From: stoney@oyster.smcm.edu (Stanley Toney) Subject: Re: Am I going to Hell? Organization: University of Maryland, College Park Lines: 45 In article tbrent@ecn.purdue.edu (Timothy J Brent) writes: > I have stated before that I do not consider myself an atheist, but > definitely do not believe in the christian god. The recent discussion > about atheists and hell, combined with a post to another group (to the > effect of 'you will all go to hell') has me interested in the consensus > as to how a god might judge men. As a catholic, I was told that a jew, > buddhist, etc. might go to heaven, but obviously some people do not > believe this. Even more see atheists and pagans (I assume I would be > lumped into this category) to be hellbound. I know you believe only > god can judge, and I do not ask you to, just for your opinions. excellent question timothy. i hpoe the answers you get will be satisfactory as we can not understand the mind of god. but to attempt to answer you clearly. GOD of the Bible has given us humans relativly little about how he intends to judge mankind. the first test is those who have beleived that Jesus Christ is the Son of GOD and that his death and resurrection was sufficent to serve justice for all the acts we commit that are wrong in the eyes of god, the bible calls this sin. for those who die before the end of the world/have already died it is more complicated to explain without lapsing in to cliche. God must judge people on the baasis of their works in this world. however there is no plus and minus system for GOD. he has declared that he can not tolerate spiritual imperfection, thus he can only based your worthiness to live with him on the wrong in your life. Good people, yes even Christians are going to constantly sin before GOD, The Christian hoever thanks GOD that Christ has given his life for his sin's penalty. the proscribed punishment for sin is death, just as the proscribed punishment for robbery is time in jail. God then cannot ask for anything but punishement for those sins. He does not want to condem. the Bible says in John 3:17, that God did not send his son in to the word to condem it but that through him it might be saved." when i realize that i have sinned, and i do with painful regularity, i must approach GOD and ask him to not hold thew sin against me, i have that right and privlige only because of Christ. as for Jews they are promised that they must believe on the Messiah who would come, and dis come in Jesus of Nazereth. Muslims, i fear have been given a lie from the fater of lies, Satan. They need Christ as do us all. for those who don't have that right, in the view of the bible they stand olone in their defense. are you going to hell? i can not answer that for you. i can only say that perhaps it is eaiser to ask and answer how can i not go to Hell? that step is much more rewarding. stan toney stoney@oyster.smcm.edu my opinions are my own, you may borrow them p.s. stay in touch and keep asking questions not just to us but to God as well, he listens too.