I know, I know, it sounds incredibly obvious. But let's really think hard about this. I believe in God, but I don't believe I deserve to go to Hell for my sins, because I am still a good person. I am honest and I treat others with respect. Check out this answer that was posted to my last question, where I asked if it is required for me to believe I deserve eternity in Hell in order to be a Christian:
"Linz, I'm sorry you think you haven't done anything worthy of being separated from God... You must be just an utterly fantastic person -- kind to everyone, loving all the time, always humble, always pure in thought, always giving of yourself to others.
Personally, I'm a screw-up. And I need him. "
NO, I'm not PERFECT, but NO, I don't deserve Hell either. Can't any Christian agree with that? Maybe you're too scared?
2007-08-15 04:58:25 · 38 answers · asked by Linz ♥ VT 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The idea that we have to belong to a particular religion or faith to get into heaven is a marketing scam invented by those religions and faiths. “If you go to my church, you get to go to heaven. If you don’t, you’ll burn in Hell.” In other words, buy my product or die. The idea that we are born with original sin is just a variant of this to further emphasize why you need their product. These ideas are all invented by men to feed their worldly ambitions.
Do a lot of good and righteous people believe it? Sure they do. That’s why sheep is such a common metaphor for the religious, but that alone doesn’t make it right. If sheer numbers determined who was right, then Christianity is wrong since more people don’t believe it than do.
Trust me; if anybody gets to go to heaven, it’s you. God revels in all of his creation, and he needs the company of vibrant, thoughtful people like you. After all, have you ever tried to have a meaningful conversation with sheep?
2007-08-15 06:22:15 · answer #1 · answered by keith_housand 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You certainly are focused on Hell, aren't you? Someone, somewhere, has done a number on you. It's a wonder you have any faith at all.
Look at it this way. Pretend Hell doesn't exist.
Living life means death. Unless you're promised eternal life through Christ, you will die.
Once you understand that through Christ, you will live forever, then, you don't want to sin, or live unworthy of the gift you've been given -- eternal life.
And the nonsense, of "what if I sin, and am a bad person, THEN ask for forgiveness," is said by people who don't understand what eternal life through Christ, means.
I try not to sin, not because I'm afraid of Hell -- I try not to sin because I'm thankful and try to be worthy and deserving of the gift I've received.
Godspeed.
2007-08-15 05:29:50 · answer #2 · answered by jimmeisnerjr 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'll admit I have no clue how to answer your question...I can only share a few thoughts.
Perhaps you are too focused on the concept of hell instead of the concept of heaven. Because you are a "good person" you may not be able to accept that you deserve eternity in Hell (as it has been described to you), but perhaps it is better to ask if you deserve to spend eternity in the perfect presence of God?
I also consider myself a "good person"...honest, respectful...and like you, I'm not perfect. How about an earthly analogy...at one extreme is a person that is so "sinful" that he or she deserves to go to prison, at the other extreme is a person who is so "good" that he or she earns the right to have a audience with the Queen of England (to be invited to stay in the palace perhaps). No, you haven't done anything to deserve the horrors of prison, but have you done anything to deserve the honor of an invitation to Buckingham Palace?
God isn't the Queen of England, he is far more powerful and his home is far more beautiful and perfect...what would you need to do to earn an invitation to live with him? In my mind, the answer is that it would be virtually impossible to "do" enough to earn that reward.
Are people inherently "bad"...perhaps it would be better to say that they are inherently "imperfect". If God's home is a place of perfect love and perfect peace, then it makes sense that anyone who can't operate in a state of perfection can't exist there. Thus, no imperfect person (and that's everyone) could be allowed to enter. Enter Jesus...he served as the perfect sacrifice for our imperfections...basically, he went to bat for us. Those who can accept this gift have the ability to become like him after death...those that can't won't have the ability to enter God's presence when they die.
2007-08-15 05:34:35 · answer #3 · answered by KAL 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My understanding is that the bible teaches the following:
1. Humans are imperfect beings. This and Satan leads to Sin
2. We can never fully deserve salvation from God (so Christ's sacrifice was necessary to open the door to everlasting life for us)
3. God will come half-way if you earnestly try to be a good Christian. Jesus once said "my yoke is lite" meaning that he doesn't ask too much of you to be a follower. Following God's requirements will make you happy.
p.s. I don't believe in Hell and even the Catholic church has admitted there is no hell. Besides the religion aspect, there are many philosophers who agree that it isn't fair to punish someone eternally for the finite number of sins they commit in their short life span.
2007-08-15 05:10:39 · answer #4 · answered by dsr_jr 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I finding being optimistic in life is far better than being pessimistic. If you believe people are inherently bad than you are going to miss out on some great times with some great people. If you believe they are inherently good you will probably get burned a few times throughout life but the good times will outweigh those a hundred times over.
2016-05-18 03:58:02 · answer #5 · answered by courtney 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hello Linz,
The real issue as far as Christianity is concerned, is while you may do good things, are those good things meritorious? Is a relationship with God (in heaven--going to heaven and avoiding hell are actually much later motivators in the christian church, fairly modern) something you earn, or is it a free gift that you could never earn? That is the crux of the issue.
2007-08-15 05:16:52 · answer #6 · answered by Todd 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In a word, yes.
Which is one of many reasons that I no longer call myself a Christian.
And, in my understanding of human nature, it's simply NOT possible to live love when you see yourself and all others as sinful from birth and flawed by nature and in a horrible plight that SOMEONE ELSE must save you from.
I have spent a LONG time thinking about this:
Matthew 22:35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Jesus would not have said that we are to love others as we wish to be loved unless we were capable of loving, of acting from love.
Christianity teaches people that we are not WORTHY of love because of our nature, and if we cannot *accept* love then we cannot give it.
That's why I choose Jesus over Christianity.
2007-08-15 06:04:58 · answer #7 · answered by Praise Singer 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do I believe people are inherently bad? No...
what I do believe is in man's goodness. But I just don't see it as being enough to "earn" our way into Heaven. (wasn't it Paul that said 'all have fallen short of the glory').
Now...if I wanted to earn my way in to Heaven's perfection, and stand in the presence of the Perfect One, then I'd have to have lived a perfect life in order to "pay my own way."
Otherwise, when I get there, with my imperfections, would Heaven still be 100% perfect? With me being there? Not anymore.
And that is why....Jesus made the sacrifice...so we can be covered with His sacrifice.... so I can have that clean slate, and still be able to stand in the presence of Perfection.
Kinda like saying "i'm not a virgin anymore, but why can't I still why can't I work and live at Virgins4Life?" see the inconsistancy?
2007-08-15 05:22:19 · answer #8 · answered by Last Stand 2010 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Basically, that's the doctrine. You aren't worthy of anything but hell, but do what Jesus says and he'll put in a good word for you with the big guy. He only listens to Jesus, and you aren't worthy to even simply stop existing, you must be punished for eternity.
It's the modus operandi for all cults... make you believe you're worthless so that you seek the acceptance of the leader or group and do what ever they tell you. Christians don't think of themselves as a cult because of the sheer numbers of people within the cult, but if the shoe fits...
2007-08-15 05:08:09 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
I'm not worthy either, Ive committed so many sins, i don't think ill even be able to deserve to go to Hell, you shouldn't believe in all of that. The most important thing is to live your life as a happy person, don't try to go and sin, try to help others, if you need to sin, by helping them, go ahead, but i don't think you deserve to go to hell you deserve to go to heaven.
2007-08-15 05:06:01 · answer #10 · answered by XxXxJuliaXxXx 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋