What happens to me if....

[Wilso]

I completely reject the teachings of Christianity? I deny that a person named Jesus ever even existed? Does that mean I'm going to hell?

 

[Wilso]

I could also add that I had sex before I was married, did lots of drugs, watched lots of porn and had sex with more prostitutes than I can count....and I don't feel any guilt over it whatsoever.

 

[Hentenza]

If you die in your unbelief which means that you consciously reject Jesus, then the scriptures tell us that you will spend eternity apart from God. The final arbiter is God though since salvation is His.

 

[Wilso]

And if I reject my previous life, take on board the teachings of Christianity, go to church every Sunday, ask for forgiveness, raise my children as Christians, then I would go to heaven?

 

[Hentenza]

And if I reject my previous life, take on board the teachings of Christianity, go to church every Sunday, ask for forgiveness, raise my children as Christians, then I would go to heaven?

The key here is belief in Christ as your Lord and savior. If you love God with all your heart, mind, and soul then you will naturally repent of your past life just like I and many have done. Merely going through empty motions defeats the purpose of Christ sacrifice for you.

 

[Wilso]

So putting aside manufacturing a belief that I don't have.
Believe, act and accept - an eternity of rewards.
Don't believe, don't act and don't accept - an eternity of punishment.
???

 

[Hentenza]

So putting aside manufacturing a belief that I don't have.
Believe, act and accept - an eternity of rewards.
Don't believe, don't act and don't accept - an eternity of punishment.
???

No, just belief. Acting and accepting are a result of belief.

Let me ask you, are you placing the responsibility of believing on you or God?

 

[seashale76]

Wilso, nobody can argue you into the Kingdom of Heaven. If you don't believe any of it, then I wonder why you would care what our religion says at all on the matter?

Faith is much more than mental assent. It involves action.

[FONT=&quot]"Belief is a matter of dying for Christ and His commandments. It is believing that such a death is life-giving. It is to count poverty as riches, and to consider the lowest humiliation as true honor and nobility. Faith is believing that when one has nothing, one has everything. More than this, it is to possess the incomprehensible riches of the knowledge of Christ and to look upon all visible things as but clay and smoke." ~St. Symeon the New Theologian, The Practical and Theological Chapters

[/FONT] "If you wish to save your soul and win eternal life, arise from your lethargy, make the sign of the Cross and say: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Faith comes not through pondering but through action. Not words and speculation but experience teaches us what God is. To let in fresh air we have to open a window; to get tanned we must go out into the sunshine. Achieving faith is no different; we never reach a goal by just sitting in comfort and waiting, say the Holy Fathers. Let the Prodigal Son be our example. He "arose and came" (Luke 15:20)." -Tito Colliander The Way of the Ascetics.



Anyway, moving on, I find myself re-posting this constantly on this board as this topic comes up frequently. I'm swiping this from here http://www.christianforums.com/t2642...ox-church.html as it says it better than I could:

The Orthodox teaching is that Heaven and Hell are the same "place" , standing in front of God. The Judgment is individual perception, determined by one's relationship to God. This perception will determine whether or not one experiences it as paradise (Heaven) or agony (Hell) eternally .
​

Here is a quote from an old Wikipedia article on the topic (that doesn’t seem to be around anymore) that I thought explained it pretty well: "For many ancient Christians, Hell was the same "place" as Heaven: living in the presence of God and directly experiencing God's love. Whether this was experienced as pleasure or torment depended on one's disposition towards God. St. Isaac of Syria wrote in Mystic Treatises: "... those who find themselves in Hell will be chastised by the scourge of love. How cruel and bitter this torment of love will be! For those who understand that they have sinned against love, undergo greater suffering than those produced by the most fearful tortures. The sorrow which takes hold of the heart, which has sinned against love, is more piercing than any other pain. It is not right to say that the sinners in Hell are deprived of the love of God ... But love acts in two ways, as suffering of the reproved, and as joy in the blessed!" This ancient view is still the doctrine of the Eastern Orthodox Church."

 

[Wilso]

Wilso, nobody can argue you into the Kingdom of Heaven. If you don't believe any of it, then I wonder why you would care what our religion says at all on the matter?

I guess I won't have any concern what you believe when christians stop arrogantly attempting to influence almost every aspect of society, from the laws we live under, to the education that my children will recieve.

But I'm also interested to know if any of you will ever attempt to qualify in any way the fact that your entire philosophy is based on bribes and extortion. Believe and be rewarded, don't believe and be punished.

 

[seashale76]

I guess I won't have any concern what you believe when christians stop arrogantly attempting to influence almost every aspect of society, from the laws we live under, to the education that my children will recieve.

One could say the same for atheists, Muslims, and just about anyone. You choose to focus on Christianity because it is pretty much the polar opposite of what you hold near and dear.

But I'm also interested to know if any of you will ever attempt to qualify in any way the fact that your entire philosophy is based on bribes and extortion. Believe and be rewarded, don't believe and be punished.

We don't have to qualify your misunderstanding of our faith.

 

[seashale76]

You come off as a person who is full of hatred and anger. What's the solution here? Do you think you're here to try to deconvert people? If so, that's quite sad. If that agenda doesn't work are you for advocating the genocide of Christians so you can finally have your godless utopia? There really wouldn't be another way to make Christians go away. It must be very difficult walking around carrying that amount of hatred for people. That takes a lot of energy.

You don't know as much about Christianity as you think. You've yet to exhibit much logic in your actions on this board. Do you honestly think you're the only one who was raised Christian and left it? Some of us thought we knew it all too- then we encountered the truth- some of us had an encounter with God.

It's very odd that you're even here. Most atheists I know don't care that other people believe in God. They certainly wouldn't come to further an unclear agenda on a Christian message board. CF doesn't have an apologetics board anymore, so that's out for you. I'm sure there are other websites that allow that type of thing if that's what you're after.

This is my last post to you. My advice to any Christians who see your threads is to not respond to your illogical rantings of anger. If you want to actually learn about Christianity and want to dialogue with people in a respectful way and not attack others, then that's fine. However, you've made it clear in this thread that that isn't something you're willing to do. If you're one of those folks who is all about 'Prove to me God exists' yada, yada, yada- then here is my advice to you: Go pray to the God you don't believe in. We can't argue you into the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

[drich0150]

And if I reject my previous life, take on board the teachings of Christianity, go to church every Sunday, ask for forgiveness, raise my children as Christians, then I would go to heaven?

Belief in Jesus is the only way one can have a relationship with God. Heaven is simply where that "relationship" will take place once this life is over. Heaven is not a reward for good behavior, or a way to escape Hell.

So if your goal is to get into heaven to escape hell, and belief in Jesus happens to be the only obstacle in your way, as a result you "belief" is a means to an end, rather than a way for you to establish and maintain a relationship with God then I would say no, you would not get into heaven.

 

[tavarish]

It's a pretty obvious attempt at trolling. I don't believe in God, but I can understand the original poster is taking you all for a ride.

 

[ephraimanesti]

I completely reject the teachings of Christianity? I deny that a person named Jesus ever even existed? Does that mean I'm going to hell?

ASK GOD--He alone knows the answer as to the eventual outcome of your senseless rebellion.

ABBA'S FOOL,
ephraim

 

[ephraimanesti]

I guess I won't have any concern what you believe when christians stop arrogantly attempting to influence almost every aspect of society, from the laws we live under, to the education that my children will recieve.

But I'm also interested to know if any of you will ever attempt to qualify in any way the fact that your entire philosophy is based on bribes and extortion. Believe and be rewarded, don't believe and be punished.

Makes more sense to me than a life full of drugs, porn, and prostitutes.

ABBA'S FOOL
ephraim

 

[Drewski]

Makes more sense to me than a life full of drugs, porn, and prostitutes.

ABBA'S FOOL
ephraim

Are you suggesting that the only thing keeping people from these negative things is belief in God?

 

[zaksmummy]

So putting aside manufacturing a belief that I don't have.
Believe, act and accept - an eternity of rewards.
Don't believe, don't act and don't accept - an eternity of punishment.
???

God offers you a free gift - it is your decision whether or not you accept it - he isnt going to twist you arm up your back and make you accept him. But he is a holy God and cannot accept sin, and the wages of sin is death.

Just remember that what ever happens in life he is there, waiting for you to acknowledge him and regardless of what you have done he will forgive you if you repent of your sins and turn to him.

The choice is yours.