Question for those that believe in heaven and hell?

Question

Suppose you know a guy, we'll call him John Doe. This man is a good man, he cares for others, he helps the needy, he gives to charity, and he is always willing to listen to your problems and give good advice. Mr. Doe is an all around good guy. One beautiful sunday morning you notice that while most people on your block are heading to church, Mr. Doe is nowhere to be seen.
After church you catch up with Mr. Doe and ask him why does he not attend church? Mr. Doe answers that he does not believe in god and then walks away.
After many days of pondering and confusion the admiration for Mr. Doe now turns to pity. Does Mr. Doe deserve hell? Luckily that choice is not yours to make. Later that night you are paid a visit from an angel. The angel tells you that god has left Mr. Doe's afterlife destination in your hands. It is up to you whether he goes to heaven or hell.
Do you send the kind, gentle, selfless Mr. Doe to hell?
Or do you look past his personal beliefs and into his heart?

Answer 1

The only rational way to judge people is based on their actions and on their character. Anything else is foolishness.

So, yes, if John was a good person and had lived a good life then he would be entitled to a proper reward. That is much better than people who have faith and go to a religious building on the weekend but don't necessarily live good lives.

Answer 2

@skepsis to your question trying to disprove things living on after death and your analogies: When a lightbulb burns out, where does the light go? When cookies are eaten and digested, where are the cookies? When a manufacturing project is cancelled, where does it go? There is no heaven or hell, only off, done, gone. -When a light bulb burns out the light which is energy does not simply disappear but is converted into another form of energy. (Heat energy) Kinda like a physical body dying and converting to spiritual. -When cookies are eaten and digested, the body breaks down the cookies and uses the various nutrients it gets from it for energy and fat storing etc. Also something living on after its initial use. -When a manufacturing project is cancelled (dont no why you put this one in, but it will work fine) its most likely thrown in the bin, because it is no longer useful, after the bin it is taken to be destroyed. I'll let you guess how this relates to the afterlife. (Hell) The bible is real, God is real, Jesus is real. Just because you have not looked for him doesnt mean hes not there. He says he knocks at the door and waits. He is not an intruder, maybe you haven't heard him because life is too loud. I challenge you to search for him. You wont have to look far. Maybe ask him to come into your life or even reveal himself to you. You wont be disappointed. If a Christian has experienced a revelation of Jesus Christ, Healing's and unexplainable experiences that have no other conclusion than Divine intervention tells someone they are a Christian many people will not believe because there supposedly isn't any proof, Does that Christian need to search to see if God is real if they have experienced him? No. If an atheist who has never experienced God, has no proof of him, but refuses to believe testimonies of Christians has no belief. Does that person not need to search to see if God is real? why not? what you find may surprise you.

Answer 3

I would not send Mr. Doe to hell. Just because he didn't know God in a personal way doesn't mean God didn't know Mr. Doe or the good in his heart and if he lead a good life, I don't see why he shouldn't go to heaven. While I believe in the concept of hell, I have a hard time believing God would turn someone away just for not believing, provided that person was a good person who tried his best to live a life of love and giving.

Answer 4

Well, first off let me say that the name John Doe sounds awfully familiar. Just joking!
In order to go to heaven, the primary requiste is that you have to believe in God and the work he's done for you through his son Jesus Christ. So no matter how good or angelic a person's deeds are, if he doesn't believe, he's not going to heaven. And that's God's word.
If it were in my hands, I'd send Mr. Doe to heaven because I'm not the one who came up with the requisite, so it doesn't mean anything to me. I'd just judge him on what he does. But when it comes to God, he has to know that you believe in him. That's the big difference.
I hope I answered your question. And may I say what an excellent question it was!

Answer 5

Personal beliefs are tied into people's hearts.... and I would have to have access to his heart to judge him. What you described is appearances, and God does not judge based on appearances.

For a person to truly follow Christ, they have to follow his NATURE; ie do the things he did. Help and care for others, help poor, stand against evil, etc. So going to church doesn't matter unless there is a Christ-like character.

If the guy is committed to truth, he will someday figure out there is a God, and will believe, and hence this question will be moot.

If there is a God (like in your analogy), and your guy finds out and refuses Him anyway, it means he is not committed to truth, but to his own opinions. It could also mean he wants nothing and no one over him, which means he sees himself as a supreme authority (I've lived with someone like that, and they are NOT good people, trust me.)

But over all, it is not whether your guy has all the right answers and information right now that will determine his judgement. it's whether when confronted with truth, WILL HE obey it.

So I'd have to know that to judge him.

Answer 6

Ah the old question of Heaven & Hell. Hard one. I believe if a Christian person noticed Mr. Doe. Noticed how good he is then some how that Christian person was led to Mr Doe. There must be a reason why he doesnt believe, yet he does such great things. I believe its up to the Christian to guide him back. Whose to say this is not a test for the person who noticed him? Things happen for reasons. Noticing him in the first place was one of them.

Answer 7

The thing is Mr. Doe's standard for "good" and God's standard for "good" are not the same. Where as God's standard for white may make Mr. Does's white seem offwhite or dingy. Since we cannot meet God's idea for perfection because of Sin, we have to be washed in the blood of a sacrifice...Jesus
Mr. Doe's a good guy, but has he ever stolen anything? Has he ever looked at a woman lustfully (aka Adultery according to God), has he ever lied? Then Mr. Doe is a sinner and his "good" is not "good enough" to receive something as wonderful as eternal life in Heaven without paying the penalty for sin. But Jesus did that, so that Mr. Doe could be considered the "rightousness of God" and perfect in the eyes of God. All he has to do is believe that.

Answer 8

That would depend.

This should be a cut-and-dry kind of question, but it's not.

I'll explain, even though it'll probably earn me more than a few thumbs-down.

I am a Christian. I believe that there is NO ONE in this world that is completely without sin. ALL of us have sinned at one point in our lives, either in thought, word or deed. And knowing God the way I think I do, I know that He cannot tolerate sin. I would love for that atheist to be with me in heaven...but would that be fair to him? What would it be like for him to be in God's presence, all the time, for eternity? What would it be like to stand in the presence of something so utterly pure, and holy, that He is beyond our comprehension? If I had to stand before God without knowing that my sins had been forgiven, it would be TERRIBLE! So really, heaven would be like hell for the atheist. On the other hand, hell would be equally bad.

I would have to tell God I'm not equipped to make that decision. I couldn't do it. Both heaven AND hell would be wrong for a man like that.

Answer 9

most of the answers I see are emotional in nature, Only those who meet certain standards are admidet to everlasting life on earth or in heaven

(Matthew 7:21-23) 21 “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. 22 Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ 23 And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew YOU! Get away from me, YOU workers of lawlessness.


you have to go to the Bible for the proper answer consider what Jesus told a nice Jew notice he didn't find anything wrong with this man it was Just that the man was unwilling to follow the Christ (Luke 18:18-23) 18 And a certain ruler questioned him, saying: “Good Teacher, by doing what shall I inherit everlasting life?” 19 Jesus said to him: “Why do you call me good? Nobody is good, except one, God. 20 You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21 Then he said: “All these I have kept from youth on.” 22 After hearing that, Jesus said to him: “There is yet one thing lacking about you: Sell all the things you have and distribute to poor people, and you will have treasure in the heavens; and come be my follower.” 23 When he heard this, he became deeply grieved, for he was very rich.

now the difference between Heaven & Hell, Heaven is described in space some where, not much info is given on that, but Hell is from the Greek word Hades which is from the hebrew word Sheol (or pit) where all people go when they die
(Ecclesiastes 9:5) 5 For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten.

(Ecclesiastes 3:18-21) 18 I, even I, have said in my heart with regard to the sons of mankind that the [true] God is going to select them, that they may see that they themselves are beasts. 19 For there is an eventuality as respects the sons of mankind and an eventuality as respects the beast, and they have the same eventuality. As the one dies, so the other dies; and they all have but one spirit, so that there is no superiority of the man over the beast, for everything is vanity. 20 All are going to one place. They have all come to be from the dust, and they are all returning to the dust. 21 Who is there knowing the spirit of the sons of mankind, whether it is ascending upward; and the spirit of the beast, whether it is descending downward to the earth?

whereas heaven is destined for a few who will rule with the christ as King/Priests (Revelation 20:6) 6 Happy and holy is anyone having part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years.

(Revelation 5:9-10) . . .And they sing a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slaughtered and with your blood you bought persons for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.”

now the Bible speaks of the Meek inheriting the earth (Matthew 5:5) 5 “Happy are the mild-tempered ones, since they will inherit the earth.

so if they are to live on a paradise earth (not in heaven) they will need that heavenly class to shepard them to perfection

Answer 10

I don't believe I am going to heaven or hell. I believe in a paradise earth and I would like very much for Mr. Doe to be resurrected to a perfect earth where we can enjoy the animals and birds and the beautiful flowers.
Those who are wicked die and return to the dust.
Your own bible says God told Adam "for dust you are and to dust you will return."