It seems a bit hypocritical to me that on one hand they can claim to be tolerant of other people and other faiths, and yet at the same time place themselves above everyone else by saying christians are the only one's able to reach heaven.
It's a prejudice they seem to share with most religions, while atheists see the end result for everyone as being the same.
Dosn't this suggest atheists by nature are more egalitarian than christians?
Does it suggest christians have a fundamental tendency towards prejudice built into their faith?
2007-07-11 16:35:24 · 36 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
theres alot of things i believe christians, myself included, need to rethink ... claiming that i alone can reach heaven and not you isnt ryt ... some things should be kept to urself and dont help people at all ..
2007-07-11 16:40:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 2⤋
Given that heaven is a Christian based belief why are you worried about it?
The only other religion I know of that believes in heaven is Muslims and Hebrew. Those that believe in the God of Abraham but not Christ as the son of God.
Seems like you are more interested in putting down the Christians. If you are so sure there isn't a God or a savior then why be so bent on cutting down the Christian faith. Let them have their faith!
2007-07-11 17:01:28 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think they mean it like that they are pretty tolerant the normal Christians & they are loving & just want to help people have the same as them & the bible says it not Christians you should remember that missinglink you went to church long enough & you still have not let us know what it was that turned a christian boy into someone that now hates god so much how can people help you if you just bottle it all up in hating god :)
2007-07-11 17:00:04 · answer #3 · answered by ausblue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a Christian and do not say no one else will go to Heaven, and I hate it when people openly say otherwise. Believe what you want but do not tell people, "You're going to hell" and what not. That's just plain dumb. None of the Apostles ever converted anyone by threatening anyone. They presented becoming a Christian as a privilege and honor, and if you did not want to be a part of it, then nuts to you. Jesus was the only one to preach extensively of judgments, but they were never permanent judgments; they were comparative to earthly judgments. For example of metaphors of divine judgments: the Sanhedrin and gehenna; and for an example of metaphors to divine punishment, whippings (stripes).
The Bible is extremely ambiguous on the ultimate fate of the unrepentant sinners. Some Scriptures suggest annihilationism, some suggest Universal Reconciliation, but none suggest eternal torment, if you pay attention to the Hebrew and Greek (the words translated "eternal" and "torment" and so on).
In my mind, the fate of the unrepentant sinners is a "mystery" and will only be known after resurrection. To say non-Christians will go to hell (sheol, hades, Gehenna, or tartarus? No one knows) is just a ploy to scare people into the religion. I think as Christians, so many people forget that, in the end, God is the one doing the judging, not us, so let us just leave it to him. Jesus said to take the beam out of your own eye before you try to take a spec out of another's eye.
On the other hand, to suggest that non-believers will skip on into Heaven without punishment as some lovey-dovey Christians do is just plain naive. Throughout the entire Bible God has punished and chastised sinners and believers alike, but always for the purpose of teaching lessons and never for an unending amount of time. For example, he punished Adam and Eve for their sins, and sent a messenger of Satan to buffet Paul as chastisement, to keep him from becoming haughty. In fact, all the Apostles suffered sever persecution, and persecution is a promise for Christians.
2007-07-11 16:55:51 · answer #4 · answered by enarchay 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We don't place ourselves above anyone. I don't prejudge anyone either. I love you as anyone else. We are simply stating that you were brought with a price. Jesus paid the price for you and I. And if you feel you are worthy of something better than the culture of death and garbage taught of this world and its dysfunctional ailing system. Which you obviously are. You can have eternal life. But there is only one way to get there.
Charlie Darwin, the poppery, GW Bush, Buddha, and Muhammad will not get you there. Neither will your own "free will". As it hasn't worked thus far for any of us. To reach perfection you must learn by perfection. Not science or superficial "logic". Perfection. Perfection that comes through Jesus Christ.
God bless
2007-07-11 16:53:51 · answer #5 · answered by F'sho 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There is a difference between tolerating and accepting a belief. Christians can TOLERATE other beliefs but still stick true to their own. I find it quite admirable.
I mean, the belief that Jesus is the only way to heaven is a fundamental part of their beliefs. I would find it hypocritical if they started suggesting that anyone who didn't believe in Jesus could make it to heaven.
2007-07-11 16:41:20 · answer #6 · answered by John H 4 · 5⤊ 1⤋
I am tolerant with other faiths, acknowledging that they are on the path to the afterlife no matter what they believe ( or in some cases do not). However, I lack tolerance for the intolerant.
2007-07-11 17:26:29 · answer #7 · answered by The Pope 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Seems to me that you are the one not being very tolerant of the Christian beliefs. We believe what we believe because that's what we believe and we ain't backing down to believe what anyone else believes. Believe what you want to, it's your choice and your the only one who has to answer for yourself.
Buy the way the missing link is Jesus!
2007-07-11 16:52:36 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
I am so sorry that you are misunderstanding what Christians are telling you. We are telling you what God has said to all of us in His written Word, the Bible.
Those who are in Christ Jesus are God's (adopted) children. Romans 8:12-17. Tells us that because we have received the Spirit of God, we are God's children and if we are His children, we are co-heirs with Christ and we may also share in His glory.
God says it. Not us. You are invited to become His Child too. In Revelation 22:17, God says that the Spirit (Holy Spirit) and the Bride (Christ's Church) say, "come"!
2007-07-11 17:01:57 · answer #9 · answered by 4HIM- Christians love 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You really have to learn this:
Christians are Christians because they trust God for their salvation. All you have to do is see what Jesus said and apply it in context. ( Nonbelievers are terrible at context-- they do not have the Spirit of God to help them! )
Jesus never said, " Be tolerant and be saved."
He never said, " Don't be prejudiced and be saved."
This is what he said:
John 3
7For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
All the other things that you think a Christian has to be like is wrong. We are as imperfect as the next guy.
2007-07-11 16:46:33 · answer #10 · answered by Christian Sinner 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
you are right. However Atheists are not neccesarily more egalitarian than Christians. Let's not forget that Stalin was an Atheist.
People tend to generalize about Christians. The truth is a large percentage of them are much more accepting than the evangelical Christians we hear so much from.
2007-07-11 16:39:44 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋