How to Get Into Heaven

[Slytovhand]

or the purple 3-headed yak, or whatever

HEY!! Watch what you say about my God! He's very.... sensitive...




But ... more seriously (like you can get more serious that protecting the holiness, Llama High Lord, the Great Purple 3-headed Yak, Master of all infinity... and wool.. oh - and cheese too...)...

I also don't like the idea of God punishing those who either aren't religious

It wouldn't really matter if you like the idea or not. God, if such an entity exists, will be god, and will do whatever he/she/it/they chooses. Our attitude towards said deity is completely irrelevant...Why, also, is fairly irrelevant. If that's the way things are, then that's the way things are...


Slyt

[Lace Neil Singer]

I know this is probably irrelevant, but there's a bit in the C S Lewis book, The Last Battle, when Aslan says to a Calorman soldier who says that he never believed in Aslan, but served Tash, that everything good that the soldier did in the name of Tash went to Aslan, just as every bad thing done in the name of Aslan would go to Tash. Could well be the same as with god, or Buddha, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or the purple 3-headed yak. XD

[Seshat]

Maybe God does have a special sort of provision for those who never got to hear the word, but at the same time followed the basic principles that make a Christian favorable in God's eyes, I'll try and find out, and see if there's something in the Bible that indicates it.

The parable of the Good Samaritan is very specific: the Samaritan, despite not being Jewish (or Christian) was the one who behaved in good ways, and was the one Jesus would reward (had it been an actuality, not a parable).

Also, John 3:19-21. "This is how the judgement works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. Anyone who does evil things hates the light and will not come to the light, because he does not want his evil deeds shown up. But whoever does what is true comes to the light in order that the light may show that what he did was in obedience to God."

I accept that because of the final phrase ('in order that .... obedience to God') you may well interpret the verses differently from me. But I see those verses as saying that the judgement seeks those people whose deeds were good, not evil - that it separates people based on their deeds; rather than on their faith.

Some may say that my outlook sounds hopeless. I mean, why not become a serial killer if I really don't think there will be consequences for my soul?
<snip>
I don't need the threat of Hell looming over my shoulder, nor the reward of Heaven being dangled in front of me to be a good person.

Someone once said - quite possibly someone here - that Atheists have the potential to be the most moral people there are.

Because those Atheists who are good people, are good simply because they choose to be. They do not desire the reward of Heaven, nor fear the punishment of Hell; they just want to be good people.

I know this is probably irrelevant, but there's a bit in the C S Lewis book, The Last Battle, when Aslan says to a Calorman soldier who says that he never believed in Aslan, but served Tash, that everything good that the soldier did in the name of Tash went to Aslan, just as every bad thing done in the name of Aslan would go to Tash. Could well be the same as with god, or Buddha, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or the purple 3-headed yak. XD

Evil done in the name of Good remains Evil.
Good done in the name of Evil remains Good.

I'm pretty sure I got that from C.S. Lewis. If not, I probably got it from some author who had read Narnia.

[BlaqueKatt]

Someone once said - quite possibly someone here - that Atheists have the potential to be the most moral people there are.

Because those Atheists who are good people, are good simply because they choose to be. They do not desire the reward of Heaven, nor fear the punishment of Hell; they just want to be good people.

That would be me-the Atheist/Buddhist-the two actually go together pretty well-as Buddhism is more of a belief system than a religion in all actuality, as it doesn't fit definition of religion-and the Buddha himself said nothing was to be taken as doctrine and be ready to abandon your beliefs in the face of a superior argument.

I was going to add something else-but I think it deserves it's won thread...sooo exit stage left.....

[kamn]

As an anwser to the OP:

WHY would I want to go to Heaven? Or Hell? Both have the "all eternity" clause in them (they shall suffer for all eternity/they shall rejoice by His side for all of time), so I would immediately choose not to go there.




I grow bored easly, and in a thousand years or so, I would be bored of the afterlife, I think.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Yeah; all that rejoicing would really take it out of you. XD