Christians like to say, "Isn't it better to believe and be saved then not to believe and go to hell? Even if I'm wrong I don't lose anything"
Doesn't this imply that Christians only believe in Jesus because they're expecting something in return?
*As a side-note, yes you do lose A LOT of things being a Xtian!
1. All those hours you spend praying
2. All those hours you spend in church
3. All that sponsored money you've put in those priests retirement fund
and etc etc
2007-08-26 17:01:39 · 16 answers · asked by 恐龙 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
if someone is a Christian, they don't 'believe' to avoid hell... you see, even the demons of hell believe that Jesus is the Son of God... and they won't be avoiding hell....
believing in him isnt enough. it takes a commitment and a relationship with Jesus to be saved....
I've lived life on both sides of the issue... i don't/didnt give up anything that is truly worthwhile by following Jesus Christ. I have gained way more than i have given up... i have Joy even in times of sorrow, strength to endure trials on the earth... and even if this life was all there was... I would still follow Jesus because of the change that happened to me when I was born again in Him.
the hours i spend in fellowship with my friends is not a 'loss' but actually very rewarding.... i don't support any priest (thank you Jesus) and my 'funds' go to God's work... not a church... i help kids go on mission trips, give to other mission works rather than a 'church denomination' as my tithe... some churches dont agree with that, but that is how God directs my tithes, so that is where they go!
(the hours i spent passed out from drunken stupors are hours that were 'lost' to me... when I could have been making choices that were better in Christ.... and honestly, if i had known then what i know now, i would have given up the bottle long before i did!)
2007-08-26 17:17:34 · answer #1 · answered by livinintheword † 6 · 16⤊ 1⤋
I would never tell you that it is better to believe just so that you won't go to Hell and even if you are wrong you don't lose anything.
That is not the reason to believe. The reason to believe is because God loves you and He came down from Heaven in the form of the man Jesus to die for you so that you can spend eternity with Him but, only if you choose to. It's about love.
1. I pray because I have a personal relationship with God. He wants to hear from me and I enjoy my closeness with Him.
2. My church is the people who follow and love Jesus. I want to be with them. We all do things together for the good of the community and we even have fun together like movies, eating at restaurants, motorcycle rides, visiting at each others homes and many other fun things.
3. My money goes into a tithe fund for helping orphans, widows, and homeless people and those in our fellowship or community that need help. Maybe even you at some time in the future.
2007-08-26 17:20:52 · answer #2 · answered by 4HIM- Christians love 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Remember my email about suffering??? I wonder... if we are God's children, wouldn't he be failing in his duty as a parent by letting us suffer? I'm not taking a stab at God, by any means, but the concept of child and parent is very interesting here. We cannot compare God to anything Earthly because God is simply untouchable, a concept so utterly abstract that one cannot begin to understand, I think. To compare God and a human being to a father and a son, or daughter, or whatever cannot be done! Apparently, Hell is supposed to be a discipline for sinners... But, look at really good people! So, what that guy was saying was that a "good" Christian who never helped anyone in his life, was selfish and immoral, will go to Heaven because he believes in Jesus Christ? He will go to Heaven when people, no matter how pure or how good will be condemened to an eternity of suffering??? That is absolutely unfathomable. I have many friends who do not believe that Jesus Christ was our savior, but they are not bad people. In fact, I know just as many people who believe in Jesus, and these people are NOT good people. But this is all conjecture, assuming that one belives in the Bible, a rather fractured document to construct your ideas on. I don't care if it's God's word, I do not believe that Jesus came to Earth to simply put people in their place! All of this talk of Judgement, and you're good and you're not, it's completely sickening! I wonder what the original Bible was like... Because what we are readin is a book that has been translated to this languge from this language many times throughout history and it has ben edited several times as well. Is our Bible the same as the original? The idea of someone telling another that you are going to suffer if you do not believe is truly horrific... Maybe we're already in Hell, and we just don't know it. There's enough suffering here for everyone... I wonder, why are we focusing on Hell, suffering to come in many years, when there are REAL people suffering now? Maybe, human selfishness carries over into the after-life.
2016-05-18 22:56:59 · answer #3 · answered by nicol 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.... I can safely say that many "believe" because they have a personal relationship with God and Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit confirms to them that their love, belief, and Faith, is not in error.
You re using those answers mostly out of context...usually the QUESTION was such that the particular people whom ANSWERED that way felt justified in doing so.
Having said that, admittedly, some tend to stress that more than anything else....however, I am hoping that it isn't because of what you had suggested....
LOL... as far as "losing out" on the things you suggested... Many of us do not belong to any church, nor have we tithed to a church but prefer to pick where our gifts go...
As for prayer...the time spent with the Lord isn't all for personal gain for most of us...we spend more time praying for family and strangers then we do ourselves :) And, no, caring for other people is not a waste of time.
May you find Truth and Peace :)
2007-08-26 17:36:30 · answer #4 · answered by ForeverSet 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You really should state your belief when you ask a question like this. What about you? Whatever Faith or belief or non -belief you have, why do you think that way? Now, to answer your question, I believe in Jesus because anyone who would go through what He did just so I have a chance to go to heaven, then I owe Him more than I can ever repay. If you don't believe, then all that pain, suffering and torture He went through were for nothing. How sad would that be? Thanks for the question, and have a great day!
2007-08-26 17:11:21 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
Sin is what you are not what you do.
Love is love for loves sake and expects nothing for itself.
God is love.
Anyone that loves is from God.
You must become love.
Most Christians don't follow the two commands of Christ because they judge.
I can't love what I judge.
I can't judge what I love.
If I knew that neither heaven nor hell was true I still couldn't help loving people because my nature has been changed by God. Nothing on earth matters except that we love one another.
Agape
♥Blessed Be♥
♥=∞
2007-08-26 17:07:16 · answer #6 · answered by gnosticv 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Some Christians believe in Jesus, because we know He died for our sins.
He layed down His life for us so that we will spend eternity with Him.
What you don't understand is, that is all that is asked of us, to believe in the One God has sent.
2007-08-26 17:29:15 · answer #7 · answered by Spoken4 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Do I believe in Jesus to avoid hell? No. God will send me where he pleases. He's the boss!
2007-08-26 17:08:01 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
To a degree believing in Christ is a selfish thing....SOMEONE died for MY sins......
**As a side note: 1) Those hours praying help me better my life and my situation as well as bing time to worship God.
2) Those hours in church is time well spent with my family(other believers) worshiping my Savior...the guy who died FOR me.
3) Some of that money goes to programs I use....daycare for my community, food for my community, sending kids to camp.........
You Gain alot being a Christian. ETERNAL LIFE. A wonderfully huge supportive family, and lots of fun exciting times learning about God, yourself and others!
blessings
2007-08-26 17:11:58 · answer #9 · answered by justthinkin 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
That's the main reason they believe. Albert Einstein once said that if the only motivation to do good is to avoid eternal punishment, then humans are a sorry lot indeed.
peace.
2007-08-26 17:14:12 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋