He knows he won't, but do you think he will, and if you think he will, does that mean you will.
2007-11-01 12:47:51 · 22 answers · asked by Middle Class White Male 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Depends on which God, if any exists. There are 5000 or so Gods that humans have conceived of - the real God, if it exists, may not even be one of those 5000.
So we don't know. Of course, in my opinion, if such thing as a God exists, it wouldn't be so petty and so immature as to torture a nice person merely because that person didn't believe in God.
2007-11-01 12:56:09 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
A single Hebrew word is variously translated throughout the bible as 'hell', 'pit' and 'grave'. The actual meaning of the word is 'a hole in the ground.'
The bible actually says that when you die, everyone goes into the grave. Those who believe in Jesus or "god" will supposedly be resurrected on Judgement day. Those who do not will not live again.
So technically, yes, everyone will end up in the grave, but not in some medieval torture chamber dreamed up as an excuse to burn heretics and witches. There is no biblical text that suggests such a 'hell' exists prior to the deliberate alteration perpetrated by the King James interpreters.
2007-11-01 20:06:19 · answer #2 · answered by Morgaine 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know that many of my fellow Christians will disagree with me, but I say YES. The kind of atheist you describe will not be condemned--neither will good persons from a non-Christian faith tradition.
God is compassionate and merciful, and He takes into account all the reasons for a person's non-belief or other-belief.
I know I know. Good works alone aren't enough to save you, no other Gods, Faith alone...I read the Bible too.
My pastor refers to persons he calls "passage hunters", by which he refers to naive Christians or nasty "Christians" who go through the Bible with a fine-toothed comb to find Scripture that will justify their ignorance, error, or nastiness.
The God that I worship is inclusive, not exclusive, and He does not run a private members-only social club.
2007-11-01 19:55:37 · answer #3 · answered by Pagan Dan 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
No.
Regarding Hell - Revelations speak of hell in at least two ways. First, it is another name for spirit prison, a temporary place in the postmortal world for those who died without a knowledge of the truth or those who were disobedient in mortality. Second, it is the permanent location of Satan and his followers and the sons of perdition, who are not redeemed by the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Spirit prison is a temporary state in which spirits will be taught the gospel and have the opportunity to repent and accept ordinances of salvation. Those who accept the gospel may dwell in paradise until the Resurrection. After they are resurrected and judged, they will receive the degree of glory of which they are worthy. Those who choose not to repent but who are not sons of perdition will remain in spirit prison until the end of the Millennium, when they will be freed from hell and punishment and be resurrected to a telestial glory.
Those who are not redeemed by the Atonement are in outer darkness, which is the dwelling place of the devil, his angels, and the sons of perdition. Sons of perdition are those who receive "no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come—having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame." Such individuals will not inherit a place in any kingdom of glory; for them the conditions of hell remain.
Regarding atheists - Yea, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God; then shall they confess, who live without God in the world, that the judgment of an everlasting punishment is just upon them; and they shall quake, and tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye.
2007-11-01 19:53:24 · answer #4 · answered by The Corinthian 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Does not matter of your character...you have to acknowledge God first before you even reach the pearly gates of Heaven...Just think why would God allow somebody who never believed in Him into His Kingdom? Thats like putting a tooth under your pillow when you don't even believe in the tooth fairy!
2007-11-01 19:58:28 · answer #5 · answered by SMX™ -- Lover Of Hero @};- 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Isiah: Interesting that your god is more interested in being believed in that people actually doing his work. It sounds like your religion has created an omnipotent egomaniac - "Pay attention to me or else you're going to hell, forever!" Nice deity.
2007-11-01 19:54:51 · answer #6 · answered by Sal 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe that a person who does not believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior they will go to hell. It may sound mean but God has called all Christians to warn people about eternity. God loves you He wants you to believe in Him. He wants to save you but if you won't let Him, He can't. God does not send people to hell but people send themselves to hell. God be with you.
2007-11-01 19:59:21 · answer #7 · answered by smart1 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes. here is what we believe in a nutshell about this:
Titus 3:5
He saved us, not because of righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit.
2007-11-01 19:56:23 · answer #8 · answered by Princess Peabody 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes, unless that law includes the greatest commandment:
Matthew 22
7Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment."
2007-11-01 19:57:28 · answer #9 · answered by Holy Holly 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, that's the idea. That's why Christianity is so attractive to some people - it's not a meritocracy.
2007-11-01 19:53:19 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋