Am I evil? Do I deserve eternal damnation?

Question

I have asked a couple of questions tonight, to do with religon. This is my final draft, as it were...

A lot of people from various faiths are telling me that I will be eternally damned if I do not worship *insert particular belief structure here* and repent my life so far. Yet what is it in my current lifestyle that makes me evil? Here are my personal beliefs:

***I believe that everyone is responsible for their own actions.
***I believe that if everyone were to do just one thing a day that made another happy, the world might just save itself.
***I believe that no one person has the right to proclaim themselves better than anyone else.
***I believe that everyone has within them the potential to help create a better world.


Just because I do not label myself, apparently I should go to somewhere that is reserved for evil people. I do not see my beliefs as evil. Why are people telling me that my way of life is wrong?

I probably shouldn't keep adding comments as details, but I want to thank everyone for keeping this discussion well mannered and polite. I am very glad to see it.

x x x

ok sorry for another comment, but smokinggun i agree with you wholeheartedly. however that is not the point I am trying to get across.

Answer 1

Yes, the whole damnation thing is so damned irrational! Why would anyone worship a God that is so unjust? But the fact is, if you were taught that you would go to hell for not believing, and then found that lots of other people do not believe, you'd get pretty confused, too. I went through this: my mother was a Methodist Sunday school teacher, and I tried to believe what she taught me, I really did. The problem is, God gave me a brain, so I use it. And as I say, I cannot believe any God worth worshiping would be so unjust.

Try to be patient with them. They are going through some difficult times. But don't let them get you down.

Answer 2

Anyone who tells you that you are wrong are judging, which is not something we should do.

As a Christian, I don't believe anyone in this earth age is 'damned'. Not even Hitler. I believe that we are judged to either eternal life or eternal damnation at the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ, which comes in the next earth age.

According to the bible, it is during the millennial reign that we are judged according to our works both here AND there. We will all have an opportunity then to learn and make our choice where we go at the end. This is because God is completely fair. We get an opportunity to taste life in this system and in the next, so that we make an informed decision based on experiences in both a corrupt and an incorrupt system.

So in a nutshell, no, you are not wrong, evil or damned. You are actually a logical thinking person who probably finds organized religion a turn off. I can't say I blame you.

Answer 3

Because some people feel the need to label, not just you, but everything in their lives. Yours are good values to live by, there is not reason to change them. There is also no reason to tie yourself to a specific religion. We all have our ideas as to how to live our lives, it doesn't even really have anything to do with religion. I believe that religion is something that was invented to control the masses...behave yourself or you'll go to hell. I just don't believe all that crap. If you are happy doing these things, why question us as to whether your life is "wrong" or "right". If it feels good to you, then do it, your list is an admirable one. I would look for other things that I could add to my list, and I wouldn't worry about all those that want to call you evil, or tell you that you need to find whomever or whatever. Be yourself and be happy, there will Always be those that want to cut you down. The good Christians (insert other religion here) that they are. LOL!! I too have my own belief system, and it's good for me. I no longer need to use a label for myself or anyone else. And I like it that way. :)

Answer 4

They are telling you that you are wrong because they want themselves to feel right at your expense. In declaring that this or that person is going to hell, the theist insinuates that he/she is going to heaven, and thus is better than you. The whole point behind any religion is that those who belong to it are chosen by their deity-- they're special, they have knowledge that others do not, and will be rewarded for their obedience to the deity by being taken away to heaven when they die. Those who do not belong to the religion are left out of all this specialness and get sent to eternal punishment. Doesn't matter how good you are, how many people's lives you effect in a positive way, how much money you give to charites, or how well you raise your children to be kind, considerate, and responsible adults; you don't BELONG, so you are going to hell. Religion is just another form of "us vs. them"--and you happen to be in the "them" category.

Edit: I would like for J-Artist to show me evidence for the "evil" gene. Where, in the blood, does "evil" reside? Is it in the white cells, the red corpuscles, what? You know, even your holy book says that Adam and Eve ate from the tree of GOOD and evil--that means that we have just as much good in us as we do evil! Yet, Christians focus only on the negative and ignore anything positive. It must be depressing to go through life with such a low opinion of yourself and others.

Answer 5

The Bible says that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. The only perfect person, sinless and spotless, was Christ. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me."

You are a person, created by a loving God, with a free will. You can make any choice you want, believe anything you want. Jehovah, God, is a gentleman and will not go anywhere He is not invited.

I urge you to investigate the Bible more and read all you can of contemporary historians such a Josephus. If you study this, you will understand that this is a true statement of fact.

Answer 6

Much like the priest, when I was 6 years old, told me I would go to hell if I didn't get baptised. I suppose I should thank him, since his outrageous remark caused me to seriously examine fundamental institutionalism later in my life, which eventually lead me to my current (Pagan) path.

Anyhow... I look at it this way: The church says, "As it is in the church, so shall it be in heaven." In other words, the world, and the afterlife, is pretty well what we make of it (this theme is repeated in other faith's as well, but for the sake of time I won't quote them all).

Therefore, so long as YOU don't worship the God of a place that would damn you to misery and torture despite being such a wonderful person, and so long as you genuinely DISBELIEVE that such a place could exist for someone under these circumstances, than you won't be stuck going there.

The "reality" of the "afterlife" is whatever you make of it. If you don't believe in a hell that would punish the do-gooder, then you won't be fated for a hell that would punish the do-gooder.

People will say that I'm wrong, and that I'm a heathen and a blasphemer... and I don't care. I have to live with my choices and I accept them, and I don't for one second believe that my God(dess) would punish me for the perceived sins of a group of narrow-minded individuals.

Answer 7

If I believe that your a monkey does that make me right. I, I, I, I, I, I, I. Did you know that the word 'I' is very selfish. 'I' want to go to heaven because 'I' am a good person. 'I' give to charity, 'I' want to be rich, 'I' look after number 1 in my life. I could go on. The middle letter of sin is you got it 'I'. Sin is what seperates you and me from God. God refuses to allow sin into heaven. Romans 6:23 say's that the wages of sin is death. That death is eternal seperstion from God, in other words 'HELL'. Nothing we can do can stop us from going to hell nothing. For thousands of years people have tried and failed miserably. Eventually it will send us to hell.
But there is an answer to the problem of sin and that is Jesus Christ. You might be thinking 'Not that old pony again.' Well whether you like it or not he is the solution. That's why he died for your sin. You need to turn from your sin and turn to Jesus.

By the way you are evil because you are a sinner, but sinners will be heaven, they just know God's forgiveness that's all. How about you.

Answer 8

Does it really matter what other people think?? If you are happy with your beliefs then that's all that counts.
I personally am of the opinion that " if it works for you then stick with it" its people who try and ram their beliefs down other peoples throats that make life awkward, after all more wars have been started over religious differences than anything else. Quite pathetic really when you think about it, its a case of my god is better then your god and if you don't agree my army is going to come and prove it!!! After all there is one thing ALL religions have in common..............A belief in a higher being or purpose the only difference is the name!!!

Answer 9

Well, if you are going to compare your way of life with the one the Father said you should seek than yes you are evil just like Satan in rejecting the laws to salvation. In your guest for do a little kindness is simple as saying; hay my way is better. We could do with just being kinder to each other all we need is to do our part, I hope you don't think you really came up with this yourself cause this been going on since Satan trick Eve with the same white lie. Hay we could do our way and it won't kill you. sure that not what the book says.1 Jo.3:4 sin is the breaking of the law. The way to Salvation. So, how long we going to try it our way? Cause we are doing such a good job.

Answer 10

Some believe we can't trust our own judgment, no matter how good our intentions are, with out God. I don't know what I believe but I can see this point. Also, you didn't mention God in things that are important to you and that would concern these same people. If there is God ( which I lean toward believing) it makes sense to me that God needs us as much as we need Him (it) (whatever) and that could be the ultimate evil to not follow and trust His (it's) guidance. Hope that is helpful from an objective perspective.

Answer 11

Do you mind if I try to set ya straight - help answer your Q. Some of your beliefs are right. Everyone is responsible for their own actions. But people are deep down bad! I'm not saying you are pure evil & can't have a good thought or do a good deed. Sure ya can. But did your parents have to teach you do do wrong things? Did anybody have to teach you to think bad thoughts? No. It's in our nature. That how we as people are. And our punishment for that sin is death. And the only way out of that death is exepting Jesus as his/her personal Savior. God intended hell to be for Satan & his demons. He didn't ever intend it for any of us. But we deserve it because of the way we are. Alot of us christians don't believe that we are better than anyone else( but I do know there are some - for that I appologize). I know that I am no better than any one & deserve to go to hell for what I have done, butGod saved me so I can live forever with Him in a perfect paridise. If I had to depend on myself( my good works) to even make this world better - then I failed yesterday. It is impossible with out God.