NationStates

Power and Stability wrote:

The Canadian Pacific wrote:No.
a. Nothing can go to an imaginary place.

Remeber, it's assuming God is real, and a Heaven and Hell exist.

New Amerik wrote:

Power and Stability wrote:Then if that's true, was the bible lying?

The Bible is old, and has been translated and rewritten many times. Look at modern Internet translators today, and the fact that even though God may have written the Bible, men still translated it, and tell me that the Bible today has the exact same messages as it did when it was first written.

Urcea wrote:In Roman Catholic beliefs, yes, absolutely.

Power and Stability wrote:

New Amerik wrote:Heh, I just realized something!

Jesus said that the only way to get into Heaven was through him. Now, as we all know through cartoons and popular conceptions, Saint Peter waits at the Pearly Gates to let people into Heaven. And Jesus was a pretty liberal dude.

So...what if Heaven was like a night club? Once you die, you have to wait in line, and if Saint Peter (the bouncer) judges you ethically (not morally( good enough, you get in. Doesn't matter what beliefs, you get in.

But Jesus is a rebel, man. He says that the only way into Heaven is through him. Yet it's Saint Peter (the bouncer) who decides who gets in and who doesn't. So how can Jesus say that the only way to Heaven is through him?

Well, maybe he meant to say that the only SURE route to Heaven is through him. While everyone else is waiting outside to be judged by the bouncer, everyone who believes in Jesus fully and utterly can bypass him and go through the back entrance. If anyone tries and stops them, Jesus can just say, "Nah, it's cool, my dad (Yaweh) runs this place."

So if you're Christian and you're down with Jesus, free pass in. Everyone else can get in, but they have to be ethically good enough to qualify.

.....which is still pretty depressing when you think about it.

Heaven is a nightclub?!

Austin Setzer wrote:We found a couple of ancient documents, turned them into the bible, and now its the symbol of christianity.

Barringtonia wrote:

Power and Stability wrote:Heaven is a nightclub?!

Heaven was one of the very first dedicated techno nightclubs in London, owned by Richard Branson it was quite notorious as well as famous for it's gay nights on Thursdays, this must have been the early 90's.

Der Teutoniker wrote:

Urcea wrote:In Roman Catholic beliefs, yes, absolutely.

Explain.

According to Roman Catholics, does not one need to be a baptized, confirmed, and believing Roman Catholic to go to Heaven?

Power and Stability wrote:

New Amerik wrote:
The Bible is old, and has been translated and rewritten many times. Look at modern Internet translators today, and the fact that even though God may have written the Bible, men still translated it, and tell me that the Bible today has the exact same messages as it did when it was first written.

Then, because of how many times the bible has been translated, most of it's original message has been corrupted

Barringtonia wrote:Heaven was one of the very first dedicated techno nightclubs in London, owned by Richard Branson it was quite notorious as well as famous for it's gay nights on Thursdays, this must have been the early 90's.

Austin Setzer wrote:We found a couple of ancient documents, turned them into the bible, and now its the symbol of christianity.

Urcea wrote:No. This is where the entire belief of purgatory and "Faith and Good Works" comes in. Salvation does not come by faith alone. Frankly, it's hypocritical for those who believe in a Christian-only heaven; if a righteous man of, say, Islam, lives out his life in a faithful way, follows God's law, helps the needy and the sick and shelters the poor - is this man not deserving of paradise? Salvation by Faith Alone is rubbish, but Faith is generally a good thing - less time in purgatory and all that.

Lyoneau wrote:God is merciful....

Der Teutoniker wrote:

Urcea wrote:No. This is where the entire belief of purgatory and "Faith and Good Works" comes in. Salvation does not come by faith alone. Frankly, it's hypocritical for those who believe in a Christian-only heaven; if a righteous man of, say, Islam, lives out his life in a faithful way, follows God's law, helps the needy and the sick and shelters the poor - is this man not deserving of paradise? Salvation by Faith Alone is rubbish, but Faith is generally a good thing - less time in purgatory and all that.

That's right. I keep forgetting that the Catholics made up Purgatory for this. I thought everyone went to purgatory for at least a little while right? A couple hundred thousand years or so on average?

Urcea wrote:That was to be one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard.

Prennsland wrote:I personally don't know why god would let people into heaven who don't believe in it's existence

Pirateera wrote:

Barringtonia wrote:Heaven was one of the very first dedicated techno nightclubs in London, owned by Richard Branson it was quite notorious as well as famous for it's gay nights on Thursdays, this must have been the early 90's.

Did they let in the nonbelievers?

Der Teutoniker wrote:

Urcea wrote:No. This is where the entire belief of purgatory and "Faith and Good Works" comes in. Salvation does not come by faith alone. Frankly, it's hypocritical for those who believe in a Christian-only heaven; if a righteous man of, say, Islam, lives out his life in a faithful way, follows God's law, helps the needy and the sick and shelters the poor - is this man not deserving of paradise? Salvation by Faith Alone is rubbish, but Faith is generally a good thing - less time in purgatory and all that.

That's right. I keep forgetting that the Catholics made up Purgatory for this. I thought everyone went to purgatory for at least a little while right? A couple hundred thousand years or so on average?

Xarithis wrote:

Khazmatistan wrote:They go to Hell, as stated by the oldest theologians who answered the question.

It's unfair, yes.

Yes, I have heard such from a few overzealous family members. But I reject the notion that the Abrahamic God is so malevolent

Urcea wrote:"Made up" is a little subjective. No, not everyone spends time in purgatory, and no, time there cannot be quantified, just as time in heaven or hell cannot be quantified.

Third Mexican Empire wrote:This applies not only to atheists, but any other believer to a non-christian faith.

I was having a chat with my friend(he's highly religious), and he told me that if "you don't have God in your heart, you'll go to Hell. No matter if you're good or not." I was thinking about, and well, it just doesn't make sense.. Take Gandhi for example. He was a leading figure in non-violent resistance. He protected the poor and stood up for their civil rights. When you think of peace, many people think of him. But he was Hindu. When he died, did God completely ignore evrything good Gandhi did, and focus on him being Hindu? No matter how good you are, if you're not Christian you'll go to Hell? Is that right NSG?

I'm sorry if I offened anyone, that is the last thing I wanted to do. This is not meant to be a flaming contest, so please, keep it clean.

NOTE:This is assuming God is real, and that a Heaven and Hell exist

Greater Tezdrian wrote:

Der Teutoniker wrote:
That's right. I keep forgetting that the Catholics made up Purgatory for this. I thought everyone went to purgatory for at least a little while right? A couple hundred thousand years or so on average?

Do not forget that babies also go to purgatory. At least, until someone said that out loud, thought "What the fuck?" and the Pope got rid of it.