Question: Choose To "Beleive In" or Choose To Worship?

Question

I am A Catholic. I have always thought of myself as one that believed in God, tried to live a good life. But with the death of my wife's Mom who was Hindu I guess the question has come to mind.

Two things:

1) Why does God play hide and seek? Why are we required to "Believe In Him" and just not simply promise to be obedient?

Where am I going? Why not simply show yourself?
Is God a creation that has been used to control the masses?

2) I as a Catholic married to a Hindu woman am faced with the question of religion quite often.

As catholics we are taught to believe that if we dont believe in our god and that Jesus was the savior of humanity and will come again to judge the living and the dead...

THAT WE WILL BE ETERNALLY DAMNED.

Question: With 6 Billion People Now in the World and Only 1 Billion (? Not sure on the Number) Christians are we to believe that God would damn at least 5 Billion of us to hell after creating us in his own image?

On a more personal level, my mother in law was a rare person in that she NEVER, NOT EVEN ONCE had a bad word to say about anyone, lived her life simply (1 BR Flat in The Bronx), Always had a smile for all. Had 300 People at her funeral of all races.

She was Hindu- Should I believe that she is now on her way to hell because she didnt believe as I do?

Help! Answers Folks! Criticisms???

Answer 1

Tough questions. I don't have the answers for you, I know you are hurting.

Let God deal with the problem. He loves your mother-in-law more than you do. You have to deal with you and your household.

Do we serve an unjust God? NO! He can give you the peace you need. Just ask Him in faith.

Answer 2

Firstly: I offer my condolensces (however useless they are, expressed through a series of 0's and 1's) to you and your wife. I promise (again, useless) to pray for you and your family.

To the Questions:
1) Why does God play hide and seek? Why are we required to "Believe In Him" and just not simply promise to be obedient?

This is a little sticky. The idea of belief is based on the idea of obedience. You are called to obey His commandments, and His commandment is to believe. YIKES! There is a day coming when you will be able to see Him; you know that. For now though, He isn't really hiding. Your sense of right and wrong (conscience), the world around you (nature), and a ton of other things are living testimony to the God of the universe. Nature is a cosmic testimony; your conscience is a personal one. These General revelations are how God communicates initially to everyone.

Is God a creation that has been used to control the masses?

It's more like God's creation has claimed that God is a creation because they reject the fact that God CAN control the masses. Mankind does not like having to answer to anyone higher than mankind, so they invent ideas and conspiracies to cover over the truth: there is one God who created, who desires a relationship with individual men, women, and children, and who will reign (on Earth) after judgment.

Question: With 6 Billion People Now in the World and Only 1 Billion (? Not sure on the Number) Christians are we to believe that God would damn at least 5 Billion of us to hell after creating us in his own image?

Answer: The number is more like 200-300 million liberally. Also, 5 billion doesn't include all of the people in history who did not confess Christ as Lord. That's heartbreaking, and I am really on the verge of tears right now as I type. However, there are some things we must understand about God's Image.

We are no longer made in God's Image. It was marred after the fall of mankind in Genesis chapter 3. We are like a bad photocopy, and one day, in glory, we will be made again to be in God's image.

Sadly, the Bible (the HOLY and INERRENT Word of God) gives only one way to Heaven: Belief in and Confession of Jesus Christ as the Savior. No one knows what might have been happening in the heart of your mother in law at the hours and days approaching her death; that is the hope you have.

Your life must be devoted to seeing those that you love come to union with Christ. Your wife, your kids, your coworkers, your friends, your other family members - they are all people in need of a relationship to God.

I'm sorry for this answer, but it is the simple truth. I will be praying for you and your family.

Answer 3

You have a couple of decisions to make. First, do you or do you not believe in God, and second, if the answer is you do, what is its nature exactly?

If you believe in a deity that creates faulty humans and then damns them for his own mistake, and who requires not only the blood sacrifice of his own son but for people to say certain words and do certain things... yeah it's confusing.

But I believe the nature of what some call God and I call the Tao is Love. I have implicit trust in this energy, complete and total trust that everything will be all right. I trust that being a good person counts for something. I trust that this energy loves me, knows me, understands me, and that I am okay with it. And if I screw up for the infintessimal moment that is my life, it wouldn't punish me with an eternity.

That's stuff fear-mongers make up to control people and keep them in line.

That's why I can't be Christian. I have too much faith in God.

Answer 4

Ah...now you see why I am now an Atheist. I find it hard to believe that one religion is right over all others, and that there is a God that would condemn 5 million people to hell.

Believe what you want to believe, but there is such a thing as believing in a higher power and living your life well. You can always take that route if you never get answers to your questions.

I never did and probably never will.

Answer 5

You can only pray for her soul now.

The Old Testament says that a marriage of mixed faith will not survive. Not to say you will divorce but one of you will eventually change your faith or just stop it altogether.

God never plays hide-n-seek. He has shown Himself since Adamd & Eve to us. Many aren't looking & many are ignoring the obvious. To simply be obedient MEANS to believe in Him. You can't believe in God and not obey. They go hand in hand.

We have no absolute idea who will go to Heaven and who will not. You'll find out eventually. And remember that it isn't God that damns people to hell, they choose that route themselves by disbelieving what they've heard & learned. People that have not be taught about God will not go to hell because of that. They are then judged on their earthly goodness.

Answer 6

I am completely atheist but i tjink based on what i know of christanity (my familys catholic) that if you live a good honorable life you would go to heaven no matter what you beleived

I think its better to not beleive in god and live a good life because then you are just doing it because your a good person and not out of fear of hell or desire for heaven :)

I mean how could god justify sending all the peopel in china to hell for not beleiving for him when they never even got a chance! most of the world has never even heard the name "christ"

Answer 7

Great questions. I have no answer for you, unfortunately. I have a similar experience. I attended the funeral of my stepmother-in-laws mom. She was an ordained Episcopalian(I think)minister/pastor. The pastor who did her euology at the funeral kept saying she will go to heaven and meet her Lord because she was a pastor of this church. Never once did he mention that she was a great mom, sister, friend, person or that her actions as a person would lead her to heaven. Which leads me to believe only minsters/pastors will be going to heaven?

Answer 8

1. God does not play "hide and seek". He's always here. WE are the ones who, from time to time, hide our hearts and minds from Him.

2. There's a huge difference between "having been raised as XXXX" and having accepted the one true God with your heart and with your mind. Many people confuse weekly church services with FAITH and salvation. Big difference.

3. The only "number" that matters to YOU is your own. Do you open your heart and mind to God and His love and mercy, or do you deny Him? Do you choose salvation of your eternal soul, or do you deny Him?

Where she goes is not your decision, or mine. God is the final and complete Judge of that. In faith, you should believe in the love and mercy of God.

I'll add you to my prayers for comfort in this time.

Answer 9

I always say, If Pat Robertson goes to heaven and Ganhi doesn't; I'd rather hang out with Gandhi.

swearing allegiance to a faith doesn't impress me; one's true colors are not measured by affiliation.

and I want no part of any church or any god that believes otherwise.