I'm creating this thread to see if I myself can try to answer questions that question or even contradict myself and the religion that I believe in.

Here's how it goes, all of you ask me questions about Christianity, and I'll try my best to answer them with the little theological knowledge that I know.

I know exactly how you feel Sandraaa.
When I was little I had faith, as I got older I started to lose that faith, and I can still remember the day I knew God did not exist in me.

It was a few days after my dad died and my youngest sister came to me crying, I wrapped her up in my arms and she looked at me and asked "Does God hate Daddies or does God hate me?". I will never ever forget that, and I think because of that one sentence from the innocent child that didn't deserve the life she had I will never be able to fully believe, even when I do try.

If there were proof that God existed (I mean solid proof) then you would have no need for faith. God would simply exist. No-one would dispute it, everyone would be a Christian. Religion would loose it's meaning. It wouldn't be difficult. Nothing that has meaning is easy. Religion wouldn't work with solid proof.



That's a really touching story. I don't know what to say. If I were you I would try my hardest to understand that everything happens for a reason, but I'm not you so... I could never truly understand. I'm sorry about your father. I would be devastated if I lost mine.

I do try. I try my hardest because when someone close to you dies it's SO much easier to believe they are in heaven rather than believing that they are just nothing now but a rotting corpse.

No matter how much I try, I just have no faith. I can't swallow the things the bible says without gagging. It was that way before my dad died and it goes double now.

Thanks for your condolences, but it's not really your fault. Unless you killed him

Josh,

Exactly. Why do we have to have faith? We know he exists and nobody disputes it. This way everyone can choose whatever they want to believe in knowing FULLY well that there is a God.

I have every reason not to believe in God. My life has been turned upside down so many times and something happened TODAY that made me cry and ask why God is choosing to neglect me (if He exists).

Some people need proof, others blindly believe. I want to believe wholeheartedly without having any doubts. I need proof, I need evidence otherwise I would be a hypocrite believing just for the sake of believing.

I have trouble having faith in something intangible. I'd rather be a good person practicing good morals regardless if I'm told to do so by a religion. If I'm a good person and there is a god, why wouldn't he take me? I don't go out of my way to cheat people, to harm people, to belittle people. If anything, I go out of my way to be nice and friendly, and to help people when they need help without expectation of the favor being returned. Also, why would he take repented sinners over someone who has nothing they need to repent?

Man rapes a girl, serves his time, "finds god", repents, goes on with his every day life, goes to heaven? He still raped a girl.

Man is friendly, atheist, helps people out because he's a good person. Does he still go to heaven even though he didn't rape the girl?

^ Nail on the head.

Also, my dad has this theory that once saved, saved forever. So you can f**k around but since you're a Christian, you're going to heaven. Many Christians think this way.

By the way, why would God allow a murderer/rapist/Rico to heaven, if they repent from their sins but let a wonderful/caring/upright unbeliever to hell for not believing? How hypocritical and messed up is that? Is that what you call loving?

SEE? I can't help it!

If he does goto heaven, he won't go to heaven un-judged. You are judged whether you goto heaven or not.

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. (NASB) Rev. 20:12-13

You cannot judge that man. Only God can. Many of my own family members and friends have been raped. Those who raped them will be judged by God. It's not my responsibility, and although I want to kill each and every one of those people. I can rest inside knowing that they will receive punishment equal to the amount of pain they caused. Every bit of grief it's cause that person and all the people around them. They will be judged for that just as I will be judged for the pain that I caused in my life time.

Everyone will be judged. Everyone will face what they have done.

^ But if they repent, they're definitely going to heaven according to the Bible.

But just because they are in heaven doesn't mean they will not face hell on the way there. They will face the wrath of God for what they have done. I don't' even want to imagine what they will face.

Anyway, do you have any idea how bad Hell is? Hell is so bad that no man can even begin to fathom how terrible it actually is. Read about it. Hell is fuckin terrible. If you ever witnessed hell, you would not want anyone to go there.

But what about the people who don't have faith? Will they just be sent to hell because they aren't faithful? Or maybe they'll eternally swim in the river Styx. I don't care about the sinners, I'm interested in y'alls' responses regarding non-faithful people who lead better lives than faithful people who will allegedly go to heaven.

How can they face the wrath of God if they repent? Does that mean that God would first punish them then send them to heaven?

Jesus did it, why can't you!?

'Cos I'm lazy.

They goto hell. that's where Jesus comes in. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of those who believed in him (past, present, and future). Yes, they do goto hell. We would all goto hell if it weren't for Jesus. He bears the burden of our impurity, and makes us pure so we can enter into heaven.



He judges them, that's all it says.

That reminds me of the joke. A guy goes to hell, and the devil is feeling gracious that day. He decides to let that man choose his punishment. The first is a man getting eternally stabbed and healed, then re-stabbed. The second is a beautiful woman giving a man an endless blowjob. The third is a man bring burnt eternally.

The man goes "This isn't a hard choice at all! I'll take the second one!"

The devil goes over to the woman, and taps her shoulder. He goes "You're free to go."


That seems pretty lame. IMO that means Christianity is more about believing than practicing being a good person.

Why would God send them to hell yet send criminals to heaven?

Take a look at Saddam Hussein, what if he repented at the last minute? Don't tell me he's eating golden chicken ribs in heaven!!!

Which is why I don't like Christianity as a whole. Not to say I have anything against Christians or firm believers in Christianity. More power to them. Also that's not to say that the Bible isn't a great book, I just don't have faith in what seems to be a shallow religion.

Look, just because you repent before you die doesn't mean you're going to heaven. Man sees the body. You see Sadam repent, but God sees his heart. If he truly repented then, yes, he will goto heaven; if he just repented as an insurance policy then he will goto hell. You can fool man, but you can't fool God. Why shouldn't a person who has repented and fully accepted the responsibility of his actions goto heaven.



If you want to look at it that way. It's fine, but Hell has to exist. If it was a system of deeds then it wouldn't work.

You know, the sad thing is that nobody will ever be able to prove that God indeed exists. I guess we're all going to be in the dark.

I just noticed you merged my topic :) I remember merging plenty of yours haha.

Anyways, this is how I interpret getting into heaven based on this conversation. You have to have faith and be a good person in general. Would I be correct to assume such?

That's why athiests will alway win these arguments. They can always prove that there is no proof. If you weren't forced to have faith, then you wouldn't have to choose anything. Things would simply be the way they are. God would be a FACT. Love is a choice. You choose to love or you choice hell. That's the way it works.



Yes and no, you could have lead a terrible life, but in the end if you truly did have faith and change your heart then you would goto heaven. No-one can fool God, no-one. If you're trying to fool him into thinking you're saved, then you're probably going striaght to hell.

Kk. Well what about desists? What about people that believe in a higher being that created everything and that is all powerful but isn't necessarily the Christian God? Do they go to hell?

I can't say. I mean, I hope not, but only God knows. I just follow the Bible. I don't think I would want anyone to goto hell.

Fair enough.

I merged your posts Steven.