how can there be a Hell if God is so forgiving? amirite?

It's all just a lie. A hoax.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

are you saying the idea of Heaven and Hell is a hoax, or the idea of an all-forgiving God is a hoax?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Yes.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

not a lie. its simple. God gives you a choice, if you choose not to love him, you spend your eternity in hell. simple really.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

that's awful. that's not the loving, forgiving God many are taught to see.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

how is it awful? he asks you to do one simple thing, which is to love him. he gives you a million chances to do that...in the end its YOUR choice where you spend eternity.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

is it what we do or how we feel that determines where we end up? i think it's awful because...well, do you mean that God forces us to choose a certain religion, or do you mean by "loving him" just that we be good people? and it's awful, because how could this loving figure condemn any of his children to Hell? to be tormented by unfathomable evils?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

forces? no. he gives us a choice. you can choose to believe in him, or choose to not.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

so if we make the wrong choice, we suffer? but i feel like a God up there should understand that we can't understand these things. a God could respect and love any path of belief that we choose, even atheism.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Why should God respect ANY choice we make? God isn't about being politically correct, that's something humans came up with. Atheist have the same chance to believe in God, and many of them do decide to believe in God. That's the crazy thing, God does love us so much he made heaven ridiculously easy to get into, it's also just as easy to turn it down.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

you're right, respect isn't the right word. but humans created the idea of God. we imagined all of it. not to say a higher being isn't real, but we can't quite say God is real, either. i mean, of course, since that's what faith is :P you're saying atheists eventually revert or convert to a life of faith in God? it's just hard to fathom that God would allow us to suffer so much. i see where you're coming from, and i respect that dude

by Anonymous 13 years ago

God doesn't make us suffer or 'allow' us to suffer. we're living in our own sinful ways. He just gives us a choice for eternity because this life here on Earth is short, it's drowning in sin, and it's highly influenced by the temptations Satan places in our lives. This life shouldn't pull you in.. because honestly, it's about your eternity.. what you'll be doing forever and ever after your life ends. P.S.- I would like to politely disagree with your statement that mankind 'made-up' God. I find it to be ignorant. Have you ever loved somebody, truly felt a deep down emotion of love (NOT lust) for someone? becaus that's what God is He puts the love in the world. As I've rad somewhere.. Love doesn't hurt. Loneliness hurts, Rejection hurts. Love is the only thing that covers up that pain.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

yes, i felt uneasy about posting about the 'making-up' part. when you're in nature, feeling the wind, and you close your eyes...you can feel that there's something, someone more. caring for you, watching over you kindly. but do you see where i was coming from with the making-up part? i realize its ignorance. the ideas of what or who God truly is we've invented, i meant to say. i wasn't trying to say that we'd invented God. i know in the very bottom of my heart, with all certainty, that there's a higher being there. and that is reason enough to prove that God exists.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

What is your perception of the God-following faith? is it the ritualistic where people you know have to do crazy stuff to get into heaven.. for example the Catholic denomination? because yes mankind has embellished in certain parts to manipulate some forms of the Church, but in my faith all you truly need is your love for Jesus Christ, the Messiah God has sent.. because that person in my opinion is not invented by man.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

i don't like how people contort religions, how some may interpret things, and how people use the Bible as reasoning for some of the evils they do. how the Bible seems like this tell-all, when man created it. i don't like how religions say this is Right, this is Wrong...when we are human, how can we truly say? and, ultimately, i don't like how religions separate people from other people. but i'm pessimistic lady, unsure about every single thing. i'd disagree with the love of Christ idea, but then again i'd merely be disagreeing with the title. i agree that we did not invent that love for some being who breathed life within us...we're born with that innate, deep, attachment. religion itself just allows us to give that feeling a name. does that answer it? or, not at all??

by Anonymous 13 years ago

yes that helps. Personally, I don't manipulate the Bible to reason for everything I do wrong in this life. Everyone sins.. and does your conscience help you determine what's wrong and what's right? they are defined that way because right actions have a way of making you feel better and accomplished in the long run, while wrong actions give you a temporary high of feeling good and then eventually leads to bad feelings indirectly. I do not understand what you were saying about your opinions on Jesus.. he didn't breathe life into us (God did that..), he came on this Earth so he could do the one thing none of us can: live a life without sin. I don't strive for a sinless life, but I do put my own beliefs and trusts in Him.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

yeah, we do have an innate sense of what's right and wrong. those are my opinions on God. i am not Christian, but as you believe that Jesus was the Savior, you believe in the Holy Trinity. Jesus is a part of your God. thus i only meant to say that, though i don't believe Jesus was the Savior, i agree that we did not invent any figures making up God. though we know not the face of God, God is undoubtedly there. that's all! and good for you. i think it's nearly impossible to have a sinless life anyway...we're only human! just try to live the best life possible. be satisfied with the choices you make.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Sorry to be a creeper, but I've always wondered this about Christianity. Since there is "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" Do you believe Jesus IS God? I hope I don't sound rude at all, but the majority of my friends are non practicing Christians, so they're not completely sure either. And this part is directed to lovely: I think as long as you believe in God, and try to be the best person you can be, you're fine. What you believe in doesn't necessarily have to be named "Christianity, Islam, Judiasm, etc". I think most people just have to have strong morals, be the best person they can be, and believe in God. So I'm with you on that! :D

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Jesus says in the Bible that He is God, and He is also the Son of God. As humans, we can't grasp that concept, because our minds our pathetically small and undeveloped compared to the vast, eternal knowledge of God; Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit are three separate beings, and at the same time they are one entity. That's not what the Bible says. John 14:6: Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one shall come to the Father except through me." Jesus is the only way through which we can achieve eternal life with the God we worship.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

We can't "grasp" that concept because it's impossible. I might sound closed-minded, but you can't be someone and also be their son.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If God fit into your idea of "possible", He wouldn't be much of a God, now would He?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Never said he did. I find the whole concept very implausible, but even more so the whole son-and-God thing

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Of course the concept is implausible; God is not a being inside anything we know. No human can fit the concept of an all-knowing, omnipotent, everlasting, loving God, into their minds, just like we can't grasp the idea of eternity. Furthermore, we can't grasp what kind of form God takes. God is not human, He is not anything we can understand. If we could, he wouldn't be God - He would be a figment of our making.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

My point is, the idea of a being existing as both one being and as three separate beings at the same time doesn't fit into our logic. But God shouldn't fit into our logic; like I said, that wouldn't make Him much of a God.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

We did create God. He might be real, I do respect that possibility, but we still technically did create him

by Anonymous 13 years ago

He created us. Whether all of us know Him or acknowledge Him, and all He has done for us, is a different story. All humans knew God in the beginning, when Adam and Eve were first created. And those people passed on the beliefs and wisdom of God to their children, and so on. But, somewhere along the line, someone didn't pass on those beliefs. Rediscovering the glory of God years later doesn't mean we created Him.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

So you believe Adam and Eve were real? Do you know how much incest that is? And doesn't God frown upon incest?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

but ur worshiping a false idle!!!! jesus is a false idle....the mother mary isnt god ether!!! god is the earth the soul in everything and the very air we breathe by respecting the energy of the world we r respecting god.... the god and goddess of every religion are the same energy just seen in a different light... the holy bible was written by man but we did not write the tree or the spring or stars in the sky those can not be made false by the minds of man and changed around for them to get what they want... followers and people to tell what they should do and how they should think as humans we r selfish....

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Jesus said in the Bible that He is God. He is part of the trinity, the One true God. Therefore, worshipping Him is not worshipping a false idle, for He is and is part of the very entity that we were created to worship. Of course Mother Mary isn't God. Some Catholics may believe that, but I don't. The earth is a sinful, wicked place. God is not the Earth. The Holy Bible was written by men, but inspired by God. They're God's words, not the mere opinions and thoughts of men. Telling someone the truth is not the same as dictating their life or in any way being selfish.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

no one is ganna convince me to believe the bible... never have never will... its a made up fairytale WRITTEN BY MEN

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I believe I already answered that argument. It's not humanly possible for the Bible to have been written by men alone.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

yes, Jesus IS God, just the 'flesh' version of God, the trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) all represent God.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I can see why you would think so; but Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father are separate beings, and yet One at the same time. Jesus isn't the flesh version/representation of God; Jesus came to earth as a man, but He is not human, or of the flesh - He is God.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

But you don't choose who you love. So how is he going to punish you for not loving him? He shouldn't have made us with such faulty hearts. Not that I believe any of this, I'm just going along with the paradigm.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

see, I believe we do choose who we love. Im no expert, but I only love those deserving of my love. I also think of God as a parent, you can choose not to love and obey them, but then you'd be out on your own...at least that's how it would be in my family.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Maybe you choose who you love, and are just on a higher plane of existence than everyone else in the world, but I do not. I don't think I could love you if I tried. And I'm on my own anyway! Whether I'm a believer or not, God won't do shit for me. So I won't waste my time or energy.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You're thinking about romantic love. We don't choose who we fall in love with. But we choose our friends, do we not? God's love for us far surpasses friendship, but it's not a romantic relationship.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

We choose our friends, but we can't just be friends with anyone.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

How about Someone who died for you so that you wouldn't have to die for every sin you've ever done? Most people who say they can't just don't try. If you really opened your heart to God, you would see that you CAN love him.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If I knew someone who did that for me, then perhaps I would. Unfortunately, I know of no such person.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Jesus Christ. :) Whether or not you believe he is our Savior, though I hope that you do.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

HE GAVE US LIFE. seriously, one thing we can do in return is love him!! we don't even deserve to live. But he loves us so much that he gave us life--so that we can love and believe and trust and obey him...kinda simple.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

thats why i hate most Catholics and Christians, guilt will get u to love him, follow our ways we will follow you around and shove them down your throat until you do, we are not worthy unless we go to church ur not even supposed to pray in a church according to the bible... in saying that we are not worthy of even having life you are saying that god/dess is not worthy cuz he/she is the energy that sustains us, the one that blessed us to be,the blood in our veins, we would not be here did he/she not think we deserved it! the only way we become unworthy is by braking the basic rules harm none and know that everything you do comes back to you 3 fold... karma's a bitch if u do bad so do right!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

we disobeyed him by being sinful people. we don't own up to the sin-less standards of heaven.. which is why God sent his son Jesus Christ to live a sin-less life on Earth and be the ultimate sacrifice to forgive our sins.. all He asks us to do is believe that His son was the Saviour and give thanks, love him, and live a God honoring life.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

couldn't a God understand people's skepticism, and ignorance? that this God would love us even if we didn't think Jesus was the Savior. i think that whatever's out there...it's bigger than these judgments. God doesn't keep some score sheet, the afterlife is so unfathomable for us....i don't know.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

God DOES love us, whether or not we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. I guarantee you, every person on this earth has heard about Jesus and had the chance to accept Him. God understands that people are ignorant - that's why He left so much evidence for us to evaluate and see Him through it; the complexity of a single cell, the beauty and perfect organization of nature, the complexity of the human body, how all of our organs work together perfectly to create a functioning being? It can't happen by random chance and a big boom. People just can't see that because they allow their own pride to keep them from seeing all that God has left for us. And the Bible is another. God left us all the information we need to decide where we want to be after we die - Heaven or Hell.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

so you think, just because God is so forgiving, that let's say Hitler for example, should go to heaven just because God is forgiving?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

exactly. people make their choices, had he chosen to be a God loving person, Holocaust probably would have easily been avoided. Makes sense he should burn in hell.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If Hitler wanted to be forgiven, he would have been. If not, Hell.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

exactly. however, generally somebody who has over millions of people murdered doesn't look like they'd repent.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

It's interesting that no one has tried to argue this point.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Well apparently Christians believe that as long as you repent before you die, you'll go to heaven anyway. So as long as Hitler would have said "pretty please" and admit that he was reeeeeal sorry, he would have gotten in. Same difference.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Getting to Heaven has nothing to do with "Saying 'pretty please'" or "admitting that [we are] reeeeal sorry". It's about accepting that Jesus died for us, and allowing Him to have our lives because He died for us. That's possible, hard as it is to believe, for even a person such as Hitler; however, with a person bearing such a hard, evil heart, I highly doubt He ever made that decision.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

That's what I meant. And you always hear people say, "that's *all* you have to do," making it sound so easy.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

It IS that easy. However, a lot of people have hearts that are so hard that they are unwilling to give it up to Jesus by accepting His gift. They resort to their own methods that they believe will gain passage to a better place after death. Hitler is a prime example.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

or that he should go to heaven just because he believes in jesus and god? as long as he repents all the wrong he did in his life is forgiven?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Believing isn't enough. Muslims believe in Jesus and God. You have to accept Jesus and the gift He offers us.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

he was just a man

by Anonymous 13 years ago

He was God on earth. He performed miracles and fulfilled every prophesy that was written in the Old Testament thousands of years before He set foot on this earth. He was crucified (historical fact.) and there were over 500 witnesses of Him in the flesh 3 days after His burial, when He had risen from the dead. I don't understand how much more evidence you need to see that Jesus was not "just a man".

by Anonymous 13 years ago

For that example of Hitler, i believe if you murder, you go to Hell, so yes, Hitler did go to Hell... how could he not?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Most religons are so hypocritical because the idea that god would just let you burn in hell for eternity really wouldnt seem too forgiving. Also, youd have no chance for redemption...loving god is not enough if you do not follow his teachings. hey you should go on youtube and look up religulous!also look up spiritism.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

(Dani Costa): Tell me this; say a friend of yours has stolen $500 from you. You find out, and of course it pains you to know that they would do such a thing to you. However, you offer them forgiveness for what they have done - they don't have to go to jail or do the community service - all they have to do is accept that you forgive them. And they refuse your forgiveness. They would rather accept the consequences of their actions themselves than allow you to forgive them for what they've done. Does that mean you're not forgiving? Simply because the person won't accept your offer of forgiveness?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Ohhh I really liked that analogy! It actually made sense!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

But you're not technically "taking" anything from God.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

its an analogy... the friend hurt you by stealing from you, the way we hurt God by sinning.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Okay, but let's say your friend comes up to you and says, "I don't love you." Not "I hate you," just "I don't love you." Is that cause for eternal damnation?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

By offering the friend forgiveness, you are offering to take away the consequence of their actions, which outside of the analogy is death and Hell. This analogy doesn't even begin to describe the love, compassion, and forgiveness God has for us; but the idea is that He is offering us an amazing gift that can take away eternal damnation. He offers it to everyone of us. If we can't do something as miniscule as love Him in return, what makes you think we deserve Heaven? Our sins separate us from Him; Jesus died in our place.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Because loving someone is not a "minuscule" thing. It's the most significant thing you can do for someone. And you can't control it. If I don't happen to love your God, then I don't see why I should be punished for it. And I won't be, because none of this is real.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Compared to what God did for us, loving him back IS miniscule. You CAN control if you love someone. You say that because you are thinking in terms of romantic love, and that's the wrong idea. Anyone who fully realizes the amazing gift God has offered will certainly realize that He is worthy of our love and devotion. The reason that you or anyone who rejects God should be punished for it is because not only is loving Him the smallest thing we can do for Him, it's our last chance to spend eternity with Him. Because we all have sinned, we need Jesus to pay the price for our sins - death.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If heaven is spending eternity praising God surrounded by deeply religious people, then I choose death.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Heaven is a perfect place where there is no sorrow, no pain, and no anger. That's all I can tell you, because no one has ever been there and back, obviously. But, when you fully understand the deep love God has for us, and how amazing the gift of salvation is, that's all anyone will want to do.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You're just making it sound worse and worse. I want pain, sorrow and anger. They're human emotions; they give weight to love, happiness and forgiveness. I don't want to be superhuman or perfect, I just want to be me.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

hahahaha. well have a good time spending eternity burning. How could you choose that? over a place thats perfect.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You want constant pain, sorrow, and anger for the rest of your eternity, when you could be spending it in a place where you will be forever happy and surrounded by a God who loves you more than you can even begin to imagine, and also other people who love you? What you don't realize is that there is no love in Hell. God is love, and Hell means eternal separation from God, and therefore from love. There is no patience in Hell; no kindness, no trust, no hope. If you think that you will continue living your normal life in Hell, with all of the emotions (including the joyful ones) that you feel now, you are sorely mistaken. Many people are mistaken in their interpretation of what Hell is like; we all think of that fiery place underground, but that is just a literal interpretation. The one thing we can be sure of is that there is no love or compassion. The strongest man can go maybe a few thousand years without love, but even the strongest will break down when faced with

by Anonymous 13 years ago

eternity. Hell is not a place you want to spend your eternity in.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Don't you think He's jealous for your love? Denying that he exists is like a teenager who doesn't acknowledge all that their parents have done for them.. as if their parents don't exist and don't deserve to be loved by them.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

just because one doesn't subscribe to a certain religion doesn't mean they aren't grateful. in our own way we feel, we describe, we experience our own gratitude. what if an atheist was the kindest person, who did a lot of good in life? does this mean they deserve hell? i think not.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Again: Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal life." Everyone has sinned - athiests, Christians, Buddhists, Muslims. We have all sinned, and therefore deserve death and Hell as punishment for our sins. That's why God sent Jesus as a sacrifice to take our punishment, in our places. Ephesians 2:8-9: "It is by grace you have been saved, and not by works, so that no man can boast." Nothing we can do, no good deeds in this life can save us. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You're fucking crazy.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Thanks. I'm following in much bigger footsteps; I'm sure the Pharisees thought the same of Jesus.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I want to apologize for calling you that; I was pissed off at something else entirely and taking it out on you. It was a low blow, I'm sorry.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

yeah how could you have redemption in hell? of course you have to pay for your mistakes because they were your fault but god would not let you simply burn in hell for eternity if hes perfect it just wouldnt make sense. People really take the bible too literal you have to remember it was written thousands of years ago by MEN not jesus or god

by Anonymous 13 years ago

i agree completely. we're just blindly following each other, following the words of a sexist, completely different past. also, it's like, yes, sure, we'll believe everyone's equal and deserving of love...but quietly, there's this tallying going on, Who's Good, Who's Bad...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

2 Timothy 3:16: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." The Bible may have been written in a technicality by men, but these were men inspired by God. They wrote God's words in the Bible, not just their own thoughts and opinions. Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life." God offers us redemption throughout our entire life. He sent Jesus Christ to die for that very purpose; he IS our redemption. All we have to do to is recieve Jesus as our Savior. Without Him there is no hope; and yes, Hell is a very real place where those who reject Christ CHOOSE to go. It's not God's will that any go to Hell.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

2 Timothy 3:16: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." "INSPIRED BY GOD" so if i am inspired by a cloud and i write a bunch of bull about how the cloud feels and the cloud thinks we should act, people should follow me??? just cuz i get it printed?? just cuz i have a few friends in on the scam and they help u fall for it cuz the "believe"

by Anonymous 13 years ago

There is so much evidence, all around you. God left nature, love, compassion, as evidences of Him and His great love. And yet you compare Him to a cloud? Were you aware that the Bible was written by over 40 authors, over a time period of 1,500 years? Without a higher being behind it, that is not humanly possible. Not to mention that the books God inspired fit together perfectly. I doubt your inspirational cloud could achieve even near that.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

if i wanted it to HELLO look at Scientology... aliens! ha!!!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If aliens wrote it, where did they come from? Your science can't explain the origin of life; scientists who refuse to acknowledge God are constantly tracing steps back further and further, but not one of them can find a stopping point of where life began.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

why do you keep using that word 'religion'? it's not about religion.. because religion is a set of motions that one goes through as if actions can get one into Heaven. I believe that when your presented before God on judgement day, and you laundry list all the good you've done, but you don't have a RELATIONSHIP (not religion) with Jesus, He's going to deny you. because if Jesus doesn't know YOU (I mean, you don't have a relationship with Him), then how can he die for YOUR sins?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

it's definitely about religion, who says Jesus is the Savior? but it's a fine line, i guess. because what if these people truly felt all the good they were doing, but they didn't believe in Jesus? would you consider them to have a relationship with Jesus if their hearts were devoted to another religion entirely? but i respect the opinions you and everyone else took in these comments. thank you for giving your input.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

i already have chosen to accept god into my heart and i know where i will spend the rest of my eternity, with my holy father and brothers and sisters in heaven(:

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I believe God forgives all sins without us even asking and loves us unconditionally and we will all be granted eternal life in heaven.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

That's not what the Bible says. As some others have said, God is sinless; therefore, he can't dwell in the presence of sinners. Even someone who has committed merely one sin. That's why He provided us the option of accepting Jesus Christ and His work on the cross as a sacrifice - someone to take the punishment for OUR sins so that we CAN be with God forever in Heaven.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

But we're all sinners. Gone to confession or loving God or not, we're all sinners. Every single person has committed a sin. Have you cursed? Used his name in vain? Skipped a sermon? Talked back to your parents? Of course you have. Everyone has done at least one of those. So, going by your logic, everyone is damned to Hell

by Anonymous 13 years ago

That's my point - we are ALL sinners. Every last one of us. That's why God sent His Son Jesus to be a sacrifice in our place. John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will never die, but have eternal life." One of the most quoted verses in the Bible. Everyone WAS damned to Hell; but the blood of Jesus gives us a second chance to be with God forever.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

hahaha so we must all become vampires and feast on the blood of christ to get into heaven, let the feast begain!!!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

That's not an intelligent statement, in even the lowest sense.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

but u are telling me its "the blood of christ" that saves my immortal soul how else am i to obtain this??? u drink the wine at church to represent "the blood of christ" soooo u all drink "blood" and you eat his "body" you cannibals!!!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

No one said we had to 'drink' the blood of Christ. It's a metaphor that refers to the blood Christ spilled on the cross when He died for us. In the days before Jesus came, people had to slaughter animals in order to be forgiven of their sins; and not just any animal. It had to be the purest creature they had to offer. They went through several days of inspection in order to ensure that it was fit for a sacrifice, and then they would kill it. The blood of the animal cleansed them of their sins. Jesus was a completely pure sacrifice; He was sinless, and His blood being spilt is what cleanses us of our sins, if we choose to accept Him as our Savior. The wine at church is, yes, to represent the blood of christ, and the bread His body; as I said, it is metaphorical.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

its simple... God gives us choice. if YOU choose not to believe in him... then its your fault. its not like he can just force you to love him. he gave you life... the least you could do is thank him. and you cant say hes not forgiving. because if you ask him... he will forgive you. you just have to ASK him... and you have to MEAN IT.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

What did I do that I need to ask forgiveness for? Sure, I can see how I would thank him, if I believed in him, but why do I need to ask for forgiveness?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

hahahah. what do you need to ask forgiveness for? how about... not following him? and how about all the unkind thoughts and words you have spoken to or about another person. and you need to ask forgiveness because God needs to hear from you that you are sorry. and if you truely are sorry. then he forgives you. no matter what you have done.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

For not following him? Really? I guess I should also go apologize to Trya Banks for not watching her show, or to Jason Derulo for not appreciating his horrible rampage on contemporary R&B's once respectable image. And so I also have to apologize to him for things I did to other people? Really? I guess if I punch you in the face, I should go apologize to the guy who lives next door to me. That makes sense.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

uhmm. yeah. it makes perfect sense. im not saying you can like... just ask him for forgiveness and it will all be okay. you also should apologize to the person you did these things to. dont you think it dissapoints him to see the person he created, go off and completely ignore him. it would be like if you had a child it it totally forgot about you. it just ignored its entire life. so if you ask God to forgive for the things he says not to do. then you are forgiven until you do something else you dont think is right

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Your entire argument is based on the false premise that I believe in God.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

uhmmm. i know you dont believe in God. thats sort of why im telling you about Him.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

In the entire world, Religion is the main cause of war. Doesn't that tell you something? Stop basing your beliefs on a book written by kings.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

ummmm the Bible was, for the most part, not written by kings...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

As an atheist, I'm completely fine with what other people believe. You should respect their religious beliefs It's just when people start criticizing others and start escalating that causes things to go out of hand. If people just respected others' beliefs, religion wouldn't cause wars :/ But you're right

by Anonymous 13 years ago

if God was so loving, why are there mentally disabled people? physically disabled? disease? why would a God who loves us, make us suffer. my own parents weren't big on punishing or giving us "spankings" because they couldn't even stomach the fact that they were hurting something they created.. so how is it any different with a God? i was a catholic girl for 13 years, then i was told to look outside the religion and see if there was something that would make me happier. i'm much happier not believing in any God.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I'm not you, so i can't answer this for you, but, are you really happier thinking that when your gone, your gone? Wouldn't it make sense that your body isn't simply gonna lay in the ground, rotting away, decaying, no soul? Does that really make you happy? Regardless, it's not what made you happy during life that'll change what happens afterwords. Mentally disabled people, aren't going to be handicapped in heaven, I believe they will be rewarded greatly, and that's what matters. Handicapped, people give us a reason to be thankful for what we do have while we are on earth.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

100% agree with you(:

by Anonymous 13 years ago

yes. i feel like religion is hope. that's all. it gives people something to look forward too, because that's what they need. they need to know that their handicapped child is going to be all better in Heaven. the little girl needs to know that her dead dog is going to doggie Heaven. i don't need that hope that someone with stage 4 cancer does. i've found myself and i've looked and realized how cult-esque so many religions are.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I'm atheist, and I like believing in now, and what's on this earth. I want to live my life. If there's an afterlife, fine. But what if there isn't, and I spent my whole life wishing there was? I would be focusing on *only* doing the right thing, and punishing myself for mistakes.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I'm no Bible scholar but, I believe the reason for this is because without bad things in the world- horrible circumstances and such- then it would just be too easy to believe in a good God and nobody would have faith- they would have proof. And they wouldn't actually love God or want forgiveness-they'd have no choice to believe. And there would be no relationship there between people and God- it wouldn't work. Does that make sense?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

yes, but why make it difficult? "God" should just sit back and make life easy, maybe stop by and say "hey" every once in a while instead of throwing lightning bolts and making sure the hair count on my head is still right from his big fluffy cloud upstairs. it would make his "life" and our life and after-life so much easier. i really, honestly, fully and completely believe this.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Yea but then no one would really love God and we wouldn't want his love or forgiveness- we'd have no choice but to believe because there would be prrof of his goodness- it just wouldn't work

by Anonymous 13 years ago

i don't know about you, but when someone very clearly shows me that they love me, i.e. not damning me to Hell, not giving me disabilities, etc, i love them back.. so your point that no one would want his love or forgiveness or would really love him is invalid

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I dont know if someone already said this because I am too lazy too read them all- Hell is not a punishment from God, he doesn't WANT to torture you. Hell is just what you get with an absence of God- just like the absence of heat is cold, or the absence of good is evil. And Heaven isn't the reward, Heaven is just wherever God is- because he's so awesome- and anywhere absent of him would be complete hell-literally. And Earth is whats inbetween- some people have God and some people don't so it evens out- literally.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

god gives you the choice to either love him or turn him away god doesn't place you in hell you place yourself in hell if you choose to lead either a sinful life or a godless life the devil will tempt you with many things to lure you away from god but it takes the love of god to keep you away from it.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Before you have ideas on who God is, I suggest you read the Bible. There are clear statements in it proclaiming that apart from Christ there is no salvation. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life." -Romans 6:23 That sounds pretty forgiving to me. However, Hell is a very real place because God has a standard of perfection, or sinlessness, only available through accepting Christ as your savior and holding a relationship with Him. If you've ever lied, cheated, stolen, coveted, ect., you are flawed. It seems harsh to human eyes, but why would we worship a God without standards? He has given us everything we have, and only asked for acceptance and admittance ("That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9) in order to spend an eternity with Him. Rejcecting Him on this earth doesn't make Him cruel; you chose Hell.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

and ur judging!!! SINNER SINNER SINNER!!!!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Damn. Put religious statements on here and it's like the President died.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

God is forgiving, yes; that doesn't mean that everyone accepts His forgiveness. That's why Hell exists.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

He will forgive those who accept him as their savior, then ask for forgiveness...that's how you get into Heaven. But, you have to be sincere when asking for forgiveness, AND when you accept Him as your savior. You have to act on it....this person obviously didn't read the Bible....ever...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Christians, let me ask you this: Is God allmighty? Yes? Well then why is he letting wars all over the world continue? Why did he let hitler kill millions? And don't give me that "free will" shit, whos will was it to give a 5 year old kid leukemia?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

As our Heavenly Father, he loves his children unconditionally, but he lets us make our our decisions and mistakes, as any parent does. God is almighty, but humans seem to side with Satan for the most part (just human nature) and Satan is the force that causes this suffering...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Bad things happen on this earth because people sin. That wasn't God's plan, from the beginning. You may not want to accept it, but God did and does give us free will. Our ancestors chose to bring sin into the world. It's not God's will that we endure these kinds of trials, but for those who believe in Him and love Him, there is a reward at the end that surpasses all the suffering we could ever experience on earth.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

no! bad things happen because of free will and us polluting our planet... not sin

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Our you saying murder, rape, stealing, cheating, and lying are not sins? Those are a result of our free will; we choose to do bad things.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I saw a religious post with 57 comments, and I immediately click on the comments box and thought "Ooh, this is gonna be good!" XD

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Shut Up.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

How don't you find it funny when people argue about religion? People get so worked up over nothing, because in the end, no one ever ends up changing anything they believe.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Oh, and to clarify, I'm Presbyterian. I just thumbs up'd because it was a good point.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

OK, OK, fine, but still, you have to admit, your first post sounded like you were laughing in the face of God, Allah, Jesus.... and furthermore, good point this may be, but it still pushes you to chose.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

OK, I am not really a religious person but people are free to believe in what they want, however, forcing someone to chose who they believe in is wrong, which is why I hate this.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

So, I'm confused. According to many people commenting on this post, one cannot get into heaven unless they believe and love god? What happens if there's an atheist person who does absolutely everything he can to make the world a better place for everyone? Where does this person belong?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I'm not trying to start an arguement. Just state my views in this discussion. I do not believe in a 'God'. If you have seen 'The Invention of Lying' thats pretty much my view on religion. People are scared of death, the unknown. Hence the want to believe in an 'after-life'. I don't want to believe in an 'after-life'. I believe science holds truth and religion tries to explain what we can't explain. Why do people want to believe in an 'after-life'? To me the unknown is far more exciting. Why make the most of life if you're going to 'live' forever. Why should we 'live' forever? We're just living organisms like every other living thing on this planet. We live, we die the cycle goes on. And if I end up in 'hell' you can say "I told you so" but for now I am truly happy with what I believe is the truth. If this post is not relevant sorry for wasting your time.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

The book The Shack by William P. Young best explains my opinions.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

look u have to ask for forgiveness. Gos is all knowing so he'll know if u really are sorry. So u can't just ask to be forgiven to get into heaven. He's not going to force u to love him so he gives u a choice of where to spend ur eternity. And trust me feeling perfect happiness is wayy better than having to burn forever in hell.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

look u have to ask for forgiveness. Gos is all knowing so he'll know if u really are sorry. So u can't just ask to be forgiven to get into heaven. He's not going to force u to love him so he gives u a choice of where to spend ur eternity. And trust me feeling perfect happiness is wayy better than having to burn forever in hell.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

look u have to ask for forgiveness. Gos is all knowing so he'll know if u really are sorry. So u can't just ask to be forgiven to get into heaven. He's not going to force u to love him so he gives u a choice of where to spend ur eternity. And trust me feeling perfect happiness is wayy better than having to burn forever in hell.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

look u have to ask for forgiveness. Gos is all knowing so he'll know if u really are sorry. So u can't just ask to be forgiven to get into heaven. He's not going to force u to love him so he gives u a choice of where to spend ur eternity. And trust me feeling perfect happiness is wayy better than having to burn forever in hell.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

So.....I could kiil all of you, and then once I die, I could just repent & MEAN it with aaaaall of my heart & then I could live in heaven forever because jesus loves me so much he let's me get away with murder. No consequences

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If you actually killed all of us, I wouldn't doubt that your heart would be so hard by that time that you would never truly accept Jesus when you were about to die. Like Hitler.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

but what if in those last seconds he truly was sorry? what if this person's heart hadn't hardened, and they genuinely simply felt awful for what they had done? what if they had accomplished a lot of good, but didn't believe in Jesus? could they accept what you consider Jesus' love, even if they believe in a different god, and they don't believe Jesus was the Savior?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

A person's heart, at that point, would be hardened. There is no what if; unless they are insane, there has to be something extremely dark in them that would cause a person to do a thing like that. I don't know what other answer you are looking for; I have written this many, many times on this post alone. There is ONE way to Heaven, and that is through Jesus Christ. (John 14:6: Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one shall come to the Father except through me.") A person must confess that Jesus is Lord, that He died on the cross for our salvation; acknowledge that He is the only way, and accept His gift. No other gods. (John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in HIM will never die, but have eternal life.)

by Anonymous 13 years ago

alright. i haven't been keeping up with any of the recent comments on this post, so i'm sorry for making you repeat yourself. i think a heart would have to harden to kill vast amounts of people, yes...but hearts, souls...they change. i completely disagree with your post, but i won't fight it. i'll respect your opinion.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Yes, they can change. I was talking about if a person killed many people and died soon after; if they have an entire life to live, then yes, they can change. But a heart doesn't soften quickly.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

hitler did all that killing in the name of god

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Simply because a person does something in the Name of God, does not mean that they are a representative of God. That's like me killing a Democrat in the name of McCain; McCain didn't ask me to, didn't approve of it, but I did it anyway. Does that make him responsible?

by Anonymous 13 years ago