DJ Premier April 16, 2004 Share DJ Premier Member April 16, 2004 Would you still have faith? What would the faith be founded in? What if there is no afterlife. What if the 65 years you have on this planet is it. There is nothing more. Would you still live the life the way you do now? The idea of "salvation" is puzzling to me. I don't understand its roots. This question stems from my not understanding what the motivation of ppl who practice religions based on following the will of a separate higher entity in order to get reward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All Kill3r April 16, 2004 Share All Kill3r Member April 16, 2004 What if the 65 years you have on this planet is it. There is nothing more. Would you still live the life the way you do now? yup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jane April 16, 2004 Share jane Member April 16, 2004 if there was no "afterlife" i would still live this way. Because there is hope in the thought of something better. Because there is hope in the choice of living for someone/thing other than yourself. Because there is joy in knowing(even if it is baseless) that you are living for a goal, for a dream, for a thing better than yourself. Salvation is the idea of being taken from a pit, hole, bottomless sea, and being placed onto solid ground. Its not about a reward, its about serving something other than the lusts and orgies of this world. Its about enjoying life the way we all know it should be enjoyed, by loving everyone better than yourself. "Why be good when it feels so good to be bad". But it feels so much more true and whole to be good. Bad/evil is self destructive and simple. It only lasts so long before it gets boring. To serve another and to love another is always "rewarding" because our nature is to give ourselves to others, alway. Ask any scientist, they will tell you about "survival of the species". More people, when pressed will do good for themselves rather than for others, but will always know they should have done it the other way round(if they are truthful with themselves). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble .gc April 16, 2004 Share Trouble .gc Member April 16, 2004 i'd still be a good person...but i sure wouldn't worry about paying off debts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Premier April 16, 2004 Author Share DJ Premier Member April 16, 2004 Well, what shocks me sometimes is when I hear the person say "you are going to burn in hell!!", as if to make the person do something out of fear of going to hell or the reward of going to heaven. I've seen too many ppl say "you are going burn in hell". Doesn't that also imply this person is judging another person, which is something you christians should not do? That statement is a pretty nasty one. Not only does this person judge him and say the other is going to hell, but that they should burn as well. Seems like a very evil thought. Then comes the side that says that in order to go to heaven .... you must do x y and z. Shouldn't it be more along the lines of "i shall live my life according to the words of the bible and live my life as a good person. I shall not kill, lie, cheat, steal or judge. In the end, God will judge me and if i am worthy, I will welcome going to heaven." And not... "I'm going to be a nice person so I don't go to hell" "I'm going to be a nice person do I go to heaven" "you are going to hell unless you are a nice person" So I guess now you would understand why I would ask these questions when I see the hypocrisy in these statements. But I'm glad to know you guys answered differently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jane April 16, 2004 Share jane Member April 16, 2004 the bible talks about people who just do good works, dj. And it says that our good works arent good enough. If i were a nice guy all my life and did my "best" i would still go to hell, because that isnt what christianity is about. Its about faith. Its about love. Its about a mindset, lifestyle, and heartmode, that arent part of being "nice". Being good will just happen, if that christian is a true believer. If not a true believer, all the works they do wont mean squat. This is not a judgement statement, its what the bible says. its harsh sometimes, and its not comfortable. But there is never a reason to be scared of hell, because of the flames, and the burning and such. There is a reason to be afraid of heaven. There is too much good in heaven to comprehend. There is more love than we have ever imagined. There is also justice, of which hell has none. Justice says, you lived this way or that, according to God's law you will exist here(in heaven) or there(in hell). It is God's law that judges, not christians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwEEziL April 16, 2004 Share dwEEziL Member April 16, 2004 Sometimes saying "you are gonna burn in hell" while harsh shounding, isn't really a judgement but a statement of fact from our point of belief. If someone has confessed openly to me that they have not accepted Jesus Christ as their own personal savior, then it is a fact based on the Christian faith that they, in their current situaltion, will not be going to heaven. I would NEVER say, "well then, you are gonna burn in hell". Someone might say it like that though if they are trying to relay the severity of a person's situation though. I still think there are better ways to say it though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
appalachian_fox April 16, 2004 Share appalachian_fox Member April 16, 2004 I agree with Dweez. Ultimately, a person's eternal situation is between himself or herself and God. People in the Christian faith believe (hopefully) that the Bible is in some way God-inspired and transmits His will to anyone who wants to take a crack at it. Specifically, it tells you that you are saved by faith in Christ Jesus and faith in Him alone (One example, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12, NIV)). Assuming Christians are right, the rules are already laid out. But again, I agree with Dweez...I wouldn't stand on the street and tell people they're going to Hell. I don't know what's on their heart, mind and soul. If you tell someone they're going to Hell, you're stating that as a fact. In effect, you're judging the other party: Filling God's shoes for Him. While that's darned nice of you to try and help Him out, I highly doubt He would be appreciative. ("You shall have no other gods before me." (Ex 20:3, NIV) First commandment). So, I think it would benefit you if there were other Christian role models around. I'm sorry you feel that a standard Christian is a Hell-belting condemner...I promise that's not the standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Playaa April 17, 2004 Share Playaa Member April 17, 2004 This question stems from my not understanding what the motivation of ppl who practice religions based on following the will of a separate higher entity in order to get reward. I just hafta address this a bit... and I know you are generalizing and aren't talking about anyone specific...but I gotta say that very rarely does someone obey God solely for the reward and truly mean it. have you ever had an elemantary school teacher who would offer a prize for something done a certain way, and you tried to do it a different way but she somehow knew and you didn't get the reward? (I did)... I see it kinda like that. God knows who is obeying him out of respect and love for him and who is obeying him "just in case" or so they can get better rewards...I'd say he's not gonna be easily duped by that. personally, I don't believe in Christ because I'm afraid of Hell...I AM afraid of what Hell would be like, yes...but that wasn't my motivation for believing...it's just a by-product because I DO believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
appalachian_fox April 17, 2004 Share appalachian_fox Member April 17, 2004 I'm not sure that soemone who read the Bible could base his faith on his fear of Hell alone. I mean, the big message in the Bible is salvation, hope, a future with God...and it's already been given to you, just stand up and take it. It seems that if the only reason you believe is because you're afraid of Hell then you don't really believe in what the Bible as a whole is saying. If that's the case...well...it just doesn't make sense. Of course, if one hasn't read the Bible (someone whose sole experience of Christianity is from fire-and-brimstone Hell-condemners?) I can understand why they would be afraid of Hell, but that would seem to be more a result of the verbal and mental abuse of the preacher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOFX April 17, 2004 Share NOFX Member April 17, 2004 (edited) What if there is no afterlife. What if the 65 years you have on this planet is it. There is nothing more. Would you still live the life the way you do now? I would rape the villages and pillage the women. wait...... nah i cant think of anything that I would change. acctually, I cant help but look at it a different way.... What if you was 100% there was an eternal life? Would you change the way you lived? again, i probably wouldnt, but Im sure my drinking, smoking and cussing is looked down on, but other than my occasional party side, I cant think of any reason why I would go to hell. Edited April 17, 2004 by NOFX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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