Religious Topics and Questions

[MaddSkillz]

So, like only the Jehovah's Witness' think they are going to heaven kinda thing?

Sorta... Like the thought that only those that are "going to heaven" are believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Many months ago I started asking questions about this... I assumed that if our eternal well-being is based on belief than a loving God would put us on level playing field when it comes to the ability to believe in Him or not. My conclusion was that we're not all given an equal opportunity... Some more than others and some not at all. For a loving God to not level the playing field per say with something as important as our eternal destiny doesn't sound just to me.

This idea led to many, many more questions and believe it or not... The bible had the answers but I had to approach it with a clean mind, not muddied by the philosophies of fundamental Christianity that I was raised with.

 

[MaddSkillz]

Please elaborate? Not sure if you mean the whole Jesus is coming back thing or what?

No, just the idea that people need to believe in Jesus Christ to be "saved."

 

[radarmonkey]

Sorta... Like the thought that only those that are "going to heaven" are believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Many months ago I started asking questions about this... I assumed that if our eternal well-being is based on belief than a loving God would put us on level playing field when it comes to the ability to believe in Him or not. My conclusion was that we're not all given an equal opportunity... Some more than others and some not at all. For a loving God to not level the playing field per say with something as important as our eternal destiny doesn't sound just to me.

This idea led to many, many more questions and believe it or not... The bible had the answers but I had to approach it with a clean mind, not muddied by the philosophies of fundamental Christianity that I was raised with.

I never put any thought into that. I think we are on a level playing field. Christianity has spread to every corner of the world and we all have the option to believe and have faith and worship God, or not. Don't we?

 

[radarmonkey]

Ok, think I get what you are saying. If you were born in the deepest, darkest, jungle where no outsiders had ever been and google can't find you, and you lived there from the time you were born until the day you died, and there was not a bible or church or pastor within a thousand miles of you, would you go to heaven or hell when you died?

 

[MaddSkillz]

I never put any thought into that. I think we are on a level playing field. Christianity has spread to every corner of the world and we all have the option to believe and have faith and worship God, or not. Don't we?

Not equally. For example... A circumstance we have no control over is where and what family we are born into. Let's say one kid is born into a Christian family and all he has to do is go with the flow and he's brought up to believe in God and Jesus as the family does... Another kid is born into a family of atheists and they're professors at an astute college who can answer questions and bring him up to be just like them. He may have questions that challenge his family but they answer them to his content, they may even ridicule him for even thinking something else so he doesn't challenge in a sense to keep everything in balance and grows up and surrounds himself with those types of people and that's all he ever knows. For this person to become a believer, they will face challenges, many rather significant that the other child was not faced with. That's not an equal opportunity.

I don't believe that the ability to believe as the Christian faith teaches is an equal opportunity, opportunity.

Why does one person get it easy and another doesn't? This is your eternal well-being at stake here.

 

[OKMike]

"No man come to heaven but thru me" seems cut and dried to me. I love a good religious discussion so am curious to see where this goes. I admire a person who thinks and questions rather than blindly accepting.

 

[Okie4570]

Read Romans chapter 9, I think it may answer some of your questions. May I ask what church you grew up in, it may help us get on the same page with you and help with some of your questions

 

[elwoodtrix]

go to said religious sight... this is an OK gun forums...

friggin baptists...

 

[MaddSkillz]

"No man come to heaven but thru me" seems cut and dried to me. I love a good religious discussion so am curious to see where this goes. I admire a person who thinks and questions rather than blindly accepting.

But you're reading into that. Jesus was simply saying He made the way. He never said you even had to know of His existence. Just like the people that build the roads you drive on. You don't know them, but they made a way for you to get there. Without His life, death and resurrection death would not have been abolished. That's what Jesus was saying.

 

[MaddSkillz]

Read Romans chapter 9, I think it may answer some of your questions. May I ask what church you grew up in, it may help us get on the same page with you and help with some of your questions

Grace Fellowship with pastor Bob Yandian.