How many Christians really feel this way?

Question

Someone wrote this on my question about Hell. I said I don't think it exists because a loving God wouldn't allow any of his children to burn forever:

"Yes hell is real, and the loving God you talk about is showing love by keeping the evil ones away from his children, hell is made for the fallen angels and the souls that worship them"

Do you guys actually feel that people like me, who are moral and lead good lives are EVIL because we aren't Christians? I know not all Christians believe this. Do you?

Arnon, if you answer my question truthfully, I wouldn't accuse you of pushing your beliefs on me, since I was the one that brought it up.

Answer 1

God forgives all sins except the one sin that denies Him. This sin ascribes to God what Satan has done, in that a person blasphemes the Spirit God that has been sent to call a person to righteousness. By saying with full knowledge "I do not believe", a person has in effect participated in the very first lie told in Eden.

Some will argue that God is unfair to judge those, including non-believers, that have tried to live a good life. Using an argument of "fairness" ignores the perfect attributes of God and lacks an understanding of the philosophical arguments of perfection.

In order to understand why just being "good" is insufficient; you would need to understand the concept of a perfectly holy and righteous being. Such a being would hate ALL sin and would be bound by the being's perfectly just nature to render judgment for the unjust. Just as we expect justice in this world, albeit imperfect at times, so does this being, God. Fortunately, a perfect being like God will render perfect justice, too.

While it is hard to hear, there are none righteous in the perfect God's eyes.

So how is a perfect God's demand for justice for sin reconciled with our own imperfections? Here we find that God came up with a perfect solution. He became flesh, lived a perfect life, and acted as our representative in God the Father's court of justice. There He was judged and crucified, carrying all the past and future world's sins with his crucifixion. God the Son, Christ, became our sin bearer and we need only acknowledge that sacrifice to be made "justified" in God's eyes and in God's demand for justice for sin.

Think of it this way. Your son does something like breaking a neighbor's window. Yet your son is too young to be made to pay for his crime. Society demands that the parent then act in the son's role and pay for these crimes. Likewise, God the Father allows God the Son to be humankind's representative. Christ paid the price for us all; it is deposited there in the justice bank of God. We need only claim our "share" of that account's balance and present ourselves to God.

In summary, a perfectly just being, God the Father, requires that sin be punished. In the Old Testament, such punishments were the slaughter of an innocent animal, accompanied by prayers of adoration and contrition to God the Father. These lawful rituals drove home the point to mankind that there are consequences for bad behaviors. These lawful rituals also foreshadowed a more significant means of reconciliation before God the Father’s demand for justice. A perfect being, Christ, willingly went to His death. A perfectly just God the Father, knows that the Son’s death is not justice, for the Son was sinless. Therefore, the perfectly just God the Father credits anyone who will claim the Son’s death as payment for their sins.

As for the doctrine of hell consider the following:

1. Wouldn't everyone repent when faced with hell?
2. Would God let out people who repented?
3. Why was Hell created?

One argument against hell is this: No person in his right mind would choose eternal punishment in hell over heaven. Therefore everyone would repent when sent to hell. If God lets the repentant leave, hell will be empty (and therefore can be disregarded). If God doesn't let the repentant leave, God is unjust for continuing to punish them after they've repented.

The trouble with this line of reasoning is that repentance is not simply a matter of one saying, "Okay, I'll say whatever you want me to, just get me out of here!" Repentance involves acknowledging one's guilt, feeling remorse and the desire to change one's behavior, accepting Christ's sacrifice as substitutionary punishment for one's wrongs and agreeing to love and obey God (including Christ as God the Son). This includes by definition acceptance of eternal punishment in hell as just punishment for one's sins; while the skeptic may still object that continued punishment of the repentant is unjust, the repentant will respond that their continued punishment is deserved and could only end through God's mercy.

However, in reality people in hell won't repent, in particular not any skeptic who makes the above argument. If one thinks God is unjust for punishing people in hell, actually going there isn't going to make one suddenly decide that God is just and deserves one's love and worship after all. People are given their entire lives on Earth as an opportunity to repent and accept God; if they refuse each day of their lives to repent and believe they're justified in doing so, it's hardly conceivable that punishment in hell would change their minds. In other words, the gates of hell are actually locked from the inside.

Since hell is comprised of those who would never repent, the second question, “Would God let out people who repented?” is only a hypothetical one; it could be argued either way. In practice, someone who would repent in hell would be given the opportunity to repent on Earth and would presumably repent before they died, not after.

As for eternal punishment for finite life of sin, the answer is that our sin bears an eternal consequence because it is ultimately against an eternal God. When King David committed the sins of adultery and murder he stated, Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight (Psalm 51:4). David had sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah, how could David claim to have only sinned against God? David understood that all sin is ultimately against God. God is an eternal and infinite Being. As a result, all sin is worthy of an eternal punishment.

An earthly example of this would be comparing attacking your neighbor and attacking the President of the United States. Yes, both are crimes, but attacking the President would result in far greater consequences. How much more does sin against a holy and infinite God warrant a terrible consequence?

In short, hell and heaven were created out of God's love for mankind as a consequence of free will. God could not have created a morally free creature who could not possess the potentiality to choose to sin. God, being perfectly righteous will righteously respect the choices a person makes and grant them the eternal life they sought through the exercise of their own free will. In short, we choose the behavior, and thus we have chosen the consequences.

Answer 2

I wouldn't call someone evil, there are plenty of non-believers who live good moral lives.
I think that the sentiment may be coming from the statement made that "If you're not for me, you're against me" I'm not sure where that is in the Bible. If God is good, and Satan is evil, then the 2 possible sides to be on are good and evil. Therefore, using logic, if you're not with God you're evil. It's crude, but I would guess that is where people are coming from if they say that. Add to it, Jesus said that there is no one good, not even one.

Also, I don't agree with the reasoning that God is protecting His children from the evil people. Heaven and Hell are simply the 2 choices that Free Will offers us. We get what we choose. I don't like to think of hell as a place of punishment, an eternal spanking if you will. I think it is simply giving the people what they chose during their life. They chose to have no God. If God is all goodness, then hell, the absense of God is just a place with nothing good in it. If you choose no God, then in the end you have chosen to have no good in your eternal life.

Answer 3

OK, here it goes.

As humans, we are born into sin. This is what the Bible tells us. Then as we grow and start learning more and more about God and his love for us, we also learn about the sacrifice that he made with his son, Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for us, in place of us, so that now, we don't have to go to hell. He went there for us for 3 days. Those three days, he was totally separated from his Heavenly Father. That doesn't mean he was evil, but he did that for us, because he loves us and that is why he came to this earth. The Bible tells us. It was prophesied already in the Old Testament.

Now, if we confess our sins to him and admit we are sinners, and believe in our hearts that Jesus died for us, we are promised to go to heaven and live eternally with him. The Bible tells us this.

We believe that there is Heaven and Hell. Those that believe in the above get to go to Heaven and those that don't believe this, unfortunately go to the other place. This has been clearly written in the Bible.

I don't believe that non-believers are evil. However, I do hope that they run across a believer that can start sharing the Good News with them. It is never too late to start believing.

All of the above is what I believe and I hopefully nobody took it for me cramming it down their throats.

Answer 4

It's not a matter of how moral and good of a life you live. These things are necessary, yes- they serve as a constant reminder that we live this way because God commands us to. But where so many people get confused is by thinking that doing such and only such makes them a child of God. You must understand-there are many atheists and satanists who lead upstanding and moral lives, teach their children to do good by others, so on and so on. But it is faith in and acceptance of the Christ of God as your Lord, your Master, the One to whom you put your faith and hope in ALONE and no other. It is to dethrone yourself and all of your self-centeredness and let the Eternal One take His rightful place in your whole being. No, I do not think you are evil. You see, it was never given to me to be a judge over anyone. Whether you believe or not, you have one Judge and one Judge only-and that is NOT any other person on this earth. If anyone willfully rejects Christ and goes after the evil one or his angels in this lifetime, what else could God possibly say to that person in the day of their Great White Throne Judgement? It is a miserable lie perpetuated by Satan and his braindead puppets on this earth that EVERYONE is God's child; that ALL paths lead to Him anyway(NO , they DO NOT), and that all one has to do is be "good". God has said that all of our "righteousness" is as filthy rags before Him. He didn't say this to be cruel or impossible; He said it because He wants us to realize just how serious a matter sin and its effects are for us and to never second guess the matter or Him. You will ultimately have to decide for yourself the path you will follow. Whatever road you choose, just remember that you chose it. If you choose not to decide, well- you've still made a choice. That is how serious a matter this whole thing really is. You cannot escape. You are born with future you die with.

Answer 5

Yes, but where will you go when you die? There is no sitting on the fence on this one. The time on earth is the time you take to decide who you want to spend eternity with either with God or in Hell.

Jesus came to Earth to reunite us back to the Heavenly Father where Adam and Eve took us away. We are all Created by God, however, He wants to know who in spirit is on His side. Do you want to bring a rabid angry dog in your home?....well, God doesn't either.

You might be good, but you are only a sheep astray from the Shepherd or Jesus. In other words you are out of the pen and wandering...wouldn't it be easier if you had a shepherd to lead you through this life? Gods written word does this, and like Jesus says "For my load is easy and my burden is light"

No I don't believe you are Evil, but I do know Evil is always trying to get a hold of you as it does with Christians. Satan's domain is in Hell and on Earth and he devours the best of those who claim such as you do. Isn't it wise to have a shepherd looking out for you???!!!!

RD

Answer 6

Being a good person won't work because God has standards for "getting in to heaven".
The standard is being perfect, which no human being can do without Jesus.
The way that Christians go to heaven to be with God forever is by accepting Jesus; being good has nothing to do with it. God says that if we keep the whole law and stumble in one point, we're guilty.
It's 100% or nothing, and the only way to achieve God's standard is to believe on the lord Jesus Christ and repent of sins.
it's impossible for someone to NEVER sin. therefore, we need God even if we are mostly good because even the smallest sin counts.

Answer 7

The Bible says that 2 groups of people will be destroyed at Armegeddon: 1.) Those who do not know God and 2.) Those who do not obey him. Destruction is a far cry from eternal torment and suffering, however. God created earth. He created man. He has every right to decide what happens from here. In the Bible he says that he has put life and death before each one of us, but in order to have life, we must choose it based on the instructions and warnings he has given up.

Answer 8

No, I do not think if you live a decent life and are a nice person that you are evil. However, God and I differ on our viewpoints. To God, anyone who refuses to believe in his son Jesus Christ is evil. Now that said and done, I hope you understand that I wish more than anything that you could allow God into your heart. With an already nice person inside you, you would make an awesome Christian.

Answer 9

The nonbeliever is no more evil than the believer as far as sin goes. The only difference is that the Christian is pardoned by God because they believe in the sacrifice provided by his Son on the cross. He that believeth shall not be condemned, he that believeth not, is condemned already.

Answer 10

I do not. Not believing in God does not make someone inherently evil. I have met many good people who are not Christian. Serial killers are evil sociopaths. So unless you've got your own personal graveyard out there somewhere i highly doubt you are an evil person.

Answer 11

evil, as defined by St. Thomas Aquinas, is intentionally going against ones potential. and by not believeing in God, you are in essence restraining your potential