I was raised in a Christian school because my parents believe in they offer a better education than the public schools here in my city. However, they are not Christians, they are Buddhists. So have been the rest of my family for... oh, hundreds of years?
I am not a Christian (yet?) and I always get EXTREMELY angry when my friends try to convert me because if I were to believe in God, I'd have to believe that my family and my ancestors ALL will/have gone to hell. I can't even FATHOM thinking about something like that - they've all lived lives so pure and ethical, more than these so-called Christians I see today. I can't even begin to pour down all the good things they've done their whole lives. Benevolence doesn't even begin to describe the way my family lives, especially my grandparents, aunts, and uncles who are ALL BUDDHISTS.
In the Bible, it teaches that the only way to get into heaven is through accepting Jesus Christ in your heart... so... engighten me plz people!!
2006-10-01 06:13:46 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It states int he bible the ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN is through JESUS CHRIST... so "being good people" obviously doesn't cut it... right?
2006-10-01 06:17:13 · update #1
Bible has an imperfect philosophy!!
No one goes to hell for not believing in a book/prophet
If you are good, honest and straightforward in your deeds, you will get a beautiiful life after this...so dont worry
BE HAPPY..believe in God, because HE believes in you
2006-10-01 06:25:03 · answer #1 · answered by ۞Aum۞ 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am not a Christian and I don't believe in hell and so I am sure your family won't go to hell. The only wrong thing your parents did was to send you to a school where you are among people who start telling you these things that you will go to hell if you don't believe in Jesus. I had a Chinese friend whose parents had converted to Christianity and so she was also Christian and she once really started to cry because her grandmother died as a Buddhist and she thought that because of this she will be in hell now. It is really a wrong teaching to say that people will be terribly punished for eternity only because they believe something different and I think Buddhism is a better religion because it doesn't say this. It is a contradiction when they say their God is good and just and loving and he will send good people to hell just because they don't believe in him although you know very well they are good people. I know that Christians use to push others a lot to convert, but you see they don't have any other arguements than just repeating they knew the truth and you will get so much reward if you believe them and you will be punished so much if you don't. You already get angry with your friends, do you want to become like them?
By the way can you tell me where you live?
2006-10-02 11:47:54 · answer #2 · answered by Elly 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some bibles have the word best or wise in lieu of word only.. it's a matter of the translaters understanding of a certain Hebrew word.. sorry I don't have my Concordance with me so that I could find the Hebrew word. I loaned it to a Friend! There are many Hebrew words that have more than one meaning! Even English has words with more than one meaning. As long as you are not evil you won't be going to Hell, If you're not good enough for being inside Heaven you could be relegated to Guard Heaven and if you do could in that then you may eventually get into Heaven. I am telling exactly what Pastor Florip told me! However I'm being a bit more concise! I believe the word should be Fastest not only! It's not an Biblical error it's just a Translators difference of opinion! If you are really good that does keep you out of Hell. It don't insure you of getting in Heaven! You may be one chosen to restore the Earth to it's Eden state because of your goodiness and that might get you into Heaven!
2006-10-01 13:42:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are ok, and there's nothing wrong with your question. God is big enough to understand that if he refuses to show himself to you, he cannot be angry with you for not believing. In this day and age when I can actually "see" Harry Potter's spells come to life, God certainly can't be angry with me for not believing in something that I can't even see and is only "rumored."
I think your lack of belief in God may be hindered by Bible thumping and legalistic thinking on the part of the Christians you have learned from. If you understand that there is no mention of God or Jesus authorizing the Bible to be written or endorsing its contents, it becomes much easier to tear down Bible thumping parameters and believe in a true, friendly, loving God.
With all that Christ said (which I'm sure you've had to study) in the Bible, don't you think there would be some record of him asking for a book to be written or declaring it as absolute law? The orthodox church built the lies and threats surrounding the Bible to make people feel they need church and they need the Bible, and it went over like gangbusters because people want to be told what to think, they don't want to think for themselves.
The Bible is a useful tool, but so is a garden ho. Just like a garden ho, you can chop your foot off with the Bible too if you use it wrongly. If we look at the major themes contained in the Bible, we are going to see that it would be impossible for a loving God to condemn your family or anyone else who chooses to live good lives simply because they can't believe in him.
My truth then, is that your family is fine, and you are fine if you are living good lives. God loves all of you, and you might experience more peace and comfort if you would come to know him personally rather than through legalistic literature that falls short of perfection. I say that you can believe in God even if your family doesn't, and you have nothing to be afraid of where death is concerned. God loves us all, bottom line. P.S. I've done a ton of study on the autographs, and I don't believe in hell either.....
2006-10-01 13:34:11 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree, the fact that you can be a serial killer, accept Jesus 5 minute before you die and you go to heaven. and a truly good person is going to hell because they haven't accepted Jesus as there Savior. Don't buy it. Theirs is just one view, there are plenty of us out here who are not Christians and don't believe that. if you believe that, then were did the people before Jesus go? I don't even believe in Hell. Hell is purely a Christian concept.
More then half of the worlds population are not Christian. Why do they think they are so special that only they get in. You should follow what feels right to you. and no one else
2006-10-01 13:29:22 · answer #5 · answered by Belladonna 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Good people are always accepted by G-d, no matter who they are.
I think your Buddhism is a fabulous road to take. It is a philosophy for the mind, of good and purity, and I think I could accept the concept easily.
Going to a Christan school should not have included their pushing their religion on you. I know many Jews who send their children to Catholic schools, and they are never pushed to convert to Christianity. This is not right of your school. They should have respect for all beliefs.
And, I myself, cannot accept that G-d and Jesus were the same. Jesus was a man, a teacher. And, G-d is One-not a trinity. To me, Christianity is illogical. My G-d would never come to earth in human form. I think if you really think hard on this, you will agree with me.
2006-10-01 13:25:46 · answer #6 · answered by Shossi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know it sounds harsh, but we all have to live with the fact that all are not going to be with the Lord at that time. No one can say who and who does not go to heaven, but we know in our hearts that the only way to heaven is by accepting Christ as you have pointed out. I have two Daughters who I worry about myself, (yes I worry about me too), and I do know this much. God has said that He will wipe all our tears away, and that means also if one of your family members or even all of them do not make it, you will NOT ever know, as there will be no sorrow or pain in heaven with the Lord. The Lord is not going to change His mind on that as His Word is unchangeable. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Also Gods Word states that "love covers a multitude of sins" but please take that in the prespective it is written. We do not have a greenlight to sin after we come to know the truth, so we cannot go and sin and expect to do something nice for someone and God will erase it from the records that are kept in heaven. Hope this helps.
2006-10-01 13:27:03 · answer #7 · answered by Ex Head 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The Bible also says that the wages of this sin is death, meaning spending eternity in Hell apart from God. Jesus came to Earth to pay our debt for us, to die on the Cross for our sins.
The Bible also says that none of us good, that we all have evil in our hearts. When God gave us the Ten Commandments, it wasn't to show us how to lead holy lives, but to convict us in our sins, to show us we needed a Savior.
Most of us try to rationalize our sins, saying we are basically a good person. Most of us have never killed anyone, and the lies we tell are little "white" lies, and not really that bad. We may have stolen a pack of gum once, but never anything really big. But jesus said if you transgressed in only one commandment, you are guilty of all the laws.
The Bible is also clear that you cannot go to Heaven by being good, and doing good things. God doesn't want anyone to be boastful and say I deserve to go to Heaven, I did this and I did that. Jesus did it all on the Cross. And He gave it to us as a free gift, so we can be with Him for all eternity.
2006-10-01 13:16:48 · answer #8 · answered by ted.nardo 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes, i do know the teachings of Buddha. i have learned much from these teachings and my following friends. they are incredible souls. so is my family, we are catholic. it really does not matter too much what religion you are, not as much as what
you think, what is in your heart, and what spews out of your mouth.God knows and sees everything. God sees and hears the teachings of Buddha. He expresses the same bottom line as Our Christ Jesus, The Son of Man,karma means you sow what you reap. your friends in your school are not behaving too Christ like, what they are doing is not to righteous. i do believe you will go to a very spiritual place of Being. you are not to be angered at your friends behavior,you are to show kindness and simple understanding. they are begging, screaming for the knowledge and wisdom they feel coming from your essence. provide them with a nod for your gratitude, they just don't know, what you know, how could they, they have not learned. they are not as mind expanded as yourself, or had the oppurtunity to think in that fashion, they have been stagnating in the doctrines and teachings of one exclusive narrator. think of your ancestors, your friends could be tugging you in a very different direction,which today is nothing good, that would indeed mean you have stepped out of His likeness. be calm in knowing that the universe is unfolding as it should. enlightening you more than your family has already means you already have Jesus in your heart...
God bless us all...
God bless us all...
2006-10-01 13:44:52 · answer #9 · answered by lee f 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there are many ways to get to a destination. one can walk, ride a bike, a motorcycle, take a train, a bus, an airplane, a streetcar, an interurban, etc. etc. etc. yet each mode of transportation will get you to the place where you want to go. the main difference between all religious belief systems are the rituals and ceremonies they perform in their particular belief system. remember GOD is to big to be in just one place. do what you feel in your heart is right and you will not go wrong.
2006-10-01 13:22:08 · answer #10 · answered by Marvin R 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋