Heaven and Hell?

[Dragonic Darkness]

What exactly is required to be admitted into the gates of heaven? MUST you have a religion (I do'nt have a concrete religion (my moms Greek orthodox and my dads catholic or christian))? Must you have been a good person throughout your life? Must you have lived a life of purity? A life of worship? And does everyone else get sent into hell?

[isis-999]

I believe you must be a good person, Believe in God and do the right things for no other reason then's it right. I try very hard not to lie, or miss lead people.I am kind to every one i meet, even if i do not like then,I pray for forgiveness for my sins, And try to do what i believe Gods wants of me, Some religions say you must accept Jesus as your savor and the mortal son of God, As well as the fact he died for your sins.But i am not sure thats true, I just feel you Must believe and Love God as your savor and maker!

Those who believe in no God or higher being may be the ones who go to hell, Some religions say hell has level depending how bad you are, and once you do your time you still get to go to heaven, I would hope that is true for those who are not really bad people, maybe they are just confused.

[iaapac]

It is one thing to know about the concepts of heaven and hell and to try to conform you life to those principles, Isis, but what about primitives who have never heard of heaven or hell? What about people who from childhood have been in religions not recognizing heaven and hell?

I would like very much to think that in the end everyone goes to that eternal destiny that they believe. The Hindu would be reincarnated. The American Indian would go to his Happy Hunting Ground. The Polynesian would row to Sandaran. But the problem is that the Christians would have to cross the River Jordan and find everyone else there waiting for them. That doesn't leave much room for the other religions, right?

[Frogs]

The problem with these kind of questions is the answers will all vary depending upon the views of those giving them.

I'm not saying its a "bad" question, just that the answers to it will vary depending upon the belief system of those answering and there is no way to say that one is right and one is wrong.

[101]

You have to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and do good deeds. Not killing people or other things. And if you do kill someone you can be forgiven if you ask God.

[V for Vanity]

I believe you must be a good person, Believe in God and do the right things for no other reason then's it right. I try very hard not to lie, or miss lead people.I am kind to every one i meet, even if i do not like then,I pray for forgiveness for my sins, And try to do what i believe Gods wants of me, Some religions say you must accept Jesus as your savor and the mortal son of God, As well as the fact he died for your sins.But i am not sure thats true, I just feel you Must believe and Love God as your savor and maker!

Those who believe in no God or higher being may be the ones who go to hell, Some religions say hell has level depending how bad you are, and once you do your time you still get to go to heaven, I would hope that is true for those who are not really bad people, maybe they are just confused.

793586[/snapback]

Atheists don't believe in God. God created them, but why would He want to destroy someone he created? What if there's an Atheist who's intensionally a good person? Does that still entitle him to hell?

[101]

From what I know(I have asked the same question because of my dad) You cannot enter Heaven unless you have a personal relationship with God.

[V for Vanity]

So then all non believers go to hell?

[101]

Maybe if they do not know Jesus.

[V for Vanity]

But how can they help it if they don't know Jesus?

What if a babys born into the world and dies too early of age, not knowing God or Jesus?

[101]

A person who has never heard of God will not go to Hell because they cannot be judged on something they never heard of.

Babys cannot go to Hell because they know no God because they aren't able to fully comprerhend it.

[V for Vanity]

Then what of the Atheists?

[101]

Since an atheist does not believe in God and he may know about him then he will be judged by God. I don't think if someone knew of God and just didn't want to have a relationship would be able to go. But God can only judge them.

[BurnSide]

Moved to a more suitable forum.

[iaapac]

A person who has never heard of God will not go to Hell because they cannot be judged on something they never heard of.

Babys cannot go to Hell because they know no God because they aren't able to fully comprerhend it.

793880[/snapback]

So if we have a primitive tribe of cannibals who terrorize all other tribes and kill as many as they can, they will go to heaven because they never heard of God?

[+Sherapy]

You have to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and do good deeds. Not killing people or other things. And if you do kill someone you can be forgiven if you ask God.

793825[/snapback]

101 can you explain how you have a personal relationship with Jesus and why, What good deeds and how are they accounted for?? Namaste sheri

[Biggus]

So if we have a primitive tribe of cannibals who terrorize all other tribes and kill as many as they can, they will go to heaven because they never heard of God?

No, when they are judged, they will be held account for the actions which they have commited on Earth, the same as everyone else who has ever lived. If theyhave lived good lives, then they will be judged accordingly, if they have lived bad lives, and transgressed many of Gods laws, then thay will also be judged accordingly.

Babys cannot go to Hell because they know no God because they aren't able to fully comprerhend it.

to quote from Matthew 18:3, "unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." It is worth noting here that Jesus is speaking to his disciples, so they are judged more stringently than the cannibals, having full knowledge of God and Jesus.

A person who has never heard of God will not go to Hell because they cannot be judged on something they never heard of.

My interpretation is that they would be judged on their actions, irrespective of wether or not they had heard of God.

[Watzel]

The more that is said here the more insane it gets.

If you were God would you blame a person for how they turn out in life when it was you that placed them in the life they had to endure?

It is easy to say that you have a personal relationship with Jesus when your life is so comfortable.

Try to imagine you were born poor, ugly, have abusive uneducated parents, have a low IQ, parents that teach you to hate and blame all your problems on others. You can't get through school with all the crap going on at home. You drop out of school. You have a friend that talks you into robbing a house and you get caught and go to jail. In jail you are beaten and raped by other inmates. You get out and both your parents have died from drugs and you have no place to live. You take drugs because you aren't strong enough to take all the hardship in life you are dealing with. You rob and accidently kill a person for a few bucks to buy more drugs. You get caught and go to prison for life. In prison you have a choice to be tough or get raped and used by other inmates.

What I describe has happened and is happening every day in the world. These people are thought of as the worst of the worst.

Now try to talk to that person about how much God loves you. From their point of view, life is hell already. They will ask you why God gave them such a hard life that is almost a sure road to this hell in the afterlife according to the Bible.

Trouble is that religion doesn't take into account all the factors that can make a person become bad. And if you think that it wouldn't happen to you then you are right, and you are also lucky enough to be born with all the chances that some poor ol' guy in prison didn't have.

So logically, God must not be the kind of God that the Bible portrays. Because a loving God would not treat one of it's creation that way. Not a God that says we are all his children.

Then the answer must logically be something else. The answer is, we choose the life we live. We choose to learn from life even when we know it will be very hard. Some souls are brave enough to pick the hardest lives to live on earth. We agree with God that God will not interfere with our life unless we pray for assistance. We come here not to pass a test to see if we can be good enough to go to heaven, but to learn all that life has to offer, good or bad. Think of it as the ultimate amusement ride.

[StalingradK]

This is what purgatory is for, a chance to redeem yourself, do you think Earth is a purgatory? And that you just die and be reincarnated until you go to heaven or go to hell because you have done something unforgivable?

[101]

You have to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and do good deeds. Not killing people or other things. And if you do kill someone you can be forgiven if you ask God.

793825[/snapback]

101 can you explain how you have a personal relationship with Jesus and why, What good deeds and how are they accounted for?? Namaste sheri

794003[/snapback]

To have a personal relationship with God you have to ask him to come into your heart and forgive you of your sins. To strengthen this relationship you read the Bible. Thirdly good deeds would be charity work,taking care of a sick freind,turning the other cheek(avoid fighting)

[Biggus]

Try to imagine you were born poor, ugly, have abusive uneducated parents, have a low IQ, parents that teach you to hate and blame all your problems on others.

I'm obviously glad that you think that all Christians are rich, good looking, intelligent people with loving families, but sadly that's not always the case. Personally, I'm rather poor, but instead of blaming my problems on others, I'm seeking ways to better myself, for the betterment of me and my family.

If you were God would you blame a person for how they turn out in life when it was you that placed them in the life they had to endure?

It is easy to say that you have a personal relationship with Jesus when your life is so comfortable.

Ah yes, but God makes allowances for this also, as shown in Luke 16:19-23, where Lazarus (a beggar) dies and is permitted to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, whereas a rich man who dies at the same time is cast into Hell for his deeds while on Earth.

Because a loving God would not treat one of it's creation that way.

All of the problems which you have described are problems of society, which is the work of man. God doesn't run a capitaist state which rewards those who are born with money, but we do. God doesn't force people to take drugs, humans force them on each other.

The answer is, we choose the life we live.

Exactly. And it is for the actions which we commit in our life that we will be held account to on the Day of Judgement, and which will ultimately determine your final fate.

[bacca]

Heaven would be for all those who deserved it, no great need to know jesus or accept him as your saviour......to go on this theory how do you know which god is the right one? which religion is the right one? the insanity is that everyone is going to go i'm right because the bible said so the fact that the bible can't be proven accept for them to say it's about faith....well what about other kinds of faith? what about faith in oneself for those of us who don't need an organization to belong to as to not backslide into sinful ways what about the people who follow budda or allah? are they going to hell because they are not christian? by a christians standards the answer is yes.....Heaven doesn't really have some big way to get in it just has big ways to be kept out and that would be choosing to go the other way i would think. Those who flat out say i want to go the other way and yes there are people out there who would go there......if there were a god i would hope he is truly like a good father who doesn't judge or get jealous or envious or upset there is no taking away his love no matter what you do.......thats how a parent should be anyway

[Biggus]

Heaven would be for all those who deserved it, no great need to know jesus or accept him as your saviour......to go on this theory how do you know which god is the right one? which religion is the right one?

Well, if you believe in God, then you won't believe in any other 'gods'.

what about faith in oneself for those of us who don't need an organization to belong to as to not backslide into sinful ways  what about the people who follow budda or allah? are they going to hell because they are not christian?

One at a time, one at a time!

It doesn't matter who you are, where you are from, your skin colour, height or anything else. The only thing which counts is your actions on Earth. Buddhists and Muslims who have made a conscious decision to turn their back on God have made that decision, and will be judged accordingly. People who are born into backgrounds where they may be co-erced into joining other religions will be judged less rigerously. People born into predominantly Christian society can expect to be judged harshest of all, by virtue of having every opportunity to become acquainted with God, but rejecting Him at every turn.

Heaven doesn't really have some big way to get in it just has big ways to be kept out and that would be choosing to go the other way i would think.

Two things to remember :

i-love the Lord with all your heart.

ii-love your neighbour as yourself.

There is no other commandment greater than these.

(Mark 12:30-31)

if there were a god i would hope he is truly like a good father who doesn't judge or get jealous or envious or upset there is no taking away his love no matter what you do.......thats how a parent should be anyway

Have you never been upset with someone whom you have loved?

[Watzel]

Biggus,

No I don't think all Christians are good looking, rich, intelligent with great families; you missed the point.

And you still think it is ok for God to cast a rich person in hell for their deeds. Everyone that you think deserves to go to hell may be looking down at you in hell for you thinking that way. Don't judge a persons life when you don't know how they got that way. Some are weak and some are strong but they are all equally loved by God.

God is aware of all problems of society I'm sure. You wanting to believe in a God that would force you to have a hard life just to see if you can keep yourself from going to hell sounds like when a kid puts salt on a slug just to watch it die a slow agonizing death. Your God might do that, but not mine. We are not talking about the same God I think.

'The answer is we choose life.' We choose our life from the afterlife, before we come down here to this world. We are souls in the afterlife, or more correctly the before life, and we pick the life, the parents, the person to be, all of it before we are born in to the flesh.

Don't believe it?

Fine doesn't bother me in the slightest. But if you believe in something that is illogical then you better rethink what you know.

[Biggus]

And you still think it is ok for God to cast a rich person in hell for their deeds. Everyone that you think deserves to go to hell may be looking down at you in hell for you thinking that way. Don't judge a persons life when you don't know how they got that way. Some are weak and some are strong but they are all equally loved by God.

One thing I don't do is judge anyone, that's Gods work, not mine.

You wanting to believe in a God that would force you to have a hard life just to see if you can keep yourself from going to hell sounds like when a kid puts salt on a slug just to watch it die a slow agonizing death. Your God might do that, but not mine. We are not talking about the same God I think.

God doesn't force me to have a low paid job with no prospects, and to be poor forever, it's the society which man has created for itself which has done that.

On a tangent, there's more than enough food in the world to feed everyone, it's the way man chooses to distribute it which causes famines.

The answer is we choose life.' We choose our life from the afterlife, before we come down here to this world. We are souls in the afterlife, or more correctly the before life, and we pick the life, the parents, the person to be, all of it before we are born in to the flesh.

Don't believe it?

Fine doesn't bother me in the slightest. But if you believe in something that is illogical then you better rethink what you know.

You might be right, other than belief in God, which far from being illogical, is the most natural thing in the world to me.

The Bible doesn't mention specifically what state you exist in before you are born on a physical plane, to my knowledge anyway.

However, what happen if one person chooses a life where someone is their child, but the child doesn't want that person as their parent? Accordingly, people must choose to be born into lives of poverty, famine, war etc for whatever reasons. In fact, why aren't we all Mick Jagger? I'd love to be a rock superstar, so why didn't I choose to do that, instead of choosin a career in various minimum wage jobs? And what about all those horrible women on those morning chat shows who hate every single member of their family? Shouldn't we all be leading wonderful lives?