So, I'm Going to Hell

Published on April 15, 2004 By JillUser In Religion

I have been told at different times over my entire life that I am going to Hell. I wasn't baptized as a baby= going to hell. Don't belong to a church = going to hell. Lived with my fiancee before we got married = going to hell.

I personally don't see how any of those things would warrant my being sent to eternal damnation. I am a good person. I treat others as I would have them treat me. My family means the world to me. I am respectful of my parents. I have never harmed another. I donate time and money to charity. I help friends and family whenever possible.

I am open minded about religion. I have not been convinced yet that I belong with any particular organized religion. That doesn't mean I am an atheist though.

I guess I have always wondered how an all knowing God could look at me and send me to Hell. I know many catholics that play by the rules of the church but aren't more loving or caring than I. Why would God accept them and damn me?

So I go on living, learning and being thankful in the ways that fit me. I tend to think that God will judge me on those merits.

Comments (Page 10)

136

JillUser

on Apr 21, 2004

sgsmitty, you are pointing out part of christianity that doesn't jive with me. The thought that you could spend every day of your life being a loathesome waste of space but then have some miracle of faith on your death bed just doesn't make sense to me. It seems like life should be more of a linear journey toward learning the answers to life. I don't understand how you can do evil things and turn it completely around.

Again, please don't tell me it is because of the beauty of Jesus' love. That just doesn't satisfy me. There is a difference to me between knowingly doing evil things and feeling right with them and making a bad decision that ends up in something bad happening as an isolated incident. Christians lump all sins together and that just doesn't equate in my book.

137

Poetmom99

on Apr 22, 2004

"I never slammed on Christianity.
What is you are not Christian? What if your religion does not believe in Jesus? What if the Christian interpretation is wrong? (*gasp*...but, that can't be, could it?) What if the humans that are interpreting the bible for you are wrong in what it means? Will that "I now believe in Jesus" save you then
Ok, sure you didn't. "

I don't see anything that qualifies as a slam there....I see someone asking questions, looking for answers. However, since much of Christianity is based on faith, and believing in things you cannot see, it's almost impossible to answer any of them, at least for me. If someone else would like to have a go at it, I'd love to see the response....

But, again, I didn't see it as a slam.

138

dwill00484

on Apr 22, 2004

Your thinking along the right lines now. Baptism was begun as a symbol of repentance and the washing away of sins. However Jesus was sinless and his baptism was a symbol of something new. Remember John did not want to baptize Jesus and a voice came from heaven stating that Jesus was chosen and approved by God. This indicates that from then on baptism was an out ward symbol that a person had dedicated their life to God and to obey His voice. Hence a child does not yet have the knowledge required to propose such a dedication.( John 17:3 This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.)

So it is up to the parent to hold a relationship with God for the safety of their child

139

Dan Kaschel

on Apr 22, 2004

"sgsmitty, you are pointing out part of christianity that doesn't jive with me. The thought that you could spend every day of your life being a loathesome waste of space but then have some miracle of faith on your death bed just doesn't make sense to me. It seems like life should be more of a linear journey toward learning the answers to life. I don't understand how you can do evil things and turn it completely around."

That sentiment, widely shared by atheists, is the result of a common misconception: that actions apart from God can be good or evil. All actions are evil before Christianity because of motive. So for a Christian, it makes sense. To a non-Christian, it's complete idiocy.

~Buddha

140

Poetmom99

on Apr 23, 2004

"baptism was an out ward symbol that a person had dedicated their life to God and to obey His voice. Hence a child does not yet have the knowledge required to propose such a dedication.( John 17:3 This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.)

So it is up to the parent to hold a relationship with God for the safety of their child"

This is why I believe that baptism should not occur until the person IS old enough to make the decision on their own, with the proper knowlede of what it means. Infant baptism, IMO, just reaffirms the PARENTS' relationship with God, rather than indicating a relationship between the child and God.....

141

JillUser

on Apr 23, 2004

So it looks like most of us agree that infant baptism is one of those things people do as a social symbol. So no mother who has a relationship with God should fear for her unbaptized baby's afterlife. So any nurse who goes to the parent of an extremely ill infant and asks "Have you had him/her baptized yet?" should be strung up by their toenails. This happened to two of my friends. Not only were they beside themselves with fear over losing the child they just brought into the world, these jerks had to go make them fear that their child would not be saved.

Buddha, as your name exemplifies, there are more schools of belief out there besides Christian and atheist. I am currently neither. You're comment was therefore thoroughly unhelpful. You say all actions were evil before Christianity. How were people judged before Jesus was born?

142

MyViewsAndMuse

on Apr 23, 2004

So any nurse who goes to the parent of an extremely ill infant and asks "Have you had him/her baptized yet?" should be strung up by their toenails. This happened to two of my friends. Not only were they beside themselves with fear over losing the child they just brought into the world, these jerks had to go make them fear that their child would not be saved.
Yes, that is a terrible thing to do and I think I might have slapped that nurse.

143

JillUser

on Apr 23, 2004

Believe me sgsmitty, I would have if I had been there.

Just as my parents taught me to seek my own truths, I am encouraging my kids to do the same. My oldest went to preschool at a christian academy and he has had lots of questions ever since. I just signed my younger one up for preschool at the same place. It is a great school full of wonderful people. They don't treat people who belong to the church any differently than the ones who do.

My older son did give me a scare after class had talked about the resurrection. I put him to bed one night and he told me he wished he would die. Of course no parent ever wants to hear that! I asked him why he would say such a thing and he said he wanted to meet God and Jesus. I told him I could understand that but pointed out that it would be a one way trip, that he couldn't return to mommy and daddy and his brother. He said "Why not? Jesus did." I told him that it was believed that Jesus was God's son and that he and only he could return after death. I also told him that if God thought it was time for them to meet, I'm sure he would arrange it. This convinced him that he ought to stick around.

144

Dan Kaschel

on Apr 23, 2004

"Buddha, as your name exemplifies, there are more schools of belief out there besides Christian and atheist. I am currently neither. You're comment was therefore thoroughly unhelpful. You say all actions were evil before Christianity. How were people judged before Jesus was born? "

An unfortunate symptom of my church status is that I tend to think of non-Christians as atheists. My profound apologies, I really am trying to work on it.

Your second question is more involved. I assume you're familiar with animal sacrifices? The purpose of said sacrifices were to allow a person to be righteous when the payment for his sins had not yet been given. BUT. Do not confuse that with true redemption; it was a device by which the sacrifice of redemption could become apparent before Jesus did the real job. It was his death, not the animals, that payed for the sins of those before Jesus. So the same goes for people before Jesus, although they didn't know his name, and worshiped only Yeshua- roughly Hebrew for God, although it's meanings are vast and complex and... well nevermind, I'm just trying to say that I don't really know quite what it means. But 'God' is close enough for now.

I hope that answers your question... if not, tell me and I'll attempt to clarify.

~Buddha

145

Draginol

on Apr 23, 2004

For a guy who has no problems slamming on others, you are incredibly thin skinned. I didn't see any slamming on Christianity by K-girl.

146

MyViewsAndMuse

on Apr 23, 2004

JillUser: Sounds like you found a good school. Nice way to handle your son wanting to go to heaven now, that was cute. I certainly believe everyone should look for their own truths. I know I did and I encourage my kids to do the same. Of course they were shown "my" enlightenment and they are emersed in it so to speak as a result of being children in my house.

SgtSmitty: Wait now, you have the nerve to call Kharmagirl petty because she got on you for spelling Buddha incorrectly after you made a sweeping statement about my knowledge on the bible because I stated (and which others have backed me up) that Jews don't believe in a devil or hell?
For a guy who has no problems slamming on others, you are incredibly thin skinned. I didn't see any slamming on Christianity by K-girl.

Then we agree to disagree then on several issues. I think is is shallow to pick on something like spelling especially when it is a proper name of someone whose ideals I do not subscribe, the discussion is over ideals not grammer which is something I would have expected on a newsgroup but not here. You on the other hand had made your statements about the bible as a statement of knowledge you were sharing. As for your backup on the whole devil issue, I think I covered it pretty well that while many (not all) Jews do not recognize Satan as a being they cannot deny the fact that a evil being exists all throughout the old testment/jewish scriptures. As for hell, which we really did not get into, one description of that is sheol. But that is another topic.
Call me hard headed (is that possible with "thin" skin) but I stand by my assertion that k-girl was mocking with the *gasp*. Had it been a face to face conversation I think most would agree that was the tone. If me calling her to the mat over the mocking makes me thin skinned so be it, but then it would likewise be thin skinned to be upset over me mocking the oversoul as being not unlike "The Force".
I do not generally see myself as slamming others. I was responding to something I read as mocking. Am I personally offended by it? No, not in the least. I think it would be hard to be offended by newsgroups, blogs, internet chat because of the lack of personal interaction.
Just my 2 cents....

147

Poetmom99

on Apr 24, 2004

"An unfortunate symptom of my church status is that I tend to think of non-Christians as atheists. My profound apologies, I really am trying to work on it."

OMGoodness....Jews, Hindus, Moslems, Buddhists, etc.....they're all ATHEISTS in your mind? And you had the nerve to refer to ME as closeminded? Yeah, right!!!!

148

Poetmom99

on Apr 24, 2004

" I think is is shallow to pick on something like spelling especially when it is a proper name of someone whose ideals I do not subscribe["/quote]

So if someone were to incorrectly spell the name of Jesus, consistently, you would not be bothered by it or see it as a possible sign of intentional disrespect, as long as it was done by someone who doesn't subscribe to His ideals?

149

dharmagrl

on Apr 24, 2004

An unfortunate symptom of my church status is that I tend to think of non-Christians as atheists. My profound apologies, I really am trying to work on it

Good for you Dan! I mean, Buddha!

150

MyViewsAndMuse

on Apr 24, 2004

So if someone were to incorrectly spell the name of Jesus, consistently, you would not be bothered by it or see it as a possible sign of intentional disrespect, as long as it was done by someone who doesn't subscribe to His ideals?

Nope.

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