Poll: Christians, what do you think will happen to Atheists after death? [Pt. 2]

What will happen to Atheists after they die?

  • They will go to hell, because they are evil, immoral beings. They will suffer.

    Votes: 5 14.7%
  • They will most likely go to hell, based on the bible.

    Votes: 11 32.4%
  • I don't know if they will go to hell or not.

    Votes: 9 26.5%
  • They will simply die.

    Votes: 2 5.9%
  • They will be welcomed in to heaven, as long as they were good people and didn't commit evil.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • They will all be welcomed in to heaven.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Everyone will be welcomed in to heaven.

    Votes: 1 2.9%
  • Other?(Specify)

    Votes: 6 17.6%

  • Total voters
    34

ViaCrucis

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I voted "I don't know" as I consider that the only appropriate answer from a Christian perspective. God alone is Judge, and so no Christian can say who is or who isn't "in or out" as it were.

I adhere to the ancient Christian hope that all might be, in the end, ultimately reconciled to God, or in the language of Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar*, that in the end hell is empty. But it's simply not something I, or any other Christian, can know.

To quote Balthasar,

"But love hopes all things (1 Cor 13:7). It cannot do otherwise than to hope for the reconciliation of all men in Christ. Such unlimited hope is, from the Christian standpoint, not only permitted but commanded." - Dare We Hope

-CryptoLutheran

*Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar is widely regarded as one of the most important Roman Catholic theologians of the 20th century, I say this because I don't want it to be assumed that I'm referring to some fringe eccentric. Balthasar was regarded as important by a number of Popes, and in a sense mediated conversation with Protestant theology by providing analysis and engagement with the work of Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth, Barth himself being one of the most important and influential Protestant theologians of the 20th century.
 
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Hospes

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I chose other.

Anyone who is not reconciled to God through Jesus Christ prior to death will end up in hell. Not because "they are evil, immoral beings", but rather because their sin was not forgiven. All of us are evil and immoral beings, but those whom God reconciles to himself are given forgiveness and are given the righteousness of Christ.
 
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grasping the after wind

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I voted "I don't know" as I consider that the only appropriate answer from a Christian perspective. God alone is Judge, and so no Christian can say who is or who isn't "in or out" as it were.

I adhere to the ancient Christian hope that all might be, in the end, ultimately reconciled to God, or in the language of Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar*, that in the end hell is empty. But it's simply not something I, or any other Christian, can know.

To quote Balthasar,

"But love hopes all things (1 Cor 13:7). It cannot do otherwise than to hope for the reconciliation of all men in Christ. Such unlimited hope is, from the Christian standpoint, not only permitted but commanded." - Dare We Hope

-CryptoLutheran

*Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar is widely regarded as one of the most important Roman Catholic theologians of the 20th century, I say this because I don't want it to be assumed that I'm referring to some fringe eccentric. Balthasar was regarded as important by a number of Popes, and in a sense mediated conversation with Protestant theology by providing analysis and engagement with the work of Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth, Barth himself being one of the most important and influential Protestant theologians of the 20th century.

This
 
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2PhiloVoid

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This one is more of, what you think will happen to them after death.

Hi Heat,

I answered "other," being that I lean toward an Annihilationist perspective as far as eternal punishment of the unreconciled is concerned.

Peace
2PhiloVoid
 
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Heatios

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I chose other.

Anyone who is not reconciled to God through Jesus Christ prior to death will end up in hell. Not because "they are evil, immoral beings", but rather because their sin was not forgiven. All of us are evil and immoral beings, but those whom God reconciles to himself are given forgiveness and are given the righteousness of Christ.
Tell me, because I find this incredibly saddening.

Based on this line of reasoning, can a convicted murderer not just pray and be forgiven and welcomed to heaven? Do you know if Hitler did not just pray and ask forgiveness before he died and when you die you will find him in heaven?

This is what deeply bothers me. That the most immoral person, regardless of whether or not they changed in morality, can simply ask for forgiveness, and be welcomed in to heaven as if they were the pope. And then on the flip side, the most moral person, who can donate to charity, feed the homeless, care for the sick, can reject the position of god and fail to ever ask for forgiveness, and be sent to hell and treated as if they were Stalin.
 
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Jeremy J

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Tell me, because I find this incredibly saddening.

Based on this line of reasoning, can a convicted murderer not just pray and be forgiven and welcomed to heaven? Do you know if Hitler did not just pray and ask forgiveness before he died and when you die you will find him in heaven?

This is what deeply bothers me. That the most immoral person, regardless of whether or not they changed in morality, can simply ask for forgiveness, and be welcomed in to heaven as if they were the pope. And then on the flip side, the most moral person, who can donate to charity, feed the homeless, care for the sick, can reject the position of god and fail to ever ask for forgiveness, and be sent to hell and treated as if they were Stalin.

"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, 'You shall not commit adultery,' also said, 'You shall not commit murder.' If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker." (James 2: 10-11)

One might say it is unfair that God treats murder the same as adultery, but the point is that God is willing to forgive even though we do not deserve it. Yes, even Hitler's sins can be forgiven because there is no limit to the love of God.

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)

Concerning the survey, I answered other. I do know that no one may enter the kingdom except through the Son. However, only God knows the true state of our hearts. It's not for me to determine.
 
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Heatios

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"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, 'You shall not commit adultery,' also said, 'You shall not commit murder.' If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker." (James 2: 10-11)

One might say it is unfair that God treats murder the same as adultery, but the point is that God is willing to forgive even though we do not deserve it. Yes, even Hitler's sins can be forgiven because there is no limit to the love of God.

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)

Concerning the survey, I answered other. I do know that no one may enter the kingdom except through the Son. However, only God knows the true state of our hearts. It's not for me to determine.
I think it's an incredibly depressing thought that Hitler can go to heaven over a non believer that worked in a charity for 40+ years, saved countless lives, and committed their life solely to helping others, no matter how you want to twist and turn it.
 
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ViaCrucis

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I think it's an incredibly depressing thought that Hitler can go to heaven over a non believer that worked in a charity for 40+ years, saved countless lives, and committed their life solely to helping others, no matter how you want to twist and turn it.

I concur.

I also don't think such an idea is representative of mainstream Christian thinking and opinion on the subject. With the understanding that popular American Evangelical teaching isn't exactly the mainstream, though it often seems that way from outside observers, especially in the US.

Edited to add:

There's an expression I've heard frequently from Eastern Orthodox persons, "We know where the Church is, we don't know where the Church is not." This is similar to a quote I've heard attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo, "There are some whom God has whom the Church has not, and some whom the Church has whom God has not."

This is to say, as the Church we can confess what has been revealed to us, that those baptized and alive in the community of the Faithful belong to God. What we can not say is who is, definitively, out. We can't say "This person is not saved" or "This person is going to hell" these statements are outside of what the Church can say.

The Church, historically, recognizes certain people as being present with God in heaven, these being canonized saints. The Church doesn't have the opposite. There is no list of people who are most certainly damned.

We can know where salvation is happening because it's where God's Word is preached and His Sacraments administered; we can not say where God's salvation is not happening.

-CryptoLutheran
 
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zippy2

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I think there are levels of heaven ie 'crowns'. Needless to say Hitler would not be very high up, if it were even possible that he asked for forgiveness in the first place. I don't think he could have ever done so. He was a monster and monsters don't ask forgiveness.
 
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Neogaia777

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If they truly rejected Christ, then they will probably go to hell, I say "truly" cause they would have to have a clear chance, a true opportunity to choose the real Christ in the first place, oftentimes m misrepresented opportunities is not a real opportunity.
 
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godshapedhole

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I don't have a problem with the idea that a murderer or even someone as evil as Hitler could hypothetically be redeemed. I do have a problem with the idea that a loving, compassionate atheist (or Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, Hindu) who does nothing but good in their lives could be sentenced to eternal torment for simply not believing in Jesus, that is not a God worthy of worship.
 
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Heatios

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I don't have a problem with the idea that a murderer or even someone as evil as Hitler could hypothetically be redeemed. I do have a problem with the idea that a loving, compassionate atheist (or Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, Hindu) who does nothing but good in their lives could be sentenced to eternal torment for simply not believing in Jesus, that is not a God worthy of worship.
I can agree with this.
 
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Heatios

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I think there are levels of heaven ie 'crowns'. Needless to say Hitler would not be very high up, if it were even possible that he asked for forgiveness in the first place. I don't think he could have ever done so. He was a monster and monsters don't ask forgiveness.
It's a hypothetical meaning you assume the premise that he did ask for forgiveness to have a discussion.
 
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Neogaia777

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I don't have a problem with the idea that a murderer or even someone as evil as Hitler could hypothetically be redeemed. I do have a problem with the idea that a loving, compassionate atheist (or Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, Hindu) who does nothing but good in their lives could be sentenced to eternal torment for simply not believing in Jesus, that is not a God worthy of worship.

They have to introduced to the real Jesus, in the right way, there are so, so many ways to introduce someone to Christ, but oftentimes it has to individually custom tailored, something that the Atheist will feel in their heart and in that moment know Christ to be true, and they will either accept or reject him, and go to hell, because they are being judged based on their works... Everyone has skeletons in their closet, full of dark regret, and the darkest corners our dark side of ourselves that we keep whitewashed and hidden from everyone but God, but God knows our deepest, darkest, most grotesque desires and when we have acted on those desires, for that, they will go to hell without Christ...
 
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Hospes

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Tell me, because I find this incredibly saddening.

Based on this line of reasoning, can a convicted murderer not just pray and be forgiven and welcomed to heaven? Do you know if Hitler did not just pray and ask forgiveness before he died and when you die you will find him in heaven?

This is what deeply bothers me. That the most immoral person, regardless of whether or not they changed in morality, can simply ask for forgiveness, and be welcomed in to heaven as if they were the pope. And then on the flip side, the most moral person, who can donate to charity, feed the homeless, care for the sick, can reject the position of god and fail to ever ask for forgiveness, and be sent to hell and treated as if they were Stalin.
I'm curious. Why be saddened when you don't believe any of it anyway?
 
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