If God loves atheists, then why wouldn't he allow them a place in heaven?

[Publius]

Perhaps I should clarify the question.

Let's say Pete is a human and his intellect tells them that it is not possible for an omniscient & omnipotent being to exist. Pete thinks it is highly unlikely there is a heaven. But if there is a heaven and it's a worthy place to be, then he wants to go there. How can he ensure that he'll go to heaven without going against what his intellect tells him?

But to answer your questions:
1) Pete doesn't even think or care where Heaven - if it exists - came from
2) Not applicable, because Pete doesn't even have one conscious thought about where Heaven - if it exists - came from.
3) In the case of Pete, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think there is a remote possibility of Heaven being there without acknowledging its creator.

If Pete doesn't know what Heaven is, then why would he want to go there so badly?

If you don't think you're going to get into an automobile accident, then why do you buy auto insurance?

The difference is that I don't want to get into an automobile accident. Pete, by your own description, wants to go to Heaven. What I'm asking you is why he wants to go to Heaven when, by your own description, he doesn't even know what Heaven is.

 

[Cieza]

Cieza, it's actually very simple. Jesus said "Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them."

Notice that all you have to do is accept Jesus' commandments and obey them, then He will reveal Himself to you, then no matter what anyone says you will know that He is alive and that God exist's.

I'm sure I have told you this before, I just wonder why you decide not to listen to the answers you get.

What if one accepts the commandments but actually doesn't care about Jesus? Does that mean he loves Jesus but doesn't care about him?

What does it mean for the Father to reveal himself to someone?

If one accepts the commandments but his intellect tells him that a supreme being can't exist, then what type of revelation will he get from God?

What if one accepts the commandments but continues to believe that Jesus never rose from the dead?

What if one accepts the commandments but whose intellect tells him that it is impossible for a supreme being to exist?

 

[Cieza]

If Pete doesn't know what Heaven is, then why would he want to go there so badly?

If you don't think you're going to get into an automobile accident, then why do you buy auto insurance?

 

[bling]

If God loves atheists, then why wouldn't he allow them a place in heaven?

Heaven is like one huge Love feast, but the problem is that Love is Godly type Love (agape) and some people on earth have repeatedly refused that type of Love. They like a carnal type Love self seeking and do not want to even be Loved unselfishly. This would mean they would be unhappy in heaven and God does not want them to be unhappy.

 

[Cieza]

Heaven is like one huge Love feast, but the problem is that Love is Godly type Love (agape) and some people on earth have repeatedly refused that type of Love. They like a carnal type Love self seeking and do not want to even be Loved unselfishly. This would mean they would be unhappy in heaven and God does not want them to be unhappy.

What if a human being - through serious intellectual and logical analysis - comes to the conclusion that a supreme being (or someone with omniscient & omnipotent powers) could not possibly exist. Does that equate to refusing a certain kind of love?

If so, I don't quite get the connection with views about the physical world and love. Perhaps you could elaborate.

Also, I don't quite get the connection with a belief that a supreme being most likely doesn't exist and a desire to not be loved unselfishly. Please elaborate. I don't think a supreme being exists but I have a desire to be loved unselfishly.

I don't believe a supreme being exists, but as heaven has been described to me, I probably would be happy there.

 

[bling]

What if a human being - through serious intellectual and logical analysis - comes to the conclusion that a supreme being (or someone with omniscient & omnipotent powers) could not possibly exist. Does that equate to refusing a certain kind of love?

If so, I don't quite get the connection with views about the physical world and love. Perhaps you could elaborate.

Also, I don't quite get the connection with a belief that a supreme being most likely doesn't exist and a desire to not be loved unselfishly. Please elaborate. I don't think a supreme being exists but I have a desire to be loved unselfishly.

I don't believe a supreme being exists, but as heaven has been described to me, I probably would be happy there.

How could a person ever come to the conclusion “the Christian God does not exist”?

The physical world is the only place where human beings (and a world might be needed for any and all created beings) can obtain Godly type Love. This type Love has to be the result of a free will decision with likely alternatives and on earth for humans those likely alternatives are “the perceived pleasures of sin for a season”.

The “belief” is not “knowledge” of the existence of God, but a trust (faith) in a benevolent Creator (something anyone can do and in fact something a lowly person might find easier to do), so that “trust” is an act of humility. Humans do not like to be humble (this goes back to their needed survival instinct), so we tend to avoid this trust. So only with a great need do we humbly trust in a benevolent creator and that need is created with the burden of hurting others in the past and seeking relieve. The Benevolent Creator relieves that burden with the acceptance of His forgiveness and that results in our Love “…he that is forgiven much Loves much…”

Why do you desire to be “Loved unselfishly”? Do you have a need to be Loved like that or just think it would be nice? What does that mean to you?

What makes you happy now to make you think you would be happy in heaven?

 

[oi_antz]

Hi Cieza, I've replied at length to a few of your other post's, I'm presuming that you have read them, so I'll go on with that assumption.

What if one accepts the commandments but actually doesn't care about Jesus? Does that mean he loves Jesus but doesn't care about him?

I'm not sure why you have made a distinction between loving and caring, I think caring is an act of love. If you simply obey His commandments for fear of hell, you will see in the parable of the sower, that these are those whose seed fell on shallow soil.

What does it mean for the Father to reveal himself to someone?

That's a very personal experience. What it means for everyone universally is that they've had an experience with God that they can't deny, that seals their faith and gives them a channel to approach God at all times.

If one accepts the commandments but his intellect tells him that a supreme being can't exist, then what type of revelation will he get from God?

I don't know, you could discover that yourself if you really want to

What if one accepts the commandments but continues to believe that Jesus never rose from the dead?

I think Jesus would correct him on that one, that's just my personal expectation though, I can't guarantee it.

What if one accepts the commandments but whose intellect tells him that it is impossible for a supreme being to exist?

I say that the intellect is then sabotaging the truth, and is therefore faulty logic.

All your questions here seem to have a common theme: that beliefs generate reality. This is back to front from what Christianity will teach you: that reality generates beliefs.

 

[visionary]

If God loves atheists, then why wouldn't he allow them a place in heaven?

It wouldn't be heaven to them...

 

[razeontherock]

What if a human being - through serious intellectual and logical analysis - comes to the conclusion that someone with omniscient & omnipotent powers could not possibly exist.

This has no bearing on Christianity.

 

[Cieza]

This has no bearing on Christianity.

Can one believe in God while also believing that omniscience and omnipotence do not exist?

 

[ChristianT]

Can one believe in God while also believing that omniscience and omnipotence do not exist?

You can, but you'd be false!

 

[razeontherock]

Can one believe in God while also believing that omniscience and omnipotence do not exist?

YES! Esp if your qualifier is they both have to co-exist in the same Being, per definitions you hold. You're seeing a logical contradiction in that - you do NOT have to violate your own logic, conscience et al to believe in G-d. In fact, doing so would compromise your integrity, which G-d is dead-set against.

Realize that so much of what people say about G-d, is nothing but their own closure ... this is where the Bible helps us, if we read it for what it says, rather than trying to get it to say what it does not.

 

[FreeinChrist]

MOD HAT


Well, had to do another clean up as folks are not following the site rules. ONLY Christians may respond to the OP and the ONLY nonChristian allowed in the thread is the OP.

closing this for now