a thieving, raping, lusting, murderer if he repents and becomes what you call "born again" but this same god will not forgive an atheist?
It seems that the murderer has hurt more people with his crimes against man, and hurt god by sinning than the atheist who is only hurting god by failing to acknowledge god's existence.
The atheist could be a find upstanding person who never does anything wrong on earth, helps those who need help, and gives of himself to others, yet, if your world view is true, this good person will be sent to hell to be tortured forever only because the world he perceived did not include a god.
Doesn't this just seem entirely backwards to you?
2007-10-14 07:01:35 · 19 answers · asked by ChooseRealityPLEASE 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Until the atheist admits that he's a sinner and asks God to forgive him of his sins, he has no hope and will spend eternity in hell. If the murderer, etc. has asked God for forgiveness, it's as though the sin itself never happened. However, since the atheist unfortunately does not believe that God exists, he will never be forgiven. No, it's not backwards. Good works alone don't cut it when it comes to personal salvation.
2007-10-14 07:10:00 · answer #1 · answered by N L 6 · 1⤊ 6⤋
So by your statement, you are saying athetists are not people. What gives?
God will forgive anybody as long as their heart is sincere, even atheists. And God will know so don't try to be cute and talk your way in or out.
Find, upstanding people receive their rewards here on earth.
You are right, you will go to hell if you do not ask Jesus into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior. Remember, God knows how sincere you are when asking.
What is backwards about it? God created you and is now waiting for you to do your part. It's call free will.
God loves you and only wants what is best for you and has given you the free will to make your own decision for your salvation.
When in hell you will also have all your earthly memories to help torment you even more. You don't want that, do you?
2007-10-14 07:35:37 · answer #2 · answered by D.A. S 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Why we believe is perhaps the most well quoted verse John 3:16 and as far as your personal ethics go I can see the confusion. However this life on Earth is fleeting and passes if one who has done great wrong can truly find God in his heart and chooses to accept what he has done has disgraced God than out of his shame comes forgiveness. The same an atheist who ignores the beauty of a forgiveness like that chooses to deny the existence of God and thus his grace and is judged accordingly.
A murderer who asks for forgiveness but continues to hurt others has not truly found God nor does he truly believe in his existence, judgement or grace and as such remains an atheist. Only a social transgressor who ceases his current lifestyle and tries to live in a state pleasing to God and admits in a state of humble prostration his inadequacy will be forgiven.
To accept like that is not the easiest thing to do especially for those who have lived such a damaging lifestyle. An atheist doesnt concern himself with God's design, purpose and forgiveness and as such does not receive it. This doesnt seem backwards but rather God giving to those what they desire.
An atheist desires not to know God or his loving embace, so he never does.
Even a murderer in his last seconds of life can find the loving acceptance and forgiveness of God and asks for it so God gives it to him!
2007-10-14 07:17:56 · answer #3 · answered by daemon747 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It would seem backwards if you could "earn" your way to forgiveness. And of course this same God will forgive an atheist, but of course they would no longer be one! God is generous, full of grace, full of mercy, loving us even though we don’t deserve it.
That kind of message bothers religious leaders and all who say that the harder you work, the more you will get; if you behave better, you will get a better reward. Religious leaders like to have that kind of message, because it makes it easy to motivate people to work hard, to do right, to live right.
But Jesus says, It isn’t so.
If you have dug a really deep pit for yourself, if you have messed up time and time again, if you have been the worst sort of sinner, you don’t have to work your way out of the pit to be given salvation. God simply forgives you for the sake of Jesus. You don’t have to deserve it—God simply does it. You just need to believe it. You just need to trust God, to take him at his word: Your million-dollar debt is removed from the record.
That is good news for ordinary people.
The problem with being an atheist is that its a belief system every bit as much as being a theist is as one cannot prove there is no God. Another problem is that there is no one on the planet who "never does anything wrong."
Only God can know a man's heart and there is no definitive way for another person to judge whether a person goes to heaven or hell. It is not God's will that any man should perish. But love is a choice. If a person chooses not to love God in return, that is there own decision.
2007-10-14 07:33:30 · answer #4 · answered by thundercatt9 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Here's the thing. GOD will forgive an atheist if he asks for forgiveness. If he does he will no longer be an atheist. He'll be a Christian.
2007-10-15 15:57:53 · answer #5 · answered by Eric S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry, I am a pagan here. But you are correct. I actually asked priests that question of a non beielever and a child molester that believed. And they always allowed the child molester in heavan. That is very odd to me as well.
I have asked many christians many questions. And they answer that it is impossible for us to understand the ways of god, yet they know that he will only allow only certain people to heavan. So this is just an example of the double standard that they live by.
2007-10-14 07:10:48 · answer #6 · answered by iowawarlord 2 · 4⤊ 1⤋
The Catholics believe that although god may forgive your sins you still have to pay the price of your sins. That's why purgatory exists. It is the balance of God's justice and mercy.
While God can forgive your sins, he cannot admit anything stained by sins into heaven. So the thief, rapist, murderer, pervert etc. While they can be forgiven and admitted to heaven, they will have to spend a looooonnnngg time in purgatory first. And the nether parts of purgatory are not much different than hell.
This is why confession is not a license to sin. While the penitent may receive forgiveness through confession, they still have to pay the price for their sins, either through penance in this life or purgatory in the next.
Edit for the Catholic who denies this teaching:
Canon 30 from the Council of Trent's Decree on Justification (Sixth Sesssion, 1547)
"If anyone says that after the grace of justification has been received the guilt is so remitted and the debt of eternal punishment so blotted out for any repentant sinner, that no debt of temporal punishment remains to be paid, either in this world or in the other, in purgatory, before access can be opened to the kingdom of heaven, anathema sit ["let him be anathema" or excommunicated].
This means you're a heretic, honey.
As far as the atheist who doesn't believe in God (missed that bit in the question before). Well, you don't know why he doesn't believe in God. Leading a virtuous life professes something to God, so really the judgment of an individual soul is up to God. We can't judge a particular case.
2007-10-14 07:06:50 · answer #7 · answered by Robin Runesinger 5 · 0⤊ 6⤋
my friend you ask a hard question only god can answer thoughh it may not be fair but god demands respect and love he created all things the bible say so my point is this you claim to be a good man you help those who need help and you give your self to help others then in your heart you are a good man but i ask why dont you believe in god sure we dont see him here on earth some times prayers are not answered but we need faith and passion to have love and harmony is like in school our teachers they teach us but we cant rule over our teachers we can ask questions my idea is get alone pray to jesus ask him to help you understand surely you dont want to be in hell nor i also ask a preacher
2007-10-14 09:01:01 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
What do you care if God is generous? Does he not have the right to be generous with his own inheritence? God answered this question in a parable of the workers.
2007-10-14 07:34:42 · answer #9 · answered by Rockford 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Like I said atheist are here in Gods grace to question and doubt us. We in turn have to think long and hard about what they say. I personally do not blow them off as sinners and such. I see them them as I see a person that is color blind they just can not fake it and will not fake it because they lack something that the rest were born with. I think their sole mission is to help us in our walk. And for that they will go to heaven.
2007-10-14 07:21:29 · answer #10 · answered by theladygeorge 5 · 1⤊ 3⤋