Where do you go after you die...?

[EsenciaDeLaFuerza]

Gotcha.  I thought maybe you thought I was picking on her or berating her somehow.

[Heretik]

I would say that mamacita

She had just shown that she was cautious about it... so I was commenting

We're all good

[EsenciaDeLaFuerza]

You mean wouldn't?

My question to Ren is a serious one.  I am not setting her up in any way.  I truly am interested in how she deals with non-saved souls.  Though I don't believe it, she does and without question.

The question comes from a friendship I had once upon a time that ended specifically because of our religious differences.  She couldn't be best friends with someone who would knowingly decide to not accept Jesus as lord as she said.  I tried to discuss it with her, but she had already made up her mind.  I lost a very good friend that day.  Her name is Jen and she was smart, funny and beautiful.  I still miss her sometimes. 

 

[Heretik]

Yeah... I meant wouldn't

and I know what you mean... it seems like I've lost a lot of great friends over the years due to my lack of "the faith"

However, it's me.

I can't pretend to believe something to keep a friendship... that would even be worse in the eyes of the "lord."

I've heard he isn't a big fan of people pretending to believe or pretending to be in his "flock."


That's a great question.

If the question is posed to everyone...


My feeling is that I cannot and will not discount someone from a friendship due a difference in religious or political standpoint whatsoever... I have friends that are homosexual and I have friends that are bigots

I spend less time with the people that don't have beliefs that fall in line with mine... Tolerance

However, if someone else makes me a smaller part of their life because of our differences that is their choice

[marty]

I believe in Heaven.  I believe in Hell. I was raised to believe this just as many people were.  I do not question my faith, simply for the fact that it is FAITH, which means I believe it without being able to explain it.  And I love my faith.

That being said, I do NOT think that the only way to get to Heaven is to believe the same way that I do.  If I were born into a primitive African tribe with no access to or knowledge of Christianity, does that mean I would be damned?  My answer is a big fat NO!  That notion is in fact my biggest problem with Christianity. 
Christ came to Earth to save us all, ALL of us. 
So if I don't know anything about this, how is it my fault?  I think that God will judge us based on our knowledge of what is right or wrong and our actions.  However, I also think that if you know the truth (or what I believe to be the truth), that you are accountable for that.  So if I know it is wrong to kill someone and I do it anyway, that's wrong; but if I were raised in a tribe that taught me that, and I didn't know better, how am I wrong?  I think we will be judge based on our knowledge and what we do with it.
I also believe in Purgatory, which I know many don't, but it is an answer for the man who gets hit by a bus after telling a little white lie. 
I do not think that because I believe this I  have a free pass to Heaven, either.  I think that the most awesome thing about God is that he is not nearly as narrow minded as we are.  I do not think we have the mental capacity to fully understand God.

It's like the string theory.  I am fascinated by this because I believe that God did not make us and only us, nor do I think that Heaven and Hell are anywhere near the same dimension as Earth.  We know such a tiny part of the whole picture that I have no problem believing that God and science are both right. 

I guess lack of faith has never been a problem for me.  I am very lucky for that.  I have not experienced anything as devistating in my life as most of you have, so I just want to conclude by saying that I do NOT judge anyone for believing differently than I do.  I just felt like this discussion was open to all opinions, so I thought I would throw mine out  there, too. 

I love that everyone can be different and think differently and believe differently, yet at the end of the day we are all human, which if you think about it, can be a pretty amazing thing to be. 

[EsenciaDeLaFuerza]

That's a great question.

If the question is posed to everyone...

I disagree.  Not everyone has stated such a black and white scenario.  That's why I asked her. 

Again, I am not setting her up to slam her down. I am interested, as a friend of hers, how she personally deals with that. 

Interestingly enough, I do have faith.  I do believe. I do pray. I do have a relationship with God.  I just don't do through Jesus, or accept him as the form of God. The Holy Trinity has never made sense to me. AND I did not ask her to tell her what doesn't make sense to me... I asked her in hopes of having a better understanding from someone who seems to have never judged me for my born Judaism.


Edited to add:

I have friends that are bigots

This actually is MY one prejudice.  I cannot be friends with those who show their racist colors.  I just can't.  It infuriates me to the point of potential violence. Seriously.  My experiences have tainted me... and I can't simply return to the blank canvas and start over. 

The level of outcast that I was, and the lengths they went (the entire community) to rid themselves of our jewish disgust, will never be erased. 

[Heretik]

You and I are just all twisted up today mamacita...

I meant... if the question is posed to everyone... and then I answered my feelings on it.

Once again... didn't mean to set you up as anything.

You and I both know you're not like that.


My apologies again on the phrasing of my post.

[EsenciaDeLaFuerza]

You and I are just all twisted up today mamacita...

I meant... if the question is posed to everyone... and then I answered my feelings on it.

Here's me laughing at myself --->

No apologies needed bebe. My misunderstanding

[EsenciaDeLaFuerza]

I believe in Heaven.  I believe in Hell. I was raised to believe this just as many people were.  I do not question my faith, simply for the fact that it is FAITH, which means I believe it without being able to explain it.  And I love my faith.

That being said, I do NOT think that the only way to get to Heaven is to believe the same way that I do.  If I were born into a primitive African tribe with no access to or knowledge of Christianity, does that mean I would be damned?  My answer is a big fat NO!  That notion is in fact my biggest problem with Christianity. 
Christ came to Earth to save us all, ALL of us. 
So if I don't know anything about this, how is it my fault?  I think that God will judge us based on our knowledge of what is right or wrong and our actions.  However, I also think that if you know the truth (or what I believe to be the truth), that you are accountable for that.  So if I know it is wrong to kill someone and I do it anyway, that's wrong; but if I were raised in a tribe that taught me that, and I didn't know better, how am I wrong?  I think we will be judge based on our knowledge and what we do with it.
I also believe in Purgatory, which I know many don't, but it is an answer for the man who gets hit by a bus after telling a little white lie. 
I do not think that because I believe this I  have a free pass to Heaven, either.  I think that the most awesome thing about God is that he is not nearly as narrow minded as we are.  I do not think we have the mental capacity to fully understand God.

It's like the string theory.  I am fascinated by this because I believe that God did not make us and only us, nor do I think that Heaven and Hell are anywhere near the same dimension as Earth.  We know such a tiny part of the whole picture that I have no problem believing that God and science are both right. 

I guess lack of faith has never been a problem for me.  I am very lucky for that.  I have not experienced anything as devistating in my life as most of you have, so I just want to conclude by saying that I do NOT judge anyone for believing differently than I do.  I just felt like this discussion was open to all opinions, so I thought I would throw mine out  there, too. 

I love that everyone can be different and think differently and believe differently, yet at the end of the day we are all human, which if you think about it, can be a pretty amazing thing to be. 

I thought that was beautifully said

[marty]

Thanks, April. 

[blueluvinurse]

This actually is MY one prejudice.  I cannot be friends with those who show their racist colors.  I just can't.  It infuriates me to the point of potential violence. Seriously.  My experiences have tainted me... and I can't simply return to the blank canvas and start over. 

The level of outcast that I was, and the lengths they went (the entire community) to rid themselves of our jewish disgust, will never be erased. 

I relate to this completely. There aren't many things that get me hot under the collar, but racism in any form makes me supremely angry and I can NOT keep my mouth shut when I see it occur in front of me. I feel the immediate need to educate the ignorant. And typically the ignorant aren't very receptive.  I was the only white kid on my street and my childhood buddies/best friends did not have the same skin color as me. And since I was always with them, I was treated as 'one of them'. So, whenever I had a friendship with a bigot, it was unbeknownst to me, and as soon as he/she displayed said bigotry--I call them out on it, their feelings get hurt, they don't like me anymore.

[Sotxter]

The fact of the matter is, none of us have a clue, and anyone that says any different is lying, or deluded, period.  The best that anyone can do is live their lives in a manner that is serving of others, or at least does not infringe on others. 

When all is said and done, if I were to allow myself to believe that there is a Heaven and Hell, bad people go one way, good people go the other

[Heretik]

That is pretty much how I feel about it

But that's why it's called FAITH

It's very hard for some us with more scientific minds to grasp the concept of faith because it's something that was never a part of researching things.

There was never a footnote saying... "well, this part of my research may or may not be true... but I think it is so I'm gonna put it in here"



It's just very hard


That's why I try to just keep with mine and not say what's right or wrong anymore... I used to be the atheist guy that slammed religion, but I think that was just my anger over not knowing and I was acting out at those people that claimed to know because according to my logic... they can't