Would Christianity have been so popular if the false prophets had not made up this thing about an afterlife?

Question

I'm no Jew, but doesn't the OT have to be true for the NT to be considered valid?

Job 14:10. 12
But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? ... So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

Job 20:7
Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung.

Psalm 115:17
The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.

Ecclesiastes 3:19
For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast.

Ecclesiastes 9:5
The dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward.

Ecclesiastes 9:10
For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Isaiah 26:14
They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased they shall not rise.

Answer 1

You could be right. My money's on the attractiveness of being "saved" - you don't have to do squat in life to deserve heaven, so long as you flipflop right before the end. Talk about shooting fish in a barrel. If I had less morals and self-respect I'd be there for that like a shot.

Answer 2

Christianity is baded on the NT, which in theory cannot exist without the OT, but let's just take a second to look at all the other hipcrytical things they beleive........ Are we done? Then why does it still surprise us that whoever wrote *or maybe just translated* the NT contradicted things from the OT?

Christians pick and chose what they like, and what they don't they tend to chose to misinterpret. I firmly beleive that's all the religion is today, on big misinterpretation of a bible that may have made sense when it was written but has been translated time and again.

*before anyone knocks me for hating christians because of any reason, matter of fact is many of the christians i've known have been closeminded and unopen to new ideas if these new ideas question their beleifs*

Answer 3

These statements represent what was truth before Jesus. He made the way possible for people to have an afterlife. It is a valid point you are making about the afterlife being the carrot to draw new converts but most mature Christians are focused on their immediate needs and would remain Christians even without the fear of hell or the promise of an afterlife. I know I would.

Answer 4

Simple

step one convince some one they will live for ever " this is easy to do cause who wnat to die "

step two once they bite on step one tell them they are trapped in toment or death if they dont obey your words "convinetly written down in a book"

Answer 5

Yes. Christianity was spread by conquest and force. Those who didn't convert were killed. It's just like the necromongers in Chronicles of Riddik.

Answer 6

dear kleijstad, This Mkes perfect sense. What perishes forever? what dieth and go down into silence? it is simple, the verses are talking about the physical Body. Our physical Body is 1.) silenced by death (psalm115:17) perishes and rots away (Job 20:7) and never rise as physical Bodie knowing the human counsel ever again (isiah 26:14), these things are Obviously true, But read on into the old testament and it tells about the after life Psalm 55:15 says speaking of the final place of the wicked " let death seize upon them, and let them go down quickly into Hell."
Not to mention, the fact you took Job 20:7 completly out of context. the verse isnt talking about the afterlife its making a compleltly different point. heres the wole verse in context.

Job 20
1Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

2Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.

3I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.

4Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,

5That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

6Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;

7Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?

Zophar's discourse is upon the certain misery and destruction of the wicked. The triumph and victory of the wicked and the joy of the hypocrite are fleeting. The pleasures and gains of sin bring disease and pain; they end in remorse, anguish, and utter destruction.(death) Dissembled piety is double iniquity, and the ruin that attends it will be accordingly (they shall perish like their dung). this has absolutly nothing to do with the afterlife, it is seaking of the short life of the wicked. All Job 14 :10-12 is speaking of is the finality of death in the physical real, once again, you took this out of context. you should have finished reading. Job 14:16-22 states the belife of Job in a change in whic if our hearts are right with God, we will then be renwed to Holiness, and our souls find rest in heaven while our bodies are hidden in the grave, from the eyes of our enemies, feeling no more pain our corruption. these verses dont denie the afterlife, they actually affirm the afterlife, its only when we approach with our own pressupositions and take verses out of context that we get confused. the same goes with the rest of the verses you mentioned. Please, if you have honest questiones about these verses, the best thing you can do is read these verses in context, by picking and choosing verses out of context, your confusing yourself. so does the old and new testament match up whne it comes to the after life? yes, heres why, I would like to ask you a few questions.

Would you Consider yourself to be a good person?

Have you ever lied (even once--fibs, white lies, etc.)? Ever stolen (anything--the value is irrelevant)? Jesus said, "Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery already with her in his heart." Have you ever looked with lust? If you have said "Yes" to these three questions, by your own admission, you are a lying, thieving, adulterer at heart; and we’ve only looked at three of the Ten Commandments. Im Just as Guilty, God didn’t see me as the “nice guy” I imagined myself to be… and he doesn’t see you that way either. Nothing you’ve ever done is hid from His holy eyes. Will you be innocent or guilty on the Day of Judgment? Listen to your conscience. You know that you will be guilty, and the Bible makes it clear you would end up in hell. psalm 55:15 Daniel 2:12. the good news is that Jeus came to suffer and die taking the punishment for your sins. Isiah 53: 5-7.
God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." He was bruised for our iniquities. Jesus then rose from the dead and defeated death.
Your own so-called “goodness” can’t get you into heaven any more than mine could. Jesus is the only way to Heaven. He is the "Door," the only "mediator." There is salvation in no other name. it is made clear that God designed the afterlife and he has destined for those who are wicked to be cast inot Hell, and those who are of righteousness to be brought into eternal gory with him. this is established from the old testament to the new. The BIBle says for you to be saved, you Have to repent (turn from sin) and place your faith and trust in jesus. the moment you do God will forgive you and grant you the gift of everlasting life.

Answer 7

heres a better question, Would life world wide be so troubled if religion wasn't so dependent on the weak minded?

Answer 8

I think their popularity rises from the tactics of convert or die. You know that they used these tactics in every land they steped foot in!

Answer 9

everone wants to live forever .

Answer 10

For your info ******* Christianity is false bum ****!