stillhere21
Posts:70
 | | 10/08/2007 2:17 PM |
 Alert | My dad is a Pastor and I was raised in the church. The one question I continue to ask myself is this:
Why would any rational person choose to go to hell instead of simply believe in Jesus and go to heaven? Even if heaven and God don't exist, doesn't it make sense to choose an eternal life of no more pain or suffering over complete torture in a burning pit or on the hand ignore the choices completely?
How do you live not knowing and believing that there is something better for you?
I struggle so much with this. Thanks for your honest answers. | | | |
|
|
Horses R Cool
Posts:144
| | 10/08/2007 2:26 PM |
Alert | | I believe we become furtilizer, just like a dead animal...they decompse. There is no after life. Heaven or hell. Seriously, how could any rational person believe in such a thought? | | | |
|
|
|
NEZv69.69
Posts:0
| | 10/08/2007 2:28 PM |
Alert | | Can Jesus dunk a basketball?? One handed or two?? | | | |
|
|
|
stillhere21
Posts:70
| | 10/08/2007 2:34 PM |
Alert | horses,
why would you choose that rather than having the hope of heaven? | | | |
|
|
|
NEZv69.69
Posts:0
| | 10/08/2007 2:35 PM |
Alert | | Dude, your dad is a pastor. You've been brain washed since birth. You really think all of us whom hate Jesus care to answer?? | | | |
|
|
|
stillhere21
Posts:70
| | 10/08/2007 2:43 PM |
Alert | nez,
are you a good person? | | | |
|
|
 |
Horses R Cool
Posts:144
| | 10/08/2007 2:46 PM |
Alert | | I don't understand the "hope of heaven" even after 6 years of parochial school. I think the concept is only a myth. | | | |
|
|
|
NEZv69.69
Posts:0
| | 10/08/2007 3:05 PM |
Alert | Posted By stillhere21 on 10/08/2007 2:43 PM
nez,
are you a good person?
Hell no. | | | |
|
|
|
stillhere21
Posts:70
| | 10/08/2007 3:05 PM |
Alert | | why do you choose to believe it is a myth? is there not enough evidence? where do we come from? believing is effortless - to not believe you must have a LOT of faith in nothing. that's the hope i'm talking about. are we all nothing? | | | |
|
|
|
stillhere21
Posts:70
| | 10/08/2007 3:06 PM |
Alert | nez,
have you ever told a lie? cheated? lusted? | | | |
|
|
|
sarahc
Posts:631
| | 10/08/2007 3:25 PM |
Alert | Believing is not effortless....
It may be to you because that is all you have known from the time you were very small but for those of us who do not believe in God or Jesus or heaven and hell think it’s effortless to not believe.
Have you ever traveled out side of the United States to countries where they believe, most of the time with all there heart, in God or Gods but they may be different from your God?
How do you know that you are believing in the "right" god and the people in India are believing in the "wrong" gods?
If you are correct and Christianity is the way to go and unless you believe right now your going to hell then I guess I will be in hell with MILLIONS of other people from across the globe.
By the way I should mention that not believing in God dose not make you a bad person. Having good morals based on common sense or a belief that good things happen to those who do good things is a good way to live weather you’re an atheists or the most devote Christian.
| | | |
|
|
|
Horses R Cool
Posts:144
| | 10/08/2007 3:30 PM |
Alert | | Well said, sarahc. | | | |
|
|
|
agit8d
Posts:209
| | 10/08/2007 3:39 PM |
Alert | Sarahc "By the way I should mention that not believing in God dose not make you a bad person. Having good morals based on common sense or a belief that good things happen to those who do good things is a good way to live weather you’re an atheists or the most devote Christian."
YOU speak the truth!!!!! I'm right there with you on the train | |
| |
|
|
|
stillhere21
Posts:70
| | 10/08/2007 3:56 PM |
Alert | sarah,
are you saying that the reason you are not going to believe is because others are going to hell? that's what i'm talking about common sense. we all have a conscious of right vs. wrong. where did that conscious come from?
to answer your question about other countries, basically, it's my responsibility to tell others about Him.
about "right" and "wrong" gods...are there any other gods that are alive and coming back or even claim this? truly, i don't know. please let me know if you have input.
lastly, if there is a god (that's totally your decision) and you were to die right now and god was to judge you by the ten commandments - lying? cheating? stealing? - would you get into heaven?
why not just believe and be saved from hell? | | | |
|
|
|
Horses R Cool
Posts:144
| | 10/08/2007 4:03 PM |
Alert | Have you studied Mythology? The stories that we studied in school (Catholic) weren't any different than Bible class to me. They were all "stories" in my opinion.
In addition, I am not going to heaven or to hell. They simply don't exist. Try this: Catch a mouse in a trap. Lay it on your counter in your kitchen and watch what happens to it over the course of a couple of weeks. It decomposes. It is dead. It did not go to heaven or hell. It just ceased to live. It will dry up and blow away or it will turn to a pile of slime to dry up and blow away. Which is heaven and which is hell? No special theory needed. | | | |
|
|
|
stillhere21
Posts:70
| | 10/08/2007 4:21 PM |
Alert | so you are saying you just don't believe in a spiritual world outside your body? again, are we all nothing? are we all a myth? say we are a myth and the bible is a myth and god is a myth...what's the point? we may as well not exist....but we do...and maybe god does...why not just believe?
is there fear in believing? fear in believing there is a hell maybe. fear in believing there is heaven and not being with people you loved who didn't believe and went to hell? i just don't understand. | | | |
|
|
|
sarahc
Posts:631
| | 10/08/2007 4:32 PM |
Alert | why not just believe and be saved from hell?
If you don’t believe that hell exists why believe in God?
Also your comment about the 10 commandments got me thinking...
There are several murderers that are spending life in jail because they broke a law and in your eyes broke one of Gods commandments. Let’s say that murderer found God while in jail and repented for his sins. He prays everyday and has read the bible more then once. He truly believes in God and swears his life is different. Is he going to heaven or hell? What determines that? Can Christians break laws and commandments and be forgiven? Is it that easy?
This is how I see your argument about sinning....If I do bad things and then simply believed in God and asked for forgiveness then I would get to Heaven????
I am generally a good person but only because I truly believe that I will be treated how I treat others not because I am afraid I will go to hell.
| | | |
|
|
|
stillhere21
Posts:70
| | 10/08/2007 4:55 PM |
Alert | What if hell does exist? This is beyond the Bible. I have an uncle that did not believe, died, went to hell, the doctor brought him back to life, and then he believed and told everyone that hell is not where you want to be. I have heard other stories about this as well.
Being a Christian doesn't make you a perfect person.
If you do bad things (sin as we all do) and then simply believe in God and asked for forgiveness and repent (turn away from the bad things) then you would go to Heaven.
I find it interesting that you are already follow the verse Luke 6:31, which I think is the one of the hardest things to do, "Treat others the same way you want them to treat you."
Where did you learn that?
| | | |
|
|
|
drummer72
Posts:3070
| | 10/08/2007 7:02 PM |
Alert | Posted By Horses R Cool on 10/08/2007 2:26 PM
I believe we become furtilizer, just like a dead animal...they decompse. There is no after life. Heaven or hell. Seriously, how could any rational person believe in such a thought?
Spelling is Cool.
| |
OBAMA NATION! | |
|
|
|
sarahc
Posts:631
| | 10/08/2007 7:16 PM |
Alert | I have read the bible the book of Mormon and half of the Koran (translated version). I have also read other books about the bible and several about other world religions.
I think that you will find that most people that don’t believe have put a lot of time in to thinking and or studying religion. I think it is almost expected of people to believe in something… its pretty much spoon fed to most youth. You’re a great example as your father raised you in a church were he was very involved!
I should point out I am not against organized religion. To each his own. I do however have a hard time with the whole repent and its ok thing.
How many times can one person repent? So say tomorrow I find God. I would be free to rob the circle K on my way to work? All I have to do it tell God I am sorry and it won’t happen again and bam… I am in!
I think this little tid bid was invented so that people didn’t feel bad…
| | | |
|
|
|