my question may come out harsh but im trying.?

Question

my fiance is a christian going to a catholic church. im full japanese, born in japan but moved to america when i was 10. my parents are one of those hard headed asian parents and do not believe in God. (we dont really have a religion)so i was never raised to even think about God. but now that i am with a loving fiance i tried following him to church but what pastor said really got to me. dont get me wrong, i respect those that truely believe in Him, i think its a wonderful thing. but i cant believe in something i was never taught to or seen or heard of. what pastor said was, people who do not 100% believe in God will go to hell. only who those truely believe in Him will be sent to Heaven. and that we need to put himself before us and thank him for every little things. BUT as for me, i dont see Him, hear Him, or feel Him, how can i believe in something thats not "real"? Just because of that, im going to hell. i have a good, loving, true life...but why is God sending me to hell?

oh and i do not believe in hell..but im just saying if there is a God..? ya know?

Answer 1

I am Catholic also and have been for years. You are not going to hell. Man can not tell you that only GOD can.

Answer 2

You say that you do not believe in God, but yet you are worried that he will send you to hell.

Honey if you believe that God will send you to hell, then you most certainly have to believe 100 percent that he exists.

Now, if you want to see God.

First of all, please read his word, the bible.
Then go out to a park or field and look around you at all that is created. Look also upward at night and see the heavens and the stars. Try to look at it from a first time perspective.

Look at how it all works together, day and night, the cycles to everything around you including the seasons and when things grow and when they hibernate, even plants do this.

Something or someone created all this. We call him God.

Read his word some more, this time concentrating on Genisis and the Gospels of Matthew , Mark, Luke and John.

Find a small biblically doctrinal church, you will know you found one when they teach directly from the bible and only the bible. Then talk to the Pastor of the church and ask him about Gods free gift of Salvation and why you would ever need it if you are already a good moral person who isnt having premarital sex with her fiance.

THis is the step that you need to take, but you cannot do it without first knowing what the word of God states. For if you do not know what it says, someone could tell you anything and you would have to base your belief on what they said instead of what is written in Gods word.

Answer 3

In Isaiah we read where God says "Look unto me and be saved, for I am the Lord and there is none else".

In St. John 3:16 it says "For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life".

HOWEVER, the pastor may not have shared his "faith" with you very well ... and maybe being Roman Catholic he may be adding too much to what is necessary to believe.

Sometimes people do "see", "hear", or "feel" God ... but usually many of us just "see" His works ... like the Universe, the beauty of a sunset or sunrise, the marvels of a small seed being dropped into the soft brown soil, a green stem emerging, leaves developing, brightly-coloured flowers forming, seeds developing, etc. Too often "scientists" want us to so examine these things that we don't look, appreciate, and marvel.

Some who don't even know if any God exists, but would like to know ... some will start with a prayer "God, I want to know if You are real; please let me know and I will respond. Let me know in Your timing and in Your way.".

Try reading the Gospel according to St. John. Don't expect to understand everything in it the first time you read it .... there are many easy things to understand in it, but also there is such depths that no Christian ever can get everything from it. Also, you are living, I suppose, in the USA, and if you are reading from the Bible you are reading of yet another culture.

Are there any Japanese Christians in the area where you live? They might be able to help you understand how they "believe".

Don't try to "force" yourself to believe in that which you don't understand nor "feel" ... but do try to be "open".

Answer 4

Wow...you sound like a great person who really wants to believe in something. Unlike the previous poster, I believe there is a God. I do not believe that God will send you to hell for something totally out of your control. You were never given the opportunity to know Him. Just take baby steps. Try praying with your fiance.

The definition of FAITH is believing in something that you cannot see, hear or feel. But I promise you that if you ask in prayer with a pure heart and with real intent, your prayers will be answered. And that will be the beginning. You can build upon that foundation slowly, but surely. (James 11)

I am so excited for you! You are embarking on a brand new adventure. I can't imagine what it must be like to not believe in God. He loves you...and me.....he will be there for you.

Best wishes!

Answer 5

God isn't sending anyone anywhere, but you have learned a great deal very quickly about this church & your fiancee's belief system & belief community. Now it's up to you to decide whether you want to accept this kind of intolerance into your life or not.

There are lots of people in the US who do not believe in what they cannot see(humanists, atheists, etc.), as well as members of every sect of most of the worlds major religions & many others, besides. There are many places for you to participate, or not, as you choose. Many of them do not subscribe to the idea that there is a hell out there that people who don't believe the same way they do fall into thanks to the bloodthirsty god that loves to torture his creations (as if life weren't hard enough?)

Please think about this in terms of your life, not someone else's religious notions. What do you want in your life? Love is not enough for the stability of a long-term relationship: common values & common interests are much more important.

Peace & good luck!

;-)

Answer 6

go back to church, listen a little more, maybe He will speak to you and you'll feel Him. we all have to have an experience with Him, yours just hasn't come yet and God isn't sending you to hell because you tried you live a good, loving, true life. you will be sent because you rejected His gift to you, salvation through Jesus. He is the only way into Heaven. Jesus is the only way to Heaven, you can't go in any other way. We have all sinned and God is holy and righteous and can't allow sin into Heaven. Jesus died for you and me to take our sins and forgive them. When you repent God says he doesn't remember your sins anymore. They are washed away. He sees you as if looking at Jesus who was perfect and without sin. He loves you but if you don't follow Him when He gives you the choice He has no other option. If He didn't send you to hell, which is our punishment for sin, He would be contradicting Himself and lying, He can't do that. He loves you so much, open your heart to Him, and allow Him to reveal Himself to you. Open the door to Him, He'll come in and give you so much joy and fulfillment. Just because you can't see Him with your physical eyes doesn't mean He's not real. He shows Himself through His creation, through nature, and the pure innocence of a child. He will speak to you if you really want to listen. Give Him a chance, He won't disappoint you. Accepting Jesus as you Savior will be the best choice you could ever make in your life. Talk to your fiance about your doubts, read the Bible, it will answer so many of your questions, and I promise, you will see the reality of God. As for what the pastor said, it's like this. There is a wall in front of you, but you don't believe fully that it's in front of you. You won't turn away from walking into the wall because you don't believe it's there. If you truly believe the wall is there you won't walk into it, you'll turn away. If you don't believe God is real, you won't live your life according to His ways. there will be sin which He can't allow into Heaven and the only alternative to Heaven is hell. When He's first in your life, your life will reflect Him. You will love Him and His word. You will follow Him and live your life for Him. Just because you weren't taught He was there doesn't mean He isn't. Just because you weren't taught the cloth was red doesn't make it any less red. He will become real to you if you let Him be real to you.

I hope you open your heart to Him and let Him touch you
Remember He loves you
God bless you
I'll pray for you

Answer 7

Okay, let me try.
First believing in God will not save you from hell. Satan believes in God and he isn't going to heaven. Its by trusting in Christ to save you from your sin.
You see we all do evil. The Bible says, "there is no one righteous, no not one."
That sin (not disbelief even though you can't trust in something you don't believe in ) is what condemns every single human to hell.
But God did not want it that way.
Yet we are in a bind, we have sinned and therefore lost the right to heaven. We owe a debt that is so great we can not pay it.
So what does God do?
He sends his Son Jesus to die on a cross as a substitute for our sins. Because he was perfect he could die for you.
Now we have a choice we can continue to sin and trust in our own works which will never save us, or we can accept what Jesus died to give us. A free gift of eternal life.
You do not have to feel God for him to be real, just take a leap of faith and ask him to show himself to you. I know its hard to believe in something that you were brought up to believe doesn't exist, but I leave you with this verse, "They who seek me will find me if the seek me with all of their heart."
God loves you, so much more than you can imagine, He is a God that wants to be found.

Answer 8

god says that the only way to heaven is through him and that good deeds have nothing to do with it. I'm not sure about the 100% thing because we're human so we aren't perfect and we don't understand everything all the time, i know that even though I'm a Christian sometimes i feel like God isn't there but you just have to believe it in your heart that Jesus is your savior and that he died for your sins... even the occasional sin of turning away sometimes because of our misunderstanding and imperfection.

Answer 9

Honey, you are not the only one who has witnessed the guilt based beliefs within Christianity. Not all Catholics are like that horrible priest but unforntuanly a lot are like this. There is nothing wrong with you or the way your parents raised you so hold your head up high. If there is a god it he she would love you anyway because you are perfect.

Answer 10

Because you are a sinner. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Nothing we do can erase or take away the sins we have commited in life. Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our sins. Every single one we will ever commit. God asks that you repent of those sins and believe in His son. Is that so much to ask?

Without the cleansing of your sins through Jesus...you will not enter the kingdom of heaven, because no sin will be able to be in the presence of a holy God. And, there is no other name under heaven by which anyone can be saved....except Jesus.

Answer 11

First of all, you cant beleive everyting a preist says.. Secondly hes technically right. If you beleive in God ,say..75%, that means that he has revealed himself to you and you did not attempt to follow him completely.

HOWEVER. All men sin. And some people are born in countries where they have never heard of God. If they die and have never heard of God, thats differant. BUT, once you have been exposed to God, and shown that he exists, it is your responsibility to seek out the truth, and follow it. You do have it easy though. The Catholic church has all of the sacraments and indulgences and the fullness of truth in the Christian faith. Dont be afraid to follow Jesus.

God bless,
Shane