I believe that there is a higher power that I choose to call God becuase I dont what else to call it. I have issues with all organized relgions and here is one of the many I have with Christianity. Here is my hypothetical situation:
Guy #1 - this guy is the lowest form of human being on the planet. He is on death row for murder, rape, and torture of several children. Moments before he is about to be put to death he asks God for forgivness and sincerely repents. Will he go to heaven? Most Christians will say yes. Ok.. I can buy that argument.
Guy #2 - This guy is the toal opposite of guy#1. Tons of charity work, good to animals, people, etc... think of a person like Ghandi. But, he has no belief in any kind of relgion. When he dies will he go to heaven or hell? Most Christians will say hell. I find it hard to believe that a loving God would let this person burn in hell. It makes no sense. IMO religion has screwed up this world from day 1. What does everyone think?
2007-07-25 06:20:49 · 17 answers · asked by jblggs 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
i think that one of the problems with christianity is that they think they have it all figured out......in the case of gandhi(i have much respect for him) he sought truth(and God)....if in the bible jesus says that he is the truth, was gandhi not seeking him? if God is so large why limit him to only being able to reach the christian religion?........i think there is so much more to God than what we know and think we understand...
2007-07-25 06:29:02 · answer #1 · answered by drinklifetothelees 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Not to be rude, but..if you don't have 'organized" religion..what do you have? Unorganized?
Knowing God, and the precision with which he has created the universe..this is unlikely.
Many people believe as you do, that a "bad" person should not receive God's grace and forgiveness. But ..to the person who has done many bad things..this is the wonder and mercy of God. He who has been forgiven much...loves much.
The next person, while "good" in the eyes of the world, has no relationship with God, nor has he asked forgiveness for the many "bad" things he has done..that the public eye cannot see..possible much more pre-meditated and evil then the first person.
God looks at the heart.
2007-07-25 06:55:49 · answer #2 · answered by Eartha Q 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God is loving, and forgives and has mercy, but in the end He will dole out judgment on those who deserve it. For g#2 to go to hell after leading such a good life is weird, and it's a good question... It's the same weirdness when it comes to the little Cannaanite babies in the old testament that were ordered to be killed, by God, no less. I just can't picture an Israelite storming in a house, racing over to a little cradle and plunging a sword into the tiny baby inside and doing it in God's name.
But if #2 has no god, there's an emptiness in him that will be filled by SOMETHING before he dies. His actions might be good, but his heart belongs to the devil.
2007-07-25 06:35:58 · answer #3 · answered by Evanescence16 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here are two very good articles from that great website, "gotquestion.org" which pertains to this "general revelation" situation you have put forth. Please read them, they will enlighten you to this subject.
BTW... The loving God does not WANT ANYONE to burn in hell. He WANTS EVERYONE to know of Him and love Him, and BE with Him. But it's that old "Free Will" thing again... people CHOOSE to reject God. And ... again... God will not FORCE His love on you, therefore, if you REJECT Him, WHY would God FORCE you to be WITH Him? To be "with God" is being in Heaven (which is a state of being, not a "place") and to be "without God" (Not in His presence) is being in Hell. It would be like saying that anywhere the Supreme Court Judge is is being "In Court," whether that judge is riding in a car, sitting in a restaurant, or in the bathroom. Likewise, not being where that judge is is being "OUT of court." That's the closest scenario I can come up with to make it understandable, and I hope it helped.
We are human beings, we are "finite" beings, not INFINITE beings. It is very difficult for our FINITE brains to comprehend things that are INFINITE. That means that, even in your WILDEST imagination, if you can imagine God's love for us, His love is actually even MORE "wild" than that imagination can think. That's the definition of Infinite. Just look at the mathematical term of "infinity." You cannot put an END to the number of "infinity." Even if you spend your entire lifetime writing down a number, "999999999.....999999...99999... " etc... infinity is always at least one number MORE than that number.
But, please read these articles below. They will help you understand the Christian perspective on what you have asked.. and don't think you're the first to ask it, either! Have a blessed day!
2007-07-25 07:26:31 · answer #4 · answered by wyomugs 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you say Guy #2 is a good person, keep in mind that it is because you are comparing him on man's scale, not on God's. If you compare yourself to Hitler or Charles Manson, certainly you seem to be "good". But what if you compared yourself to Mother Teresa? Most people fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. The Bible teaches that no one is good (Romans 3:10). Not you. Not me. Not Mother Teresa. Not the Catholic saints. Not even the Prophets God sent to earth in centuries past. Only God is good. (Luke 18:18-20).
Do you realize that it is impossible for a good, holy, perfect, truthful God to have in His presence anyone who has even made one mistake? Since that is the case, we have a problem: how can we come to live with a Holy God? Jesus!
2007-07-25 06:41:52 · answer #5 · answered by Paul V 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You misunderstand the chief aim of Christianity.
God offers to make us His sons and daughters through a supernatural fellowship with Him. The crux of the matter then is what is our answer? Your guy #2 is essentially saying that he doesn't need God. He can be good (charity, etc) without God and that thought, i.e. pride, gives him a good warm feeling and that's what he cares about.
Heaven is just a place where those who said yes to God can be with God. Hell is just a place for those who don't want God. The gates of hell are secured from the inside.
2007-07-25 06:24:16 · answer #6 · answered by Matthew T 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This was one of the things that I had a bad attitude about Christianity before I became a Christian. I believe that, just as I came under the Conviction and drawing of the Holy Spirit, all men do at one point. It is then their decision whether or not to yield to God's promptings.God is not willing that any should perish but the final decision is up to the individual.The 2nd chapter of 1 Timothy tells us that God our Savior desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. If you give someone a gift, they have to reach out and take it. If you reject God's gift of salvation there is no other way to have your sins forgiven.
Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?He is Antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.John 2:22
Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. Luke 12:4
John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but He who does not believe is condemned already, because He has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
2007-07-25 06:30:28 · answer #7 · answered by BERT 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For guy # 2: "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it;except the Lord keep the city;the watchman waketh but in vain." Psalm 127:1 If the you do all this charity work,etc. in your name, an notin Gods name. its worth nothing. Only what we do in Jesus name will count. And you cant work your way into heaven. Your salvation was bought with a price.Jesus died on the cross for you. All you have to do is ask Him to come into your heart and to reign in your life. Nothing else you do will help you to get into heaven. Theres only one way. And thats through Jesus Christ. I hope this has helped you. God bless you!!
2007-07-25 06:43:58 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know if that guy who "repented" will go to heaven. Maybe he was simply scared of the consequences and did not truly repent. Also the person who did not believe in God, but lived according to God's commands and loved other people, do you think he would be upset if he found out God was real? God knows people's hearts and wants everyone in heaven, and it is none of our places to say who will or won't be there.
2007-07-25 06:28:01 · answer #9 · answered by The GMC 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Guy #2 has probably been mean to someone in his life. Surely he said something nasty to some person. Or maybe when he was little he disobeyed his parents even though he knew it was wrong to disobey them. Or maybe he cheated on a test.
My point is guy #2 has done things that are wrong. Sure he hasn't killed anyone, but he has still wronged other people, therefore he is in the wrong.
What if the guy who killed someone started donating money to charity, was good to animals and people and showed repentance after he killed someone, but never repented to God? He would still be separated from God for eternity.
2007-07-25 06:29:17 · answer #10 · answered by Mr. A 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Your logic is flawed in that you don't understand the nature of God.
Guy #1 - I would question his sincerety in his guilt - God knows the heart.
Matt 7:21 Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Guy #2 Sin Free - No. Sin is an honor offense to God.
2007-07-25 06:32:04 · answer #11 · answered by G 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋