If I'm an Atheist and I am not a bad person, will I go to hell?

[CGL1023]

I deny Jesus as a savior of mankind, but I do think historically speaking, he was a real person. I find it extremely unlikely there is a God of any kind, even more unlikely a god that actually "loves" his creation and for some reason cares so much if people love him back. And to make it clear too, I don't believe in the devil either. I'm an honest and caring person, I've never done an "evil" thing my entire life. With that all said, would I go to hell?

I read a few of the posts on the first page; I also see this section is philosophy. Your question looks as if it is directed toward Christians and that you would value a thorough, well-reasoned, Christian-based answer. With the info you give, the only thing a Christian can do for you is to pray for you. Conversing with you on your subject is a waste of time because, you are not open to the truth or as stated in the bible -- "you don't have ears to hear." That can change by you "coming as a child" as you sincerely seek answers. I'll do as I said which is to pray for you, that you receive a revelation of Jesus Christ.

 

[Eudaimonist]

The universe being governed independently seems foreign to me. What is it that sustains the very atoms of the universe, that keeps all things in order?

What keeps the thing in order that keeps things in order? We have an infinite regress problem here.

But the answer is that nothing sustains the atoms of the universe. Atoms simply exist as atoms, and change as they do because they are atoms. To exist is to exist as something.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Archaeopteryx]

From your perspective, why does this matter?

Because this poisonous doctrine is being taught to young children as a means of terrifying them into belief.

You've rejected Christ which means you do not believe the teachings of the Bible. If you don't believe in that, then surely you can't believe you'll be punished for eternity. Why are you so concerned about it? You've forfeited your faith in a Savior you don't believe in, you shouldn't worry so much.

Yes, but you believe it. You believe it and you call this obscenity "just."

 

[nonbeliever314]

I read a few of the posts on the first page; I also see this section is philosophy. Your question looks as if it is directed toward Christians and that you would value a thorough, well-reasoned, Christian-based answer. With the info you give, the only thing a Christian can do for you is to pray for you. Conversing with you on your subject is a waste of time because, you are not open to the truth or as stated in the bible -- "you don't have ears to hear." That can change by you "coming as a child" as you sincerely seek answers. I'll do as I said which is to pray for you, that you receive a revelation of Jesus Christ.

First off, I have ears to hear, I heard it, and it is absolutely repulsive that if a generally "good hearted" person (not necessarily saying myself) would burn in hell just because they didn't accept Jesus as their savior. A child in a third world country at this very instant is suffering and dying, and "God forbid" they have never even heard of Jesus, because either they are too young, or it's just not a part of their culture. So their whole life is a living hell, and when that one is over, a new eternal hell begins. That sickens my stomach. AND PLEASE DON'T SAY "OH WELL, GOD WOULD TAKE THEM TO HEAVEN ANYWAY". Christianity, Judaism, and Islam to name a few, rule people by fear. You must absolutely love, and absolutely fear at the SAME TIME the God you hold up so high. You're forced to love a God and accept his son as the savior, not because you want to, but because you have no choice but to, because if you don't, you will suffer for all eternity. In the end there is no other conclusion other than that fear is what drives people to believe. Any reason you give as to why you accept Jesus will ultimately point back to the fear of damnation.

Religions in general, way before Christianity were always there to explain something that people didn't understand, and I find that totally reasonable. But when a religion comes along that attempts to induce total fear in people in the most subtle, sinister way imaginable, that's insane. Instead of a benign belief system, that just says "Hey, the bright light in the sky is [insert name here], that god creates the day", etc. You get one that utterly manipulates people into complete control, through fear, and at the same time makes them think that it's their choice, convinces them it's because some infinitely powerful deity actually "loves" a creation that is infinitely less than itself, and if this creation doesn't "love" it back it will "stick them under a magnifying glass and burn them with sunlight" forever. And lastly, it claims to have the meaning to things that don't necessarily have meaning. It tries to overcome nihilism, at the very least in the existential way.

CGL1023 you don't have to pray for me. Your gesture is appreciated, but at the same time I think (not believe) it is not general act of good will towards me, but a reaction to the deeply rooted fear that you need to be what your God expects you to be. Not praying for me to be saved when you're well aware from my previous post that I will definitely not be unless I have some type of realization would reflect poorly on you in the eyes of your God.

 

[nonbeliever314]

Wanted to point out the title of this thread, I definitely dropped the ball on that, I was tired... Should read, "If I'm an atheist and am not a bad person, will I go to hell?". Oops. Just wanted to correct / make fun of myself.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

God didn't create us to fail. God didn't create us to fall short of His expectations. We weren't "born sick and ordered to be well".

God created Adam and Eve to be perfect, "in His image". This included a free will. God gave Adam one single commandment: "Do not eat the Forbidden Fruit of the Knowledge of Good & Evil".

How were Adam and Eve supposed to morally appraise this command if they lacked a concept of good and evil? It seems that they were created without the ability necessary for them to successfully pass this test, meaning that they were always posed to fail.

Satan, who existed before Adam, enticed Eve to break the Commandment, and then Eve convinced Adam to do the same, an in doing so, bestowed themselves with the knowledge of Good and Evil.

God then pronounced a curse on the Earth, the curse of Death, and ever since, the Sin Nature is passed down from Parents to Offspring, for the rest of human history.

The entire notion of an inescapable heredity curse belies the ostensibly benevolent nature of God, who curses all human beings because of the actions of representatives that we did not even elect to represent us. The problem with the Fall is not man's action, but God's reaction. It's not merely that he foresaw the situation, and could therefore have prevented it; it's that he holds all human beings responsible for a crime that only two members of the species committed under circumstances in which their moral ignorance could reasonably have been grounds for mercy. Considering that, the punishment - death in this life and potentially endless torture in the next - is grossly disproportionate to the supposed crime. It speaks less of justice and more of retribution, which is once again at odds with the ostensibly benevolent and all loving nature of the Biblical God.

Awhile later, he sent Jesus Christ to the earth, the Son in human flesh, to fulfill the Mosaic Law, and to establish a New Covenant. God Knows that Man cannot be Holy on their own. It is impossible -- all mankind is corrupted with sin (thanks to Adam and Eve). God didn't create this sin, Satan did.

After showing us why we needed a savior (the fact that our Sin Nature inherently tells us to rebel against laws, therefore making laws is the wrong thing to do), He sent the Savior, so that we could have THE easiest way to find Him in Heaven after our Earthly life is done. He made it so ridiculously easy... you just accept Christ, Repent for your sin, and have faith that He will wash all of your sins away and all will be forgiven.

He unleashed the disease, and then offers the cue. What a hero.

The whole thing about Christ is the idea of cleansing ourselves from the Sin Nature that we all have from birth. God didn't create this Sin Nature; He wants to save us from it. However, He also wants all mankind to have free will, to choose their own destiny.

He is directly responsible for this "sin nature" that he wants to save us from. He decreed that Adam's sin curse would be passed on to his descendants and he devised the situation in which Adam's sin was practically inevitable.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

Who are we, with our flawed minds, to question the ethicality of God, or His reasoning?

By the same token then, who are you, with your fallible human mind, to speak for the divine?

 

[GillDouglas]

Because this poisonous doctrine is being taught to young children as a means of terrifying them into belief.

I was not taught this growing up. If I read correctly, neither were you. I'm sure there are others who were not 'poisoned' as children that came to know about God on their own later in life. Other than private Christian schools, I know of no education system in the U.S. that promotes the teaching of God. In fact, they are no longer allowed to say the pledge of allegiance before the start of the day because of the phrase "One Nation under God..". Faith in Jesus is a personal choice.

Yes, but you believe it. You believe it and you call this obscenity "just."

So if you're so open to other beliefs why condone mine? You are not actively protesting other beliefs who might require even more of their followers, only Christianity. How does my belief affect you unless there is still a part of you that believes. I think you're not faithless, just angry.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

I was not taught this growing up. If I read correctly, neither were you.

I was taught this. And as a child, it terrified me. It isn't just meant to terrify children, adults too.

So if you're so open to other beliefs why condone mine? You are not actively protesting other beliefs who might require even more of their followers, only Christianity. How does my belief affect you unless there is still a part of you that believes. I think you're not faithless, just angry.

Poor attempt at mind-reading. I already told you why: because you believe this obscenity and you think it's "just".

 

[GillDouglas]

I was taught this. And as a child, it terrified me. It isn't just meant to terrify children, adults too.

Well, in my opinion, I don't feel this is the correct way to indoctrinate someone into Christianity. I've not read anywhere in the Bible where it says scare the unbeliever into submission. God's greatest commandment is to love Him and love your neighbor. Frightening children or adults doesn't seem to be very loving.

Poor attempt at mind-reading. I already told you why: because you believe this obscenity and you think it's "just".

I'll gladly be humbled the grace of God regardless of what you believe. So you can deny it regardless of what I believe. While it saddens me that you have rejected Him, what's even more frustrating is that you would cause others to stumble, fall away, or reject Him also. Does it seem fair that you would ruin a movie for someone who hasn't had the chance to watch it?

 

[Archaeopteryx]

Well, in my opinion, I don't feel this is the correct way to indoctrinate someone into Christianity. I've not read anywhere in the Bible where it says scare the unbeliever into submission. God's greatest commandment is to love Him and love your neighbor. Frightening children or adults doesn't seem to be very loving.

And yet this is common practice, particularly among street preachers.

I'll gladly be humbled the grace of God regardless of what you believe. So you can deny it regardless of what I believe. While it saddens me that you have rejected Him, what's even more frustrating is that you would cause others to stumble, fall away, or reject Him also. Does it seem fair that you would ruin a movie for someone who hasn't had the chance to watch it?

It's a bad movie. They can watch it if they wish, but why shouldn't they watch it critically?

 

[seekingsolace]

And yet this is common practice, particularly among street preachers.

Speaking from a Christian standpoint; I don't particularly like them either, often they do more harm than good. Telling someone you have to do this usually leads to rebellion, you can gently direct a person, but they need to do the walking.

 

[Messy]

I was taught this. And as a child, it terrified me. It isn't just meant to terrify children, adults too.

Yes that's horrible. My ex told my kid about hell when he was 6. He was crying under the shower.
Luckily I could help him, but with 8 he told him again because he just doesn't get it. He started hearing voices, the devil say this and that and he wanted to take him to a psychologist and give him drugs. Really, just shut up about it. The only way I was able to convince my son that he would not fall away later on in life and go to hell (he was Tortured with those thoughts) was that before his conception I told God I would only get children if they would follow Him. God set him free from it but what if parents are so stupid and they don't have someone who helps them.
This whole hell teaching I only heard after I got saved and it drove me nuts, but Ian McCormack helped me out. He was an atheist and met God just before he died because his mother prayed, so if I pray people will go to heaven. Lol I told that to my son, he prayed for the whole world to get saved and said thank You Lord, problem solved.

 

[GillDouglas]

Speaking from a Christian standpoint; I don't particularly like them either, often they do more harm than good. Telling someone you have to do this usually leads to rebellion, you can gently direct a person, but they need to do the walking.

If there is one thing I could get an unbeliever to believe it's that most of us who call ourselves Christians are from being like Christ. I can use myself as a prime example, as I know that I am not perfect and the only good in me is Christ. The religious fanatics who preach the doom and gloom are working against God. Though they may lead some to Him, it's more likely it will have the opposite affect. The worst thing about any religion is the people.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

Yes that's horrible. My ex told my kid about hell when he was 6. He was crying under the shower.
Luckily I could help him, but with 8 he told him again because he just doesn't get it. He started hearing voices, the devil say this and that and he wanted to take him to a psychologist and give him drugs. Really, just shut up about it. The only way I was able to convince my son that he would not fall away later on in life and go to hell (he was Tortured with those thoughts) was that before his conception I told God I would only get children if they would follow Him. God set him free from it but what if parents are so stupid and they don't have someone who helps them.

This is why the doctrine of Hell is so pernicious. It is meant to discourage questioning and doubt. It turns doubt into an unbearable burden, especially for a child. It is an attempt to force belief through fear and to close the mind. As a teenager, when I was most devout, doubt was anguishing for exactly this reason.

This whole hell teaching I only heard after I got saved and it drove me nuts, but Ian McCormack helped me out. He was an atheist and met God just before he died because his mother prayed, so if I pray people will go to heaven. Lol I told that to my son, he prayed for the whole world to get saved and said thank You Lord, problem solved.

I don't think it's "problem solved" at all. You've assured him that he will not "fall away" because you said a prayer. When doubts start to surface again, what do you think will happen to him, mentally? Hopefully not what happened to me; I ended up in hospital.

 

[GillDouglas]

I don't think it's "problem solved" at all. You've assured him that he will not "fall away" because you said a prayer. When doubts start to surface again, what do you think will happen to him, mentally? Hopefully not what happened to me; I ended up in hospital.

Do not presume that her son will have as little faith as you did.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

Do not presume that her son will have as little faith as you did.

I don't think you're in a position to comment on how much faith I had, particularly during my teenage years, when I was most devout. Nowadays, "little faith" is taken as a compliment.

 

[GillDouglas]

I don't think you're in a position to comment on how much faith I had, particularly during my teenage years, when I was most devout. Nowadays, "little faith" is taken as a compliment.

It's true that it is not my place, nor is it yours to question his. But considering we're having this conversation to begin with it pretty much gives me an idea about your lack of.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

It's true that it is not my place, nor is it yours to question his.

I'm not questioning his faith. I'm simply making the point that doubts will inevitably arise, even in someone whose faith is apparently very strong. To someone who believes that the threat of Hell is genuine, such doubts are anguishing to the extreme.

 

[GillDouglas]

I'm not questioning his faith. I'm simply making the point that doubts will inevitably arise, even in someone whose faith is apparently very strong. To someone who believes that the threat of Hell is genuine, such doubts are anguishing to the extreme.

This is where you would be wrong. If one believes as I do, as he does, there is no fear of death or threat of Hell before us.