I am confused about religion-about all sins being forgiven?

Question

I am really confused by some religious thoughts. I don't understand how all sins can be forgiven for example why are murderers,rapists and child molesters forgiven by God. But, if you are not a believer in God then you go to hell. This just makes no sense to me at all, if there was a heaven then I would think that those who didn't believe would win over persons who killed and harmed others---Please explain. I am an athiest and I am just curious.

I am not asking to be sarcastic of your beliefs, I would just like to know how this is justified in your religion.

Answer 1

Thank you for telling me that you are an atheist ... and thank you for asking about this 'extremely complicated' business about 'sins being forgiven' for 'bad Christians' while 'good people who don't believe in Christ' are supposed to 'go to hell.'
Right now it's Lent in the Christian season, and Lent is a 'really good time' for you to go to a church and listen to 'what is said' both during the sermon or homily or 'reflections' and during the 'ritual' part of the service. I'm Catholic, and I can 'invite you' to go to any CATHOLIC church service and 'just sit' where you can 'see and hear' everything that is 'going on' ... you don't have to do any 'kneeling' or 'standing', but may simply 'sit' through the service. DO NOT go to the altar to 'take the Eucharist' unless you are a 'baptized and confirmed' Catholic or Episcopalian, because that is 'against the rules of the church' ... but if you want you may get into the 'communion line' and cross your arms over your chest, with your palms flat on your shoulders, and you will be 'blessed' by the 'Eucharistic minister' and not 'given the bread and wine' of 'full communion.'
Lent is the 'period of fasting and meditation' before Easter ... Easter being the day we 'celebrate' Jesus 'resurrection from the dead' after he was crucified. THAT is 'what happened' that make this question you are asking 'possible.' We believe that ANYONE, no matter how 'bad' he was during his life, may be 'saved from sin' by 'repenting his sins and believing in Christ' even 'on his deathbed' ... and most people don't have a 'clue' what 'repentance' really is. It's 'being sorry for committing the sins' and 'making a solemn vow never to sin again' ... and I know that it's 'ridiculous' for a person to 'repent' seconds before he dies, because he 'can't sin' that close to death ... but we Catholics believe that EVERY PERSON on this earth should have 'as much chance as possible, right until the moment of death' to 'repent' and 'believe that Jesus Christ died for his/her sins.' We are even so 'open' about it that it is 'not necessary for a priest to give 'last rites' ... if there is a 'layperson' (any Christian) who can 'hear the confession' and can say 'you are forgiven' that's 'good enough' ... and even if the person is 'totally alone and dying all he/she must 'really do' is to say 'I am truly sorry for committing this sin and I accept that Jesus died for my sins so that I may be forgiven' if it is 'possible' ... or if it isn't 'possible' then they may 'do that' after they have actually 'died' ... God is 'outside of time and space' and can 'hear confession' even after a person has 'died'.
Now, about those 'non-Christian' GOOD PEOPLE whom you think have to 'go to hell' because they don't 'accept Christ' as their 'savior' ... I don't believe that, and I doubt that many Catholics or Episcopalians believe that ... it's basically the 'idea' of mainly 'fundamentalist Christians' who believe that they are 'charged with converting' anyone who is non-Christian to a 'Christian way of life' ... which to them is only their 'particular religion' ... I've been told that because I am a Catholic I can't 'be a Christian' and I 'must convert and confess my 'sins' (including being a Catholic) and 'live according to what that 'church' tells me to do to 'go to Heaven. Yeah ... the Catholics were 'the first Christian church, and we still are ... even though there are many 'Protestants' who think 'otherwise.'
So, again, I think that this is a 'good time' for you to go to church and 'listen and learn' ... because 'all the talk' in church during Lent is on the 'meaning of Christ's life' ... and if you are a 'good person' then I think that you 'will' get into Heaven ... and I even think that you asking your question in this 'forum' is 'good proof' that some people can 'go to Heaven' even if they 'don't believe' in Christ ... if they are 'good people' who don't commit any 'cardinal sins' (like murder and child rape, or any 'rape') ... but I also think that your 'inquiring mind' will lead you 'closer to God' even if you never can bring yourself to 'believe' in Him ... because God believes in YOU, and that is really 'what counts' in the end. See you in Heaven!

Answer 2

Sins may be forgiven, even the sins of murderers, rapists, and child molesters. However, there is only one way sins may be forgiven. Sins are forgiven when the sinner (which is every single human being in the world that every has been, ever is and ever will be) repents from his sin and calls on the Savior, Jesus Christ, for salvation. God has told us that if we repent and ask for salvation through Jesus Christ, God will forgive us of those sins. Forgiveness of sins does not mean that we will not be judged on what we have done, only that we will spend eternity in Heaven and not in Hell with Satan and all those (who may be murderers, rapists and child molesters) who have not asked for forgiveness. The important thing is that God has given us an opportunity to repent, turn from our evil ways and be saved. If someone doesn't believe this they had better hope they are right. If I am right, and believe in salvation through Jesus Christ, and there is no such thing then what have I lost - nothing. But, if I am right, and someone doesn't accept Jesus Christ, what have they lost------ everything and forever.

Answer 3

Great question!

Here's one perspective:
In Christianity the belief is that man is corrupt and cannot be reconciled to a perfect God by themselves. Enter Jesus. He became the sacrifice that made it possible for mankind to be reconciled to God. There are a great many subtleties to this that I could go into here, but that's the basics.

So, to answer your question, in Christianity, once someone has received what Jesus did for them they are forgiven by God of all sins: past, present, and future.

Here's how I explain it:
Three years ago I was overweight, my marriage was falling apart, and I was penniless. Over the course of the last three years I have changed dramatically. I am in great shape, my marriage rocks, and I am debt free (except for a house and car). If what has happened over the last three years had happened in a day everyone would have called it a miracle. But it took time. I point to the fact that I have a relationship with God that has changed me.

While I've still got a ways to go, God sees me as a finished work. He's not relegated in time. He sees that I am changing and growing and will one day be perfected (although probably not in my lifetime). That's why He can forgive sins past, present and future.

LOOOOOONG answer there, but that's a doozey of a question to answer in spiritual terminology to an atheist :)

Answer 4

Sins can be forgiven ONLY if the person truly repents, and in their Heart actually feel terribly sorry for what they did, and won't do it again.
If someone Muurders someone then "asks forgivness" and truly doesn't feel sorry, and want's to go out and do it again, God will not forgive that Sin. God is all Knowing, he knows every single persons story, and situation and circumstances.
God knows what is in your Heart, and if you don't truly repent then you can't expect to be forgiven.
If you don't believe in God, But you still lead a Good life and Help others and do Just things, your actions will be counted and God will forgive you, and allow you into Heaven.
People that Kill and Harm others will be Punished if they don't repent.

Answer 5

Thank you for your sincere question.

The misunderstanding is that all sin, but one, is equally bad sin to a perfectly just God. There is no hierarchy of sin that God can and will forgive other than the sin that with full knowledge one chooses to reject belief in God--this is the unforgiveable sin.

So you cannot say this person did less evil than that person and expect God to assign a weight to one's sin. God metaphorically hates all sin equally.

God, being perfectly righteous and through His foreknowlege of our actions, provides a mechanism via the atoning sacrifice of Christ for all sins, except the one described above, to be forgiven.

Answer 6

the thing to remember here is that a person must not only belive in christ and his role as the son of god one in the holy trinity god the father and the holy ghost. .
they must accept that the only way to to the father is though him chirst.
REPENT that is a huge one Confess another big one.
Belive huge one.
you see the baptism the confession the repentance and the acceptance of christ is all key to this .
the only sin that is not forgiven is one not accepting or rejecting christ as the saviour.
good is smart he knows what is true repentance and what is just words .
you should just take time to try to belive ask jesus christ to come to you and to help you to belive and to have faith . he does help
read the bible take the plank out of your eye and read.
worship give it all a chance. think about it eternity in hell all because you did just give this all a chance. seems like a silly thing to do . ask for help . it wont change your life you wont grow wings nor will you have no more problems in life. you might have many more but in the end you will understand your on the right team. please come on over to the right side . i wont tell you what church to go to or even what translation of the bible to read.
i will tell you that there are modern translastions of the bible that are easier to understand. dont read it like some magic book
i suggest you read the new testament first page by page one after another . then read the old testament . dont look for reason not to belive but for reason to have faith . let the love of chirst grown in you please.

Answer 7

We tend to rate sins; some seem so much more terrible to us than others. While on the one hand, in the Old Testament God did command some harsher punishments for some sins, on the other hand, he tells us that all sin (whether we rate it as minor or horrible) makes us unworthy of entering the presence of holy God.

God's ways are not our ways. Though, we are created in His image, He is not just like us. If we want to know what He is like and how He thinks, if we want to know how the world that he created works, we need to go to the Bible, which is His revealed Word to us.

According to the Bible, some people will spend eternity with God and others will spend eternity separated from God. It is not a contest, however, since "He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." God wants everyone to choose Him, but God will not force anyone to choose Him.

The Bible teaches that we are sinful and that God is holy--we are separated from God by our sin. In order that we might draw near to him, God sent Jesus as a blood sacrifice for our sin. God says that this sacrifice was required for the forgivenss of sin and that without this sacrifice we can never draw near to Him.

The blood sacrifice of Jesus has the power to cover all sin (big and small) for those who repent and choose to follow after Jesus. The Bible is clear that if those whose sins seem small to us refuse to repent, their sins will separate them from God forever. If those whose sins seem big to us repent, Jesus' sacrifice will cover their sins and allow them to enter the presence of God.

The Bible is also clear that God doesn't play favorites. Being rich or intelligent or well respected or even very good doesn't give you any points over someone who is less of those things. No one gets to earn a spot in the presence of God. The only way in--for all of us--is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

For me that is a great relief. Even though others might look at my life and think I'm a pretty good person, the more read the Bible and pray and seek God, the more I know that I fall short of God's holiness in so many ways. Thank God I don't have to earn my way into his presence!

Answer 8

Because one sacrifice in the form of Jesus was made to cover and wash away all of your sins. If the people who have committed all of those sins you named have accepted the Lord then they are forgiven and it follows that they won't or shouldn't be doing that stuff anymore. (Not b/c they have to try and quit on their own but because the Holy Spirit comes into and changes a heart/life). The only reason people do not go to Heaven is because they rejected that one sacrifice that was made for them to be forgiven. It is actually a wonderful but misconstrued thing. It's wonderful because anyone can accept it. (Past sin, race, financial status is not held against you).

Note to all: Please don't attack the answerer. I tried to answer honestly and explain as the questioner asked. And didn't attack anyone in my answer.

Answer 9

I'm confused about that too, but apparently heaven is only for those who are forgiven, and the good non-believers are said to not get an invitation. Makes you wonder about that line of thinking.

Answer 10

To be forgiven and have all your sins wiped clean, you must sincerely repent; that is, see the horror of what you did and plead for mercy and forgiveness. You must hate what you did and be determined not to do it again (I'm not referring to addictions but to the things you mention).

You cannot go through this process without God helping you. So some belief is necessary.