For the Christians?

Question

I am a very accepting person, but it has come to my attention from answering people's questions that this forum is home to a great deal of hate. Please read in full.

Your religious beliefs aside do you truly believe a just and loving god would send good people to hell because they chose the wrong religion? If you want true enlightenment take a trip to a Buddhist temple. I can almost guarantee if you are a Christian and reading this almost all Buddhist live a better life than you and I, and that is from an unbiased spectator.

I have read The Bible along with a few other religious texts, and I do believe in a higher power. Please do not say anything about faith in this thread, because you do know that there are other religions out there. Religions who have the same close-minded views as you have. I will continue to be nice to all of the Christians I meet and living my life as cleanly and as purely as possible. I just wish I could say that about most Christians.

I love you all.

I asked for noith references because that is what seems to breed hate from non believers. Both my parents were drug addicts and I suffered from abuse all throughout my childhod. Guess what, I still have no hate in my heart. I've never done drugs or alcohol, I'm a virgin(I'm 20).

A just god would judge people on their quality of life instead if they chose the right religion.

Answer 1

There can be a big difference between the concepts of what the Bible truely says, what the different churches apply and don't apply, and the way individuals who say they are christians actually apply themselves. Remember this, since Chrisitanity doesn't have the hard and fast rules that other religions tout, then almost anybody saying anything belonging to any type of group, - can call themselves a 'christian'. Don't judge the Bible by these folks!

The Bible in summary has 3 groups of people.

1) those folks that truly repent and accept Christ are "bought with a price" and no man can pluck them out of the Father's hand.

2) people that outwardly reject Christ (and His finished work on the cross, paying for the "sins of the world"), have to present themselves to a heavenly Father, tainted with sin, apart from Christ and will be judged (damned) accordingly.

3) Those peoples that have not "heard" the Gospel, or have not cared to find out about the one True God can be one of two groups.
3a) They will be judged (possibly saved) according to the natural knowledge of the True God.
3b) They will be judged (damned), - since how can they be save if they an apostle does not go out from Jersuelem, Judea, Samaria, - out to the outer most reaches of the earth?

Sending missionary folks out, - is a pretty big deal to true Christians. It's the ultimate act of Love !!! (not hate or judgement, as the heathens say)

Answer 2

You say that "A just god would judge people on their quality of life instead if they chose the right religion." but don't you see that if God judged us based on our lives we would all go to Hell? There is not one person who lives a completely perfect life, and that's what it takes to be in the presence of God because He is perfect. It is a complete gift and act of grace for Him to give us the choice - if we choose Him He will freely accept us into Heaven even though we are full of sin. But if we say no, obviously He won't force us. I think you're looking at it the wrong way. As for choosing the wrong religion, I think maybe others who call God by a different name but believe the same thing will be in Heaven. Those who think they are powerful enough to make it on their own through a good life will never make it.

Answer 3

True. God is a just and loving God, but wouldn't it be justice to you to have nothing to do with your family and friends if they found someone else to take your place in their lives. I don't have anything to say against any other religion or what anybody else believes in, the only thing that I can say is that Jesus said that He is the only way, the only Truth, and the only Life that any man could ever need. I know that there are some individuals out there that claim Christianity, and live completely opposite of it, and for them I apologize, but don't let what others do keep you away from the Truth.

Answer 4

To answer your question, yes I do believe that those who reject Jesus Christ will be sent to hell for eternity. The bible says that.

Secondly, yes I do believe God is just and loving.

I understand you have trouble reconciling these two issues, but perhaps you haven't taken that confusion to its logical conclusion.

If everyone went to heaven, then you could murder, cheat, steal, believe anything, and end up there. What is the criteria for salvation? One religion says this, another says that. If you really think about it....there can't be many ways to heaven if they contradict one another. Nor can anyone live any kind of life and get there.....that wouldn't work either.

That is what is unique about Christianity. It is about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and the righteousness imputed to those who believe in Him. Sin will not be able to enter heaven. And without Jesus, there is no covering, no cleansing, of sin.

And God says.....there is a choice, heaven or hell. Actually it isn't God that sends anyone to hell, come to think about it. It is that person rejecting His son. That really annoys alot of people. They don't want to be told who they have to believe in. Well....I understand that. But....that is how God has made the way for us to be saved, and I don't mean to be flip about it...but....God is God...we are not.

Answer 5

Hey Justin. I don't want to say anything trite here, yet I'm limmited by time. I think that perhaps the vission of Christianity you take away from these forums or from other areas of our culture is not acurate to the truth of Chrisandom. Hate abounds all over, I wouldn't deny this, but I'd argue that the hate is a perversion not a feature, of Christianity.

As for enlightenment, and good living, that is certainly open to discussion, but as I'm not sure what specifically you are reffering to, it's rather hard to address.

Feel free to contact me if you'd like to discuss this. It's a topic of interest to me (and I fancy myself--as you seem to--a bit objective). My yahoo messager is drwho_66.

Answer 6

Well, first let's look at the just and loving thing first. If God was completely just, no person, regardless of how good they are or what religion, would ever make it to heaven. We are flawed, we cannot be completely just on our own. Total Justice would be equal treatment for every person because every person is equally guilty of being sinful.
If God were completely loving then no person would go to Hell because that would not seem to be the loving place to send them.
It is the fact that God is both loving and just that creates the paradox. He is loving enough to have provided a way for us to get to heaven and spend eternity with Him. That way provided is Jesus. He is just in that he treats all equally. It is the blood of Christ that grants people God's blessing and allowance into heaven. Except for that blood, all people are seen as equally evil in the eyes of God.
The characteristics of God are something that theologians have been trying to understand for centuries, and we still do not understand more than a very small portion of who God is. We will probably never figure it out because we are all inherently and naturally flawed and thus cannot understand a being that is absolutely perfect in every way. Every characteristic of God is perfect.

I am willing to tell people that they do not need Jesus to get to Heaven. They really don't. All they have to do is obey every law that God ever laid out and they will make it to Heaven. That is EVERY law in EVERY way. Spirit of the law, letter of the law, thought, everything must by obeyed. Unfortunately we are incapable of doing that, so Jesus came to make up for the short-coming and made it so that we do not have to accomplish the impossible task of following the law totally. He became our atonment for sin.
As far as living a good life, a good life by whose standards? Man's standards are hard enough to live by, but it is possible to be a really really good person by man's standards. I have no doubt that you have tried your best to do just that, and that is something to be proud of. Interestingly enough, God's standards for being a good person are WAY higher than man's and really are impossible to follow, for anyone.
I will agree with you that many Christians need to change their attitude. That is definately true. We are to be like Christ and the attitude that we are portraying is nowhere close to that lofty mark sometimes. For some Christians, they struggle with their attitude, and that is just their fighting point. Maybe they are not fighting hard enough, but that really is their business. We are all called to a high standard, and I do nto claim to have made it to the end of that journey yet, but I still press on to the goal set before me. I run the race set before me by Christ, the author and the finisher of my faith. That is all I can do and that is all I am asked to do. I have Jesus as my guide and He will get me to the finish line and home safely.

Answer 7

Thanks, well said. That is what it comes down to. it is how you live your life that matters. The name of the religion does not. You do not have to believe in any god to be a good person. and many that say they do believe in a god are not good people. Faith in a god can be of help in living a good life and it also can be an excuse to be a bad person. What you are is up to you and only you.

Answer 8

Every religion is great if used properly. My wife is Chinese. Her parents are Bud dist. My wife is Christian and she loves it. Her parents are wonderful people. It has nothing to do with what you believe. It has to do with the acts that follow your beliefs. "YOU WILL BE JUDGED ACCORDING TO YOUR WORKS" no matter what you believe.

I love Jesus for I have seen him and been saved completely. Now, my biggest work is "love everybody" and "love G--"

I respect the respect that you have for Buddhism. If it makes you follow the path to enlightenment, so be it. Please don't judge others for you are not G--. Second, there is an inner G-- that Bud dist believe in. Remember that G-- is in us if we truly believe.

Answer 9

they don't look to be Jews because Jew's do not trust the messiah has come yet. they don't trust Jesus so believing in Jesus and affirming your Jewish obviously contradicts one yet another.... that is unhappy that there are those Evangelist Christians that decision themselves "Jews". provide up this custom now, your disgracing both Judaism and Christianity.

Answer 10

Hey man. Good question. In your question, however, you have a presupposition: you are saying, in essence, wouldn't it be unfair of God to do this, am I correct? If that is the case, you are assuming that there is a universal moral standard. If that is correct, then who is the moral lawgiver? There must be one. If there is one, it would certainly have to be by God. If there is not a universal moral law, then you cannot question His morals. If there is and God is the moral lawgiver, then we cannot question Him, since He must of necessity be good. I hope this helps. :)