Is this wrong of me?

Question

Ok, so I've said before that the part of Christianity that I hate the most is the idea that good people who just so happen to be non-Christian will go to hell, while someone who kills and rapes and does awful things his entire life yet converts right before he dies is forgiven and goes to heaven. I just can't bring myself to believe in any god who would do that to people, and not admit someone into either paradice or damnation based on their merits as a human being.

I've been told more than once that "just because you don't like it, dosn't mean it's not true." Which got me to thinking; If someone proved to me beyond a doubt that the Christian god was real, and that he really does throw good non-Christians into hell and let bad Christians into heaven, I still would not worship him. Such a cruel god dosn't deserve my worship.

What do you think of this? Can you really blame me?

The aincent Egyptian gods had a way to weigh a man's "goodness," so to speak, why dosn't the Christian god? Why does he have to lump every single human being into either "my people" or "sinners?" Isn't that a bit... impersonal?

LindaLou, your beliefs are very similar to mine. :)

greatpanisdead, I have read the Inferno, and it still bothers me.

Answer 1

You are absolutely right. The 'morals' preached by Christianity are pretty suspect. As you say a person who is completely evil appears to be able to play the 'conversion' card and get out of jail free. Seems like a criminals charter. Why not be totally immoral all your life: rob, lie, cheat, steal, rape, murder etc. safe in the knowledge that none of this will have any consequence when you die because you can always 'repent' and go to heaven. Maybe a few years in purgatory but that's OK. I often wondered how the Church down the ages could justify the millions of people it had murdered in the name of Christ. How the IRA could murder people and claim to be 'religious' but the answer was evident - it doesn't matter what you do or don't do (according to this bizarre religion) you are forgiven and a place in heaven is waiting for you. Maybe these Christians will meet up with the Muslim Martyrs and they can party.

Answer 2

I think you should bring this question to a church man or woman, specifically a pastor or, if you're a woman, perhaps a woman's Bible study group leader. This question is often asked, and the answer has a lot to do with knowing God's character and the avenue he's placed for all people to know him and come to him.

I'll give you the abridged version since this is the internet, but you may consider speaking to someone in real life about this, as this is a very common question that most Christians have had to deal with in life.

Specifically, all people are sinners. All sin is equal in God's eyes, because it's imperfection. It's no longer good. After Adam and Eve sinned, that sinful nature altered the Earth we live in, the animals, the people; all things are in sin now, and people are currently born into sin. And all, then, lack a true goodness in respect to God, and therefore are to be cast from his presence.

But God's desire is not to have the wicked suffer (and, as above, we are all wicked) but rather that the wicked should turn to him and be clothed in righteousness. It was for that reason that God sent Christ, the one to take the sins of the world and pay the price so that all of us, as we are all sinners equal, may have the freedom to choose heaven or hell.

One Bible passage that's relevent to your comment is this:

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life.

Anyone, no matter what they have done, can be forgiven. Unfortunately, people are prideful, and are eager to see themselves justified by their own efforts rather than rescued by God. And thus they refuse that free gift and will find their efforts of goodness have no bearing on the fact that the price of sin must be paid.

This is one of the key differences between most religions and Christianity. That it's not based on what you do that determines whether you get to Heaven, but that it's based on what God has already done - and that you can be assured that, no matter -what- you do, Christ's sacrifice has still saved you. Note that this doesn't encourage people to then do sinful acts, but instead fills them with a desire to be more and more righteous, and fills them with the joy so often spoken of in the Bible.

Contrast this with the worry Muslims face, or most other religions on the world where your salvation is based on what you yourself have done, and the fear of not quite knowing if the good you've done is enough.

It's a good deal.

Answer 3

I agree, I don't think it's fair that good people who are not Christian will not go to Heaven, but that will not stop me from believing in my God. My father is not religious, he's had a very hard life, so if he would die today, according to my faith, he'll not go to heaven, and that makes me sad beyond words, but I believe in my God, no matter what, isn't that the definition of faith? By the way being Christian doesn't guarantee you a ticket to heaven, it's the way you practice your faith and live your life. Being a Christian doesn't make you a saint. There are a lot of Christians out there who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and deny them with their lifestyles. I do believe God will have mercy on those good people who just happened not to be Christian and I hope he has mercy on me because I'm not an exemplary Christian either, but I'm trying. God bless!

Answer 4

It is not wrong of you to "question" and to "think for yourself." Good for you. I believe that most people have thought about these very set of questions at one time or another throughout their lives (christian and non-christian alike). I celebrate an earth based spirituality. I was raised christian baptist. The religion never did make any sense to me and never made my soul feel light and full of life. In your search for the truth, remember to choose "your truth" and not some one elses. I am sure there are many "truths" for many different individuals. I don't believe that there is only "one way." If it does not resonate with you, and it does not make you feel "at peace" then your soul is telling you to "search further." You can go back and forth with the christian "fair thing" until you are blue in the face and you will still be resentful of a god that will, in the end, just take into account, the person who called upon his name in the very end of life for salvation or forgiveness (but who might have been a murderer or other depraved individual) vs the person with a good heart. Don't waste your time. Instead, do good in the world (it starts at home), and look for a place where you can feel a connectedness to yourself and to the creator as he/she had honestly intended

Answer 5

I get what you're saying. As a Christian, though, I think I'm qualified to clarify a couple of points about Christianity. First off, the Bible (what we believe -- I'm not trying to use the Bible to prove it to you, as some will accuse me of doing) is clear that NONE of us have any merits whatsoever as human beings. It says that our righteousness is as filthy rags, and we have all gone astray. The notion that God should let someone into heaven based on our earned goodness assumes that we are completely correct in our understanding of good and evil, and also assumes he should overlook the evil as long as the "good" outweighs it (which, in most of our cases, would probably be an incorrect statement).

The second point I'd debate is where you say he'd "let bad Christians into heaven." If, as you say, someone who kills/rapes/practices evil all his life can truly convert upon death, then, yes, they will be covered in the blood of Christ, but we must remember that God knows the heart, and I'd wager that few, if any, of those types of conversions amount to any more than words. But still, it is God who makes the determination: there's even a parable in the bible of workers who were paid a certain amount for a day's work, and some guys signed on in the last couple of hours and the landowner paid them the same wage for only two hours' work. The other workers complained, and the landowner said it was his business what he paid them all, and he honored his verbal contract with them so they had no basis to complain.

The point is this: God loves you, and me, and everyone, but in his justice does not look upon sin. He was then required to make a way for us to be restored to him, and that chosen way was through his Son. Only by viewing our lives through that filter is he able to see us as righteous.

If you think that's unfair, you are of course free to reject that offer. And you still have my respect. Anyhow, thanks for the question.

Answer 6

Questions Still Raised, And Left Unanswered
The obvious question, however, has been left unanswered even when it has been raised: If the Bible cannot be trusted when it comes to elemental facts about nature, how can it be depended upon in respect to intricate instructions about redemption?

If the biblical writers were subject to scientific and historical errors, why were they not also subject to theological and ethical errors?

If the Holy Spirit could preserve them from religious errors, why could [it] not keep them from other errors too?

If the Bible errs in such a simple matter as telling us that the mustard seed is the smallest seed in the world (Mark 4:31), how can it correctly inform us about such complex matters as justification by faith and/or works, the sacraments, the person and work of Jesus, the Trinity, and the kingdom of God?

From The Seven Mighty Blows to Traditional Beliefs, page 25, by A.J. Mattill, Jr., 1986 The Flatwoods Free Press, Route 2 Box 49, Gordo, Alabama, 35466-9517
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Answer 7

I suggest that you read the Divine Comedy, paying special attention to the Inferno. There you see the Christian concept that it is good that these people, regardless of the fact that they did good things, are in the place that they are, fore it is all part of the Lord's plan.

One of Jesus's parables told of a master who would hire workers for a day, and regardless of the time which they started working for him, the workers all received the same wage. The workers who had been working from the beginning said that that was unfair, that the man who worked less time as them didn't deserve to receive the same wage as they did, but the master said that everyone was payed the wage which he had been promised.

G*d is doing the same thing, Jesus said that he would meet the thief he was being crucified with that day in heaven. The reason for this is because that thief accepted Jesus as Lord.

Here is how I think about it, no one deserves to go to heaven. No one. We are all sinners who have done awful and immoral things. The pass that allows us to enter into the kingdom of heaven is our faith in Jesus.

I tried to keep this response brief, I hope I came close to doing that.

Answer 8

im not too sure there is a god anymore! If he is to judge me i dont think id be too happy about that. When he is letting good innocent people all of the world suffer! War, poverty , bad governments.
As for rapists etc, why arent they sent to hell when they even think about doing these things. But no, instead they repeat their crimes and get away with a nice little life in a prison cell if they are caught. The victim then has to live with this for the rest of their lives.
I used to believe in god, but with all going on, its gonna take some doing to convince me!

Answer 9

Maybe you should understand God's ways better before you condemn him for your lack of understanding. No bad person goes to heaven just because he repents on his death bed. This is where works comes into play. A person has to live after repenting in order to prove by their works that they are truly a changed person. Even then God says He will forgive those who he will forgive. As far as non believers, I'm not their judge. There are more places in God's kingdom than just simply heaven and hell. Christ said; "In my Father's house there are many mansions". In other words, a non believer who lives a good life may not be sentenced to hell, Just not to the best place in heaven. Who are we to even make such judgments.

Answer 10

I think you have a good point. One of the most often repeated phrases in the Bible is: "...his mercy endures forever."

If this is true then the idea of people jumping brick to brick, saying "ouch, that hurts", and living an eternal life in an underground chamber of the traditional hell, has to be false.

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