I'm human but ethical. I don't like to hurt people. Why should I offend God by not believing in him?

Question

I am my most severe critic and try to be ethical as much as possible. Even by god's standard I'm a pretty good. I Don't drink, smoke, drug, covet my meighbor's wife, kill, swindle or abuse anyone. I'm civil in life and driving (:-) I'd give my shirt to someone in trouble. I just don't believe in myths. Now why would believers not find that enough? I have seen druglords with golden crucifix and killers supposedly repented. All the monsters in history could just say: I repent and be forgiven, but an atheist who tries to be a good, civic person is not good enough. Would god be a policeman? Would he have criteria to say that Hitler's or Rasputin'e repentance is more valuable than my own to the ones I have offended. Or is it only believers' intolerance?

Answer 1

First, I would change your religious affiliation from Atheist to Agnostic.

Second, good for you! It's nice to see that there are people out there that can lead good lives with out the threat of damnation prodding them in the right direction.

Third, just saying " I repent! " is no where near enough. The act of repenting is something that you do for real. You really must want and try to be a Christian. I mean REALLY. If you go through life doing bad things thinking that all you have to say is ' I repent ' to get into Heaven, then that Blasphemy against the Spirit. In which you are not going to be forgiven ( unless there is some clause to that rule I'm not aware of ) and you don't have to worry about what you'll be doing for eternity.

Keep them coming! I enjoy your questions :)

Answer 2

Hello Tesseract,
I am a Christian, and I feel compelled to answer your question. I admire and respect you for your honesty. I think there is nothing wrong with being a "good person". In fact, I wish more people were. It makes things so much more peaceful here on earth. But to answer your question, no, being a good person is not enough to get you into Heaven. Sorry. The Bible tells us that good works alone will not let a man enter the into Heaven. It also tells us that no person is free of sin. Did you ever backtalk your parents? Tell a white lie? Anything? Ever? It was a sin. And yes, you are right. To overcome the sin, you must believe in Jesus. That is the most important key. For with true belief, you will want to be more like Him. And that is where being a "good person" is truly important. I am not condemning you or judging you.

Also to answer your question about a murderers repentence being better than your ethical life; yes a sinner who repents is living better than you. There is a story in the Bible about a father who threw a party in honor of his son's return home. God celebrates everytime one of His lost children come home. We are not intolerable, or at least not all of us are. But we believers believe what is in the Bible. The only unforgiveable sin is disbelief.

While you are an atheist, and I am not, I will pray for you. Living a respectable life is wonderful, and I hope you make the last step someday and find it in your spirit to believe.

Answer 3

Usually faith tends to evolve. Generally people are taught a religion as children. Often they rebel against it at some point. It is a natural stage to believe oneself to be agnostic or atheist. Some experience what they call a spiritual rebirth or being reborn. Generally these seem to have realized that something is missing from their lives, and overcompensate, I often feel that they believe that if they make a disgusting show out of their "faith" they will somehow get points from the Creator.

Eventually, most intelligent people come through one or more of those stages and start to realize that the existence of a higher power in logical, eventually unavoidable as you learn more about the complex relationships in nature. At than point you should feel a comfortable and relaxed affection for the Creator, and will want to do what you know is the right thing in all cases.

Those who do not make that transition are a real pain in the nethers with their nattering, proclamations of faith or lack thereof.

Answer 4

The BIG difference is repentance. Just because a drug lord wears a Cross, doesn't make him a Christian anyone can buy a Cross. God knows whats in everyone heart, so He knows who truly has repented of their sins and who hasn't. Killers, rapest, all the monsters in history that have suddenly 'found' Religion just before being put to death, he knows their heart and they are where they belong. It's not believers that has the need to find how you feel, It's God. Your repentance IS important to Him.

Answer 5

Unfortunately Athiests are the least trusted group of people in America, and probably the world.

Why? Because people see not believing in a religion as being disrespectful (some responses show that above).

I love the hypocrisy though of the "You're an Athiest so you are bad" but "You are a killer who has repented, so you're okay" additude of the "moral" theists.

Answer 6

The bible is man-made. And you don't always believe what you watch right? Well question the bible, I don't always believe what I read. Just because the bible says so doesn't mean that's right.
Religion is man made and as I see it a downfall of the earth. Religion equals war and death. I believe in g-d, but I do not believe in congregations or services. I do not believe in heaven or hell, but something as a dream state to be part of the whole energy system. I do believe in spirits as an energy being. Also, I do not believe Jesus was a messiah. For I will not bow to him to get into heaven... G-d will have say for my fate, if...there is heaven or hell.
I'm a good person to, I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, and I will do anything for anybody. I believe religion is nothing but brainwash to people. For those that follow religion I find ignorant to any real common sense. They live their life strictly out of the bible. They believe Jesus will come down in a golden chariot and save everyone. Give me a break, talk about going loony. They really believe G-d just put Adam on the earth and then BAM made Eve from the rib??? I guess these people don't see all the history in the museums...dinosaurs... Neanderthals, they forget about those people. I guess even the earliest HOMO species could name themselves Adam and Eve and talk to a snake about eating an apple. But no...No one wants to think about evolution at all. Science is nothing but G-d's formula for life.

G-d is in the heart, not what religion you believe. Question Everything, and Opinion is Everything.

Answer 7

The same way you don not like to hurt people, well then do not hurt God. Good works do not save anyone it is by the grace of god and repentance unto salvation. God has the last say so over any man soul. That is why one must know the lord for themself.

Answer 8

In the first part of your details you describe yourself as a morally good person, and I believe you. But whose moral standard are you using?
If there is a moral standard, then there must be a moral law giver. Am I getting through?
I Cr 13;8a
11-19-6

And BTW you did not say you are an atheist, just that you don't believe in God. In any event you should know that Atheism is indefensible; you cannot prove an absolute negative.

Answer 9

Mistake # 1 ...."Even by God's standards I'm pretty good"

This comment shows you don't understand how utterly corrupt all humans are compared to Him.....He is so Holy and pure that you can't come even close to His goodness.

That's why the Bible says "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God".

When you get a glimpse of your utter sinfulness and your total inability to cleanse yourself from sin, only then you will realize why you need a Savior.

Answer 10

Well, you might bore people to death.

You are making a lot of assumptions about God, starting with existence. Perhaps you need to start with existence and see if you can prove that before you tackle the more difficult issues. All of your questions are sort of silly if you cannot prove or verify that God exists.