I went to church yesterday with family. I don't know much about christianity but I had always heard jesus told people to love each other and be nice, didn't know much past that. They were not aggressive about it but when they found out i didn't go to any church or know much about it they started telling me i needed to be "saved" so I can go to heaven. I asked them if I would go to hell if I died now and they were basically saying "probably". I asked them why I needed to be saved and if jesus was so nice why he would send me to burn in hell. they said: "He is not sending you to hell it's just where you go and he can's save you if you don't believe in him." I asked them if jesus was all powerful after that and they said "yes"
How common is this belief and why don't you hear prominent christians talk about hell ever if they think we need to be saved or suffer forever as our default position?
just wondering how common this view is. Do most christians think everyone who is not saved will go to hell when they die?
Adrian Ross
Yes, the basic belief is that people who don’t accept Jesus as their savior do go to hell. The rational is that if you reject Jesus in this life, he’ll reject you in the next
Dylan Cox
Pre-Christ everyone believed in Hades. The Jews called it Sheol. Basically, there was consensus among the religious of any sort that the dead go to a quiet, somber, boring place underground. Didn't matter if you were good or bad, though - sometimes, there were special places down there to torture the wicked.
Christ told us about the chance to go to Heaven. This was a new thing. Prior to Christianity, you were going to Hades because that's all their was. Christ says you can be with him and the Father if you abide in Christ's love.
So, being annoyed at going to Hades, well, that's what everyone expected when Christ came. It's just that your culture is so steeped in Christianity you think you're owed something that just isn't the case.
Now, the atheists then and now believe you simply cease to exist after death. Revelations says that Hades, in the end, will be cast into the Lake of Fire. I don't know what that portends - but it might be worse than Hades or it might be a way of describing eternal annhilation.
Regardless, Christ was the first to offer heaven so don't be bitter that you can't get it without him. All the pagan "heavens" (Valhalla) were just made-up hundreds of years later to compete with Christianity. Pagan priests just lying to keep followers.
James Walker
Seems like I don't hear about it much. I have never heard in my life that I would be sent to hell forever if I just thought jesus was a nice guy but didn't worship him.
Why don't prominent christians in society speak about this more and try to save people?
Benjamin Price
Either they do, or they're not really Christians.
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20
Leo Allen
Can you name any major practicing christian who is not clergy that says this stuff? I have never heard Trump talk about this and he is a Pro Life follower of Jesus Christ with a lot of christian support
yeah and?
Cooper Fisher
It's pretty much a given, however it depends on how much you know. Knowledge makes the crime after all. As a result, I kind of see this as mostly not a threat. If you come to know that Jesus is God, then not worshiping Him would certainly be wrong, but it would also be nearly impossible to conceive of a person who would harden his heart at that point.
No doubt it happens, but I don't know how you could be so evil as to have no doubts about Jesus' claims to divinity, and then actively reject Him.
Adam Myers
The point of Christianity isn't to make yourself annoying to the rest of humanity. One is to be a light, not hidden under a bushel (just see the sermon on the mount). Therefore constantly making others uncomfortable is not an example of Christianity successfully practiced. We're supposed to bring up the tone of this little planet as much as possible, and this means that religion has to take a backseat to other activities at appropriate times.
Jackson Long
last 1000 years of western civilization might disagree
Hudson Wright
It's implied that we seek the conversion of everyone, so that all may be saved. Nobody has to say it, it's in the Bible.
Parker Young
Oh? You mean going and converting savages around the world? That, friend, is the entire prerogative of the Church Militant.
See
Michael Lopez
Christian civilization has every right to impose itself on non-Christian civilizations, and make them Christian, that's not what I'm talking about, I'm talking about when it is appropriate for an individual to proselytize, and how leading with hellfire is not appropriate. One should be a walking advertisement for the transformative power of Christ, not a walking dispenser of threats.
Brandon Carter
I think that would fall under the category of being "annoying" though
If I thought everyone was going to burn in hell if they did not do this or that thing I would be annoying about it too
Tyler Allen
He's not a Christian dude. Do you live under a rock, OP? What a tragedy it is to not learn the faith as a youth. This is like Sunday School level stuff. But it is better that you are inquiring than not, for the very least you must do to receive salvation is be baptized. This, however, does not guarantee salvation. I recommend you contact your local Roman Catholic diocese and attend RCIA classes so that you can learn about the faith. Best of luck, user, it will change your life in unimaginable ways.
Landon Gomez
Yes he is, and he has a lot of evangelical support
Trump was literally supporting sodomites in the year 2000. In fact, he said that if he was president, he'd amend the constitution–giving the same civil "rights" to queers as we did black folks. But it's obviously not the same thing.
Leo Morris
It is not for you to judge him, that is for our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus alone
Elijah Cox
lol, that bad theology you were presented with makes it clear it was a protestant church If you die with a mortal sin on your soul, you're going to hell, regardless of believing Christ is God or not. This protestant fairy tale of how only faith is enough is in direct contradiction with what Christ said in Matthew 7:
As you can see, the vast majority of people will not be saved. If all you have to do is believe to get saved, that road to salvation would be very wide. Receive the actual sacraments, go to confession and try to remain in the state of grace.
John Morales
...
Matthew Price
Exactly, as Christ obviously alluded to.
Oliver Moore
every person in every one of the over 9000 sects of christianity think that
Grayson Wright
Oh, so you're a universalist then? Lol, I just came to the conclusion that since no-one would listen to me, that there was no use being annoying. Also this user is correct, it takes a little more than just believing (and that's understatement).
Jose Edwards
Yeah okay retard
Jayden Russell
Gee it's only been a doctrine of Christianity for around 2000 years. Yes you go to hell if you deny Christ. Heaven is not a place you go to if you accumulate enough good boy points, the Kingdom of God is reserved for those who accept the Son and gain their inheritance through Him.
They do. Modern society thinks people are unkind if they tell the truth and so they're generally pushed to the fringes. Most people, like yourself, enjoy the conceit that you deserve heaven. The reality that nobody deserves Heaven and you need Gods grace to go there is uncomfortable for most people and so they reject it.
Levi Gutierrez
Gee it's only been a doctrine of Christianity for around 2000 years. Yes you go to hell if you deny Christ. Heaven is not a place you go to if you accumulate enough good boy points, the Kingdom of God is reserved for those who accept the Son and gain their inheritance through Him.
They do. Modern society thinks people are unkind if they tell the truth and so they're generally pushed to the fringes. Most people, like yourself, enjoy the conceit that you deserve heaven. The reality that nobody deserves Heaven and you need Gods grace to go there is uncomfortable for most people and so they reject it.
Luis Lopez
Nice meme. If I say I'm an astronaut does it make it true?
Anthony Morgan
not an argument, Trump is Christian
Landon Lewis
It is not your job to judge others if they are good enough christians for you, everyone sins. Your hubris is ASTOUNDING only my lord and savior Jesus Christ can make that judgement
Julian Sullivan
Did any of Christianity's concepts come from Zoroastrianism or were dependent on themselves?
Anybody make anything of what this 'rationalwiki' article claims in that we 'inserted stuff'?
I mean as some claim for the first sentence* need some help with this part.
Joseph Edwards
We do a lot already. Missionaries go across the world to try to show people the light. If you want more of that, then you yourself can help them
Jackson Rogers
I think what is asking here, is why presidential figures, or world leaders who are Christian(or call themselves, although thats something to be in question) don't ask those who vote for them or those who can hear them to convert. From what I understand, in the modern secular political system, political figures who are religious do not guide themselves by faith. Or, believe that the modern nation's seperation between church and state means they cannot hold views backed by religion.
Isaac Foster
Yes, Hell is the "default" afterlife, so to speak. Everybody sins, or commits evil, therefore everybody deserves Hell. But if you earnestly seek salvation from Jesus Christ, He will save you from Hell and allow you into Heaven.
John Davis
This seems like a good thread for this. I'd like counsel - no papism please I keep getting deja vu and each time I do part of the DV is that I've lost my salvation. It's really bugging the hell put of me and I've been rather depressed. Any ideas?
Colton Bell
Salvation isn't one and done. You have to continually repent because you continually sin.
David Ortiz
Hard to say because there are places in the bible that say you can lose your salvation
Christopher Price
Not everyone is called to minister, OP.
David Evans
Yes. Without God, we are nothing. It's only by the grace of God that we have a hope of being saved.
