The original question is "Do non-Christians go to hell?" My answer is: I don't know. Its not for me to judge. I do believe some people will go to hell, but its not for me to decide.
A) There isn’t a single Christian who is perfect. All will do and say some very un-Christian things, on daily basis for the most part. B) Not all that claims to be Christian is Christian. W.r.t. the fire and brimstone approach, I think Christians are called to be the salt and light of the earth. For me the F&B approach is not part of that. An individual has to walk his or her own path. It’s a personal spiritual journey and ultimately a personal relationship. In my experience fear based conformity does not encourage people to walk that path with all its questions. It’s also fairly closely related to the judgemental side of organised religion. “You’re going to HELL!” In reality no one but you knows for sure if you’re a Christian or not. No one can say that to you, and if we believe Romans 2 people who say this risk bringing judgment on themselves. I’m to sure if the F&B approach is appropriate in any context or not, but for me it did nothing but turn me off.
rhester -- yes...i've known many people like that. but like you, I have on my Christian glasses, so I look for it, too.
I’ve seen it most in Christians but I have seen it in other people. I can’t really explain that. You use the word “awake.” That’s very similar, it seems to me, to the Christian concept of being born again. Ultimately I can only speak to my experience and offer my opinions, and my experience of this is as a Christian. There are a lot of things I don’t understand and this is one of them.
rhester I was raised very devout Southern Baptist. To the point where up until the age of 18 thought very seriously about entering the ministry. That all changed after I starting really paying attention to how people of the church acted outside of the church environment. I found them hypocritical and not living very Christ like. Oh and there was the mindset that I could never practice religion and study acting. Not very Christ like. But that’s for another thread. Unfortunately or fortunately I’ve never really met anyone that has changed my attitude towards the church. Some would say I’m lost and going to hell. But although I haven’t set foot in a church in over 25 years I do try to live Christ like in my daily life. Can one live Christ like and be agnostic? Maybe, maybe no. I find (and this might be a really bad rationalization) that I can still have peace in life without religion. I’m happy, well adjusted, in a good marriage and look forward to the future. I try and treat everyone I meet with respect, try not to judge and look for the good in people. That’s all a man can do.
That helps me. Certainly moral character is practiced by non-religious and other religions. There are some huge differences in this though with respect to Christianity. That would again take another thread (and a sermon- no one wants a sermon) Well when you say 'that's all a man can do' it sounds like you gave up because of the disappointments you encountered. This helps me also, because it has been stated repeatedly that "Christians aren't perfect" as if that is a good excuse for mis-representing what a 'real' Christ-like Christian is. I don't think I am perfect, but I sure don't believe a grapevine will produce lemons. Everyone is really 3 different people: 1. The person they think they are. 2. The person others see they are. 3. The person God sees. I would like to be known as a follower of Jesus Christ. I would like for God to see me this way and I would like for others to know it by my life. If Jesus Christ has changed my heart or my life by a supernatural act of the Spirit of God. (something that He talked about in the Bible) I want to see the 'fruit' of that change. Now- I have seen it in others. It looks supernatural to me. I want to teach this to my church. Sometimes those who are non-religious or agnostic or marginally religious have great insight into a Christian's character. Jesus said they will know you are my disciples by your love for one another. I don't want to be stereotyped as a TV evangelist, and I often am. I want to be stereotyped by something that touches someone elses heart strings or conscience.
Can anyone tell me the purpose of the Christian act of raising your hands to the "sky" like I see them do on tv? Do your hands serve as some sort of antennae to God?
i think it's in the same sense of going to your knees to pray to be in a position of humility before God....the position of our body does/can affect our mood. there's a sense of reaching for him. lost in the music....in the spirit. hard to explain. i don't worship this way, but some in my church do...and certainly more so in other churches i've seen.
We lift our hands in praise because in the Bible we read, "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord" (Psalm 134:2).
Its just what some people want to do. If you read the bible people prayed to god by: Standing Kneeling Sitting Prostrate Lifting hands to the sky Rolling on the ground Laying on their back Their head lowered their eyes towards the heavens While singing While dancing Secluded and alone Amongst thousands Its just what you do to make it feel like you are connecting to God.
My friend who lives in San Diego graduated from a good school and got an IT job in Anaheim. While he was working there, his father suffered a stroke and became homebound. He sent a large portion of his earnings to take care of his family as well as pay for his younger sister to attend college. He would drive down every weekend on his motorcycle to make sure his family was okay. He saved up enough money to be able to take care of his parents and sister for a year, and took a hiatus from work to do missionary work in Uzbekistan. While over there, the company he worked for got bought out and he lost his job. After he got back, he worked a number of jobs to pay their expenses until he could find another job. Even with all that stress during that rough period, he was happy, optimistic, at peace, and generous. But the main thing that sticks in my memory is that he always directed people to God. When people would commend him, mock him, or question why he wasn't stressed out with the situation, he would always tell them that it wasn't about him but about God's grace. And that's what sticks to me whenever someone talks about being Christlike, always giving God the glory in good times and bad. It's especially convincing in the bad times.
Have I met people that are good, kind, just, and the rest of the pie? Yes. In that sense, have I met Jesus? Yes and no. The reason I say yes is because Jesus epitomized those very qualities. As a Muslim, I can say that I found Jesus because I certainly believe in Jesus Christ (obviously not the same way Christians do) and I most definitely believe that he had those qualities and so much more. I accept that de facto from Islamic teachings and scripture. The reason I say no is because the vast majority of religions teach those qualities and by seeing someone exemplify those qualities, one can say that they found Buddha, Moses, or any other religious figure. While Jesus certainly exemplified those qualities, he is not exclusive in them.
