Anyone afraid of HELL?

[Mary]

To be saved you have to believe that Jesus died on the cross because of your sin's. According to the bible, "All have sinned and fall short." If there are any doubts, look at the 10 comandments, everyone has at least done 1. If you have ever lied, stolen or even if you just looked at someone w/lust, you have sinned. If God judges you by these standards you will be found guilty. Because God is just, there must be justice. Like any good judge God can't let you walk away scott free. But unlike a judge, God loves you a lot so he sent his son as a substitute. Jesus paid your punishment so you wouldn't have to.
God doesn't send people to hell. If you are walking down a train track and a train is coming you need to get off the track or you will get hit. You can't keep going on the same path and get hit then want to blame someone else. And you can't say, I didn't know a train was coming. This isn't the first time you have heard about God, is it? God gives us opportunitys to accept and believe in Him. God doesn't force people to choose Him. We have free will.
"Choose you this day whom you will serve."For tomorrow is promised to no one. One last thought, "just because you don't believe in Hell doesn't mean it isn't real." I pray that none of you would find that out the hard way.

 

[Zipper]

Please have a little pity, Mary, and do not try to convince us that there is a God who, apart from the atonement of Christ, operates his judgment upon humans in a manner calculated to destroy.

 

[Mary]

I knew I would recieve a lot of negative reply's but even though I was and am afraid (have Sp remember?) of them, I knew it was more important to share my belief w/ all of you.
I didn't allways believe in God and I don't know all the answers but what I do know I can't deny.
I have felt a lot of evil in my life and in the world so one day when I was feeling alone I cried and asked God to show me if He was real and to show me His love. To me amazement He did. You can believe me or not but I know it is the truth. I had an encounter w/God. I didn't see him w/my eyes but I felt His presence w/every fiber of my being. God is our creator and when you meet Him, there is no doubt it is Him, you recognize Him. I felt His great love for me. There was no judgement just love. He knew me, He understood me and He loved me. It was the single most beautiful feeling I have ever experienced. And all because I asked Him for it. Have any of you ever asked Him?
You say there is no proof of His existence, but I say all there is is proof everywhere you look. I think it takes more faith to believe there isn't a God. To believe we come from monkeys. How rational is that? There is absolutely no evidence of it. God absolutely loves and cares about non-
believers. He doesn't wish that anyone should perish but that all should come to repentance.
All I can say is I know He is real because I met Him, the love that I felt
was unlilke anything I had ever experienced in my life, so I couldn't have imagined it. But if you want to know it for yourself ask Him to show you.
It's absolutely free and you have nothing to lose and all to gain.

 

[Rainman]

To be saved you have to believe that Jesus died on the cross because of your sin's..

I am not trying to undermine your experience Mary. It maybe true for you that accepting Jesus brought you "salvation" and experiences of great love. What you should not overlook though, that many have had these experiences, who are not Christian.

Please do not mind what I about to say, but I am assuming you still have SA and are in the same boat as us. So how can you say you are "saved"? What does that mean anyway?

 

[nedkelly]

As i've always believed ....Religon is just a copeing mechanism for getting through life..IF YOU BELIEVE OF COURSE!..which i don't.
Yes, i could be wrong?..hope i am

 

[Zipper]

To be saved you have to believe that Jesus died on the cross because of your sin's..

I am not trying to undermine your experience Mary. It maybe true for you that accepting Jesus brought you "salvation" and experiences of great love. What you should not overlook though, that many have had these experiences, who are not Christian.

Please do not mind what I about to say, but I am assuming you still have SA and are in the same boat as us. So how can you say you are "saved"? What does that mean anyway?

I used to be a christian. By "saved," christians mean "justified" -- pardoned of a divine punishment that God would otherwise render upon you for the violation of the divine law. Christians are "justified" by "faith" in Christ's sacrificial atonement on the cross.

Of course, this assumes, in the first place, that, instead of correctively judging humans who have done wrong, God requites wrong with destruction that we all need to be saved from. Thus, a Christian can be "completely saved" even though their minds are filled with terrors. In fact, the only way they can be "saved" is if, indeed, their minds are filled with terrors.

At least that's how I experienced the thing... I never had a moment's comfort or relief in Christianity. I never felt the care of God in Christianity.

According to Christian theology, the way an anxious person ought to come to see that God cares for him is to contemplate the scene of God's judgment of us being visited upon Christ on the Cross. Kind of like watching four hours of torture in Mel Gibson's "The Passion" in order to feel cherished by our creator.

Is it just me, or is that anxiety-provoking rather than anxiety-resolving?

 

[GIOLANDA]

Well done,Zipper! That's another subject that is going to have 300 posts or so,like the religion's subject. While our subjects get between 1 to 10 answers,you always know how to make people answer! Lucky you! :lol:

 

[lily]

I have to remind you that these scriptures I wrote are from the Bible.
The new testament is the one written after Jesus died for our sins. Before this event there are written a lot about sin in the old testament. It is for a reson that it is called the old testament. However this does not mean that God does not want people to try not to live by his rules. The ten commands are given as a guidance in order to protect people and that is why God wants us to follow his advice. He just says that all human beings are sin-ful, that is a fact.
I think many people who are non-christians don't want to be christians because they don't want to act, be like or hang out with other christians.
Well, you don't! You can still be yourself with all your flaws, all your interests, opinions, hang out with all your non-christian friends and still be a christian!!
You don't have to be a saint to be a christian, no-one is!

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BELIEVE. THAT'S IT. PERIOD.

I know they're in the bible which is what I'm talking about too, the New Testament has a lot of other scriptures that applies 'On top of' what you wrote so it's Not the Only thing you have to do to be saved. I wasn't speaking of the Old Testament even though I'm not in the condition to quote it but I recall reading it, for example the one that tells us, 'Faith with NO deeds (action) is dead (nothing).....etc'. It's a very basic common christian scripture like if you ask those that go to church and listen to the gospel though I'm surprised you missed all these things, it indicates s.th is wrong that you didn't get the information enough, or you didn't get involved.

The bible also tells us that meeting w/ the fellowship is important. There's so much sin out there, that's why you have to continually listen to it, and not only do it on your own and there's lots of other true teachings that you have to truly understand and the light will come, or else you will continue to be in darkness. So I should correct that too.

And in your other separate post that said you don't have to like other ppl, you simply have to acknowledge/confess that he died on the cross is wrong. Have you seen that scripture 'Love one another as I have loved you and... ' It's a common one and it's All in the New Testament. You could not only 'believe in God and then go off sinning All You'd like Without a care in the world'. You still have to put the effort to be able to get to heaven.

There's a lot you didn't look into. It also tells us "Do NOT be yoked w/ UNbelievers for..." that's also a very common scripture so it's incorrect too.

 

[Remus]

I dont believe in heaven or hell but I do believe we should try and do the best we can to do good in the world as evil certainly does exist and there is way to much of it.

70 years on earth and then eternity in heaven or hell? that just makes no sence and seems very inneficient as a deity running the show, I find re-incarnation easier to swallow than that.

wouldnt you run out of things to do? then again given infinity you could watch those monkeys type out the works of Shakespeare.

 

[Reholla]

I'm not worried about going to Hell at all, because if Heaven & Hell exist (& I expect that in some form they do !) I believe I will be going straight up to Heaven !!

Btw, I am definately not a Christian, & I don't believe in God

So can you explain to me how you plan on going to heaven when you dont believe in it or God? How do you plan on going to a place that is based on the fact that you MUST believe those exact two things?

Dont think you can just last minute change your mind..."oh yeah it exists, now that I'm standing outside the pearly white gates themselves." Religion shouldnt take seeing to believing.

If you see yourself going to Heaven, that means you believe in heaven does it not?


Marshall you said: Dont be scared, If the Christian god is a fact, then its technically his fault ur a bad person since he has created you in his image and has allowed you to stray.

If you dont believe in God, dont talk about God making you a 'bad person.' This is my NUMBERONE pet peeve of athiests, etc You OBVIOUSLY dont think He exists...that does not give you any warrant to characteristically talk about God's nature. Firstly, youre contradicting yourself. By blaming God for your faults, are you not saying a god exists? What you said to me sounds like you believe in God, but you think extremely negatively of Him, so choose not to believe in Him. If so, that God doesnt even exist...the one youre talking about. Youre confusing a God who gave you a free will with a "god" who makes bad people. Dont blame God for giving you a free will. God cant "make you a happy person." So dont put off your frusturations by pointing the finger at some one else. It doesnt work like that.

 

[LA-girl]

deleted...

 

[LA-girl]

Just a double post...

 

[easy]

Hell is real, but only in your mind. Who says you have to die to go to hell, you can experience hell right now on Earth. If your consciousness(soul) existed after the death of your physical body, then your state of existence or being would be according to how you were in your physical body. At death, we review our lives, it's like a film reel that flashes before your eyes and unlike before, you can no longer hide from it. You live through everything again.

If what you see then leaves you with regret and misery, that is just what your reality will become. Think about nightmares, when your subconscious mind is full of negative thoughts and fears, they manifest in your dreams as nightmares and that is exactly what hell would be like. It would be a negative state of being.

Some have experienced this hell. People who are insane or szhizophrenic experience psychotic episodes of unbearable suffering. Others, who take hallucinogenic druigs, can go on bad trips that can leave them traumatized for life. That is what hell is -- a very bad trip!

Have you seen that film "What Dreams May come?" you will find the visualisation of hell and the philosophy to be interesting.

Knowing that, you need to live your life so that when it is time to go, you no longer have any regrets and can leave smiling.

Rainman, you sound experienced. Died much?

 

[Quixote]

Am I the only one who believes he is going to be destroyed by God for my wrong and my doubt? 8O

Only in America... :wink:

Now, seriously, it is crazy that you worry about this. Of course if you are a believer and read the bible and try to figure out whether hell exists or not *on that basis*, you will never find an answer that you can be 100% sure about. Sacred texts are often complex, incoherent, purposely unclear and open to countless interpretations.

The only way to free yourself from this idea is to finally acknowledge that God doesn't exist, the bible is nothing but an interesting ancient collection of writings, good for historians and sociologists to ponder on, and you yourself are but a collection of organic molecules which happened to form, by chance, a complex system, the first living creature, a sort of germ. Like a handful of dice tossed on a table can result in a handful of sixs. Not likely maybe, but possible.

We all lead our lives and go about our business for a few decades, stuck on this rock floating in the endless emptiness of the universe, infinite in space and time. When you die, a few carbon atoms will spread around in the soil, and that's all there is to it. Nobody is observing and judging you, I wish you could just believe me. But I doubt I can do much against years of religious education...

 

[Quixote]

He has allready determined what I will feel, think and want. All these three are results of yourself and your surroundings. In other words then god created me to be atheist, witch I doubt if he existed would want to.

:lol:

 

[Mary]

You will find God when you seek Him w/all your heart. When I asked Him to reveal His love to me, I meant it. God does not favor me over everyone else. He loves us all the same. Fr. what I read about your belief's Zosima, you were just "testing it out" to see what would happen. I have a suspicion you weren't sincere based on the things you say you really believe. God is no fool and He won't be mocked, He can see into your heart, the good, bad and ugly.
To zipper, I say this: What if you are right, and God is all love and no judment? Then when I die, he forgives me like He forgives everyone and no harm was done for believing my christian belief, right? Now flip it.
What if you are wrong and I am right? You are telling people that there will not be any consequence's to their action's Because God is only love and doesn't punish anyone. But if you are wrong you are leading people down the path to destruction for all eternity. If I am wrong, maybe people feel afraid or worried. If you are wrong, you are condemning them if they believe you. We are all going to have to stand before God one day and give account of our lives to Him on the day of judgement. Deep down you know this is true or you wouldn't have said sometimes you were afraid of hell.
We are all sinner's not one of us is just. We have all failed God. If you have ever lied; God says you are a liar. If you have ever stolen, even a gum, you are a thief. If you covet it is a sin, if you ever think about someone w/lust, it's a sin, if you blasheme God too. There will come a day when we will stand before a God who know's all about us, and have to give account for this. What will you say on that day? There can be no excuse for anything we have done, but for the blood of Jesus, no one will
escape punishment. People should be afraid for their very souls if they have not believed in the one that God sent to save us all: Jesus. And I hope that fear will lead them to repent fr. the heart. Sometimes fear is good, fear stops you fr. walking in front of a car or sticking your finger in a light socket. Fear might be what is driving you to God but repentance will lead you to find Him.
www.tenthousanddollaroffer.com

 

[Mary]

www.tenthousanddollaroffer.com
Has anybody looked at this site?

 

[Rainman]

We are all sinner's not one of us is just. We have all failed God. If you have ever lied; God says you are a liar. If you have ever stolen, even a gum, you are a thief. If you covet it is a sin, if you ever think about someone w/lust, it's a sin, if you blasheme God too. There will come a day when we will stand before a God who know's all about us, and have to give account for this. What will you say on that day?

Have you not heard of Robin Hood? He stole from the rich and gave to the poor. If he has sinned by stealing, then he has also done good by feeding the poor and needy.

I think you have made this all too simplistic. Right and wrong is not as cut and dry as you are making it out.

I tend to agree with Zipper, that god is love, so how can god punish. At the same time, I agree with you that the wrongs we have done in our life do affect us and we will be punished for them. But it is not god that punishes us for them. The Easterns have contributed a much more rational explanation - Karma - the law of cause and effect. That is everything I do in this life will have an effect.

There is no god that personally judges us, but instead there are natural laws in place that reward or punish us for our actions. Going back to Ronbin Hood, in your worldview stealing is a sin and there are no ifs and buts about it, but in terms of the laws of karma, he has done a greater good by stealing.

 

[nedkelly]

To believe in a religon you need to have faith.
And there lies the problem.
People think there is proof, but to me, there is no actual proof.(not meaning to offend others).
There are written account's of god existences etc ..yes..but that's all they are, written word that has been changed by many over time...and done for you to follow a particular religon. Many people have killled others in the name of there religon(not all are like that i know)..but this cannot be denied)...which continues in some area's today.
There are so many religon's, who's believer's say there can only be there god!...just show's how many people are wrong then. Everyone's got a different opinion..but my point is...we can't all be right about which is the REAL GOD OUT THERE....if one at all.
Nothing against people believing..if it helps them..then i am truly happy for them. I really wish i could...but for me i need solid proof.

 

[Reholla]

[The only way to free yourself from this idea is to finally acknowledge that God doesn't exist, the bible is nothing but an interesting ancient collection of writings, good for historians and sociologists to ponder on, and you yourself are but a collection of organic molecules which happened to form, by chance, a complex system, the first living creature, a sort of germ. Like a handful of dice tossed on a table can result in a handful of sixs.

Never will I choose to believe that i am just a collection of organic molecules which "happened" to form!! And I am sorry that you are living to believe this. We are not accidents. I know that if youre not Christian, I guess it would make sense to believe this. But how? Look around. Do you not see sunsets, rainbows, storms, trees which are so intracate, everything around you cries out that there is something else out there. Some purpose to all this around us.

I would like you to explain how you think we "happened" to be...how the human body works the way it does, pumps blood, voluntarily blinks, does intricate processes which all depend on each other to function. No, this could not be an accident. I'm sorry but evolution is a piece of crap...and as some one else said very wisely in another post above this, it takes more faith to believe in evolution or big bang. I wont go so far as to say species dont change or alter a little over time. But from unicellular to humans...just doesnt have much credibility.