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Post by Dominique on May 9, 2007 22:17:25 GMT -5
I'm not sure what I do believe in regards to there being a heaven and hell. But I feel quite certain if there is a heaven going there is a reward for living your life well. I don't like how Christianity preaches people of other religions don't go to heaven. I mean really when you think about it, could that belief have just arisen from a conversion scare campaign. Be a Christian or you'll go to hell! Don't join those other religions all those people go to hell! I don't think God would be that mean, especially since those people can't control what family they are born into. That said, I respect other people's beliefs, as long as they don't pretty much flat out tell me to my face that I'm going to hell
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Isa
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Post by Isa on May 10, 2007 7:33:41 GMT -5
I'm also a Deist, Zelda! I've been so ever since I've been old enough to think about the concept of religion and realized it didn't make any sense to me. As you pointed out, with so many religions out there, who are we to know which is the right one? But the common link between all of them is God, and that's what I believe in. But I do respect people who practice a specific religion because I figure it's their own personal way of believing in God. My own personal view on heaven and hell is that it doesn't exist, but I guess there's only one way to find out for sure and I'm not ready for that yet But I'm really confused Hannamarie, you think that your actions on earth don't matter as long as you believe in Jesus? So you can live a life of complete and utter immorality but if you convert in the end you'll be saved, while someone who doesn't believe in Jesus but has spent his entire life helping people around him will go to hell??
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Michelle
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Post by Michelle on May 10, 2007 11:38:25 GMT -5
I believe in both heaven and hell. I am a practicing Catholic b/c my family is Catholic - but I could have just as easily been adopted into a family of another faith. That is why I have a hard time believing that you will not go to heaven because you are the "wrong" faith. There is some choice in religion, but most people end up in the one they are born into. I don't think that it is fair that someone who never really had another choice doesn't get to go to heaven. I remember learning in a religion class that there is a Muslim belief that people who practice Islam will go to heaven and those that reject it will not, but those who are never offered the chance to accept it or reject it will go to heaven. I like that better. I do believe in Jesus and I know that I'm "supposed" to believe that it is necessary for heaven, but I just can't mentally condemn that many people to hell. I also have a hard time thinking that my pets won't get to go to heaven.
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Kristie
Novel turned into BBC miniseries
"If a book is well written, I always find it too short."
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Post by Kristie on May 10, 2007 14:32:15 GMT -5
That's one of the problems I have with religion--telling someone they won't go to heaven just because they didn't ask for forgiveness from a possible god. I respect any religion, but I don't believe wholeheartedly in any particular one. I do think there's heaven and hell, but I don't think one thing draws the line between who is accepted and rejected.
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Post by Hanna on May 10, 2007 15:05:35 GMT -5
But I'm really confused Hannamarie, you think that your actions on earth don't matter as long as you believe in Jesus? So you can live a life of complete and utter immorality but if you convert in the end you'll be saved, while someone who doesn't believe in Jesus but has spent his entire life helping people around him will go to hell?? I totally get your confusion! I'm not too good in expressing myself But I'll try. Here's what we believe: God is holy. He can not tolerate sin. And so he can not tolerate sinners. (the Bible says that a human who meets God will die because of our sinful nature) Any sin no matter how small or big it is. And through the law he gave us through Moses he has shown us what we'll have to do if we want to make it ourselves, if we want to meet him without dying (i guess perishing might be a better word). But problem is that no one can keep this law perfectly. So in theory no one could be reconciled with God. But then Jesus came, and he fulfilled the law, in that he managed to live his entire life without any sin. And because of that God now offers an alternative: since Jesus died for all sins, we can if we believe in him be able to face God. (now I'm messing it all up again, please ask!) So that the punishment, the dying/perishing that would strike man if he met God as a sinner, fell upon Jesus, so when God looks at you he does no longer see those things. That's why we say that the only thing that can save you is your faith. However, that does not mean that your actions does not matter. Jesus said that he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. And he gave us a new command, in addition to loving God of all your heart and soul, we should also love our fellow human beings as ourselves. And so we owe it to him to do what he thaught us. Martin Luther said that: "Christ - that is me. And me - that is Christ. Because what I am (human), he became, so that I could become what he is." (reconciled with God). There really is no easy way to answer this, and I'm so sorry if I messed up again! But thank you for asking, and thank you, ALL of you, for being so respectful, to me and to one another. Makes it easy to state an opinion. I hope I manage to show you the same respect!
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Kristie
Novel turned into BBC miniseries
"If a book is well written, I always find it too short."
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Post by Kristie on May 10, 2007 17:00:19 GMT -5
As you pointed out, with so many religions out there, who are we to know which is the right one? That's a reason I can't believe wholeheartedly in any specific religion, especially when thinking of the afterlife. If every religion claims only its followers will go to heaven after death, or the equal of heaven, then who is to be believed? Can one god accept some because of their ignorance? Some people don't even have a choice as to what religion they're allowed to practice. And some don't even know anything about religions other than their own so they can't question what they're taught. Religion just gets so confusing...
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Isa
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Post by Isa on May 10, 2007 17:19:40 GMT -5
hannamarie: thanks for trying to clarify all this, it must be hard to find the right words to explain something that is so complicated - it does make more sense now, even though I'll still stick to what I believe in but I like trying to understand all the different religions, whether I agree with it or not. It think it's easier to keep an open mind when you have better understanding.
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zeldafitzgerald
Collection of short stories bought by Random House
ancora imparo
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Post by zeldafitzgerald on May 10, 2007 20:35:10 GMT -5
I also have a hard time thinking that my pets won't get to go to heaven. My dad used this quote once while making a framed tribute to our dog after she died. He nailed her collar down the side of the frame, and designed (he's a graphic designer) a picture made of many pictures of her collaged, some with her and us, and used this quote. It was a surprisingly sensitive side for him to show, and the quote was perfect. You may have heard it before; I think it's widely used for pet obits. "You think there will not be dogs in heaven? I tell you they will be there before any of us." Robert Louis Stevenson
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Post by Dominique on May 11, 2007 0:49:32 GMT -5
Okay to add a little humour to this discussion I have the following joke, which my mum told me when I came home from the dinner (except obviously in my situation it was 7th Day Adventist not Catholic )A man arrives at the gates of heaven. St. Peter asks, "Religion?" The man says, "Episcopalian". St. Peter looks down his list, and says, "Go to room 24. But be very quiet as you pass room 8". Another man arrives at the gates of heaven. "Religion"? "Baptist". "Go to room 18. But be very quiet as you pass room 8". A third man arrives at the gates. "Religion"? "Jewish". "Go to room 11. But be very quiet as you pass room 8". The man says, "I can understand there being different rooms for different religions, but why must I be quiet when I pass room 8"? St. Peter tells him, "Well the Catholics are in room 8, and they think they're the only ones here". And this one I just came across and thought was funny:Jesus was walking along one day, when He came upon a group of people surrounding a lady of ill repute. It was obvious that the crowd was preparing to stone her, so Jesus made His now-famous statement, "Let the person who has no sin cast the first stone." The crowd was shamed and one by one began to turn away. All of a sudden, a lovely little woman made her way through the crowd. Finally getting to the front, she tossed a pebble towards the woman. Jesus looks over and says, "I really hate it when you do that, Mom."
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Post by Hanna on May 11, 2007 2:41:33 GMT -5
lol:D
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Isa
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Post by Isa on May 11, 2007 5:35:27 GMT -5
;D
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zeldafitzgerald
Collection of short stories bought by Random House
ancora imparo
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Post by zeldafitzgerald on May 11, 2007 6:02:53 GMT -5
Those are great Dom!
My favorite religious joke is this (my family and whole community were baptists, so this joke was very funny to us).
A man was shipwrecked on a deserted island. When they rescued him 10 years later, they saw he had built 3 huts, and asked him what they were for. "That one there is my house," said the man. "And that one is my Church." Then, pointing to the 3rd hut he said, "And that's the church I used to go to."
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Post by Dominique on May 11, 2007 6:11:09 GMT -5
lol that's a funny one too!
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Lu
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Post by Lu on May 11, 2007 10:54:41 GMT -5
lol they're funny
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