If God is just, how can he damn those who never hear his son's gospel?

How many different ways can there be ? I mean ALL of these world religions can't be right . While I don't believe in organised religion today , because I think they are all corrupt and teaching false things . But I do believe the original word is based in truth .

No other human being in history , has had more of an impact on people than Jesus Christ . And he was either one of three things . Insane , a liar , or was who he claimed he was ,God in flesh .

So if he was insane or a liar , then the new testament means nothing . However ,IF he was what he claimed then the new testament means EVERYTHING . Which would mean the only way to salvation , was the way he said it was .

It's up to us to choose which of three Christ's we believe he was . And based on that pick a religion , faith , different god or god's , or believe in nothing at all . But we can't choose parts of different religions and piece mail them together . I just don't think it works that way . We wern't given all the answers to the great mystery for a reason . Because we have free will to choose for ourselves , our own path . Maybe some of it's true ,maybe none of it's true . It's why it's called "faith" . We either have it or don't . One thing is for sure we are going to find out when we die . Because none of us are getting out of here alive ! It's an all or nothing gamble . Winner take all .But these high stakes only matter IF Christ is God . If he's wasn't then their must be some other way . Or nothing at all. Most all the world religions believe the good are rewarded , and the evil dealt with . Even buddism with karma . So at the base of them all , there must be some universal truth of good and evil . Or at least we reap what we sow . Get back what we put out .

 

Like always: different things work for different people.

Plato comes to mind here. Even christian religion would not have developed the same without his influences.

 

+truth

 

Why not? For individual purposes it seems very wise and useful to me. Although it is all in the way it is done I guess (and probably the motivations to piece them together)

 

lol sorry not trying to be a dick here asmodean. much love brother.

the main reason that i would say that you can't do that is because all the different religions empower different spirits. buddhism has a spirit. christianity has a spirit. moslem has a spirit, as does judaism, taoism has a spirit. so while there may be some undercurrents of the same truth within all of them, they reach that truth by a different means, by a different spirit.

for example the teachings of christianity would tell you that you can have no other god except for Jesus. but then the teachings of judaism would tell you that jesus was a false prophet. so to mix the two would be pretty contradictary.

so maybe you might end up with some kind of buddhist-christian-tao hybrid spirit. while maybe this is permissable from an eastern standpoint, none of the abrahamic religions will permit it.

the more i come to understand different religions, the more it seems to point that the true forms of these religions is upheld by a clergy. this is the case in christianity, buddhism, and even in many forms of tantric yoga. you can get books and scriptures that will tell you a little bit about it. but really it is upheld by real life people that are part of a clergy, not by the book.

many forms of new-age spirituality seem to want to escape that fact and only get a part of the picture from all the publicised books and texts that are widely available.

i remember someone here once said, "i think i'm going to go to the mountains and reach for final enlightenment." and that's just it. i tend to sway on the side of the abrahamic religions because in eastern spirituality you really could reach final enlightenment by going and meditating in the mountains for the rest of your life. but it doesn't do a damn thing for society. whereas the teachings of christ, encourage people to make a difference.

 

Perhaps they do not. It does not harm me in my convictions. I even find it easily to respect, although I must say I think there are lots of righteous muslims, christians and jews who do permit it. Every religion is getting interpreted differently by their own followers. I like to think you can reach peace or understanding by using several 'spirits'. It looks great to find one religion to fit your faith (I mean this serious) but I do not have that luck so to speak I personally can expand my understanding and faith better in more than one abrahamic religion (with the solid conviction I will not end up in some kind of hell).

 

those that know me will know that i have always been an advocate of objective truth.

if i came to realise my subjective views are wrong then i would admit it. faith deserves to be challenged.

 

According to Christianity, most of the greatest thinkers, the men who really contributed to the cultural and social evolution of society, especially since the 18th century, are in hell...

But according to fundamentalist Christianity, most people period are in hell, including every pre-Jesus pagan ever.

Socrates...in hell
Plato, ditto
Homer, hell
Buddha, hell
all the deist founding fathers of this country, hell
Ghandi, hell

Ridiculous!

 

Yes I can. I can do whatever I want to do. So can you.

I think you would be very hard pressed to find a single person on this Earth (and this includes yourself) that follows the entire Bible without dismissing certain parts.

 

Yup. We were given a brain and a mind for that purpose.

 

Your Post actually poses 3 questions.
#1. Is there a god as accepted by those who believe such. My answer=ineffable

#2. If those who accept there is a god,is the god just? My answer=Is it just that innocent,good people die horrible premature deaths for no apparent reason,including even those that adhere to the written principles passed down into modern times? Is it just ,given that a god has some control over earthly events,that humankind is constantly warring upon each other for the commonly known reasons? Are humans under a gods control? If so,if what a god allows to happen fair and equitable? If humans are not under a gods control,have we been able to control ourselves in a manner suited to evolved sentient beings? Does it matter if life on earth continues?
My answer=ineffable. But is/should be very confusing to humans,especially to adherants

#3. Answers to the previous questions render the last part of your questions specious at worst and un-necessary at best. My answer= 'Do unto others as you have others do unto you'. If that simple principle was followed,all would be well, faith would suffice and no questions would need to be asked. JMO.