Poll: Heaven? Hell?

**Presbygirl** · 05-02-2012, 06:55 PM

(05-02-2012 06:20 PM)notdrinkingthekoolaid Wrote:
(05-02-2012 02:47 PM)pastors wife Wrote: I can't check any of them because they don't quite express what I believe. The second one -- "I believe that only Christians who have made a profession of faith will go to heaven. Everyone else will go to hell." -- is close, but I am not sure I'd use "profession of faith". After all, there are people who profess but don't possess! (You all remember sermons using that phrase, right?) This statement makes it sound a lot like if someone says the right words, they're in, but I don't believe that because people could say, "Lord, Lord" and yet be far from God in their hearts.

The next one is also close - "I believe that everyone who practices some sort of Christian-esque religion and generally believes in Jesus will go to heaven, even if they have never prayed The Prayer" - but the wording is too vague for me. "Some sort of" Christianity is too wide for me; I would tend to reaffirm the orthodox creeds as far as belief.

To sum up my views, I believe that there is a heaven for those who have accepted the shed blood of Christ to cover their sins and a hell for those who reject Christ and that God is the One Who is ultimately in charge.

Sitting on the bench next to PW. Pretty much where I'm at.

Scoot over. Make room for me!

05-02-2012, 07:06 PM

(05-02-2012 06:55 PM)Presbygirl Wrote:
(05-02-2012 06:20 PM)notdrinkingthekoolaid Wrote: Sitting on the bench next to PW. Pretty much where I'm at.

Scoot over. Make room for me!

I hope this bench is long. Her description is good and I am pretty much there.

**boymom** · 05-02-2012, 07:59 PM

(05-02-2012 01:48 PM)FmrMarine Wrote: I believe in hell and it is any Wal-Mart store in the south. I have not visited any Wal-Marts in other parts of the country, so they may be equally hellish or may be just hell-lite.

Purgatory - you can get in, but it'll take a miracle to get out in one piece.

~~Persnickety Polecat~~ · 05-02-2012, 08:24 PM

(05-02-2012 02:47 PM)pastors wife Wrote: I can't check any of them because they don't quite express what I believe. The second one -- "I believe that only Christians who have made a profession of faith will go to heaven. Everyone else will go to hell." -- is close, but I am not sure I'd use "profession of faith". After all, there are people who profess but don't possess! (You all remember sermons using that phrase, right?) This statement makes it sound a lot like if someone says the right words, they're in, but I don't believe that because people could say, "Lord, Lord" and yet be far from God in their hearts.

The next one is also close - "I believe that everyone who practices some sort of Christian-esque religion and generally believes in Jesus will go to heaven, even if they have never prayed The Prayer" - but the wording is too vague for me. "Some sort of" Christianity is too wide for me; I would tend to reaffirm the orthodox creeds as far as belief.

To sum up my views, I believe that there is a heaven for those who have accepted the shed blood of Christ to cover their sins and a hell for those who reject Christ and that God is the One Who is ultimately in charge.

Active rejection or passive rejection? I would like to think the former. I remember so many sermons about how people should just automatically KNOW there is a God because of this, this, and this, but I don't buy into that. I would like to think that going to a literal hell would require more than a passive rejection -- more than simply never accepting the sacrifice when one can't possibly even know of the sacrifice. I'd like to think it would take actively rejecting that sacrifice.

notdrinkingthekoolaid · 05-02-2012, 11:19 PM

Active vs. passive...I tend to believe that God is less lenient with those who have actively rejected Him. But I don't believe that hearing the Gospel message one time and not making "a decision" makes you culpable for actively rejecting Him. Like the parable of the seeds, results take time to happen.

~~Persnickety Polecat~~ · 05-03-2012, 10:25 AM

(05-02-2012 11:19 PM)notdrinkingthekoolaid Wrote: Active vs. passive...I tend to believe that God is less lenient with those who have actively rejected Him. But I don't believe that hearing the Gospel message one time and not making "a decision" makes you culpable for actively rejecting Him. Like the parable of the seeds, results take time to happen.

These are the things I'd like to believe, too. And not knowing is hard. It doesn't seem right or just for a starving child in Africa who has never heard of God or Christ to go to hell while someone here has so much of a better opportunity to hear and either accept or reject. Of course, life isn't fair, but this isn't about life on earth, and if justice reigns anywhere, it should reign supreme in the afterlife, shouldn't it?

Please bear with me because I am sorting out a lot of things in my head.

co_heir · 05-03-2012, 10:50 AM

(05-02-2012 01:48 PM)FmrMarine Wrote: I believe in hell and it is any Wal-Mart store in the south. I have not visited any Wal-Marts in other parts of the country, so they may be equally hellish or may be just hell-lite.

Especially on Saturday night!

Lady Julian · 05-03-2012, 11:01 AM

(05-03-2012 10:50 AM)co_heir Wrote:
(05-02-2012 01:48 PM)FmrMarine Wrote: I believe in hell and it is any Wal-Mart store in the south. I have not visited any Wal-Marts in other parts of the country, so they may be equally hellish or may be just hell-lite.

Especially on Saturday night!

Actually, anytime after 12:01 PM on Saturday, and anywhere in the country. We here in the Midwest have our own Wal-Mart Inferno, enough to rival Dante's.

elfdream · 05-03-2012, 01:42 PM

First of all I don't believe we are saved by faith or works or anything like that. We are saved by GRACE.

God's grace is his to give wherever he wants.

I also believe God is absolutely merciful.

Now when it comes to people in countries who have never heard I believe God MIGHT show forth his grace and mercy to those who have lived lives of conscience in invincible ignorance of the Gospel.

If they are saved in the end it will be completely and totally by the grace of God...the same way the rest of us are 'saved'.

Maybe. I don't know. I personally do not shut the door on them.

notdrinkingthekoolaid · 05-03-2012, 05:10 PM

(05-03-2012 10:25 AM)Persnickety Polecat Wrote: Please bear with me because I am sorting out a lot of things in my head.

Aren't we all? Smile

Poll: Heaven? Hell?
	I believe there is no such thing as heaven or hell. When we die, we die.
	I believe that only Christians who have made a profession of faith will go to heaven. Everyone else will go to hell.
	I believe that everyone who practices some sort of Christian-esque religion and generally believes in Jesus will go to heaven, even if they have never prayed The Prayer.
	I believe that there is no hell. God will sort it all out in the end and let everyone into heaven, regardless of their beliefs on earth.
	I'm still not sure. I used to believe one of these, but now maybe I think something else.