Should people be punished for not wanting to believe something that sounds totally unbelieveable?

Question

They say that if we don't do this, that, and the other we'll go to Hell and roast for the rest of Eternity. Well, should a person have to suffer because everyone who has ever tried to give them 'directions' for getting into Heaven has sounded like they needed their head examined? Is it fair that a guy is scared away by the average modern Christian and the average modern Preacher that don't bitmore seem to know what they're talkin' 'bout then the Man in the Moon should recieve eternal damnation???

There are a lot of people that are atheists simply because the average Christian sounds like a babbling idiot. Should they have to suffer for that? Even worse, there are a lot of people that will go to Hell because, though they thought they were a Christian, they were actually given the wrong directions by an arrogant old man that is too Prideful to admit that his interpretation may be wrong. Is that fair??

What do you think about all of this?

Answer 1

I think it's horrible and incredibly sad that there are people like that who drive away those who might otherwise come to faith in Jesus. I wish more people were aware of this and could do something about it.

I think that if somebody is turned off by certain unsavory Christians, then it's the fault of those Christians that that somebody didn't come to Christ. But that still won't save that somebody who, according to Christianity, has a place in Hell to look forward to. Sounds incredibly unfair. It definitely is a lot to swallow.

It disgusts me that there are people who - in the name of God - actually drive people away from God, however inadvertently they may do it. The only thing I can offer is that people attempt to find the "true" Christians, and experience the genuine and loving side of Christianity that is often shadowed by legalism.

I still think that people who don't believe in Jesus will go to Hell, despite the fact that they were effectively pushed away from Jesus by professed Christians themselves. It's a horrible and unfair world...I'm sorry...

Answer 2

I'm not sure what you're saying. If you are asking if atheists should be punished for not believing because he thinks Christians are nuts because so many sound as if they are.

I'm not sure if atheists should be or are punished at all. I don't really know what God does once we're before him. However, atheists should have better reasons for not believing than so many Christians sound nuts. There are a lot of sane sounding Christians out there who don't seem crazy. You've got to be able to weed through the garbage and get to the truth. If you dismiss the whole idea because of some, than I think it's just a convenient excuse. The Christians who follow these nuts also need to weed out the truth and not use the excuse that they were just following orders. It's up to each one of us. Though I will point out that Jesus said that those who lead people down the wrong path will suffer more than those who followed.

Answer 3

The choice is itself the punishment. It's not particularly useful to think of hell as anything except separation from God, who is the source of all happiness that exists. Since He is all joy, then to be apart from Him is misery. There is no joy, no happiness, no love or light apart from God. If you won't accept the happiness He freely offers you, then you'll have to be wretched instead. If you won't eat the only food that exists, then you have no choice but to starve. That's what hell means. The details about what the place is like are utterly unimportant, because they're only a metaphor used to try to describe the horror of separation from God. Being burned alive forever, being imprisoned in the cold and the dark, weeping and gnashing of teeth- all those descriptions are used in Scripture to try to convey the idea of hell. The reality is worse. But be certain of this- no soul who truly and consistently desires joy will ever miss it, and not a single soul is in hell who didn't knowingly choose it. If you think no one sane would ever make such a choice, you need to think again. There's no shortage of people who would rather be miserable than happy, even here on earth, and I don't doubt you've met a few such people. If you haven't, just look around a little bit and see how many you can find. It might shock you. They have all sorts of reasons, but some of the typical ones are selfishness, self-pity, pride, etc. They'd rather hold onto those feelings even at the cost of being unhappy.

Answer 4

I am not an atheists. I don't know what religion I am. I believe that you are born with all the tools you need to go to heaven. I don't believe that you are going to hell if you don't believe what another human being tells you to believe. God gave you a mind of your own and intented for you to use it (in my opinion) I don't believe that people are going to hell because they were born into the "wrong" religion. No religion is more "right" than any other. They all say the same "basic" things.

This is getting too long... I believe the if you believe in a God, there is a moment (no matter how short) before you do anything, where your body tells you wether is good or bad, no matter what you believe in, or wether you go to church or not.

Answer 5

As far as a Christian thinking they were wrong, if they have a serious relationship with God, He'll let them know. Everyone has a choice. They can choose or choose not to believe in God. God gave us a choice. Sometimes, though Christians may sound crazy, maybe those that don't believe, need to listen. Just listen. Science sounds crazy, but we believe in that right. Have faith. If it's truth that you are searching for, God will give you the answers. If someone has doubt, and does not believe, they have to search for themselves and find the truth.

Answer 6

Holy cow, man! You've been way overly complicated by "Jehovah's Witnesses" or some ****. Let me give you a couple of verses from the Bible. Don't get me wrong, *****' I'm just a blue collar lay- dude from northern Illinois. But I feel that you need the real deal. Now excuse me while I go to the bathroom to get it. I read a devotion every morning, in a context most would not approve of. Read it, nonetheless, I do. From the book of Ephesians, chapter 2: "not of works, lest anyone should boast", and "it is the gift of God, not of works" (By grace, you have been saved.). And who the hell is "they" anyway? "They" don't know ****. Read the Book, Man. It's all there. "For by grace (God's) you have been saved through faith, NOT of yourself; it is the gift of God. Take it man, it's FREE! And don't be confused by all of that man made dogma that is the Roman Catholic Church. They're full of ****. Find Biblical proof of the dogma and I'll buy you lunch for one hundred years. God's grace is yours for the asking. Accept that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for your sins. You can do NOTHING to atone for your sinful nature, except accept the sacrifice of JC. And read Ephesians chapter 2. First 10 verses. Real simple.

Answer 7

i was always told by MY paster to never take what someone else interprets the bible as as the answer. make ur own interpretation. if someone says something is said in the bible, just ask them "where?" if they can't answer that, then dont believe them. and then if they can, read it and make ur own interpretation and take both into consideration. its not really who's right or wrong tho, its more about ur faith in the lord. or u can get one of those books that tell you where u can find everything in the bible and not have to ask anyone. i have one of those and if someone says something, i check. i still dont know where the heck everyone got 666 from...i can't find anywhere that says "666 is the number of the devil" or "he will rise on 666" or anything like that. i read that jesus will come when least expected (Luke 12:20-23....yes, i can find it :D). so i say dont take someone elses word for it, find it on ur own. thats the best answer i can give. and if it sounds like hogwash to you, that is what you think. you do not have faith in this, believe what you want to believe, and then whatever happens, happens. its god's choice, not ours what happens to them.

Answer 8

If the Christian God were truly JUST, like they claim he is, considering that "all our righteousness is as filthy rages in the sight of God", we all deserve to go to Hell no matter what we believe. Lucky for us all it's only a fable, huh?

But Jesus said, in John 12:47, "if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not." So why should we worry? And if even Jesus their Saviour won't judge us, why do the so-called Christians do it so often?

Answer 9

Yes. People should be punished for refusing to believe something just because it sounds unbelievable. I know you are going to select someone who agrees with your obviously cynical and quasi-athiest viewpoint, but let me give it to you straight anyway. Just because you rebel against the law, and mock it, does not mean it does not apply to you. Just because you never found someone who could articulate the law to your liking, does not mean you are not responsible for finding it and observing it on your own. No one suffers who seeks the truth with an open mind, because you will find it if you are truly interested in learning it.

Answer 10

i actually find this rather amusing.

being an atheist just because some religious people seem like idiots is kind of a stupid reason, because there are idiots everywhere, there are even some atheists who sound like idiots.

hehe, im completely amused. thank you