Please THINK before answering my question this time. And try to answer the actual question?

Question

Why would God punish those of us that happen to have the incorrect belief?

I've looked at the evidence (as much as I know so far) and I've decided that the existence of God isn't likely. You may have looked at the evidence that you know and decided that God does exist.

Now lets say that God does exist. Would a loving and just God punish someone (eternally, no less) who, through no fault of their own (just trying to use all the faculties God gave me to come to the best conclusion that I can), just happened to get the wrong answer to the question of life?

And if we are supposed to believe because of faith, how am I supposed to know that I am supposed to use faith and not reason? The only way I could believe that is if I already believed in the Christian teachings, and thus believed when they told me that I am supposed to use faith over all else.

If you are about to leave a stupid answer, please read this first:

Yes, obviously I already know that God wants us to believe and we are supposed to believe and all that. That is the reason I am asking this question. So no stupid answers to that affect.

Also, I am not asking this out of a fear of going to hell. I am just using the ad absurdum argument to show that what Christians believe about hell is ridiculous.

Ahh, first answer, first person to miss the whole point. There are a million possible "truths" out there. Yet you are punished if you don't happen to believe the actual truth.

No, I HAVEN'T seen, Oregon. Thats the whole point. I've seen that maybe evolution is true. I've seen that, if there is a God, maybe he wants me to be peaceful and loving and turn the other cheek. Or maybe he wants me to kill anyone who isn't a follower of him. Or maybe somewhere in between. Or maybe there are many Gods. Who the hell knows? Unless he comes here and tells me, I can't know, and thus I can't be held responsible for his withheld information.

Tammy, I sure hope you don't burn your children alive when they reject you...

Answer 1

We see questions like this all the time and when we ALL answer with the best of our hearts and minds we get stepped on so... what are we to say? What DO you want to hear?
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Telling Our Experiences doesn't work.
Us saying that we feel Him doesn't work.
We (Christians)believe the Words in the Bible are Truth yet you still have questions like these. This has been answered numerous times we direct people where in the Bible and Why we believe the way we do so Why is there still a question like this in your mind???
Either accept the Whole Bible as Truth or not. Seems that simple Everyone else Here made up there minds so lets move on... please.
You've already decided of God's non existence so I am sure you could move on to learning whatever else you can at R&S.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I don't sit here and try to be Pascal Wager(??)
People ask a God Question I will give my God Thoughts and Answers! I learn from others by thier example and I can only hope I would be a Good example of my God.

Answer 2

Obviously, you're going to be dissatisfied with any answer you get from a believer. The whole basis of Christianity is faith. You don't believe or understand or agree with faith, so what answer can be given that you will like?

If a person has heard about God and received enough information to understand what God wants us to do (believe in Him), but then rejects that, the person has decided his/her own fate. God gives each of us two choices: Accept God or reject God. Whatever reason you use to justify rejecting God puts any resultant punishment on you, not God.

Now, if a person has no real idea what the Bible or Christianity says about God (such as someone in North Korea), then the person cannot make an informed decision about God. In that situation, I'm sure a merciful God would not punish the person eternally.

I've looked at all the evidence, and used reason, and I believe God exists. When the day of judgment comes, you can stand in front of Christ and tell Him you decided He did not exist. Plead your case. What He decides for you is up to Him and I hope you are given mercy and maybe you will be. Apparently, that is a chance you are willing to take, so more power to you. I'm not willing to take that chance. I'd rather err on the side of God, because there is no penalty with that err.

Answer 3

I know exactly what you mean! A lot of the time I feel completely in the dark! Is He really there! How do I know for sure? Is He made up by somebody, who wanted to control others?
Why would He punish us, for uncertainty? I can't believe that he would think less of us for not knowing what to do, or where to turn!
So, why would He then punish us for being lost?
I try to have faith, I really do, but, there are so many questions, and no suitable answers!
So, what are we supposed to do? ' Seek, and ye shall find'! it says that in the Bible! Just where do you look, and will you know when you do find it?
IDK! I think I am as lost as you are! But no, I don't think He will punish us for not believing!
And think about the tribes on Borneo! They have never heard of the concept of God! Will they be punished? I doubt it!

Answer 4

Not all religious doctrines have the same ideas; you are not asking about "GOD"; you are asking questions about CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. And, as for "looking at the evidence", you clearly haven't looked very deeply AT ALL. The natural world is a MARVEL of intricate complexity and interaction from the solar system down to the cellular processes, and even beyond that down to the atomic level. None of this happened by 'chance'. The odds are billions to one against such complexity occuring by chance. It is plenty apparent that there is a great consciousness behind creation on every level, so if "God" didn't create it all, then WHO DID?

And if you find Christian logic and doctrine ridiculous and absurd (many do), then try ANOTHER religion that ISN'T Judaeo-Christian. The Bhagavad-Gita is a GREAT scripture and very clear and concise.

Answer 5

True. I believe it would take a very sloppy deity to grant us free will, offer us a slew of things to believe, and then throw us into a burning pit for eternity if we make a mistake. Even the worst parents in the world (okay, I can't go as far as that -- I'm sure there are disgusting monsters out there) wouldn't think to punish their children FOREVER for making their own choices, no matter how disagreeable they are.

By the way, I'm merely using Christianity as an example because I'm most familiar with it. Nothing personal.

Answer 6

Men have a great ability called free will, and it is this that causes the pain and suffering in this world. What about a natural disaster, well the rain pours on the good and evil alike. I don't think God sits on his throne in heaven and aims his proverbial magnifying glass at unsuspecting people around the world. Were born we die, and the world keeps on spinning. A little fun fact about God is that; thousands of years ago before the advent of telescopes, God had said that he suspended the world on nothing, and if you look directly above planet earth, there is a void, no stars or nothing. it is written in the Bible, look it up.

Answer 7

God knows who has the incorrect belief, and those that don't believe. Human nature is a tricky thing he graced us with. You will know when you have the right answer because our true father in heaven will see to it that you have peace with the answer. It does not hurt to read that Bible, don't be scared of what you don't know, that is why he gave us the holy spirit to help explain things to us. God's love is not divided into religions, just know religion is not what he is about.

Answer 8

Well done; great bait.
Thank you.

I haven't read the comments yet.
I love the smell of fundies burning up in their fear, magic and illogic*.
I'm sure I won't be disappointed.
I wonder how many will pull out two bibles and let you have both barrels of stupidity at the same time only to shoot themselves in the foot.
The anticipation is mouth-watering.

[edit]
MoonJuice went on a mindless rant I hope he didn't expect anyone to read - some fundies really believe we will read 'bible' excerpts.
Weirdly wired, a?

"I'm not willing to take that chance. I'd rather err on the side of God, because there is no penalty with that err."
And THAT is the only basis of their 'faith' - Pascal's Wager = FEAR.

Answer 9

The religious make too big a deal out of "faith". Faith is just wishful thinking that something is true of that something will happen.

Reason is needed for discerning the difference between reality and fantasy. We all have faith in something as we go about our lives. But that's faith with an "f" rather than with the "F".

.

Answer 10

Well now that's just crazy talk! Everybody knows these questions are generated by a computer at Yahoo that takes up a whole city block!