Christians, how do you feel about this argument?

Question

I'm not trying to be a bigot. I just want your two-cents.

There can be no Heaven or Hell. Here is the reason: when Christians die, according to their beliefs, they go to Heaven because they were saved and because they were faithful; however, most Christians have at least a few family members or friends who are atheists or members of other religions. According to Christianity, these friends/family are going to go to Hell. But if you're in Heaven, and your friends/family are in hell, won't you be sad that they are spending life in eternal agony? Won't you miss them? And if you are sad in Heaven, doesn't that defeat the purpose of it?
Of course, you might say that atheists and non-believers deserved Hell, but even if they deserved it, does that knowledge relieve you of all remorse from knowing they are suffering?

I'm interested to hear your thoughts on this.

Look, I'm not a heretic. I never said this was what I believed.

Answer 1

Some Christians try to rationalize this away by saying that they won't have any memories of their life on earth when they get to heaven. But that kind of defeats the whole point of living forever, doesn't it? If God simply resurrects your body and turns you into a robot who really cares where you end up? And why must God create robots to worship him? Is he really that insecure about his godhood?

Answer 2

That's a well thought out argument, and deserves an honest answer.

It would be spot on, but for a couple of things: it assumes that our mind and point of view is going to remain unchanged when we go to heaven, and that heaven consists of never having a negative thought again.

First, I believe that when we go to heaven, we're going to become a LOT wiser. We'll finally be able to see things for what they are. The truth of the matter is that they're reaping the results of their lives. So, basically, they only real thing left to feel is regret that they didn't live another kind of life. Which brings me next to my next point.

I don't think that Heaven is going to a place completely free of any and all negative thoughts. Or at least the ability to have them; it may end up being so overwhelmingly wonderful that there's no room for any other thoughts, but for the sake of argument, let's say that we'll be able to. The Bible says that even God feels sadness, or other negative feelings, from time to time. And He definitely counts as being in heaven. Those feelings are, I think, natural, and maybe even present in heaven. What will be absent is grief; grief is the emotion that comes with a strong sense that all is NOT RIGHT. Grief and regret (even sadness) are, in my opinion, in two wholly different categories. In heaven, there won't be anything that is actually WRONG; only possible feelings of regret for events that didn't happen, choices that were messed up.

I hope my argument may have resonated with you on some level; it was hastily written, but I think I've expressed myself decently.

Answer 3

You should look up the word bigot - last I checked it didn't mean asking a philosophical question.

Christians will tout some verse in Revelations saying that god will wipe away their tears. This still doesn't get god off the hook for doing the ultimate injustice by creating people that he foreknew would be eternally tortured before he made them. If a god is all-knowing there is nothing he don't know and he knew what the result of Adam and Eve eating the fruit would be. ..billions and billions of good people being eternally tortured.

I have heard Christians who are ignorant of their Bible (that'd be 90+% of them) say that everyone they know is a Christian. I then say, well what if everyone I know isn't a Christian, would I get to heaven and not know that I didn't know anybody?

"If there is a God who will damn his children forever, I would rather go to hell than to go to heaven and keep the society of such an infamous tyrant. I make my choice now. I despise that doctrine. It has covered the cheeks of this world with tears. It has polluted the hearts of children, and poisoned the imaginations of men. It has been a constant pain, a perpetual terror to every good man and woman and child. It has filled the good with horror and with fear; but it has had no effect upon the infamous and base. It has wrung the hearts of the tender, it has furrowed the cheeks of the good. This doctrine never should be preached again. What right have you, sir, Mr. clergyman, you, minister of the gospel to stand at the portals of the tomb, at the vestibule of eternity, and fill the future with horror and with fear? I do not believe this doctrine, neither do you. If you did, you could not sleep one moment. Any man who believes it, and has within his breast a decent, throbbing heart, will go insane. A man who believes that doctrine and does not go insane has the heart of a snake and the conscience of a hyena." [Robert G. Ingersoll, "The Liberty of Man, Woman and Child", 1877]

Answer 4

I once asked that question, and though I may be wrong, I think that after you ( the Christian) dies and are in Heaven, God takes the memory of the family members that were never saved away, because in Heaven there will be no more tears, sadness, or darkness...so God knows that you wouldn't be happy knowing your loved ones were in Hell in total torment....I don't think we will be allowed to remember the family members that never accepted Jesus......

and on your last comment....I don't think atheists or non-believers deserve to go to Hell... no one deserves that kind of punishment. but anyway, we don't know what's going to happen..God didn't tell us everything. perhaps he knows we couldn't handle some of that information, but the Bible does say we will know everything once we are in Heaven so I guess we will have to wait till then.

Answer 5

Rev 21:4
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
(KJV)

Channel your strong emotions. Why do you think people become preachers and missionaries? Why do you think that some people are so 'fanatical' about their faith and share it with everyone.

They have accepted the spiritual reality that anyone who dies without Jesus Christ as their Savior will suffer the Second Death of Revelation.

Paul was so upset by this thought he said that if it were possible he would trade his own soul for the soul of the Jews. Then in practical service to mankind and to the Lord, this is what he did. He gave the rest of his life for unsaved people.

So once you get it, what are you going to do?

Answer 6

First off I dont know any atheists personally, there are none in my family, there never has been. Some of us are more religious then others but we all believe in God.

Once we arrive in Heaven, we will be glorified and perfect. Our hearts, attitudes, and thoughts will be completely in agreement with God (1 John 3:2). If some of our loved ones are not in Heaven, we will be in 100% complete agreement that they do not belong there – that they are condemned by their own refusal to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior (John 3:16; John 14:6). It is hard to understand this, but we will not be saddened by the lack of their presence. Our focus should not be on how we can enjoy Heaven without all of our loved ones there, but rather on how we can point our loved ones to faith in Christ – so that they will be there.

Our LORD gives the invitation to "whosoever will" to make a decision to accept Christ as Savior. As believers, one of our missions in this life is to spread the "good news" of Christ's gift of eternal life to everyone that will hear, and that is especially true of our loved ones. We know that God is "not willing that any should perish and that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). However, the truth is that even though the invitation is to all, some will not receive the gift.



"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right" (Genesis 18:25)? This is a great comfort to those of us with loved ones who have passed into eternity and we are not sure of the destination of their souls. God is a sovereign Judge of righteousness, full of grace and mercy to all who call upon Him. It is His very justice that offers a "way" for all to escape the judgment of His righteousness, and it is in that justice that we must rest. It is grace that saves us and it is grace in which we must stand when we go through the double grief of the death of an unsaved loved one. We must remember that we cannot make this choice for anyone else, and if they went into eternity with out Christ, that was their choice in spite of the offer of grace.

Answer 7

You can know that now. I have friends and family that don't believe so I already know. And yes it saddens me but what can I do? You can't force people. Each person has to make up their own minds about these things.

In heaven, we will be changed and therefore, we believe that God would have erased those memories of our time on earth because of the sadness it would bring. There is no crying in heaven.

Plus if you are in heaven why would you want to look back if you could?

Answer 8

Thats an interesting though...I believe that God judges people based on the life they lead on Earth, not whether or not your Christian. I see God as a compassionate, yet powerful being that we can not even comprehend. I don't believe people will go to hell because of differences in religious beliefs. And who is to say there is Heaven and Hell we don't exactly know until we die do we?

Answer 9

Interesting question. No one knows what heaven is like. It's beyond what we can imagine. In the presence of God supersedes everything we would think about here. I wonder how many of us actually thinks about or dwells on unsaved relatives who have already passed away. I know I don't. I had my moment of grief but the further away from their death I get, the less my thoughts are of their fate. Kind of sounds cold I know but I wonder how many others would say the same. Our lives continue and dwelling in the past is not what most of us do.

Answer 10

It is said in a scripture that when we are taken to Heaven there will be no more tears or sickness, etc, the no more tears is because we will have no more memories of our lives on earth, therefore you wont remember those who are in Hell, God wont allow you to suffer like that by grieving the loved ones who didnt go to Heaven.

Answer 11

Unfortunately you are right about some going to Heaven and some going to hell. I believe the people that have loved ones in hell will be stripped of their memory entirely of that loved one. That sounds harsh, but you must remember there will be no sorrow in Heaven. Believe it unbelievers...Heaven is real, and Hell is also just as real. Its not a place of partying and having a good time...it is a place of regret, remorse, sorrow, and darkness. I pray that everyone reading this to ask Jesus Christ for forgiveness and pray for Him to come into your life. God Bless!