Thread: For An Intelligent Conversation On Spirituality/Religion

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

One thing to take into consideration is that fundamentalist christians believe that if you do not accept Christ as you lord and savior you are going to hell. They believe that there is a hell and that if you don't believe you're toast. I'm not defending that point of view. I only mention it as for many of them it is their motivation.

I could be wrong, but AFAIK the concept of the Christian hell most of us are familiar with was not known until Dante's Divine Comedy.

I believe (or I learned once) that the Bible (New Testament) teaches that those who do not accept Christ will spend eternity "separate from God" much the same as the fallen angel Lucifer. This does not necessarily mean a "fire and brimstone" hell, but a much worse fate (to the Christian) which is an eternity separated from the love and grace of God. What exactly that existence might actually be I have no idea.




Scott

Originally Posted by honedright

I could be wrong, but AFAIK the concept of the Christian hell most of us are familiar with was not known until Dante's Divine Comedy.

I believe (or I learned once) that the Bible (New Testament) teaches that those who do not accept Christ will spend eternity "separate from God" much the same as the fallen angel Lucifer. This does not necessarily mean a "fire and brimstone" hell, but a much worse fate (to the Christian) which is an eternity separated from the love and grace of God. What exactly that existence might actually be I have no idea. Scott

A new Mastro Livi Damascus for eternity with no water or shaving soap ? Pardon the irreverent attempt at humor.

Here is the Wiki definition of hell according to the Christian faith. Here is the general definition.

Wow guys! I didn't even express my opinion fully and I already have a slew of members who disagree. How can you disagree when I haven't even finished an eighth of my thoughts on the subject? Which kind of goes to the point that I never made!

Broad brush strokes are painted here.

There are so many coverall statements made about christians in this topic that I can hardly believe it.

"fundamental christians believe that if you don't believe in Christ you'll go to hell"

Do they? Really? All of them?

There's a few more examples but I'd encourage those who're commenting on someone else's beliefs to take a good look at your own posts and see if you're not making assumption based on prejudice.

Meeting a christian who believed something says NOTHING about the millions of others out there.

I don't say: I met an Atheist and he believed weird things and did weird things because of it so all atheists must believe the same things either. That'd just be stupid. And yet when something like that is said about christians it's acceptable.

Think before you type gents.

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

Do they? Really? All of them?

Yup. Every last one of 'em.

Interesting, because here was me thinking that I'm a fundamental christian and I don't believe that.

You must've asked every one of them for you to be so sure.

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

Interesting, because here was me thinking that I'm a fundamental christian and I don't believe that.

You must've asked every one of them for you to be so sure.

Jimmy didn't say "fundamental" he said "fundamentalist" which actually has a narrow meaning and includes the belief that if one does not accept Christ then one will go to hell

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

Interesting, because here was me thinking that I'm a fundamental christian and I don't believe that.

You must've asked every one of them for you to be so sure.

If you don't believe that you must either accept Jesus Christ as your lord and savior or face eternal damnation then by definition you are not a fundamentalist Christian.

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

Interesting, because here was me thinking that I'm a fundamental christian and I don't believe that.

You must've asked every one of them for you to be so sure.

i will agree. i have met many Christians who i wouldn't have known were Christians (not that is matters to me, seriously) and didn't push their views on me. its funny, i have some very close friends that are much more religious than i knew and they don't even mind when i make a religion joke, well at least they pretend to laugh, but the joke probably wasn't funny. i have met some very accepting priests, and some pushy jackasses that seem perfectly normal right until they end their story with " and this wouldn't have happened if you had accepted God into your life".

i firmly believe that most religious people (sorry to lump everyone together) are accepting and aren't pushy. but as usual, the bad ones give the rest a bad rap. maybe i am too accepting. i suspect that that is not true.

i have however been judged because i am not religious and this really ticks me off. i don't judge others based on what they believe, unless it effects me in a negative way. i know for a fact that i have never effected anyone negatively by not believing what they believe. i have had people stop talking to me, assume that i am an atheist, they mock Native spiritual beliefs ( and trust me i can take a joke, these weren't jokes) and even had an ex-girlfriend (girlfriend at the time) try to convert me by giving me a bible for christmas and telling me i didn't really have to be into it, i just had to say a little prayer and go to her church (in her defense she is very sweet and nice, and meant no wrong). i am probably being to sensitive but these things were stupid and have stuck in my mind.

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

Broad brush strokes are painted here.

There are so many coverall statements made about christians in this topic that I can hardly believe it.

Do they? Really? All of them?

There's a few more examples but I'd encourage those who're commenting on someone else's beliefs to take a good look at your own posts and see if you're not making assumption based on prejudice.

Meeting a christian who believed something says NOTHING about the millions of others out there.

I don't say: I met an Atheist and he believed weird things and did weird things because of it so all atheists must believe the same things either. That'd just be stupid. And yet when something like that is said about christians it's acceptable.

Think before you type gents.

You have to first determine if the person is an Atheist or Christian, or are they claiming to be an Atheist or Christian? Because if their claiming to be one or other then their opinions can vary, but if they truly are what they say then they will all meet the same criteria of their beliefs with no varience. Hence a true Christian will say that an unbeliever in Jesus Christ will go to Hell , NOT MAY GO and a TRUE Atheist will say THERE IS NO GOD, NOT THERE MAY NOT BE.