Will I go to hell if I convert to another religion?

stray bullet · Apr 12, 2004

Jenna said:
I have a question in return, if you don't mind. Have you ever been a bible believing Christian?

What's a bible-believing Christian? Do I follow what is in the bible? Yes. I used to be a creationist fundie even. I've had spiritual experiences, but now I start to wonder if the bible is falible and what experiences were and were not real.

I find myself just wanting to give up sometimes. The question is, what will be the consequences of it? I hope my only regret in the afterlife I didn't do more... not hell.

cougan · Apr 12, 2004

stray bullet said:
Serious question: If a person who really believed in Christianity converted to another religion, would they go to hell? This is not losing faith or simply not believing in God, but converting to another religion, while remaining faithful or even moreso?

What if the person even asked God to forgive them if they were wrong?

John 4:23-24 23 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

John 17:17 17 "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Romans 1:16-17 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Galatians 1:6-10 6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
2 Timothy 4:1-4 2 Timothy 4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

1 Timothy 4:1-3 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-12 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. 11 Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 5:9 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,

2 John 1:9-11 9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

I let the word of God answer your question.

TugOwar · Apr 12, 2004

Reading what this young man is saying is scary to me.

Stray Bullet, you say you follow what is in the Bible. If so, then you know that Prayer will yeild the answer to your question. More so than what any of us here have to say.

stray bullet · Apr 12, 2004

TugOwar said:
Reading what this young man is saying is scary to me.

Why is it scary? Is it that Christians must accept how they are not might not be how they always will be? Reasonings like, "well, they must never have been Christian in the first place" is nothing more than a personal reassurance that it will never happen to you?

Stray Bullet, you say you follow what is in the Bible. If so, then you know that Prayer will yeild the answer to your question. More so than what any of us here have to say.

To be told what? Answered how? Maybe I'm being tested and I shouldn't ask questions.... not that I don't. Maybe it is my fault for question, wondering, worrying, being scared. I should have gone to mass more, done more to help people, been less selfish, et cetera, et cetera...

Crusadar · Apr 12, 2004

stray bullet said: Seems harsh . I'd hope God would judge us by our hearts and our longing to do good, not by confusion on the nature of Jesus.

He is only harsh when we have openly and of our own will rejected His gift of salvation through His Son.

I'd hope God would judge us by our hearts

God does judge us by our hearts and our works but does not condemn anyone because of it - only our rejection of Christ. Remember He will judge all - the righteous and the unrighteous.

and our longing to do good,

Good intentions or deeds to God are worthless without Christ first - otherwise we only do good for our own selfish reasons. Also if we were to base our salvation on our own merits and works - no one would make the cut. That is why salvation is a gift, if you do accept His gift it is saying one does not need God because in essence you are saying that you are good enough to make it on your own and don't need God.

not by confusion on the nature of Jesus.

Scripture does paint for us a very clear picture of Christs nature, it is only when we have strayed away from what the Word of God tells us that we run into confusions about His nature.

I hope God will always love me and judge me by the way I treat others.

God does love everyone in His creation, it is only the sin we do that He hates. It is because He knows we cannot make ourselves worthy enough on our own in order to escape His judgment that He has given us salvation through His Son as a gift.

Is it 'rejecting' Christ to decide Jesus is not of the nature preached in Christianity?

One must make the distinction between Christianity and Christ before one can understand the true nature of Christ as not all Christians believe the same thing about Christ's nature. We must bare in mind that our views of Christs nature ultimately comes from the Word of God and it is there that we must start.

What if you are willing to accept you are wrong?

It depends on what one means by wrong. Is it wrong because it is unsupported in Scripture or wrong because it is not the popular view of current Christians?

Some people, in trying to convert people of different faiths into their own, start to believe in that faith and convert.

Yes it is true that some follow the religion of Christianity and yet never come to personally know Christ. It is a sad state indeed that many claim to be Christians - but in name only and not in heart.

Are they some how less righteous because they got to understand the religion and converted because of noble aims, as opposed to those that chose to help no one and remained ignorant of the religion?

Remember there is no one less or more righteous in God's view as we are all unworthy sinners before God. There is however a difference between not knowing Christ because one refuses to, and not knowing Christ because one is isolated from all knowledge of Him. In this day and age it would be hard not to have ever heard of the name of Jesus.

I hope I don't fall into falsehood, but if I do, I hope God will be there to pick me up in the end.

I hope that no child of God does, for falsehood only comes from the hearts of men. The truth however is always there to be read and understood and it is the Word of God.

HoT-MetaL · Apr 12, 2004

stray bullet said:
Does it matter? It would be non-Christian, like Islam, but not something that was purposely worshiping Satan or did hurtful things to people.

What happened to Muhammed Ali when he converted?

Bonhoffer · Apr 12, 2004

stray bullet said:
I think that is fear talking... wanting to believe that since you believe in Christ now you always will.

No. Sometimes I actually want to beleive that Christianity is false, but this doesnt change what I beleive. I want to beleive that the Holocaust never happened, but yet I strongly beleive that it did.

There is a big difference in beleiving in something and wanting to beleive in something.

You know that you'll always beleive that your male. In the same way I will always beleive in Jesus because I know Him and "He will never leave me nor forsake me".

Bonhoffer · Apr 12, 2004

stray bullet said:
Serious question: If a person who really believed in Christianity converted to another religion, would they go to hell?

If a Christian was seriously considering converting to another religion then they are hellbound even if they stay as a Christian at their level of faith. It isnt what religion you practice which determines if you go to heaven or not.
Merely calling yourself a Christian and going to church is as useless for salvation as going to the Mosque each day.

I'm not saying this to upset you, but if you are seriously considering converting to another religion then you are not yet saved.

Bonhoffer · Apr 12, 2004

stray bullet said:
What's a bible-believing Christian? Do I follow what is in the bible? Yes. I used to be a creationist fundie even. I've had spiritual experiences, but now I start to wonder if the bible is falible and what experiences were and were not real.

I find myself just wanting to give up sometimes. The question is, what will be the consequences of it? I hope my only regret in the afterlife I didn't do more... not hell.

No disrepect brother but from all you have been saying it is obvious that you are not saved and do not know Jesus. In terms of your after life destination you are in the same position as an atheist, Muslim or pagan. You either know Jesus or you don't. There is no middle way because Jesus said there is no middle way.
Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life: no one gets to the Father except through me"
He also said to Nicodemos "You cannot see the kingdom of God unless you are born-again".

You talk about being unsure about your spiritual experiences. Trust me when you have encountered the Holy Spirit you cannot be unsure about God. It is an incredibly powerful experience. Sometimes so much so that I've almost fainted and many times I have cried with joy.
Before I was a Christian a had spiritual experiences with which I was sure of.
This is not the Holy Spirit !
The Holy Spirit is the nicest, warmest, most wonderful experience humanly imaginable.
You get filled with so much love that you dont know what to do with it.
The Power of God is unlike anything else.
This is why I said earlier that true Christians couldnt convert to another faith.
This is because once you have encountered the Holy Spirit you cant deny that Jesus was/is who He said He was. This is because the Holy Spirit convicts people of their faith and brings about a kind of spiritual circumstion. This is why deconversion is impossible.

Theres nothing bad about having doubts, but I am sincerely concerned for about you. You are obviously not 'born-again' and as the Bible says you NEED to be born-again in order to go to heaven.

Now here is the Good News. You CAN be born-again. Its very, very simple!!!

HoT-MetaL · Apr 12, 2004

Jesus CLEARLY stated "I am the way, the truth, and the life, there is NO way to the father except through me."

Any religion that does not accept Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life, is going to hell.

My view on Judaism is that if they follow the law they'll go to heaven (although I have been attacked for this view several times).

As for Islam. I dont know. Jesus was supposedly a prophet. Do prophets lie? No! Why then did he state that he is the way the truth and the life....?

And at the end of the day its not for us to judge. But then through fear of the lord I would NEVER convert. Simple as that. Stick with what you KNOW is the truth, and the truth is Jesus. Dont test God, its your soul at risk.

God Bless, metal.

HoT-MetaL · Apr 12, 2004

stray bullet said:
What's a bible-believing Christian? Do I follow what is in the bible? Yes. I used to be a creationist fundie even. I've had spiritual experiences, but now I start to wonder if the bible is falible and what experiences were and were not real.

I find myself just wanting to give up sometimes. The question is, what will be the consequences of it? I hope my only regret in the afterlife I didn't do more... not hell.

This reminds me of a Delirious Song. The lyrics go...

If I'm right then you are wrong [you=atheist i guess]
If I'm wrong then I really lived
And if I die with no reward
Then I know I had peace cos I carried the sword

Doubt is faith looking for answers. There is NO doubt in my heart that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. I would recommend researching apologetics for the resurrection, there you will find the arguments against Jesus resurrection PATHETIC, and the arguments FOR the ressurection surprisingly strong.

God Bless, metal.

Eusebios · Apr 12, 2004

SB,
Your question is indeed a serious one, a deadly serious one I'd say. Any conscious rejection of Christ (having once followed Him, or claimed to is, as another poster pointed out, termed apostasy and is serious.
I get the feeling, both from your posts as well as the Arabic script in your sig, that it is Islam you are considering. I suspect, that your living in the UK where Islam is definitely on the rise, that it is social or cultural pressure that is causing you to consider conversion. (If not, please set me straight) I have an adult daughter who is a Muslim, and I know that it was a good deal of social pressure that caused her to aposticise. I still love her very much, but I have asked her, as I will ask you, why would you choose to believe that God became a book, rather than bcome a man? What is it that you find so attractive about Islam? These questions may help to provide some further guidance.
I too would not try to pretend that I understand what happens outside the Chuech in terms of salvation. BUt I do believe that it is God incarnatein the second person of the Trinity who provides the means whereby men might be saved.
I hope you will consider these questions. I will pray for you.
His unworthy servant,
Eusebios.

Curt · Apr 12, 2004

Bonhoffer said:
For a truly born-again Christian to convert to another religion would be like an 88 year old black man becoming a 10 year old Asian girl.

People who convert from Christianity cannot be Christians in the first place. Maybe they beleived in their head, but its the heart and soul that matters.

Don't go by this statement. This could lead you into a lot of heartach. You, and The Holy Spirit, alone know if you are saved, and I would tell you that you only have two choices of whom you will serve. It's God or satan, and any religion that doesn't confess Jesus as God is of satan, regardless of how much good they may speak and do. And I want to warn you that anyone who starts the salvation process can walk away from it by there own freewill choices, no one can take them away, God won't take them out of it, but they can.

Matt 6:24
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Luke 16:13
13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Prov 3:5-8 TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL THINE HEART, LEAN NOT TO YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING, BE NOT WISE IN YOUR OWN EYES
.
II Tim 3:16-17 ALL SCRIPTURE BY INSPIRATION OF GOD, AND PROFITABLE, THAT THE MAN OF GOD BE PERFECT

2 Pet 1:20 NO PROPHECY OF THE SCRIPTURE IS OF ANY PRIVATE INTERPRETATION

2 Sam 14:14 NEITHER DOTH GOD RESPECT ANY PERSON

Job 37:24 HE RESPECTETH NOT ANY THAT ARE WISE OF HEART.

John 17:22-23 BE ONE, EVEN AS WE ARE ONE, THAT THEY MAY BE MADE PERFECT IN ONE

James 1:22-25 BUT BE YE DOERS OF THE WORD, AND NO HEARERS ONLY

Josh 24:15
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
(KJV)

The Holy Spirit is the only one who can answer that question for you, cause He's the only one who knows The innermost thoughts, and imaginations of your heart, and mind.

stray bullet · Apr 12, 2004

cougan said:
<snip>

Well, that was uplifting...

stray bullet · Apr 12, 2004

Crusadar said:
stray bullet said: Seems harsh . I'd hope God would judge us by our hearts and our longing to do good, not by confusion on the nature of Jesus.

He is only harsh when we have openly and of our own will rejected His gift of salvation through His Son.

How is it rejecting if you leave your heart open for it and prepare yourself to accept the fact that you are wrong? It is believing one thing is more likely than another... not rejecting.

I'd hope God would judge us by our hearts

God does judge us by our hearts and our works but does not condemn anyone because of it - only our rejection of Christ. Remember He will judge all - the righteous and the unrighteous.

and our longing to do good,

Good intentions or deeds to God are worthless without Christ first - otherwise we only do good for our own selfish reasons. Also if we were to base our salvation on our own merits and works - no one would make the cut. That is why salvation is a gift, if you do accept His gift it is saying one does not need God because in essence you are saying that you are good enough to make it on your own and don't need God.

I believe the Catholic Church disagrees with you... that good deeds done onto others will be accepted by Jesus as done onto Him.

not by confusion on the nature of Jesus.

Scripture does paint for us a very clear picture of Christs nature, it is only when we have strayed away from what the Word of God tells us that we run into confusions about His nature.

One billion people disagree. Even Christians disagree on the exact nature of God.

stray bullet · Apr 12, 2004

hotmetal said:
What happened to Muhammed Ali when he converted?

stray bullet · Apr 12, 2004

Bonhoffer said:
You know that you'll always beleive that your male. In the same way I will always beleive in Jesus because I know Him and "He will never leave me nor forsake me".

Then you believe converting won't send you to hell?

stray bullet · Apr 12, 2004

Bonhoffer said:
If a Christian was seriously considering converting to another religion then they are hellbound even if they stay as a Christian at their level of faith. It isnt what religion you practice which determines if you go to heaven or not.
Merely calling yourself a Christian and going to church is as useless for salvation as going to the Mosque each day.

I'm not saying this to upset you, but if you are seriously considering converting to another religion then you are not yet saved.

I think you are just trying to convince yourself you'll never lose your faith... once a Christian always a Christian. I dunno.

stray bullet · Apr 12, 2004

Bonhoffer said:
No disrepect brother but from all you have been saying it is obvious that you are not saved and do not know Jesus.

Why call my brother and then condemn me?

In terms of your after life destination you are in the same position as an atheist, Muslim or pagan. You either know Jesus or you don't. There is no middle way because Jesus said there is no middle way.

I see, so only those lucky enough to be born with exposure to Jesus, enough to want to convert get to go to Heaven?

Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life: no one gets to the Father except through me"
He also said to Nicodemos "You cannot see the kingdom of God unless you are born-again".

Yes, and Jesus is also forgiving....

This is why I said earlier that true Christians couldnt convert to another faith.
This is because once you have encountered the Holy Spirit you cant deny that Jesus was/is who He said He was. This is because the Holy Spirit convicts people of their faith and brings about a kind of spiritual circumstion. This is why deconversion is impossible.

I disagree, I think free will allows it. There are many people who were on fire for God, singing His praise and doing missionary works who converted or deconverted.

Theres nothing bad about having doubts, but I am sincerely concerned for about you. You are obviously not 'born-again' and as the Bible says you NEED to be born-again in order to go to heaven.

Now here is the Good News. You CAN be born-again. Its very, very simple!!!

There was a point in my life that I fully welcomed Christ into my heart and accepted the consequences thereof. I've been born again.

stray bullet · Apr 12, 2004

hotmetal said:
Jesus CLEARLY stated "I am the way, the truth, and the life, there is NO way to the father except through me."

Any religion that does not accept Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life, is going to hell.

Well, that's real open minded.

As for Islam. I dont know. Jesus was supposedly a prophet. Do prophets lie? No! Why then did he state that he is the way the truth and the life....?

Huh? Muslims don't claim Jesus lied.

Will I go to hell if I convert to another religion?

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