Religion Questions??

[daniel3417]

I like the idea of the Golden Rule....Treat others as you would want them to treat you....I somehow don't buy any argument that says a good wholesome person as you describe would be sent to hell for simply not accepting Jesus

I agree. But the Bible says otherwise. That's why I wanted to find out what ensberg says. It just goes against logic. Jesus taught us to love our neighbors and love God. I think that honoring your parents, respecting and love your neighbors, etc is honoring God.

[daniel3417]

Some people believe there is a 3rd option, aside from heaven and hell. I've heard some people refer to it as purgatory (not sure if there is a official term for it). Purgatory has several different meanings though depending on who you ask, one being that it is a place in which you become completely purified before heading to Heaven.

To me this or something similar to it would be an appropriate place for those you have described.

It makes sense to me that if you are a good person and lead a good life but don't accept the concept of Heaven or Jesus that you wouldn't end up in heaven. It wouldn't make sense for one to reap the benefits of such a paradise-like place if you didn't believe in it. However, I would agree that such a person would have no place in hell and should not be punished for not believing. Hence the establishment of a 3rd place, or middle-ground so to speak.

Just for the record, I don't believe in a higher power or heaven/hell.

For those who know more about this than me, please do correct me if I have misrepresented something.

And then there's those of us who only believe in a heaven. Nothing else.

[Bonds_25]

And then there's those of us who only believe in a heaven. Nothing else.

In that scenario, where would those who didn't make it to heaven end up?

[ensbergcollector]

Is not enough to be an amazingly caring individual, a giving loving person, to gain entry to heaven? Why is it necessary for people to make a public statement that they like Jesus?

The gift of eternal life is intricately connected to the gift of Jesus. Like any other gift, you have to accept it. It isn't about earning it.

Living a good life, while something you should do, isn't what gets you into heaven, whether you are a christian or not.

[ensbergcollector]

so God is against murder, but in favor of mass killing?

I don't believe God is "for" mass killing. War time is a separate thing from murder. That does not defend any war that people say is "for god" i.e. the crusades, etc.

[ensbergcollector]

Does the bible outlaw any specific sex acts, such as fellatio or sodomy? Are there reprecussions for anybody who violates this? Does the bible favor abstinance education? Why is it considered sinful to have sex before marriage?

There are a lot more rules and guidelines an sexual sins in the Old Testament than the new. I do not believe fellatio or sodomy are prohibited (please correct me if someone knows that to be untrue). In the old testament, the punishment for sexual sin was often times death. In the new testament, it is the same as any other sin.
The bible doesn't speak on sex education but it does speak of abstinance. It wasn't about education as much as living your life as pleasing to God.

It is considered a sin to have sex before marraige due to the nature of sex. It is giving of yourself to another in a way that was commanded to be only between a husband and a wife.
Also, if you look at all of the consequences of pre-marital sex, it is a good guideline. Out of wedlock children, std's, decline in marraige, etc.

[ensbergcollector]

Some people believe there is a 3rd option, aside from heaven and hell. I've heard some people refer to it as purgatory (not sure if there is a official term for it). Purgatory has several different meanings though depending on who you ask, one being that it is a place in which you become completely purified before heading to Heaven.

To me this or something similar to it would be an appropriate place for those you have described.

It makes sense to me that if you are a good person and lead a good life but don't accept the concept of Heaven or Jesus that you wouldn't end up in heaven. It wouldn't make sense for one to reap the benefits of such a paradise-like place if you didn't believe in it. However, I would agree that such a person would have no place in hell and should not be punished for not believing. Hence the establishment of a 3rd place, or middle-ground so to speak.

Just for the record, I don't believe in a higher power or heaven/hell.

For those who know more about this than me, please do correct me if I have misrepresented something.

The idea of purgatory came about as an idea of the church. It is mostly a Catholic idea, though other denominations do believe it somewhat.
There are some issues with the idea of purgatory though.

[Bonds_25]

The idea of purgatory came about as an idea of the church. It is mostly a Catholic idea, though other denominations do believe it somewhat.
There are some issues with the idea of purgatory though.

Please do expand on that if you don't mind. More specifically, I'm curious as to the different beliefs regarding what happens to individuals that do not believe in Jesus, heaven, God, a higher power, etc but still lead a good moral life.

If you already answered this, my bad. I'll go back and read it if you did.

[daniel3417]

In that scenario, where would those who didn't make it to heaven end up?

That's just it: Everyone makes it to heaven. How can an all-loving God condemn his children to an eternity in darkness??

My friends and family wouldn't sentence me to hell. Doesn't God love me even more than them?

[daniel3417]

The gift of eternal life is intricately connected to the gift of Jesus. Like any other gift, you have to accept it. It isn't about earning it.

Living a good life, while something you should do, isn't what gets you into heaven, whether you are a christian or not.

Where do you base this? If it's from the Bible, isn't the path to heaven just a mere belief, and not a certainty?