Is this really all Christianity is...accept Jesus or go to Hell? (details inside)?

Question

I went to this Halloween-type thing called "Judgment House" at a nearby Church with a few friends. In a nutshell, you go into several rooms and in each room it has a different scene showing someone's death and judgment

One of the rooms was Hell. It showed characters being tortured and burning right in front of us, screaming in pain the entire time.

At the end, an "Average Joe" Christian spoke. His exact words were, "What you have seen tonight is a portrayal of people and how their decisions affected their afterlife. It doesn't matter how good of a life you lived. If you do not accept Jesus, you are going to Hell."

Actually SEEING "Hell" seriously scarred me for life...I had always known what "Hell" was and what Christians believed, but now the images of torture are forever burned into my eyes. They kept preaching, "God loves the world so much He gave us His Son to save us." Yeah, He loves us SO much and SO unconditionally that He'll let every non-Christian suffer for eternity?

That was the most terrifying experience of my life. By the end, I was so disturbed I was sobbing and shaking uncontrollably. Not because I'm afraid of going to Hell--I don't believe in such a thing. I was terrified because I finally realized that yes, people DO actually believe this stuff.

Why dont Christians think there is something wrong with a God who doesn't care what kind of person you are as long as you follow a certain religion? Why doesn't anybody even entertain the thought that MAYBE it's just a scare tactic so they can have power? They said it didn't matter how much you sinned, how good or bad you are...so if there isn't even any reason to be moral, is that all Christianity is: Accept Jesus or go to Hell? Isn't there something wrong with that? Why don't people see?

Go ahead...blast me because I don't believe what you do! Let me have it because I have a mind of my own and I'm not afraid to question authority like the greatest minds and revolutionaries our world has seen!

I just reread my question. I apologize for coming off as harsh, but the entire experience I had tonight has upset and sickened me to no end. I could have phrased my questions better and without coming off as a (fill in the blank). That is not who I am. I am sorry if you feel that I wrote rudely or if I have offended you, but my opinions--as well as my questions--will remain.

Earth Angel--your answer deeply offended me...calling me stubborn, a sinner, AND a dope?

You say that my "denial" is as sinful as it gets? Let me tell you something: I love God with all my heart. I thank Him every morning when I wake up, throughout the day, and every night--simply for being there for me. And He has. I love Jesus, too. But I also love Mohammed, Buddha, and every single other prophet sent from God to walk this Earth. The reason I don't accept Jesus as my personal savior is because I know in my heart that there are many, many paths that all lead to the same destination--Heaven. I live every single day of my life trying to emulate ALL of them...and yet you still call me a sinner, saying I'm Hellbound because I think for myself? I apologize...but your answer disgusts me.

Also, we get it, God doesn't "send" us to Hell, pick apart grammar all you want. But wouldn't you save YOUR children from eternal suffering because you love them, even if it WAS against their will?

***In my previous added details, "all of them" refers to the Prophets such as Jesus, Mohammed, etc, who provided examples of what life we should live. "All of them" doesn't refer to all paths to Heaven, I noticed that discrepancy and I don't want it misinterpreted. Sorry!

Like a rolling stone--you're right, it DID make me think...but not in the direction you're probably hoping.

2 and 4 are numbers. They are concrete. We can SEE 2 and 4. We can't see God, He is esoteric. We can't compare them.

Jesus often spoke in parable, and I do as well. One mother's day, three children decided to show their love for their mother in the following ways: one wrote her a poem, another bought her jewelry, and the last made her breakfast in bed. All of them showed their love for their mother in different ways, but which way was the RIGHT way? Is one way better than the other?

Does the mother even care HOW her children showed their love for her? Of course not. The mother loves her children equally and she's just happy they showed their love for them. Even if they didn't, her love is unconditional. She'd still love them.

Imagine that amazing HUMAN love and magnify it...all religions show the same love for the same God but in different ways. God only accepts one?

Answer 1

YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION DEAR.....THERE IS NO HELL (hell is not a place; it is separation from God) GOD IS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. HE IS THE ALPHA & OMEGA, THE UP & THE DOWN, THE IN & THE OUT, THE RIGHT & THE LEFT. HE IS ALL THAT IS.....THERE IS NO ONE *RIGHT* PATH TO GOD AS ALL CHRISTIANS WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE. JESUS TAUGHT THAT GOD IS WITHIN US!!!!
Lot of Christians out there don't THINK.....they follow.....without questioning all the contradictions contained in their religion. One breath it's "God is Love" the next is ......"BUT ONLY IF....." There is the Biggest Contradiction right there.....there are no "ifs". According to Christians Gandhi would be in hell and so would the Dalai Lama....make sense? NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GOD'S LOVE IS INCLUSIVE NOT EXCLUSIVE AS SO MANY "CHRISTIANS" WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO BELIEVE.

FOLLOW YOUR HEART MY LOVE. I LOVE YOU.

Answer 2

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.

Answer 3

It is sad that Christians use this as a scare tactic. I guess they think its gona work on 1 out of the 100 people they scare.

I am a new believer in Christ and I feel so bad that you had to see such a drastic picture of death. I gave Christ a chance to show me the truth almost 2 yrs ago. I was having a lot of problems, was depressed, not knowing what to do at all. To make a long story shorter, Sometimes it takes being down in the dumps or scared to accept something that you dont think exist.

Its the best think I ever took a chance on. God doesn't care what religion you are. He just wants you to choose Him. He wants us to want to come to him. Good deeds are nice, but they wont get you to heaven. He is not letting us suffer, we choose to do things that make us suffer. We have free will. I hope you choose to give God a chance to show you the truth in a better way then 'that judgment house' thing. It is amazing.

Answer 4

Whether Hell exists or doesn't exist is not really the issue here. What is the issue is the method that the church you went to choose to portray Judgment House. You realize that by using the term Judgment House, they were able to avoid the pagan holiday of Halloween and its haunted house. A good "Christian" is a forgiving person who tries to help another person no matter their religion. A good "Christian" is not one who uses scare tactics to prove that other religions are wrong and that theirs is the only right way to believe. I am very tired of these so-called perfect religions. Anything made by man, and religion falls into this category, cannot be perfect. Try more to believe in what you believe, and not worry about what others believe. Your way is the correct way for you. The other people are wrong when it comes to your belief.

Answer 5

The whole point of Christianity is Christ. He is the only path to God and Heaven according to Christianity. One can believe this without starting wars or being disrespectful to other beliefs. Billions believe in Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. Perhaps there's something to those religions, perhaps not. I'm going to leave any judgment of those people up to God. He is quite capable of sorting out all these paths to Him.

You're upset from this Hell House incident which is a perfect example of why I don't support these displays. Many times, they include scenes of gay people burning in hell or dying of AIDS which I find very offensive since they are clearly only meant to justify homophobia and recruit people into the anti-gay lifestyle.

I think it is not productive to scare people into accepting Christianity. Accepting Christ is a decision one has to make willingly in his/her heart. Love is a much better way to lead people to that decision. I think that we all understand the concept of hell for sinners--do we need to keep highlighting it and throwing it in people's faces? Or do we try to lead by an example based on treating others as we want to be treated?

Answer 6

No, that is not all Christianity is. I know that is what seems, but there is more to it than just accepting Jesus as your personal savior. You and I both know that doesn't change anything. In 2nd Corinthians 5:17 says " Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." This verse means, the way you use to live, is not the way you will live with Christ in your life. Accepting Christ is a step of salvation but according to the Bible, there is a lot more that you have to do. Feel free to ask me any questions?

Answer 7

Ideas such as exactly what you saw at Judgment House are some of the things that drove me out of Christianity.

Yes, it's disturbing to see how much people actually believe that a so-called "loving" God callously condemns people to hell. FYI, this same thing was captured in a documentary on a film called Hell House. (Links below.)

I don't know if you want to try to delve into the mindset further. It might make it more understandable, or it might just alarm you to know how far gone the theology is. If you do, you might want to read "The Mind of the Bible Believer" or either of the two books called "Leaving the Fold": one a collection of essays from former members, the other a guide for those who are leaving or have left. There's a lot of insight in these.

Answer 8

Hell is very real but it's not controlled by Jesus or God. I'm a Buddhist so whenever there is discrepency concerning metaphysical things I just consult Buddhism as apparently the Buddha is omniscient so I consider whatever he says to be true. Basically it has nothing to do with Jesus or God but what you do is more important. You have to try to good deeds in this life and then you will go to heaven. Jesus and God are beings that live for 36 million years in heaven high off in the sky. Even though they don't control hell and stuff they're still pretty wise however life is very easy for them and so some of them are corrupted and don't do good deeds. You should do good deeds while you can. In hell you will meet this judge called Yama who will ask if you recall doing any good deeds if you did you can say them. If you didn't then he will send you off. So some people can continue to believe in Jesus Christ and God and still go to hell. That's why I fear some Christians will end up going to hell and being very confused. However this does not pinpoint the people who believe in Jesus's philosophy as Jesus does tell you to do good deeds and "cloth the poor" or take care of poor people. So no matter what just try to do good deeds. Guilt is apparently a bad thing, never regret. When you realize one day that you have done bad things then go out and do good things. Never stay idle or make your guilt get the better of you otherwise you will only end up worse. The punishments in hell are also quite creative.

I'm not stupid so I don't believe in idiological Gods to fulfill all my dreams or make me feel better. I know I will go to hell this is however for another reason. One of the longest punishments in hell you can recieve is actually quite interesting. You are packed into a tight room with thousands of other people and a fire erupts from the floor and burns you but you don't die, then a fire from the ceiling comes and burn you, then from the back, then from the front, them from the left and right but no matter how severe your injuries you don't die. Then a door to the left opens and you have a chance to escape however before you reach it, it closes. Then the process repeats again until a door to the right opens then you escape. When you get out it is too dark to see and you fall into a pile of urine and feces, insects with no eyes but only spikes will crawl all over you and into your skin and eat your internals. This and the previous one will last for an extremely long time. Until finally you escape and you end up in a beautiful forest. However as you walk or run through the leaves turn into blades and cut you up into small pieces. Then you finally make it to the end of the forest. Where you will see 2 ogres from heaven. These people are the guards of hell they will take you and they will ask what do you want? And you will say I want to eat something so they take molten iron balls and pour it down your throat. Then they will ask what else do you want? Then you will say I want something to drink then they will take molten iron and pour it down your throat. Then they will open a hole in the ground and throw you into the first room you were in and the whole process repeats again.

This is not to scare you however as this is an unusually long punishment. I'm just interested in this stuff. Some people have only gone to hell for one day or 7 days because they were good people but maybe they did some one bad in their lives. Then afterwards they were sent to heaven for a few million years. The longest you can stay in heaven is for 9 billion years. So the point is don't fuss over bad deeds, just try to be a good person. Oh and guess what, the person who rules over the highest heaven. Is Satan.

Answer 9

And they have the hide to say god is love . These Christians have little resemblance of Christ Jesus.
May I remind you Jesus was raised from hell (Acts 2:27 ,31&32). Ask yourself if Jesus when to Hell for not living a good christian life ,what chance do we have ?
The bible says the wages of sin is death , If god is love why eternal punishment for sin you already paid the price for ? Does that sound like a god of love or an evil nasty god ?
Ecclesiastes 9:5 tells us the dead are conscience of nothing .Is the bible lieing ? Whats the point of punishing the dead if their not conscience of it.
The churches views of hell are not logical when you compare it with the bibles teachings.
The bible says "Get out of her my people" refering to the world empire of false religion. You owe it to yourself to question your beliefs and compare them to what gods word the bible says . The truth will set you free.
Run for your life from that church.

Answer 10

I love how these folks will gloss over the passages where works figure prominantly - Matthew's sheep and the goats story for one in which belief is never the issue, rather, one's actions determines who was a follower of Christ.

It is difficult to comprehend how these folks can reconcile such disparate images of God. God loves everyone unconditionally, yet will send many to eternal torment because they do not believe in a specific view of God. Any earthly ruler who made his subjects grovel at his feet, threatening them with eternal suffering should they ever fall away would be branded a tyrant. Further, what is the reward for enduring under the tyrant. The reward is getting to sing praises to him forever and ever after you die. Fun?
Makes little sense to me really. Sorry that experience scarred you so much man, but sadly, the current climate within most conservative Christian circles is a scarry one.