Would you be a Christian if there was no afterlife?

[Saint Steven]

Not being born of Jewish mother, I'd probably be a Stoic. What would be the point of following a Jewish false prophet who had been executed on a cross?

What is the point now?
Except for the tyrannical cosmic threat of a forever burning hell? (spiritual extortion)

Saint Steven said: ↑
But how do you answer the topic question?

Would you be a Christian if there was no afterlife?

 

[Saint Steven]

Do i have to spell it out? I'm saying it doesn't make sense and therefore can't be answered. Unless i add more assumptions or parameters. But then i would not be answering the same question anymore. So no i won't fry, an acceptable answer per the OP. Yo, i'm outta here.

I see. So, if it wasn't for the threat of a forever burning hell, you would not be a Christian. Got it.

 

[Saint Steven]

Yes, and?



You don't know what my "doctrine of the afterlife" is. It's...interesting, though, that you would rather jump to conclusions about what it might be than inquire after what my actual doctrine of the afterlife is.

Your sidebar description says "Baptist". Are you claiming that you don't hold to the Baptist doctrine of the afterlife?

 

[Saint Steven]

Perhaps they don't realize that heaven is about having a more intensified relationship with Jesus.

Responders seem to be so hung up on the afterlife aspect. That just can't imagine such a scenario. Perhaps this would be a more inescapable question:

Would you be a Christian if there was no threat of a forever burning hell?

 

[Saint Steven]

It is very eye-opening indeed just how many people dont value an actual relationship with Jesus as much as they do the prospect of heaven.

Agreed.
But I would modify that to say that it is not "the prospect of heaven", but rather, the fear of hell. Without the threat of eternal conscious torment in the afterlife they would NEVER be a Christian. This is pathetic! Shameful even. They have given in to the demands of a spiritual extortion scheme. IMHO --- I don't believe in a forever burning hell, yet I still CHOOSE to be a Christian.

 

[A_Thinker]

I decided to reword this.

The Old Testament has very little to say about what happens in the afterlife. Yet throughout the OT many worshipped and served God, even to the point of execution. So hypothetically speaking if heaven and hell were put aside, would you still follow Jesus?

Answers could be something like "no way, I'm just in this because I don't want to fry" or "yes I would continue to follow Jesus no matter what" to "as long as the church serves coffee and doughnuts, I'm in"

Yes ... this would be the camp I would naturally fall into ...

 

[Strong in Him]

So, your answer would be, "No." ?
If there was no afterlife, you would not be a Christian?

Would anyone?
Jesus spoke of an afterlife - if there is no afterlife, then Jesus was either deluded, or a liar.
Tell me, would you still follow him if that were the case?

If there were no afterlife then, as Paul said, we are to be pitied more than anyone. They endured floggings, stonings and imprisonment; for what - oblivion after death?

 

[marc b]

It is very eye-opening indeed just how many people dont value an actual relationship with Jesus as much as they do the prospect of heaven.

On the contrary most who are rejecting the question of this thread is seeing this as something like "would you continue doing moral Christian things without having a spiritual relationship with a spiritual Christ?". To which of course we said no. To us, spiritual connection and relationship with a spiritual being is everything. Doing "christianee" moral things is dead dry works that has no benefit even on this life. So we say "nada".

The real problem as we keep pointing out, is the question is badly made and just doesn't make sense in a spiritual perspective. If the driving question behind all of this was about relationship with God, then why wasn't the question framed plainly as that?

So no, my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father in Heaven and the Holy Spirit, is sky high right now and is the most important thing to me. More important than life itself.

How about you, do you? If so, then we are all in the same boat in this thread. But this thread is dividing us all who love God by how ill thought out the question was framed, compounded by then changing it in the middle of the discussion. Most are now getting turned off by the persistence of some trying to create a divisive argument where there is none. We all love God, it is all about relationship with Him for most of us. Please let us all stop this exercise in futility. As I said before, I was heading out of this thread. But this statement about making this thread about our relationship with God who we treasure above all is the worse and deeply hurting. I could not go without addressing it first. Again please stop. This is displeasing the Spirit. There is no need to feel superior to others just because you think you have a relationship with Him while others are still struggling to grasp what Christianity is all about.

But then perhaps this is another spiritual attack, and you guys and this thread are allowing yourself to be used by the enemy to create further division? If so please check your hearts and see what are really your motives.

 

[Saint Steven]

Would anyone?
Jesus spoke of an afterlife - if there is no afterlife, then Jesus was either deluded, or a liar.
Tell me, would you still follow him if that were the case?

If there were no afterlife then, as Paul said, we are to be pitied more than anyone. They endured floggings, stonings and imprisonment; for what - oblivion after death?

The OP creates a situation where there is no afterlife. So, in that scenario, Jesus would not speak about it as if it did exist. Most seem to be hung up on that idea. Let me rephrase the question for you.

Would you choose to be a Christian if there were no consequences for your actions in the afterlife? (this assumes there is an afterlife, but with no judgment, or punishment for wrongdoing)

Saint Steven said: ↑
So, your answer would be, "No." ?
If there was no afterlife, you would not be a Christian?

 

[IntriKate]

On the contrary most who are rejecting the question of this thread is seeing this as something like "would you continue doing moral Christian things without having a spiritual relationship with a spiritual Christ?". To which of course we said no. To us, spiritual connection and relationship with a spiritual being is everything. Doing "christianee" moral things is dead dry works that has no benefit even on this life. So we say "nada".

The real problem as we keep pointing out, is the question is badly made and just doesn't make sense in a spiritual perspective. If the driving question behind all of this was about relationship with God, then why wasn't the question framed plainly as that?

So no, my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father in Heaven and the Holy Spirit, is sky high right now and is the most important thing to me. More important than life itself.

How about you, do you? If so, then we are all in the same boat in this thread. But this thread is dividing us all who love God by how ill thought out the question was framed, compounded by then changing it in the middle of the discussion. Most are now getting turned off by the persistence of some trying to create a divisive argument where there is none. We all love God, it is all about relationship with Him for most of us. Please let us all stop this exercise in futility. As I said before, I was heading out of this thread. But this statement about making this thread about our relationship with God who we treasure above all is the worse and deeply hurting. I could not go without addressing it first. Again please stop. This is displeasing the Spirit. There is no need to feel superior to others just because you think you have a relationship with Him while others are still struggling to grasp what Christianity is all about.

But then perhaps this is another spiritual attack, and you guys and this thread are allowing yourself to be used by the enemy to create further division? If so please check your hearts and see what are really your motives.

Yes, I agree the question is divisive in its attempt to confuse. Apologies I didn't mean to upset anyone and I hadn't even noticed the op was changed. Really the question is a mute point when we love Jesus.

 

[Saint Steven]

On the contrary most who are rejecting the question of this thread is seeing this as something like "would you continue doing moral Christian things without having a spiritual relationship with a spiritual Christ?". To which of course we said no. To us, spiritual connection and relationship with a spiritual being is everything. Doing "christianee" moral things is dead dry works that has no benefit even on this life. So we say "nada".

The real problem as we keep pointing out, is the question is badly made and just doesn't make sense in a spiritual perspective. If the driving question behind all of this was about relationship with God, then why wasn't the question framed plainly as that?

So no, my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father in Heaven and the Holy Spirit, is sky high right now and is the most important thing to me. More important than life itself.

How about you, do you? If so, then we are all in the same boat in this thread. But this thread is dividing us all who love God by how ill thought out the question was framed, compounded by then changing it in the middle of the discussion. Most are now getting turned off by the persistence of some trying to create a divisive argument where there is none. We all love God, it is all about relationship with Him for most of us. Please let us all stop this exercise in futility. As I said before, I was heading out of this thread. But this statement about making this thread about our relationship with God who we treasure above all is the worse and deeply hurting. I could not go without addressing it first. Again please stop. This is displeasing the Spirit. There is no need to feel superior to others just because you think you have a relationship with Him while others are still struggling to grasp what Christianity is all about.

But then perhaps this is another spiritual attack, and you guys and this thread are allowing yourself to be used by the enemy to create further division? If so please check your hearts and see what are really your motives.

In case you weren't aware of it, this is the Controversial Christian Theology area. This is where we discuss such things. If you can't take the heat, you might choose to stay out of the kitchen.

This topic has obviously hit a nerve. Which makes it a GREAT topic. It is very revealing to see so many responders coming unglued. It reveals what we are made of.

In your post above you wrote this:
"So no, my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father in Heaven and the Holy Spirit, is sky high right now and is the most important thing to me. More important than life itself."

If that is true, why would the lack of an afterlife (or the lack of consequences in an afterlife) prevent you from being a Christian?

 

[Saint Steven]

On the contrary most who are rejecting the question of this thread is seeing this as something like "would you continue doing moral Christian things without having a spiritual relationship with a spiritual Christ?". To which of course we said no. To us, spiritual connection and relationship with a spiritual being is everything. Doing "christianee" moral things is dead dry works that has no benefit even on this life. So we say "nada".

The OP says nothing of the sort, either in the original form, nor in the revised version. There was no claim of a nonspiritual world due to no afterlife (consequences) for humans. A lack of a connection with the spiritual is nowhere indicated. This was your own creation.

 

[aiki]

Your sidebar description says "Baptist". Are you claiming that you don't hold to the Baptist doctrine of the afterlife?

My views on the afterlife are not derived from my denominational affiliation but from Scripture. Baptists are not perfectly monolithic in their doctrinal perspectives.

 

[marc b]

In case you weren't aware of it, this is the Controversial Christian Theology area. This is where we discuss such things. If you can't take the heat, you might choose to stay out of the kitchen.

This topic has obviously hit a nerve. Which makes it a GREAT topic. It is very revealing to see so many responders coming unglued. It reveals what we are made of.

In your post above you wrote this:
"So no, my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father in Heaven and the Holy Spirit, is sky high right now and is the most important thing to me. More important than life itself."

If that is true, why would the lack of an afterlife (or the lack of consequences in an afterlife) prevent you from being a Christian?

Because, the original question was not stated that way. And I made a point that my eternal life and spiritual life cannot be split from another. The implication to me was there was no spiritual connection with a spiritual God (to me relationship is the most important). Then the question was changed in the middle.

Now you guys, claim you have a relationship with God. If you really do, why have you not sensed the Holy Spirit in some of the answers opposing this question?

 

[Saint Steven]

My views on the afterlife are not derived from my denominational affiliation but from Scripture. Baptists are not perfectly monolithic in their doctrinal perspectives.

Okay, thanks.
Which of these three doctrines of the final judgment best describes your position on the afterlife?
1) Damnationism
2) Annihilationism
3) Universal Restorationism

 

[Saint Steven]

Now you guys, claim you have a relationship with God. If you really do, why have you not sensed the Holy Spirit in some of the answers opposing this question?

Are you claiming we don't have a relationship with God because we aren't experiencing the same culture shock that you are? Get real.

 

[marc b]

Are you claiming we don't have a relationship with God because we aren't experiencing the same culture shock that you are? Get real.

I didn't say that, i'm just asking a question. Now your the one trying to make it up into something else. Just answer my question.

 

[Saint Steven]

Because, the original question was not stated that way. And I made a point that my eternal life and spiritual life cannot be split from another. The implication to me was there was no spiritual connection with a spiritual God (to me relationship is the most important). Then the question was changed in the middle.

Fair enough. Allow me to restate the question so that you can process it.

Would you choose to be a spiritual Christian if there were no consequences for not doing so in the afterlife?

 

[Saint Steven]

I didn't say that, i'm just asking a question. Now your the one trying to make it up into something else. Just answer my question.

What was your question. I must have missed it. (apologies)

 

[marc b]

What was your question. I must have missed it. (apologies)

you quoted it in your previous reply, how hard could it be?