Can a nonbeliever get into your god's 'heaven'?

Question

For you devout believers (of ANY faith), I'm curious: Who do you believe to have a better chance of being accepted into your god's kingdom:

1) A man who firmly believes the same 'correct' way as you (has accepted Jesus into his heart, studies the Quran daily, etc.) but contributes little to his society's wellbeing and is often immoral

-- or --

2) An atheist or believer of an alternate religion who helps others, lives a morally savory life, but has no faith in the tenets of your religion and/or deity.

As a corollary: If someone is born and goes through life never having been exposed to your religion (therefore never believing it) but lives a morally sound life, can he/she be accepted into your god's kingdom?

I personally am agnostic -- since there's NO WAY to either prove or disprove the existence of a higher being, I admit that I simply don't know if one exists or not. That said, I'm fascinated by the idea of a deity/religion and those who firmly believe/worship.

Answer 1

The Bible says that one sin is equal to another. Who ever should keep the whole law and yet stumble at one point is guilty of all.
The guy in your scenario who has done "good" is condemned because he still sins in the eyes of God. There are no perfect humans. The only way for anyone to enter the Kingdom of God is through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. It is not works that saves us but faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Answer 2

The orthodox Jewish view is that non-Jews get into heaven by obeying seven laws (the seven Noachide laws): don't steal, don't murder, don't commit adultery (or other immoral sexual practices such as with children, animals, or close relatives), don't tear the flesh of a live animal to eat it, don't worship idols, and establish a just legal system. Basically: be moral people, and look out for the wellbeing of the less fortunate.

Jews get into heaven by obeying a much larger code of laws which would require numerous books to elaborate on. This is why Jews don't encourage conversion to Judaism: It's actually easier to be righteous as a non-Jew than as a Jew, because as a Jew you have so many more ways of transgressing the law.

Answer 3

A somewhat complicated question. This is what I personally believe, but remember only God (the true God, no matter who He is) decides for sure who is in and who isn't.

But the first one (man who believes as I do but acts immorally) probably would not get in, unless he's trying and just keeps coming short. But if you mean he just doesn't care to do right or even try, then no he doesn't get in.

The second one (atheist or alternate religion) also probably wouldn't (assuming also they had heard of my religion and were "witnessed" to) even if they lived a moral life. I believe we can never do enough good to equal our sin, so no matter how good they are if they don't accept that they aren't good enough and ask for forgiveness from God then they can't get in. Once they attain forgiveness (basically asking for it sincerely), that gets rid of the sin (God forgets it) and their good can then make a difference one way or the other.

And the final one (good person who never heard of the beliefs), they would be brought back to life or allowed into the paradise on earth into the kingdom. When Satan is re-released on the world one final time they will have to make their choice for God or Satan then and whichever one they choose will determine if they get to stay or if they are removed along with Satan.

But I repeat, my beliefs matter none in this. It's God's choice who gets in and who doesn't and why. But we should always learn what we can about Him (and all religions to make sure we got the right one--use reasoning to find the right one) to make the choice easier for God to choose us.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Well, I say even if you are agnostic or atheist and you love someone or something then you do unconsciously believe in GOD. GOD is love , he is everything, he is closer to you than your own breath. So in essence eventually EVERYONE absolutely everyone in their own time go to heaven .
Faith is believing blindly on what you cant see. I'm pretty sure that sometime in your life you will have an experience where you will feel that there is a higher power. Peace and Love your way.

Answer 6

It is not how righteous you live that gets you into heaven, because all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. No matter how rightous you think you are, you are more dirty than you believe. Rightousness is subjective when left in the hands of man. God judges on a perfect scale. So you are either rightous and without sin or not rightous. So we all fail. Therefore the only way to get to heaven is to accept the gift of Christ which is eternal life. He is the only one who was without sin and earned the gift of rightousness. So we all are humbled and lean on his mercy. If you do not acknowledge the giver of the gift and that he has the gift, then you never recieve the gift. So you must acknowledge Jesus and who he is in order to recieve the gift of salvation.

Answer 7

The bible says there is only one name under heaven by which any might be saved: Jesus Christ.

It is not of our works we are saved, it is by grace, through faith, that no one should boast. Ephesians.

I think you need to understand what sin is. If a person ever sins, that's it. It's not like there is a scale and your sins are measured against your works. The only thing that will erase your sins is accepting the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, and that is by repenting of them and accepting Him as savior.

As for a person who has never heard of Jesus, I don't know how God will judge them. I do know the bible says "all of creation speaks of the existence of God, that no man has excuse".

Answer 8

From the Christian Scriptures one can read St. Paul saying that it is faith that saves us... but our good deeds are evidence of that faith. However, in James is says that it is our works (not faith) that save us (he says even the devil believes)... so... even the early church was arguing about this one.

In both accounts there is some demand for loving others who are marginalized at that time, caring for widows, caring for orphans, feeding the hungry, freeing the captives ...

So... in my opinion... no matter how you look at it, unless a person is doing something in the here and now to alleviate the suffering of others... they have completely missed the point.

Answer 9

People who ask the question, "why does God send fairly good ppl to hell?", seem to think that being good is what should qualify someone for heaven. It isn't. If you sin at all, you don't get in. God only allows perfect things to enter heaven, if anything imperfect were to be there, such as pride forming in Satan, it would have to be thrown out.

Good works don't make you holy. Adding 24K gold to 14K gold isn't going to remove the impurities already there. In fact, it can make it harder since it can cover them up, and you have to refine them out of even more gold. Only Jesus can remove those impurities. He takes your sin and puts it on Himself, then you're pure and can enter heaven.

Answer 10

Are you stupid sufficient to not understand your unchristian persecution of others ensures you eternity in hell? Anti atheism is doing plenty injury to Christianity that that's unquestionably anti Christianity – David Manley It takes unquestionably in hassle-free terms one to make a quarrel. that's ineffective for the sheep to bypass resolutions in favour of vegetarianism, whilst the wolf remains of a various opinion. - William Ralph Inge. Why so blind to what motives the backlash against Christianity? all the different religions and atheists stay in peace and are in hassle-free terms attacked by ability of undesirable Christians which motives all solid Christians to melancholy on the wear they do! The self destruction of Christianity is underway and the only ingredient which could provide up that's to desert the unfavorable human thoughts, seek for to rediscover the belief of a loving god and act like it! Posts like yours that rigidity human beings greater far off from God are driving you in the direction of hell. So who're you working for the devil or the antichrist via fact it particular ain't the loving god!