What Kind Of God Would Judge Me For Not Being Christian?

there is only one God, the creator, the God of the Bible. Which is in there over 6000 times and his name is not God, that's a title. His name is Jehovah!

 

There's also the "Lake of Fire" and the sinners and folks not right for Heaven are written down on a scroll which is tossed into the Lake of Fire. No torture, no torment, just simply put, no afterlife. You just cease to exist.

The torments and stuff most likely came out of older mythology.

Hades is actually reference in the Old Testament, when Jesus was crucified, and vanished for three days he went to Hades to help bring lost souls into the light. Right there two religions combine and it's easy to work out what religion influenced the other.

I'm not too well read on Hades, but it was guarded by that hound so I assume it wasn't a comfortable realm.

In the Saxon/Norse mythology we have Hel, which is the underworld hell but it isn't fire or brimstone, it's cold, it's ice. Hel is also the goddess who resides here. Now this was clearly written in a time where Vikings very well adapted their environment into the scriptures and Scandinavia is a cold place without modern day heating so it's easy to see why they went that direction. I also think that being warm isn't uncomfortable, but to freeze would be.

Hel however is its own realm, not a prison in middle earth, so it's not hot/warm etc. it is below Midgard (earth) it is its own world.

 

I was being sarcastic in my reply to unfocused.

Christians read the old and the new. Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi and the traditions, start of Christianity are found in Judaism. The story of Adam and Eve. The story of Ruth, Sodom and Gomorrah, story of Moses, Jonas and the whale. Seven deadly sins, The list goes on.

None argue the existence of god, it is the same god, one god, no matter what name you give god. what is argued over is who is right amongst them. Mohammed said he was god (the second coming) a man who approved of slaves and called for jihad, raping white people, enslaving. Christians believe it was Jesus, and in the Jewish faith, they are still waiting. Judaism and Christianity read the same scriptures (Old Testament) not the New Testament for the Jews, but both stay clear of Mohammed's teachings which calls for war against Jews and Christians, rape and murder. Unfocused is the perfect example Islam could make an example of.

 

Those commandments sound like facism to me. God is a fascist?

 

Well Christians believe that even Charlie Manson can except Jesus on his death bed and get into heaven...
But good person that doesn't believe will not...
Hum, kind of ass backward to me.

My basic idea of death is fairly simple....
What happens after death, don't know, but
I want to go in the opposite direction of most conservatives.
and JC's most important message was... Love your neighbor....

btw.. raised catholic and I am a atheist. pretty much as you describe..

 

I do, but then lots of folks wouldn't consider me to be a Christian. I consider myself to be a Progressive Christian who thinks of God as a Higher Power, understood operationally as the summation of human idealism, and who accepts the teachings and example of Jesus as my guide to life. Christianity was influenced early on by the teachings of Paul, who stressed faith over mitzvah (works of the law) in his efforts to bring the religion of a messianic Jew to the gentiles. This notion was challenged by Jewish Christians following James in Jerusalem, but they were scattered and decimated by the Romans in 70 C.E., and Paul's teachings became the orthodox view. They were elaborated and amplified by Saint Augustine and Martin Luther. From the perspective of armchair psychology, all three of these individuals seemed to share a common personality pattern: obsessive personal perfectionism, intense frustration and guilt in not being able to achieve that goal, and great personal relief when they concluded that they didn't have to worry about it any more because their faith in Jesus' sacrifice took care of it.

The answer to your question also depends on what kind of Christian you're talking: Catholic, conservative Protestant, or mainline/progressive Protestant. The Catholic answer is complicated, because of their acceptance of James as well as Paul (i.e., both faith and works) and because of the idea that conscience is the important thing. I am neither a Catholic nor a theologian, so I'm going by an outsider's impressions. The official position seems to be (or used to be) that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church, but conscientious non-Catholics can still get to Heaven through their "invincible ignorance" (which may sound insulting, but at least it gets you through the Pearly Gates). In a sense, they are honorary Catholics. Saint Justin Martyr, in the second century, grappling with the problem of whether the great pagan sages of antiquity were burning in hell simply because they died before the arrival of Jesus, concluded that "Those who live according to reason are Christians, even though they are accounted atheists." Cardinal Ratzinger, who headed the Congregtation for the Doctrine of the Faith (aka, the Inquisition) and later became Pope Benedict XVI, was notoriously regarded as one of the more conservative Catholic clerics. Yet in his book Truth and Tolerance, he emphasizes conscience: "The fact that in every age there have been, and still are, 'pagan saints' is because everywhere, in every age...the speech of the 'heart' can be heard.." He explains: "salvation does not lie in religions as such, but is connected to them, inasmcuh as, and to the extent that, they lead man toward the one good, toward the seach for God, for truth and for love." The Church officially acknowledged that Islam can be a vehicle for salvation. Pope Francis specifically said in regard to atheists: "given that — and this is fundamental — God’s mercy has no limits if he who asks for mercy does so in contrition and with a sincere heart, the issue for those who do not believe in God is in obeying their own conscience. In fact, listening and obeying it, means deciding about what is perceived to be good or to be evil. The goodness or the wickedness of our behavior depends on this decision."

Protestants are divided on this issue. The "mainline" and "progressive" Protestants take the same position as Pope Francis. The conservative Calvinist and fundamentalist Christians take the position that only belief in Jesus brings salvation. Some go further and say you need to be baptized, and some even further in saying you need to be dunked, not just sprinkled. I personally think they are misguided.

 

the kind invented by people who what to exploit paranoia of being called anything else.

i'm sorry but christianity is the real satanism.

you cannot avoid causing harm by hating logic,
and you cannot avoid hating logic, by trusting anything that would wish to be feared.

i will say in defense of christianity, that god did not invent the idea of wanting to be feared,
humans did. because that is how humans of simple mind think of godlike power.
not what there is any reason to expect that a god would.

and it wasn't christ who's point was about power and wanting to be feared either.
that was saul of tarsus who taught that, and for whom, much of what is now called christianity,
the real christ was 'thrown under the bus'.

and it happened because christianity was a subversion of the roman empire,
and when saul of tarsus realized that making martyrs of people only made their beliefs spread,
he rebranded himself saint paul, to sabotage and destroy it from within.

at the second mycean confrance, long after both were dead,
his mission was accomplished, a corrupted christianity,
no longer the teachings of christ, however much lip service is paid to them,
is what we mostly have today.

that's what so called evangelicales are pushing.
words having nothing to do with any god,
in a book they try to tell you is from god, which no book is.

you can still be a good person and call yourself a christian,
but nothing christ or god had in mind, has anything to do with doing so.

 

I love and trust God. He is my father,God and friend. He has helped me in so many ways. Especially my personality. I used to have a violent way about me. Considering I was a marine infantrymen and a Army Infantrymen. All I wanted to do is kill. Although I never did because I never went to war. But that desire was there. I have been in over 100 fights in my lifetime. But putting my trust in God and diligently studying the Bible I have been able to make my mind over. Putting away the old personality and starting anew. It is awesome

 

God bless you! Keep it up!

 

I could go on for hours with this question but the easy way is:

There is no god. It is purly a means to control people.

Look around you and what do you see.
One of the worst unmoral human beings was just elected to the Presidency by mostly Christians...
Ok we all make mistakes but after a couple of months and they still approve of him... They voted for evil...

So if there is a god, as the Christians see it, and god tests us, THEY FAILED.....

 

Looking at it through your perspective, I think he cares but will not place a strict judgement on someone.
He loves everyone He created, so it's more that he is sad when His children disown Him.
In the end, however, God will accept someone with open arms who lives life humbly (like you mentioned).
We have to take care of one another. God doesn't want someone to live a life of love ONLY to get into
Heaven. What good is that?
That's my perspective anyway.

 

I think that we will only be judged on how we have led our life. I also think that anyone who has used the name of god to harm or kill others will be stoking the fiery furnaces for a very long time.

 

If one to adheres to the mantra "to thine self be true" (and/or Conviction of Conscience) - then one should not be feared of that witch lies beyond - methinks

 

I think people instinctually know what's right and wrong for the most part. What matters is having a clear conscience imo. St. Paul said people obeying the law naturally are a law for themselves. He also talked about the importance of being convince within your own mind that you're doing right.

 

I can convince myself about a lot of things. Still, erryone gone tell me I'm wrong.

 

I do. Saint Justin Martyr and possibly Pope Francis may also, although there is some ambiguity there. I should make clear that I'm an heretical Christian and certainly no theologian, so anybody taking my advice is taking his/her chances. I think conscience is the key. According to Saint Justin:" those who live according to reason are Christians even though they be deemed atheists." He was referring to pagan philosophers who died before Jesus made his appearance Many Christians would say that once people have the opportunity to accept Christ's message and don't, they can't be saved. But Catholic theologians recognize that Islam can be a vehicle for salvation. Cardinal Ratzinger acknowledged the possibility of pagan saints. And Pope Francis has acknowledged that atheists can be good people (which admittedly is not quite the same as being saved). He says further: "The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ, all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! Even the atheists. Everyone!" We must meet one another doing good. 'But I don't believe, Father, I am an atheist!' But do good: we will meet one another there." Official Catholic doctrine recognizes the concept of "invincible ignorance", which is not quite as insulting as it sounds. Despite exposure to Christian teachings, people who are brought up in another religious tradition may find it, for all practical purposes, impossible to appreciate Christianity and are therefore excused. I think this applies to atheists as well. Most of the atheists I know were victims of "toxic faith syndrome"--early exposure to versions of Christianity that were so repulsive and malignant that appreciation of its positive aspects is virtually impossible. I recall on one of these forums in the past a young man who was gay saying that Satan must have made him because God wouldn't have allowed him to be born "that way"; and I recall thinking "Where is Richard Dawkins when we really need him?" These people are redeemed by their goodwill.

One of the problems is that Christian theology, especially Protestantism, has been heavily influenced by Paul's teaching of justification by faith instead of works. When you say that you follow a set of rules like the Ten Commandments, that would presumably be "works",: but Jesus provided a new understanding about what they were about. He accepted Rabbi Hillel's teaching that the Golden Rule was the sum of the law and the prophets, and that Love of God and neighbor were the greatest commandments. When a person understands that God is Love, and that every human is a reflection of the Divine image and likeness, the rules may take on new meaning. They did for me.

But I don't think God "punishes" people for "doing what is right but calling it the wrong name." I personally think that if you are sincere in following your conscience, and want to do good, you're saved, regardless of the verbal formulas you use. I also believe that Heaven and Hell aren't places that we go to when we die, but are states of mind we experience while alive. In the "Gnostic" Gospel of Thomas (saying 113) Jesus tells us : "the Kingdom of the Father is spread over the earth and people do not see it." God doesn't punish us by sending us to Hell. Hell is a bad attitude that can effectively prevent us from experiencing the "Kingdom of Heaven". We do this mainly through idolatry--the worship of the false gods of wealth, power, status and sensual indulgence--what the Buddhists call "attachments"-- at the expense of the true God of Love and our neighbors. People who put their faith in these gods of the world end up in blind alleys in which they can find no true meaning or satisfaction, and they will sow misery for themselves and for those around them. "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" We see this happening right now, as the Republicans in Congress are about to pass their tax cuts for gazillionaires on the backs of the poor. Some of these, unlike you, profess to be good Christians--as the Pharisees Jesus criticized professed to be good Jews. "They lay heavy burdens upon the people but would not do anything to make the load lighter. All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels." .As to who has the better chance of encountering the Kingdom of Heaven, I'll put my money on you. I doubt that his will end well for the majority of our elected representatives, their party, or our nation. Anyhow, you ask a good question, and I share your take on it.

 

In reality, your question is why doesn't God allow me to do and act anyway I want and change his standards to conform to what I believe?

So I guess my question to you is who is in a better position to set the standards that will be best for you; God, the one who has the wisdom to create the entire universe including you or you who probably can’t remember what you had for lunch last week?

 

whoever said that all non-christians were going to hell? was it Jesus? or was it your church?

while i am here why don't we take a look at what Jesus did say, and what the bible says.

in john 3:16-21 Jesus says:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

now so Jesus said that whoever does not believe in Him is condemned. well simple enough if you lived 2000 years ago and you ran into Jesus one day. but what does this mean for us?

romans 10: 14-15, 17

"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!""... So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

the first people that were sent to preach the gospel were the 11 apostles. Jesus sent them out after his resurrection. you can read about this in matthew 28:18-20. then they appointed a 12th apostle, and also other apostles such as paul (the 13th apostle) rose over the years which eventually led to the creation of the church. so if you happened to come in contact with one of these sent ones, and they revealed the truth to you, then at that point yes you would be condemned to hell if you did not accept it. but if you never met a sent one then i do not think that you would be condemned.

well this mess gets even more complicated, because over the years Satan infiltrated the church. entire communities of christians were led astray. not every christian is a "sent one" anymore. many of them are deceived. there is a great deal of debate within christian communities as to which church does have the real truth.

so unless you came in contact with the true church then i don't think you would be condemned for something that you do not know. you will be judged according to what you do know. but where is the real church? well that is what all the fighting is about.

 

My father loved me and my 3 brothers. He loved us so much that he wanted us all to follow him, and do exactly as he wanted us to. One of my brothers and I did follow him, and do everything as he says, and everything went well. He loves us. But my other 2 brothers did not follow him. So he killed them both. I miss them very much every day, but I asked my father why he did that, and he said, "Because I love them so much." "Ok," I answered and that is that.

 

Speaking of Hell and the Devil----this is a sweat lodge joke. There are several variations of it, but here is one:

The devil called up God one day and asked him, "Can you take these Native Americans off my hands?"

"Why, what's wrong?" God asked.

"I am getting so sick and tired of their complaining. Day after day after day--always complaining that it is not hot enough!"