Help! I have some questions about religion!?

Question

I am not religious. It was just never done in my family. But I would like to know some things. Please dont get all pychotic "you're going to hell" on me.

1. If there was a good, pure atheist and a corrupt, but dutifull church-goer, who would god invite to heaven? Is being a good person enough?

2. If God is so forgiving, why does he hate gays and people who believe a different version of his story? If you believe in god, why nit pick about the details?
A) Why do all religions claim to be right, when they are all pretty much the same?

3. Can you be a good ______ and not go to church? Cant you worship from home?

4. Does believing in a "smaller god" count?-( a god that didnt make us or the world, but maybe he made those sub atomic particles that made the big bang and let the rest do itself. because if particles racing around and having a good time made matter, what made the particles?) I've never been 1 to point to god when there is no other explination, but that makes sense

I do not belive in a smaller god, it is my father. So for now, I conceed that the particles got drunk, smashed into each other, and made us. How else can you explain things that happen here? Dont be insulted.
"You cant take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive anyway."

Answer 1

1. I feel that being a good person is all that matters, regardless of religion. A truly loving and just god would not send someone to hell for signing up for the "wrong" religion in life, especially if the religion is fairly new in relation to humans. Traditionally in Christianity, just being Christian did not mean a ticket to heaven. They believed up until about 200 years ago that god elected only certain people for salvation. It didn't matter what a person did, even if that person was Christian, only those god elected could go to heaven. The idea of "choosing Christ" is a really new idea in the history of Christianity and is nothing like how the religion started.

2. I don't think god hates anyone, but this is a human idea. I believe in God, but I don't think that a truly loving god could hate anyone just for sexual orientation or noting being in the "right" religion. (Christianity didn't come about since the 1st century CE: what about all of those people who lived and died before that? What about people who never heard of Christianity? Also, no one chooses to be homosexual. It's like saying that god hates people with blue eyes. No one can control that!) Non-Christian religions don't think that just because a person isn't in their religion they are going to hell. Many other religions don't even think a hell like Christians believe even exists.

3. I feel that you can be a good person and not participate in organized religion. Many Hindus, Buddhists, and Wiccans worship from the home. Many Wiccans and Pagans only practice at home as solitaries or with their families and never meet with a larger group. In ancient times, most families had altars in their own homes.

4. Does your smaller god exist as an aspect of another god, or is inferior to the supreme god? I think you may be interested in doing some research on polymorphism or even monolarity if it is the former. It's really interesting.

Answer 2

1. If there was a good, pure atheist and a corrupt, but dutifull church-goer, who would god invite to heaven? Is being a good person enough?
1a. An atheist is NOT going to heaven if he gives the Pope himself his liver for a transplant. ok? I have read NO where, about a "church goer" going to heaven.

2. If God is so forgiving, why does he hate gays and people who believe a different version of his story? If you believe in god, why nit pick about the details?
2a. Your right, it s HIS story, not yours. I repeat details God pointed out, I didn't make them up.

A) Why do all religions claim to be right, when they are all pretty much the same?
A.a) You think they are all pretty much the same? You are in dire need of Truth my friend, in a very bad way.

3. Can you be a good ______ and not go to church? Cant you worship from home?
3a. What does God Himself say about seeking fellowship among other believers?
Yes, You can worship and should from home also.

4. Does believing in a "smaller god" count?-( a god that didnt make us or the world, but maybe he made those sub atomic particles that made the big bang and let the rest do itself. because if particles racing around and having a good time made matter, what made the particles?) I've never been 1 to point to god when there is no other explination, but that makes sense
4a. I wouldn't waste my time answering this one. end of story.

Good Luck.
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Answer 3

1. If there was a good, pure atheist and a corrupt, but dutifull church-goer, who would god invite to heaven? Is being a good person enough?
answer: Both the pure Atheist and the corrupt church-goer would be invited to heaven. Everyone gets into heaven, no matter what. This is because there is no where else to go.
2. If God is so forgiving, why does he hate gays and people who believe a different version of his story? If you believe in god, why nit pick about the details?
A) Why do all religions claim to be right, when they are all pretty much the same?
Answer: God is not forgiving, because God knows there is nothing to forgive. God doesn't hate gays or people who believe in a different version of a Story MAN created, not God. People nit-pick about the details because they are immature and have low self esteem. Why do all religions claim to be right... simply because they are not willing to let go of their egos to realise that all religions are the same, at their core. And if they would just look at the similarities, instead of the differences, they would quit fighting.
3. Can you be a good ______ and not go to church? Cant you worship from home?
Answer: Yes you can be a good person, in the eyes of God, and not go to church. And, yes you can worship from home. Also you can worship from your car, while you're taking a bath, when you're out in nature, when you're making love, or simply brushing your teeth. Worship is simply being in communion with God and being conscious of that connection.
4. Does believing in a "smaller god" count?-( a god that didnt make us or the world, but maybe he made those sub atomic particles that made the big bang and let the rest do itself. because if particles racing around and having a good time made matter, what made the particles?) I've never been 1 to point to god when there is no other explination, but that makes sense
Answer: God gives us the freedom to believe in whatever we want. There are no strings attached. Even if we want to believe in a "smaller God", that's ok- it counts. God didn't make us, we have always existed just as Life has always existed and it always will. With the exploration of quantum physics we are learning about subatomic particles and the infinite vastness of the Universe, with is an extension of our own Consciousness. See, if we believe that God is seperate from Life, then a lot of other beliefs go hand in hand, like we are seperate from eachother and God hates gays and prefers straights. This really is just immature thinking on our part, because we don't believe in ourselves. God is not something outside of us. God is US, the Life flowing through us and as us... and if more people would know this, much of our questions about life would be answerd.

Answer 4

1. Neither. Heaven is for the rulers of God's kingdom which will rule over the earth. The athiest would probably have a chance at being resurrected to earth. The corrupt church goer might not even have that unless he really never had a chance to learn the truth. God would have to decide in either case.
2. God doesn't hate anyone. He knows what is best for everyone and he is determined to help those who also care about the best and highest good for all people. Therefore, he must rid the earth of those who are selfish and haughty.
2.A. The Bible says the road to life is narrow and few are the ones finding it. The road to destruction is broad and many are those travelling it. (Paraphrased)
3. While it is true that you can worship from home if circumstances do not allow you to leave (ie. you are bedridden, etc.), God wants us to gather ourselves together to encourage one another, especially as we behold the day drawing near (God's day-Armegeddon). The Bible says also that the one isolating himself will seek his own selfish longing, so gathering with others of like faith would be a protection from this for you as well.
4. There is only one God and he demands exclusive devotion which is good because no other god could do anything for you, let alone save you.

Answer 5

1. That would be for God to decide. We are too limited in our knowledge of God to determine what he would do.

2. I do not believe God hates "gays" It says God loves the sinner but hates the sin. Reality, we are all sinners. A) all religions claim to be right because we are arrogant humans. It's pretty amazing that people are so willing to kill and be killed for the sake of religion, I guess that is faith. I think of it this way, God is not religion, God is spirituality. Religion is how we interpret spirituality.

3. I think you can be a good ____ and not go to church. We loosely using denomination and religious affiliation that I think we get confused of the real purpose. The bible is a guide on how to live your life the best. You go to chuch because you have a professional (the preacher, priest, etc) explaining to you the meaning of a section of the bible and how it is applicable to our daily lives, think of him/her as a translator. You can definately worship from home, it's just you get fellowship with other believers if you go to church.

4. Some Christians believe that God did make those sub atomic particles. They say the world was created in 7 days. Well perhaps 7 days to God is 7 million years to us. It's new-er thought, not really accepted just yet, but definately possible. The bible is vague in some areas. It is vague for a reason, perhaps so we can have these types of discussions :)

I hope it helps. I think you are doing good just asking questions. Whatever faith you have, I hope thinking about it and educating yourself only strenghtens your faith in your beliefs. There is a line in the movie "Paradise Now" which is very interesting, he says something like How can I be such a good ____ when I question my leader (God, Muhamid). His friend replied that he is gaining faith just by questioning.

YOu said you weren't religious, I believe you can be spiritual and not religious. You can have a relationship with God or whomever without having to get into all the bueracracy.

Answer 6

If you really want to get some answers I suggest you pick up a Bible and start reading in the New Testament. Your questions are many. Being a good person is not enough - otherwise Jesus wouldn't have died. God does NOT hate gays, and neither do most Christians. God loves the sinner but hates the sin, and there is a BIG difference. You can worship from home, church, the mountains. All religions are not the same. And no, believing in a smaller god does not count. God is God and no one can reduce Him just to make themselves comfortable. It doesn't work.

Answer 7

1. I don't believe in a heaven but I do believe in a place where we will go when we die. I believe that people will go to the place that they believe they will go.

2. My deities do not hate gays and they do not nit pick about details. My religion does not claim to be the one "true" way--we don't believe that such a thing exists. The theologies of world religions can differ greatly from one another. This is especially true of indigenous religions of native peoples.

3. My religion does not have churches but when we have enough of us in an area we may worship together at sacred times of the year. It can be nice to join with others of a like mind with a common goal.

4. I don't believe in a single creator since the creation of life by humans and most living things require the balance of two forces joining together. I don't believe that I am truly capable of understanding these two forces. I relate with what you call "smaller gods". Of course I don't see them as small when comparing them to myself. They are my deities and I love them very much--so yes, it counts to me.

Answer 8

1) Probably both, but the good person would get the benefit if it was an either/or question. But God doesn't place a limit on the occupancy of Heaven so everybody can get in.

2) God doesn't hate those people. God is Loving and Forgiving. Human hate anyone who is different, so they claim that God hates in order to justify their own small mindedness. It's using religion to justify Bigotry.

3) Yes you can. You don't have to go to church to be a good ____. You have to believe and live like a good ____.

4) I don't know. I think God made the Heavens and the Earth. But I think His PROCESS is something known only to Him. Did he make it all in 7 days? Yes. Is Gods day the same length as mine? No. And humans that demand that we all worship the same way that they do are being pretty egotistical. I don't care WHO you are, unless you're Jesus, don't tell me you speak for God.

Answer 9

1. There is no such place (heaven or hell), everything is right here on earth. Dont get carried away.

2. What makes you think he hates gays, that is all man made.
All religion have the same believes. Love all living things, forgive and forget.

3. You can pray anywhere, not only in church,temple or mosque.

4. What do you mean by "smaller god". It is up to you what to believe. If you comfortable with it, then it fine.

Answer 10

being good is part of it, because God expects us to obey.

God hates the things people do, but not the people themselves, which is why he had his son to die a horrible death for us, to buy us back out of the mess Adam put us in. Also, if anyone could do whatever they pleased, there would be disorder. Why did he "create them male and female" with the ability to make offspring together, if just any one could go with anyone? Genesis 2:24 shows that God considered them married.

Have your read the account of Sodom and Gomorrah and the reason God destroyed it? Genesis 18:16 through 19:14. and Jude (the little book before Revelation) verse 7 (Only one chapter to Jude) Also, Paul's words to the Corinthians - 1 Corinthians 6:9,10. Also, God's law to the Israelites: Leviticus 18:22 and (same book) 20:13. Also, read Genesis 1:27, 28.

Malachi 3:6 says "For I am the LORD, I change not" (KJV)

not go to church - let's see - Hebrews 10:24, 25 says ".....Not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together...", so we should attend. But you have to find the one that fits the closest to the Bible - which means you have to do some research!