-133 So according to Christian theology, you can be a child-raping war criminal and still get into heaven as long as you perform a magic ceremony with a bucket of magic water. This is the god we're supposed to worship? If god is on the same side as the Christians, I don't want to be on the same side as god, amirite?

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Ok clearly you don't know enough about the Christian Faith to make this comment. The point is that your repenting. People change, and that change is possible through Jesus' sacrifice. And if the person isn't really changed and they are just doing it to look good, they can't go to heaven. By the way, the water is symbolic, not magic.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Just what I was about to say :), It's about improving yourself and trying to follow God's teaching and forgiving others and repentance. A person who truly accepted Jesus into their heart and wanted to reform probably wouldn't continue to rape children (I hope they wouldn't). The water and the cermony is symbolic. It doesn't actually do anything.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

You sound very ignorant. It's annoying when people take instances from the Bible out of context. Shut your mouth and do some research and interpretation before you act like you know everything. And I'll say this ahead of time, since I am well aware that you only want to argue and did not post this to be convinced of the truth: I am not arguing with you here. Take it to a website of at least some importance, or a theological site.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

well said ^^

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Could you be any more hypocritical? You say that I don't want to be convinced of the truth, but you're the one who's unwilling to argue. Having an argument is the means by which disputes are resolved. Have you ever considered that YOU might not know the truth? Do you even have the intellectual capacity to back up your position? Just another example of typical Christian arrogance.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

I'm not going to argue with you because I have done it on pointless websites like these a million times before. You didn't post this on here so that you could be convinced of the truth. Your beliefs will not change, and you are not interested in bringing about a change in your life. I know this for a fact. Arguing with people like you is a waste of my time. If you really wanted answers, you would have gone to (like I said) some other website that has a main purpose of discussing the Bible. It's not arrogance, it's called using my brain and not wasting my time.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

haha. Agreed.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Believing in a religion is ignorance, you're to ignorant to ignore scientific facts of life. Your self-righteousness is annoying, also.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Your close mindedness is annoying.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

I'm not close minded, I'm very open to a lot of things. In fact, I've gone through that whole process in the church of getting my first communion and being confirmed yadda yadda yadda...point is, I think it's all complete bullshit and nothing can just be the creator of the world or god. Science is the only thing that makes sense without me feeling like I'm losing brain cells.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

scientific facts of life?? so many things that these scientists say are theories. they don't know how everything works. do you not know that their THEORIES of quantum mechanics and general relativity aren't even compatible?? obviously they don't know exactly what they are doing. furthermore, that big bang theory cant be possible because there is that other theory that matter cannot come from nowhere, yet that seems to be exactly what happened. so these scientist people seem to know exactly what they are doing

by Anonymous 15 years ago

So since the answer isn't right in front of us, we go and say "Oh it must have been magically created by someone in the sky. Let's call that guy god." instead of researching further and trying to find how Earth was created.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

I know plenty about Christian theology, thank you very much. Obviously none of you people were paying any attention to anything I said. I didn't say that the child-raping war criminal wasn't make a geniuine, heartfelt change. What I said was that some crimes are so heinous that if there god does exist and he is a just god, he will punish them no matter how sorry the perpetrators are. If someone raped your child and traumatized them for life don't you think they deserve to be punished in some way? Would Hitler have gone to heaven if he had accepted Christ on his deathbed even though he murdered 6 million jews? If you actually believe that, then you're out of your fucking minds.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

their* and yes, Christians, or at least Catholics do believe that if you repent you can still go to heaven no matter what you do. That's what we have penance for while on earth. It's a punishment, even if penance these days has become a lot easier.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Hitler would actually have to sincerely repent. Do you think a guy like him could even do that?

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Dude what Hitler did was murder and murder is unforgivable even the scriptures say so. I also believe that my God will punish the child-raping war criminal, but like you stated he is a fair and just God and I don't believe that he will punish them beyond what they deserve.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

I'm sorry, but your beliefs aren't consistent with Christ's teachings from the bible: In John 14:6, Christ states: "I am is the way, the truth and life. No one comes to Father, except through me." In John 5:24, Jesus says "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes on Him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." This makes it clear that accepting Christ always gets you into heaven, and that doing so is the only way to get there. You have already stated that you don't really believe something from the bible, because it's an unreasonable thing to believe. Why stop now? Why not stop believing in the rest of the nonsense too?

by Anonymous 15 years ago

It's true that accepting Christ is the only way to be saved. However, it is not the only thing that is required. It's the most important, true. You can do all the other stuff but without Christ it's meaningless. But you can't simply believe in Christ and think that gets you a free ride. And the Bible doesn't say that either.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Yes, that is exactly what the bible says.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Actually, the bible says you've gotta repent AND accept Christ, or so I beleive.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Being a Christian isn't just one decision, it's a way of life. Yes you must accept Jesus is lord, believe he died on the cross for you and then 3 days later he rose from the dead. But it is a continual, every day thing also. You have to trust him with your dreams and decisions.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Lot's of people like to quote "saved by grace" out of context. If you read everything you'd find out that you really do have to put in effort to being a good person. We are saved by grace after all we can do. James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

exactly what i was thinking

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I'm sorry but I'm not just going to give up my faith in my Heavemly Christ and my God based off a website. I know the bible says a lot of stuff and I do believe it but I belong to the LDS faith and my beliefs aren't based only on the Bible. I know you will be hostile towards me because of the church I belong to but I promise you you won't change what I believe in.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Why would you think I'm hostile towards you for being a Mormon? I don't find Mormonism to be any more ridiculous than any other religion.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Sorry Heavenly Father.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

I didn't really think you would be hostile but i figured some else would be since there are a lot of other people on this site, and its actually more of the other Christian Faiths who are hostile toward us for our beliefs.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Yes, I'm aware of that. In fact, many of the other branches of Christianity refuse to accept that Mormons are Christians, even though the core of their beliefs are mostly the same, except for that bit about Christ coming back to earth and visiting America after his first resurrection etc. (I'm no expert on Mormon theology, so feel free to fill in the details here). How does it make you feel that they treat you that way? Pretty horrible, right? You probably feel that an injustice has been done. Well that's the same way atheists, Muslims, Jews, and Pagans feel about the way Christians have treated them over the course of the last millenium.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

The core of the beliefs of Mormons and Christians is not the same. Mormons do not even believe Jesus was the messiah. That alone is the core of the Christian faith.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Ya well I know I'm not perfect and I do judge other religions sometimes, but as I'm getting older I've started to realize that religion is an individuals choice, and they have the right to believe what they want. So usually when someone criticizes me for my religion I don't feel to bad because most people just do it out of ignorance.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Hey guys: 'MilitantAthiest' does not want answers. He wants to argue and play a petty game with Christians who come to defend our faith. If he really wanted answers he would have posted this somewhere where he could get more experienced answers, not on a website like this. Don't feed his ignorance and arrogance. He just wants to spark an argument.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Religion is a terrible, horrible thing. God is not.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

I couldn't have said it better myself.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Agreed! :D

by Anonymous 15 years ago

you know, i never thought of it that way, but true, true.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

@ (MilitantAtheist): your big headed attitude and hostile statements are rather saddening. i dont believe in god but i respect others beliefs. stop being a cunt.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

That's really closed minded of you.and im so sorry you wont even think about the wonderful gifts and amazing experiences people experience through Christ.God is the only person that will take your mistakes and forgive them and not hold them against you.if you want a world that looks at ones mistakes and automatically judges you and what not then that is VERY sad.just know ill be praying for you tonight.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

I love your thought process. Probably one of the best comments I've seen on this page. =)

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Ew.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

God loves everyone. That's the most blunt fact in the entire bible. We were created so that he could love us. When the serpant tricked mankind into sin, God was disapointed and frustraited, but he still loved us. And that is what He wants us to do too; love people, despite their race, religion, sex, or sexuality. So even if a person murders or rapes or steals or cheats on their partner, we should still love them, even though they do need to be punished in SOME kind of way. But God is a forgiving god, so yes you can be a child-raping war criminal and still get into heaven if you TRUELY believe that God is the lord, our saviour. PS I'm not saying this for you MilitantAtheist, I'm saying this for all of the people who are not sure of God, who might be reading this. People do need a clear explanation of the christian faith. Even though I can't properly give people one, it's a hell of a lot better than the one you're giving. Because the way you see it, being a christian is a load of crap.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

I respect all beliefs, but just saying; The Bible states that God loves me more then anything. Why would a loving god send me to a place of suffering for eternity?

by Anonymous 15 years ago

God doesn't necessarily "send" you there, Satan "takes" you there.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Can you prove that god even exists? The bible doesnt even give you a description of him/it

by Anonymous 15 years ago

That's what the belief is. Believing. If the Bible explained everything, and all this other stuff you might want, then there really would be no believing in you. You would just know what was written down, not what you believed.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Honestly..I don't believe in church I believe in God. All you ever need to do is ask for forgiveness and be serious about being sorry. There is no reason why one certain religion should be called correct..everything stems from God and the rest of it comes from traditions.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

This is the exact reason that i never get into religious fights. You believe what you believe and I believe what i believe. Leave it at that people.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

It's funny how the people who hate God are the ones who talk about Him the most, amirite?

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Athesits just like being contrary to christan teaching. If Christans taught/believed that God didn't forgive child-raping criminals they would say that everyone deserves forgivnes and God is unfair to not forgive everyone no matter what.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Christianity really shouldn't parade her mysteries around. that way people couldn't mis-understand them.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

if your god loves you so much, ask him for a hug. I bet "he" won't even answer you- let alone hug you. when I here the word god my nose gets all twitchy and it smells weird. like... hoses and rice treats burning...

by Anonymous 15 years ago

REPENNNT! THE END IS NEAR!! No, seriously I just saw god having premarital intercourse, getting an abortion, and playing beer pong. we're all doomed. even the big dog plays rough. ahhh, Shhiiiit

by Anonymous 15 years ago

If "God" was forgiving, then why, according to the Bible, did he kill over 2 million of the creatures he so adored and loved? - And to stir things up a little more, your "Satan" only killed 10, and that was under God's permission. I swear, if this "God" is actually real, I can't wait to die and tell the hypocritical, egocentric cunt what I really think of him.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

I consider myself a Christian and it really saddens me that so many people are against Christians, mostly because some Christians have really messed up. I believe that after accepting Christ the most important thing is to show people love and accept them for who they are. So many Christian people, instead of showing love towards others, like the Bible says to do, spend their time harrasing those who do not have the same beliefs. MilitantAtheist, you're just as valuable and important as any one else in the world, therefore you have a right to have your own opinion, and i respect that. I just wish other people would learn to do that, instead of spending their time fighting about it. And as humans we don't know where that line is drawn of which people go to heaven or not, i would be a fool to sit here and pretend that i know, but i don't know their hearts only God does. So to answer you I BELIEVE God forgives this criminal only if he really means it and if he doesn't do it again.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

SO, will God forgive the Pope who helps all the other priests get away with molesting alter boys? and dont say they repented theyve been doing it forever.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

Epicurus and The Problem With Evil Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? then he is not All powerful is God able to prevent evil, but not willing? then he is not a "good" god if he is able and willing to prevent evil then he must therefore not be aware of it and is not All knowing.

by Anonymous 15 years ago

religion is bullshit if christ actually rose from the dead he would be a zombie and who would want to believe in a god that creates so much pain

by Anonymous 15 years ago

it would be funny if jesus was gay right! and he had gay sex!! amirite!

by Anonymous 14 years ago

organized religion is just a fancy way for people to get money off of others who dont know any better and are scared (im referring to television evangelicals)

by Anonymous 14 years ago

The Bible says that God looks into people's heart and sees what's true inside them. You only get into heaven if you truly see the bad things you've done, admit the mistakes, and honestly, and whole-heartedly turn away from it, and know you've made a mistake. otherwise, they won't make it to heaven. And trust me, 100%, completely, no "mostly" about it, repenting and never, ever, going back is harder than it sounds. It's reall hard to get in, Jesus even compares the gates of heaven to a narrow door, and also says "many are called, but few are chosen".

by Anonymous 14 years ago