I'm atheist, but what if the Christians are right?

Question

what if there is a hell. when i die, i really don't wanna go there.

Answer 1

You're not an atheist.

Answer 2

Hi. By observing your question it is clear to me that you don't realize what hell really is. No one wants to go to hell, but didn't you know? Hell is not a place where one goes to roast and burn forever in a fiery pit. Hell is Sheol, Hades, Gehinna, the common grave for mankind.

The mix up is when false religious leaders began to miscontrue what "hell fire" meant in the Bible and so today it has become so convaluted to a point where most people believe that hell is where bad people go where they are tortured forever.

Many centuries ago, even before Christ, the way dead bodies were destroyed was that they were put in a fiery pit that would burn them to ashes, like at a funeral home when people's dying wish is to become cremated; cremation. The dead bodies were placed in a fiery pit to completely destroy them as thie prevented sickness and other illnesses resulting from decaying, decomposing "dirty" bodies. So the dead were cremated to ward off diseases.

Over the years, as you know, sinful men put their "touch" on the truth tainting it to scare the masses and distort the truth. Sometimes they did this purposely to mislead many, and other times they felt their viewpoints were just even though they were very incorrect. The Bible is always a good resource to go to and a kingdom hall when discerning the truth about hell or any other matters in life.

No one wants to go to hell, and I don't mean hell fire as I have explained how the "hell fire" doctrine became to be, but both good and bad people go to hell---that is the common grave for mankind. At Armageddon there will be final death meaning all wicked humans in the earth will be destroyed permanently, but they are not going to a place where they will roast and burn forever. Job makes light of hell, Jesus does also, so your own personal study and prayer along with guidance from elders will gain you accurate knowledge about this matter, hell.

Answer 3

Which Christians? There are many conflicting and contradicting religions all of which can't be right.

If there is no god atheism is the only path that makes sense.
If there is a god atheism is still the only path that makes sense,

How about this? If you truly are atheist it simply means you're religiously neutral. The word simply means without theism. There is nothing about atheism that says "knowing god does or doesn't exist."

If there is a god then he made us all begin as atheists. Shouldn't we stay that way until he tells us what he wants of us? If there is an all-knowing being he knows what would convince us. If he has chosen not to convince us what would be the reason? The only explanation that makes any sense at all is a test. What if life is a test to see who will truly trust in and wait for god and who will abandon god and give up waiting to chase one of the many conflicting contradicting religions of the world?

Who more closely emulates an infinitely intelligent being? The person who says I will wait for god to tell me what he wants OR the person who says I will let other people tell me what god wants?

As an atheist I'm willing to accept anything that has evidence equal to the claim. Even god. However only god can prove god. I don't reject what god wants of me I reject humans who claim they know what god wants of me.

----

Someone posted "you're not an atheist" Nothing in your post says you are a theist so this is presumptuous. It isn't a club they don't get to decide who is or isn't. Either you're a theist or not.

Someone posted that "you're agnostic." Perhaps but that does not mean you're not an atheist. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Someone posted Pascal's wager. Which is only an weak argument in favor of pretending to be a theist out of fear. And ignores the downside of choosing the wrong religion if there is a god.

Answer 4

And what if the muslims are right? What if the jews are right? What if the hindus, the sikhs, the buddhists, the wiccans, the scientologists or the pastafarians are right? No matter what religion you choose, if ANY OF THE OTHER ONES turns out to be the right one, you go to Hell anyway. Seriously, think about it. Don't you think a real deity would be more likely to reward rational thought rather than adherence to an arbitrary one of the world's hundreds of religions? Yeah.

Answer 5

Hello :)

I'm an atheist too. You may or may not know this but, what you're talking about here is Pascal's Wager. It is often used by Christians to convince non-believers like us, of the usefulness of believing in Christianity. It doesn't make for a very convincing argument however, for several reasons that have been rehashed on these forums in innumerable threads.

If you want to know what Pascal's Wager is and want to know why it hasn't been convincing enough to atheists (like us), please visit the link in my source(s).

I wish you a happy skeptical journey through life. :)

Answer 6

a few thousands different religions on earth -most of them having their own version of heaven and hell and different conditions to go there -
how do you know you are picking the correct religion,
or that by choosing the christian one, you will directly go to hell ?
or how do you know that god(s) do not prefer atheists ?
maybe god has a strong sense of humor...

Answer 7

is hard to determine which religions are real or not; Christianity, bud. Islam, and etc. how i see it is that i only believe what is real and true. i notice that lots of information in the Christianity bible are accurate. ton of people tried to prove bible is an inaccurate, faked, fiction book, but it cant, because there are something in the bible that cant be denied. my point is don blind-foldly believe in something, believe in something thats real.

Answer 8

Pick up a Bible and read a little bit about what it says about Jesus and Christianity. You'll find that true Christianity isn't practiced too much anymore, but the message is the same. Do some research about scientific discoveries that support the Bible (i.e. Roman chariot parts found in the Red Sea, and the real Mount Sinai in Saudi Arabia). Good luck and email me if you have questions.

Answer 9

You only get one life and when you die, you either go to heaven for eternity or hell for eternity.

Do an experiment: Read the New Testament and sincerely pray for God to reveal Himself to you. He promises He will.

Someone said to repent with your last breath. IT doesn't work like that. The Holy Spirit might be calling you and if you repeatedly deny Him, then it will be too late.

Eternity is a lonnnnng time. Where do you want to be?

Answer 10

Either you are not an atheist and trying to pretend to be one or you are unknowingly an agnostic.

Atheists do not spend their time wondering if any particular group is right. In fact, an atheist would be quick to point out that you singled out christians and not any of the other religions of the world.

Answer 11

I would say that you are still seeking out the truth. You have started an incredible journey and only you can decide where it will lead you. I am a Christian and I was where you are once. I studied various religions because I wasn't raised with one, but I knew there had to be something more than this life. It took several years, but if you seek for God, then you will find Him. Let your fear motivate you to seek out what you truly do believe. Like I wrote to another atheist earlier today...When we die either we will both know that I am right, or neither one of us will exist to know that you are wrong. You choose what you want to believe, but I will pray for you and your journey!

EDITT: To Windam Earle...God has and does reveal Himself to you, especially if you are in this section of Y!A, but you mock Him and refuse to see with your heart because you cannot see with your eyes. This is the essence of faith.