My Christian flatmate tells me that I will go to hell because I don't believe in Jesus. She also said my relatives are burning and being tortured in hell as non-believers. Is this what Christians believe?

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• you have a good point, +3 for you!

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  by KiloWattKid on December 28th, 2006

• I will vote for this too! Even the bible says to give each passage in the bible the tests of truth, because it was edited three times, and much of what it said about re-incarnation was edited out so that the church could scare you into giving money to them to stay out of purgitory(made up place!). After much study, I believe that hell is separation from God(on earth). You can experience any moment as hell or heaven if you choose. You have free will, and that means that God has no judgement about what you do, although there are consequences in the material world for your actions-just do 90mph everywhere you go, and see. Three things are abominable in the eyes of God. 1)pride of the eye (staring people down) 2)pride of the heart(showing off) and 3)Ego(boy are us guys in trouble!) Dont say bad things about people, but dont even THINK it. These are the idioms. Be true to yourself, find your ideal, and live to that, as you are measured only against this. Christ was the template. +1!

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  by Jim100 on December 28th, 2006

• omg you could fit all that!

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  by KiloWattKid on December 28th, 2006

• Very good answer. I agree

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  by Roaring on October 18th, 2008

• Yes, this is the "General" consensus following "Scripture" right up to where she said Ur "Relatives" are in "Hell Burning Now". They are in "Hades", but NO ONE is in the "Fiery Pit" yet. The first "Occupant" will be "Satan". John

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  by Moosemose on October 18th, 2008

• Krjackson1982, I agree, but the fact does still remain, Christ said," I am the way! Besides, these people are judging & God says that is HIS job not ours.

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  by Johnny on October 24th, 2008

• Krjackson1982, that a person who does not accept Jesus and dies that way goes to hell is general biblical fact/truth. But to say that some specific person who has died is in hell is tricky because only God knows the condition of that person before s/he died and his or her present spiritual circumstances. So the first is mere repetition of what the Bible says and therefore is not judgemental, but the second appears to me to be judgemental because it has become specific.

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  by Heman-Azarel on October 31st, 2008

• I also think it's very rude of that flatmate to make such a statement. She's not God so how would she know if any other specific person went to heaven or hell?

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  by Tenaciouscj on November 6th, 2008

• Had it been the object or the intention of Jesus Christ to establish a new religion, he would undoubtedly have written the system himself, or procured it to be written in his life time. But there is no publication extant authenticated with his name. All the books called the New Testament were written after his death. He was a Jew by birth and by profession; and he was the son of God in like manner that every other person is; for the Creator is the Father of All.
  
  Excerpt from the Age of Reason - New Testament.
  
  Link to full text - http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/thomas_paine/age_of_reason/part1.html#8

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  by EcoTechGeek - 5-MeO-DMT on November 6th, 2008

• Be careful here 1460, disciple means student, & dear friend Mathew, John, Mark, & Luck are a part of the NT, so technically speaking in & of his time it WAS written. Besides that over 3000 eye witness accounts have been recorded in the days fallowing HIS death, of Christ being seen???

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  by Johnny on November 8th, 2008

• More specifically though, the scripture says: "And death and Ha′des were hurled into the lake of fire. This _MEANS_ the second death, the lake of fire. Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire.". (Rev 20:14,15; Repeated Rev 21:8).
  _
  One should remember that the four horsemen, the seven angels with trumpets, the lamb, are all "signified" or representative. (Rev 1:1; http://scripturetext.com/revelation/1-1.htm). The lake of fire is not a literal fire, but rather it means something, what? The 'second death' which occurs after the ressurection (John 5:28,29; Rev 20).

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  by scodey on August 29th, 2009

• Krjackson1982: I do appreciate your answer. You're right,my friend,you catch bees with honey or with syrup,not with vinegar. When the wind blows cold,a man wraps his overcoat more tightly around him and muffles his ears. +2 Congrats on your amazing point scoring: go to the top of the class!

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  by bLOGGER on September 6th, 2009

• Telling people that God burns people in Hell is kind of like tellling people that a parent puts their childs hand in a fire for a punishment, except on a much larger and permanent scale. http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/5863340

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  by Texasescimo on September 22nd, 2009

• Scodey, actually John wrote that Thanatos and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. I'm sure he meant those two ancient gods to represent something; but on reflection, he could have meant that those gods themselves went down. To put death and hell into a lake of fire would seem to eliminate them. Now we needn't worry further about death and hell.
  In any case, hell is a poor translation of Hades.

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  by Sandman on September 24th, 2009

• Sandman, are you joking? Hell is a bad translation of Hades though. What is the word for Thanatos?
  http://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/manuscript.aspx?=Submit%20Query&book=59&chapter=20&lid=en&side=r&verse=14&zoomSlider=0
  
  τα τα εργα αυτων
  14και ο θανατοϲ και
  ο αδηϲ εβληθηϲα
  ειϲ την λιμνην του
  πυροϲ και ουτοϲ ο
  δευτεροϲ θανατοϲ
  εϲτιν η λιμνη του
  15πυροϲ και ει τιϲ ου The rest want paste.

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  by Texasescimo on September 24th, 2009

• και
  ο αδηϲ εβληθηϲα
  ειϲ την λιμνην του
  πυροϲ και ουτοϲ ο
  δευτεροϲ θανατοϲ
  εϲτιν η λιμνη του
  15πυροϲ και ει τιϲ ου

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  by Texasescimo on September 24th, 2009

• και
  ο αδηϲ εβληθηϲα

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  by Texasescimo on September 24th, 2009

• ο αδηϲ εβληθηϲα
  ειϲ την λιμνην του
  πυροϲ και ουτοϲ ο
  δευτεροϲ θανατοϲ
  εϲτιν η λιμνη του
  15πυροϲ και ει τιϲ ου

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  by Texasescimo on September 24th, 2009

• The rest want paste, so refer to link.

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  by Texasescimo on September 24th, 2009

• For some reason, the whole scripture did not paste. Refer to link.

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  by Texasescimo on September 24th, 2009

• kkkkkk

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  by Texasescimo on September 24th, 2009

• I agree the method of delivery was wrong and would scare more people away from Christ. The message is one of love and should be presented gently.

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  by Rev. Doc Holiday on October 10th, 2009

• Exactly...good answer and comment Doc. The flatmate may be close to right in her theology, but her words are hideously cruel and hurtful and brings into question her own salvation, if she can be that cruel to another person of any faith or none.

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  by writemyselfaletter on October 20th, 2009

• Escimo,
  Thanatos is death, no matter how you slice it.
  How could I know what deranged visions galloped though John's fevered imagination? His idiosyncratic concepts of all those symbolic figures was his own, or at best a first-century convention.
  I might suggest that as a symbolic element, fire may signify purification rather than destruction.
  I don't grant much credibility to the Apocalypse; I think John was high on some kind of mushrooms.

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  by Sandman on October 21st, 2009

• You have a great point. If you want to convince someone to convert to Christianity you have to go about it in a loving understanding way. For example, if a friend is feeling very depressed and hopeless you may tell him or her about your religion and Jesus. If they refuse, you tell them you love them anyway even if they don't believe what you do.

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  by RadioHeadFan on May 16th, 2010

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• well said

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  by DiSTurBiA on October 24th, 2008

• A Very Good Answer,Talimze!
  'Insane' is a strong word,but in this instance I feel you have used it with some justification and hit the nail on the head,so to speak.
  Have A Good day!

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  by bLOGGER on February 23rd, 2010

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• aint that the truth.

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  by DudeLer on May 6th, 2008

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• Good point.

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  by KiloWattKid on December 28th, 2006

• Yep, and if they told me my departed family members were burning in hell, that would well and truly confirm my opinion they were quite unchristian in their outlook.

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  by Tenaciouscj on October 3rd, 2008

• Absolutely, no Christian would say such a thing anymore than namecalling is a Christian attribute

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  by Hope on September 23rd, 2009

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• :-) !

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  by Vannie prays for babycakes . on May 6th, 2008

• Hi Vannie!, and thanks!:):)

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  by Stillme FBB on May 6th, 2008

• Amen!

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  by Babycakes on May 7th, 2008

• :):)!!!!!!!

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  by Stillme FBB on May 7th, 2008

• Yes, agree completely on that one.

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  by Tenaciouscj on November 6th, 2008

• While God is the only true judge, if one dosen't accept the Christ, the bible tells us that Hell will be there home.

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  by Kristafr on December 17th, 2008

• Sorry Dristafr...Thatis not a Bible teaching. The word “hell” is found in many Bible translations. In the same verses other translations read “THE GRAVE,” “the world of the dead,” and so forth. The Hebrew she’ohl′ and Greek hai′des, refer, not to an individual burial place, but to the common grave of dead mankind; also the Greek ge′en‧na, is used as a symbol of ETERNAL DESTRUCTION NOT TORMENT. However, in Christendom and in many non-Christian religions it is taught that hell is a place i where the wicked, after death, are punished (and some believe that this is with torment). NOT A BIBLE TEACHING.

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  by vew573 on September 22nd, 2009

• Your missing the point vew573. The wording matters little. But eternal destruction and torment kinda go hand in hand don't they? Eternal is forever.

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  by Kristafr on September 25th, 2009

• My point was, no one can say if a person has excepted or not, only God knows, so who are any of us to judge and tell anyone they are going to hell for whatever reason.

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  by Stillme FBB on September 25th, 2009

• I have no problome with what you said Stillme. It was vew573 I was aiming at.

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  by Kristafr on September 26th, 2009

• Ohhhhhhhhhh! :):) Carry on! hahaha

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  by Stillme FBB on September 26th, 2009

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• YUNG-HO, It makes no sense to me either. Actually the Bible is plain as to whether dead ones experience pain. Eccl.9:5,10: "The living are conscios tat tey will die; but as for the dead, they are CONSCIOUS OF NOTHING AT ALL. (If they are conscious of nothing, they obviously feel no pain.
  Psalms 146:4: "His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that day his THOUGHTS DO PERISH."
  
  Ezekiel 18:4 "The soul* that is sinning---it itself will die."
  
  "The concept f 'soul,' meaning a purely spiritual, immortal reality, separate from the 'body,'...does not exist in the Bible."---La Parole de Dieu (Paris, 1960) , Georges Auzou, professor of Sacred Scripture, rouen Seminary, France, p.128.

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  by vew573 on September 22nd, 2009

• “Although the Hebrew word nefesh [in the Hebrew Scriptures] is frequently translated as ‘soul,’ it would be inaccurate to read into it a Greek meaning. Nefesh . . . is never conceived of as operating separately from the body. In the New Testament the Greek word psyche is often translated as ‘soul’ but again should not be readily understood to have the meaning the word had for the Greek philosophers. It usually means ‘life,’ or ‘vitality,’ or, at times, ‘the self.’”—The Encyclopedia Americana (1977), Vol. 25, p. 236

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  by vew573 on September 22nd, 2009

• So, since the Bible does not teach the immortal soul doctrine either, there is nothing left that could be tormented forever.
  Seems that this is a case where one lie leads to another lie to support the first one.

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  by vew573 on September 22nd, 2009

• Nice answer gung-ho, nice follow up vew. http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/5863340

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  by Texasescimo on October 21st, 2009

• Nope, all the Christians I know believe that nonsense... and okay Hitler does NOT belong in heaven.

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  by If I had a name... on October 31st, 2009

• Do you think that a person who did the things that Hitler did really accepted Christ into His heart. You just say you're a Christian and whoa la- a get out of jail free card. You have to mean it and repent. If sitting in a church makes you a Christian then sitting in a barn makes me a cow.

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  by Sodo on December 3rd, 2009

• I agree Sodo, I don't think anyone in this thread said that though.
  James 2:14-17 Of what benefit is it, my brothers, if a certain one says he has faith but he does not have works? That faith cannot save him, can it? 15 If a brother or a sister is in a naked state and lacking the food sufficient for the day, 16 yet a certain one of YOU says to them: “Go in peace, keep warm and well fed,” but YOU do not give them the necessities for [their] body, of what benefit is it? 17 Thus, too, faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itse

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  by Texasescimo on December 3rd, 2009

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• Dimitri..I have to agree with one of your comments. God is love as is Jesus. Therefore, it would be impossible for a loving, just God to even concieve of such a horrendous place. It would be neither loving or JUST to punish anyone forever for the sins that he committed in a matter of 70 or 80 years. To punish one for 80 years for 80 years of sins might be just....But it certainly wouldn't be loving.

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  by vew573 on September 22nd, 2009

• Not quite, view573. Heaven exists for holiness. Hell exists for the wicked. Satan needs to end up somewhere that is horrific in every imagination and more of the word. God is long suffering and gracious because of the fact of hell. His holiness demands that sin is either covered or condemned. Think of it this way. Why would God extend His love to someone for all of their life and still give the reward of heaven to those that reject Him all their lives and have already a billion times over rejected Him? Grace is but for a time. What you sow, you will reap.

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  by Dmitri on September 24th, 2009

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• thats right she doesnt know what she is talking about

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  by strongARM on January 20th, 2007

• "follow me blindly, and I might not make you burn forever."-god

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  by Good old Gogo on August 29th, 2009

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• amen to that.although thats probably not the best word to use in this case,is it?

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  by david tennants not so secret admirer on May 6th, 2008

• I suppose outsane is better?

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  by DudeLer on May 6th, 2008

• Rake, a bit harsh. Let people beleive what they want as long as they don't intrude on others.

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  by Nelson - Jetpacking from bed on May 6th, 2008

• Christians are insane. I could agree with that. nice people. I can agree with that. Naive, true. Clueless and gullible...well that is the limit for compliments. Christians come in different colors and different shades and from different churches. Just because a christian says he or she is a christian, doesnt give them any authority to say what is truth. Christians raped, pillaged and murdered in the name of God, for Christ's sake. How insane is that?

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  by DudeLer on May 6th, 2008

• The extremists do the damage to any group of people.

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  by Nelson - Jetpacking from bed on May 6th, 2008

• agreed. personlly i don't really like any religion that forces you to believe in their god. which, of course, includes 99.9% of all religions lol

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  by Joeisme333 is a pastafarian on September 4th, 2008

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• +2 for stealing the words right out of my mouth.

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  by 12StringBabe on May 6th, 2008

• Yes, I would suggest walking out of the room whenever she comes out with that garbage and if she won't take the hint, tell her you don't wish to discuss it.

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  by Tenaciouscj on October 3rd, 2008

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• I'm a Christian, a Jehovah's Witness as a matter of fact and no we do not believe in a hell fire. At death the body goes to the ground and they return to dust and feel nothing(Ecc.9:5)

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  by Juliette_L on November 30th, 2011

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• Still truth must be told and told correctly. Those who die WITHOUT JESUS go to hell. But who knows who has gone to hell and who hasn't except God? This is where I think the flatmate became judgemental. But, please, the truth must continue to be told in all its forms.

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  by Heman-Azarel on November 1st, 2008

• You said it perfectly. +1 I wish SOME Christians would get past their feelings of superiority over non-Christians.

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  by RadioHeadFan on May 16th, 2010

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• Amen

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  by GogetaSS4 on October 31st, 2008

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• No they don't believe they are prefect but some of them have this high and mighty attitude. It's as if they believe they are superior to those who don't believe like they do and that's not going to get people to come to their religion.

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  by RadioHeadFan on May 16th, 2010

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• Hi cobber - re: "Jesus said that no man can get to heaven by simply believing and that no man can get to heaven by only doing good deads, you have to do both."
  
  I'd love to see scripture to support this.
  Good deeds (works) will not gain entrance to Heaven - God's Word is clear. It is more accurate to say, as James did, that 'faith w/o works is dead'. The 'good deeds' will be a manifestation of the Holy Spirit that resides within the believer in Jesus Christ.
  
  IHS,
  
  Bruce
  http://christiansoldiersonline.org/

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  by christiansoldier on October 18th, 2008

• I don't have too much scripture memorized, I tend to just get the ideas and then paraphrase. it sounds like you are saying the same thing as I did, but OK. thanks.

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  by cobber on October 18th, 2008

• It's complete different with what chrisitansoldier is trying to say.
  According to Bible you cannot be saved by good deeds because nobody is righteous.
  Even if so, there's no reason for Jesus to die for us if we can save ourselves by work or our efforts.
  No matter how good a person is, without believing Jesus will not enter eternal life. Simple as that.

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  by Everest on November 16th, 2008

• what I said is that you cannot get into heaven on good deeds alone, OR by belief in Jesus alone. you need to believe in Christ as your savior, and you need to do good deeds.
  If someone is a mass murder, child molester, who tortures kittens and robs from orphans, but goes to church, prays for forgiveness, but doesn't try to change their actions....they are going to hell. doesn't matter how strong their belief in Christ.
  Simple as that.

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  by cobber on November 16th, 2008

• Actually, cobber, it isn't really as simple as that. Scripture teaches that "of ourselves, we can do nothing". A person who merely pays lip service to Christ is NOT a believer. There will be no change manifested in that person and they will, indeed, go to hell, as you say. However, if they truly do have a strong belief in Christ, the Holy Spirit will make them a new creation, a new creature in Christ, and they will be moved by the spirit to change their behavior/actions.

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  by christiansoldier on December 7th, 2008

• Good answer Soldier

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  by ""Account Closed"" on September 24th, 2009

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• yah, and why arent we getting gobs of feedback about heaven so the world at large can prepare for it. It is such a big secret.

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  by DudeLer on May 6th, 2008

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• Your flatmate had no right to say this. Only God knows who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. We are not put on this earth to judge others. That is God's right. He alone will decide where your Grandmother's place shall be. If she lived her life as a good person who was kind and tried to do right by others then I am sure God probably did not send her to hell. I have been told that there is a place called purgatory where souls who maybe are not yet allowed to enter heaven must go to until such a time as God deems them worthy to enter heaven. As a Catholic this is what we are taught. So, no I do not believe your loved ones are in hell. If that is what your flatmate feels then she is not a very good Christian and you should tell her to turn her judgements upon herself unless she wants the Wrath of God to come upon her for trying to take HIS place.

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  by Anonymoose on December 28th, 2006

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• Agreed. If God's that horrific I'm not sure I want to go to heaven.

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  by Anonymous on August 8th, 2006

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• Amen!
  
  IHS,
  
  Bruce
  http://christiansoldiersonline.org

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  by christiansoldier on October 19th, 2008

• What does the IHS stand for?

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  by Emikat_is_in_LOCLAB on November 1st, 2008

• AMEN!Indeed, truth must never be hidden by the veil of courtesy. If you don't have Jesus you will go to hell and that is the truth. But I have problems with the second part of the flatmate's statement that the dead relatives are in hell. I think on that ONLY GOD KNOWS!!! And the Bible says judge not.

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  by Heman-Azarel on November 1st, 2008

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• I agree with you Christiansoldier. Soldier on! and on! and on!...

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  by Heman-Azarel on November 1st, 2008

• We proclaim Jesus, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
  
  Colossians 1:28-29

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  by christiansoldier on November 1st, 2008

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• Jeus did not teach that God would maliciously tortue the wicked forever. He stated at John 3:16 "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might nor perish but might have eternal life." Ask yourself; Why would Jesus imply that those who do not believe in him would die??? If he really meant that they would live forever, suffering misery in a fiery hell, would he not have said so?
  The doctrine that hell is a place of torment is not based on what the Bible teaches! It has a pagan origin that is now masquerading as a Christian teaching. God does not tortue people eternally in hell!

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  by Anonymous on January 22nd, 2009

• Good point Anon.

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  by Texasescimo on August 11th, 2009

• Well said...You are so right. No loving God could even conceive of such a place.

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  by vew573 on September 22nd, 2009

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• It ain't true. http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1337665
  http://www.answerbag.co.uk/q_view/950636

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  by Texasescimo on August 11th, 2009

• misery does love company

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  by christiansoldier on August 11th, 2009

• What does that mean?

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  by Texasescimo on August 11th, 2009

• Christians, regardless of denomination, should be believing in the forgiveness of sins through the shed blood of our saviour, who died for them, and through our confession that that saviour died for our sins, those before us, and those who will follow us. Want verse quotes to reinforce your faith? Just ask. Don't believe? Sorry, try asking such a question to get better responses. Oh, and for true believers, there's no "IF" about it.

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  by Eclipse sleeping by moonlight on August 11th, 2009

• Frankly I'm really not worried about it. I only marginally believe in the Christian God/Jesus. I believe Agnostically. I know if this God exists, it is a God of love who is only about love, who is Love incarnate.
  
  Folks who spew hate and condemnation, in my opinion, are actively working against this Love and in far greater jeopardy than someone like me who tries hard to live from a place of love, even if the object(s) of my love happens to be same sex as I...
  
  Others are welcome to believe me a condemned man, but if there's an afterlife, I know I'll be surrounded by those I love and who love me... I can't really ask for or expect more than that... the rest is of little concern.

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  by Jeffers on August 13th, 2009

• Jeffers, you are right, no one should "spew hate and condemnation". There are Christians that have the same tendancy's as you. No one but God has the right to judge you. We are suppossed to tell people the truth from the Bible. Jesus came to save sinners and we all sin, but as we learn more about God and Jesus and their love for people, we then can try to resist. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isa48:17-19;&version=15;49;16;47;9;
  1Cor 6:9-11 "What! Do YOU not know that unrighteous persons will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men, nor thieves, nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit God’s kingdom. And yet that is what some of YOU were. But YOU have been washed clean, but YOU have been sanctified, but YOU have been declared righteous in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God"

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  by Texasescimo on August 13th, 2009

• @Jeffers - you have said "If God Exists". That shows you lack of faith. That pretty much sums up my contribution to this thread.

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  by Eclipse sleeping by moonlight on August 13th, 2009

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