salvation, plenty more tokens available.
By the way, there's a sin table nearby, no tokens necessary, all you can eat, and also "free" for now. Pay later if you don't get that soda.
One bottle per customer. Free refills.
2006-11-28 15:42:30 · 12 answers · asked by ccrider 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
That's an amusing analogy. Let's take it a step forward.
So, I'm diabetic. Look at all those sodas. Gee, too bad I can't have a soda. I think I'll pass on that, as I don't want to get sick. I'll eat this healthy snack over here. Oops, I sinned, and now I'm punished for avoiding the pernicious soda.
Or, maybe I don't know about the vending machine. I don't know how it works or that it's even there. So, I forage as best as I can just to survive because nobody told me that I could get soda from this vending machine. Oops, I sinned, and now I'm punished for being an Indian.
Or, perhaps the vending machine requires that I deny my human nature. The price is not just this little human "tokens" of acceptance. I have to give up homosexuality. Well, I can't deny who I am, so I don't pay that price, because it's better to be honest with yourself than to lie just to get a soda. Oops, I sinned, and now I'm punished for acting out as God created me.
Or, I am faced with the hot dog cart of salvation. Well, the hot dog guy says that I just need to take his free hot dog for salvation, but I cannot take food from the sin table or the vending machine. Yet, you tell me that the vending machine offers salvation. I have two different sources of salvation, but each one claims that the other is wrong. So, without any way to determine which salvation is real, I take a gamble and eat the hot dog. Oops, I just sinned as I had no reason to believe that the vending machine was more valid than the hot dog cart.
Nice analogy, and now I can more clearly see the flaws of the theory of salvation.
2006-11-28 15:44:25 · answer #1 · answered by Rev Kev 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, salvation is not a vending machine. I gather that some people actually believe that, so as a pamphlet against them, your "salvation soda" idea is really very good.
No, sin is more like a serious disease, and salvation as a treatment, but one that requires changing your life.
2006-11-28 16:05:47 · answer #2 · answered by todaywiserthanyesterday 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A better metaphor might be the church as a fountain of sanctifying grace, much like the water flowing from the rock that followed the Israelites, providing the necessary refreshment, until they could get to the Promised Land.
2006-11-28 19:06:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes and no...
The "Sinner's Prayer" is NOT FOUND IN SCRIPTURE. The book of Acts is the only New Testament book which tells us how to become Christians and it never mentions anything like that.
2006-11-28 15:50:36 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very well thought out I completely agree and I would probably be at the sin table grubbing down :)
2006-11-28 15:44:47 · answer #5 · answered by barbie89032 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That a great analogy, probably oversimplified for some people but, still it's very interesting. I think it's pretty accurate.
2006-11-28 15:51:16 · answer #6 · answered by warriorclan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there is also the sin merchandising device top next to the salvation merchandising device, and each and every time you partake of the products in the sin merchandising device you may want to bypass decrease back to the salvation merchandising device for yet another drink.
2016-10-07 22:48:44 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What are the dietary requirements for total absolution?
2006-11-28 15:47:22 · answer #8 · answered by Ashleigh 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hehehehe thats great I love it :)
2006-11-28 15:50:18 · answer #9 · answered by impossble_dream 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO why so long? when it see theres no respect i dont read past the first paragraph why waste time?????????????
2006-11-28 15:45:02 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋