Heaven & Hell, Does The Good Atheist Go To Hell, And The Bad Theist To Heaven?
Assuming heaven & hell exist*. The good samaritain, used as an example of morality by Jesus cannot be taken to have gone to hell despite not embracing the christian or jewish religious tradition, therefore can it be appropriate for people to claim atheism, or alternative religious practices to be “hell worthy” despite the fact many of their practitioners are good people, who – like the good samaritain, live good lives. What do you think? Is “not believing” enough reason to go to hell, or is it more important for people to live good and moral lives?
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February 27th, 2010 at 3:58 am
As long as you use the human definitions of good and bad, your statement is correct.
If we use God’s definition, your statement has the potential for inaccuracy.
(God’s definitions are often different from ours.)
February 27th, 2010 at 4:28 am
it is much more important to lead good and moral lives then to believe/practice a religion. many terrorists and criminals who do terrible things may be religious and claim to do them for religious purposes but that does not make it ok. nor does it make it acceptable. it is unfair for someone responsible for the death(s) of fellow human beings who practice a religion to go to heaven over someone who has led a moral life, but doesn’t embrace religion.
February 27th, 2010 at 7:31 am
No one is good or bad. We are all a bit of both and because of the bad in us is so out of sorts with the good in God, we need some atonement. Jesus was the atonement and high priest rolled into one. He was the blood sacrifice to make restoration for our sins. If you reject the sacrifice, through atheism, you also reject the atonement and that makes you unclean and unfit to be in the Holy one’s presence. Does that damn you to hell? I am not sure, I am not G-d. Perhaps there is some type of in between for well meaning atheists but I wouldn’t take a chance. No one has come back to tell us.
February 27th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
The Bible is very clear on who will and who won’t go to heaven and hell. It is NOT based on how morally good we are. It is based on believing on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. John 3:16 is the gospel in one verse. So yes, “Not believing” is enough to send that person to hell. You can’t be a member of God’s family if you don’t believe in Him. Doesn’t this make sense to you? Being a “member” of an earthly moral family is not being a member of God’s family. The admittance qualifications differ. However, if Hell does not exist then you have nothing to be concerned about do you?
February 27th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Jesus said that there will be many people who think they did not know him who in fact will be saved and many others who think they know him very well to whom he will say “depart from me you workers of iniquity. I never knew you.” This tells me that we are not very good judges of ourselves or of whether or not we truly know Jesus. I leave all the judging up to God. I do not even try to judge myself.
February 27th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Only he who has accepted Jesus Christ into his heart as their own personal savior will be granted entrance into heaven for Jesus Christ is the only door into heaven without which no man can enter heaven, except a man be born again of water and of the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
February 28th, 2010 at 12:53 am
Good, moral, believing; whatever. Basically you either have the Spirit of God or you don’t. If you have it, you go to heaven. If you don’t, you go to hell.
February 28th, 2010 at 5:06 am
Depends upon who you ask – ask a believer in Christ, and you are told that not believing is enough to doom you. Talk to a non-believer…and it is obvious that living a good life is more important than beliefs.
February 28th, 2010 at 5:14 am
No one is “good” by God’s measuring stick. That’s why we needed a perfect lamb (Jesus) to die for us. Therefore, the question is not if you are good enough or not, but whether you accept the sacrificee of the Son.
February 28th, 2010 at 10:13 am
If heaven existed then everyone goes to heaven because god is suppose to be all-loving but then why would an all-loving god create hell?
February 28th, 2010 at 10:38 am
Well Gandhi is burning in hell while Hitler is sipping tea in heaven
February 28th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
An atheist will go no where, and neither will the theist;because neither heaven nor hell exist.
February 28th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
If they don’t believe in such things, why would you think that they would go to either place…
March 1st, 2010 at 2:16 am
Ha ha heaven and hell don’t exist..
March 1st, 2010 at 4:02 am
You need Jesus to get into heaven. The good atheist will never make it without Him. Bad Christians won’t either.