Your Religion!

jeepnut · 09-03-2003, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ominub

hey whats going to happen to you when you die? i dont see you going anywhere do you want to know where you are going to be on the ground rotting just like you said.
dont even try to convert us aetheist down to your level we dont want that leave us alone

Holy run-on sentences Batman!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranzid

And if there's really an afterlife, are you telling me that because I didn't follow any of those organised religions, even though I have been a good man all my life, that I won't be allowed to that place you call heaven?

It depends on which denomination of Christianity or other religions you ask. Some teach that theirs is the only way. Others, like Catholicism, teach that it is possible for someone to reach heaven regardless of their faith if they lead a Christ-like life.

The Duggler · 09-03-2003, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeepnut

It depends on which denomination of Christianity or other religions you ask. Some teach that theirs is the only way. Others, like Catholicism, teach that it is possible for someone to reach heaven regardless of their faith if they lead a Christ-like life.

What about atheist? Like me, ignoring every single form of organised religion, but leading a life by trying to be a good person as much as possible.

mickydaniels · 09-03-2003, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranzid

What about atheist? Like me, ignoring every single form of organised religion, but leading a life by trying to be a good person as much as possible.

So then, you're not an atheist. You're an agnostic.

ag*nos*tic

1.
a. One who believes it is impossible to know whether there is a God.
b. One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism.

2. One who is doubtful or noncommittal about something.

jeepnut · 09-03-2003, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickydaniels

So then, you're not an atheist. You're an agnostic.

I'm not sure about this but I don't think that being an atheist means you can't be a good person as Xantar said. It's perfectly logical that you can not believe in God and yet still believe in being moral and living a "good" life.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranzid

What about atheist? Like me, ignoring every single form of organised religion, but leading a life by trying to be a good person as much as possible.

Sure. We believe that God, can save whoever he wants. Who are we to say who will and will not get into heaven? Only God can make that decision. Therefore, we believe that God may save anyone he deems worthy whether they believe in him or not. Heck, I'm sure there are many Atheists out there that are a lot better people than many Christians I know, including myself.

Besides, say there is someone who has lived a life of service to others. They do everything that a Christian is supposed to do. However, they lived in a very remote area. No one ever got to them in their life to teach them about Christ. How can we say they won't get saved simply because no one told them about Jesus? I mean, maybe they won't be, but that's up to God. Meanwhile, I'm not going to rule out the possibility.

TheGame · 09-03-2003, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeepnut

Besides, say there is someone who has lived a life of service to others. They do everything that a Christian is supposed to do. However, they lived in a very remote area. No one ever got to them in their life to teach them about Christ. How can we say they won't get saved simply because no one told them about Jesus? I mean, maybe they won't be, but that's up to God. Meanwhile, I'm not going to rule out the possibility.

well... I find that reasonable to... but people who hear it and flatly deny it... AND go out and argue against it are the people who are in the most trouble imo. SOme people just have no excuse except that they simply refuse to believe. Some people are so bad that even if events in the bible start happening they would still rather look for another explanation rather than submit and believe. These are the people I have extreme doubt about going to heaven.

Crono · 09-03-2003, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickydaniels

ag*nos*tic

1.
a. One who believes it is impossible to know whether there is a God.
b. One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism.

2. One who is doubtful or noncommittal about something.

I am an agnostic as well. I just don't think that we will ever know if there truly is some sort of God. I will also never put my faith into something that is over 2000 years old. On top of that... I used to be Christian but I never went to Church... so even if I did have a Religion... I would probably be too lazy to do anything.

TheGame · 09-03-2003, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranzid

Because we don't need guidelines in order to be good individuals in life? Because we can accept death and the fact that there's nothing after? And if there's really an afterlife, are you telling me that because I didn't follow any of those organised religions, even though I have been a good man all my life, that I won't be allowed to that place you call heaven?

[keep in mind this is from my belief's point of view, if you have conflicting views I'm not trying to argue, I'm just informing Ranzid about what will happen to him according to my beliefs]

Sorry my friend... but no you wouldn't. Why? Because no man is perfect, and everybody sins... and in order to get in heaven you must be forgiven for your sins and dedicate your life to Christ. Does God make exceptions? As far as I know, he doesn't. But he set the requirements, so eh.

It's not my job to say you are going to hell, because it's not my choice, but based off of what I know it would seem very likely that you would.

Also, you said "Because we can accept death and the fact that there's nothing after?"

I didn't know that was a fact... have you died before or somthing?

mickydaniels · 09-03-2003, 12:24 PM

Oooooooohhhhhhhh......

Let's open up a can of worms.

Did you know that Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists teach that death is the end and there is no judgement until God resurrects all the dead in the history of the earth?
Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 I said in my heart with regard to the sons of men that God is testing them to show them that they are but beasts. For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same; as one dies, so does the other.They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts; for all is vanity. All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the sprit of the beast goes down to the earth?
Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward; but the memory of them is lost.
I'm sure that they're not the only ones.

TheGame · 09-03-2003, 12:36 PM

After you die there is no concept of time... the way I see it you are just KOed when you die. But because heaven is forever, waiting a million years would be just like waiting a second if there is no end. Right?

I may be wrong, I haven't read anything to conflict with it, but I think the second you die in your eyes everything will be done almost instantly... it all depends on if time will exist and how fast it will move. The time of your life on earth would only get smaller and smaller with every passing second in heaven.

The second day of an infant's life is the equivelent of the second 10 years of a 10 year old's life. But the longer you live the more it accelerates. Even if it's just waiting in a shell, when we look back on it a trillion years from now, it will be nothing.

TheGame · 09-03-2003, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickydaniels

Of course time will exist. It just won't exist for dead people. There were people walking around before us and we have no memory of that stuff because we didn't exist just like after we exist.

sorry, I edited my post a bit.

mickydaniels · 09-03-2003, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGame

After you die there is no concept of time... the way I see it you are just KOed when you die. But because heaven is forever, waiting a million years would be just like waiting a second if there is no end. Right?

Even if it's just waiting in a shell, when we look back on it a trillion years from now, it will be nothing.

But what about the dead knowing nothing and having no reward?

Jason1 · 09-03-2003, 03:22 PM

Im Catholic...got confirmed and everything. I only go to church once a month now, whenever my mom makes me.

Joeiss · 09-03-2003, 04:06 PM

I am Roman Catholic. Well, technically I am Ukranian Catholic, but now I go to a Roman Catholic church.

I am always open to new ideas. I believe that everybody goes to heaven no matter what they believe in, just as long as they are good people!

Rndm_Perfection · 09-03-2003, 04:16 PM

I don't go to church, I don't study religion (any of them), but I have been brought up under "Christian" beliefs.

What's religion a question of? What will happen when you die... how were you born? The "answer to life" can't be merely thought up by a man (or woman, to all you feminists that can't see the "man" in Woman), I believe. Maybe through technological advances in Science. But... we'd know by now if there was an exceptional divinity. Yet, since dead men tell no tales... many still believe.

What is worth fighting for? Your theory of what will happen when you die? If that is so, don't mind me (anyone for that matter) killing you... and then you can find out if you were right.

My personal belief of the bible (going back into Christianity and other similar... but not necessarily "based upon" religions), is that it is a catalyst for story telling and maintaining domestic ethic values. Perhaps a lot of it was based on the firsthand beliefs of those who wrote it, but maybe that was because most of the stories and ideals were passed to them. But, what I'm pointing out is that it would be "impossible" for one man to guess the nature of the universe's creation, the actuality of divinity, and the aftermath of death. Similarly, I disbelieve that a few brainstormers could be more accurate.

I guess I'm too stuck on mathematics and sciences. While I'm interested in the prospect of accurate religious beliefs, I am currently in disbelief due to the fact that I am unaware of any greater powers (destiny, afterlife, etc...).

The only thing that boggles my mind is the fact that... I am me, not anybody else, and that I am in fact alive. It needs explaining, of course... but I'm not going to just believe something and then wait 'til I die to find out.