Believing in God.. essential?

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Serafina17

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I am involved in a conversation with a very interesting Christian.

She has many beliefs that I do not at all agree with (such as that there is no devil, that God causes both good and evil, that the Bible is not 100% accurate/true [and we can’t know what is true, and what isn’t] Any verse in the Bible that does not agree with her beliefs are obviously not infallible… and that everyone goes to Heaven (unless they actually stand before God, and say 'No God, I don’t want to stay in eternal bliss forever, I want to be tortured for eternity) etc.)

Her main challenge/question, though, is this: Why should God base entrance to Heaven on something so trivial as being believed in?

rubs me wrong…but :confused:
 
Serafina17 said:
I am involved in a conversation with a very interesting Christian.

She has many beliefs that I do not at all agree with (such as that there is no devil, that God causes both good and evil, that the Bible is not 100% accurate/true [and we can’t know what is true, and what isn’t] Any verse in the Bible that does not agree with her beliefs are obviously not infallible… and that everyone goes to Heaven (unless they actually stand before God, and say 'No God, I don’t want to stay in eternal bliss forever, I want to be tortured for eternity) etc.)

Her main challenge/question, though, is this: Why should God base entrance to Heaven on something so trivial as being believed in?

rubs me wrong…but :confused:
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Why does she think “believing” is trivial? Is her understanding of what believing is and what we can find in the Bible the same? If we believe then we will obey God’s command to love Him and our neighbors. This does not seem trivial to me.
 
davidv said:
Why does she think “believing” is trivial? Is her understanding of what believing is and what we can find in the Bible the same? If we believe then we will obey God’s command to love Him and our neighbors. This does not seem trivial to me.
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She sees it as unessential to go to Heaven because God knows what’s best for us, and He will do it, no matter how we act toward it. Heaven is best for us. No need to believe. :-/
 
This woman is not a Christian…that’s like saying Arianism or Monarchianism is a form of Christianity.

Is this woman Christadelphian?
 
I think it is essential that we believe in God.

Honestly, God is there for those who are seeking Him. There are many books written by former atheists who have been in their shoes that can lead a non-believer to God. There are many Christians who are willing to help a non-believer find God.

I think it’s insulting to God to not even try to find Him or to refuse to believe in Him just because He isn’t under your microscope in a science lab. God isn’t real, yet your science fiction stories about life creating itself, multiple universes, and aliens kidnapping people ARE real? :eek:

Another thing “new atheists” do is to make fun of theists, insult God, say Christians belong in mental hospitals, call themselves “free thinkers” as if theists cannot think for themselves, etc.

Is this really a way to heaven? Would God really want to spend an eternity with someone who spent their life insulting Him and His people? Or people who deny His existence, even though God sent many of His children to try and help them find Him?
 
“Belief” for many people is simply an intellectual agreement to an idea. Such “belief” is not heaven-directing.

Your friend is right. “Belief” is not essential. What is essential is “trust/faith”, which is not necessarily accompanied by intellectual agreement. Trust/Faith is a Heart matter. There’s a reason why “credo” and “cor” (“heart”) look similar.
 
Serafina17 said:
and that everyone goes to Heaven (unless they actually stand before God, and say 'No God, I don’t want to stay in eternal bliss forever, I want to be tortured for eternity)
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she actually has this part correct… it is the soul who decides where to go, the soul knows where it deserves to go, the soul cannot bear to see God if it has been disfigured by sin, the grace of God is what causes the soul to choose heaven, the Grace of God and guilt for sin causes the soul to purgatory, guilt causes the soul to go to hell
 
stephe1987 said:
God isn’t real, yet your science fiction stories about life creating itself, multiple universes, and aliens kidnapping people ARE real? :eek:
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Um, no. That’s why they are labeled as “fiction.”
Would God really want to spend an eternity with someone who spent their life insulting Him and His people?
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So much for all that “love your enemies” stuff, eh?
 
AntiTheist said:
Um, no. That’s why they are labeled as “fiction.”

So much for all that “love your enemies” stuff, eh?
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God wants everyone to love him and eventually be with him in Heaven.
However, he gave us freewill to love and accept him or to reject him (by not believing in him at all or by believing but committing mortal sins and dying unrepentent). God does not send anyone to Hell. Those who go to Hell have freely chosen to do so.
 
The purpose of each man’s existence is to know, love, and serve God. 🙂

That is -why- each person on earth is created. If that person does not fulfill this purpose, it is a profound failure with greatest consequences.

Throughout each person’s life God’s grace urges the fulfillment of this purpose, and each person decides what he prefers, God or himself and his own desires.
 
Belief in God cannot be separated from the decisions (acts of will) one makes in life. As mentioned above (by Shin) God created each person for an ultimate purpose and there will be no way to fulfill the purpose without having a belief in God.

If a person does not believe in God, his or her actions are still done for a reason or purpose, but those purposes are of finite and temporal value. Those actions are done in service (and often sacrifice) to things. Another word for that is “idolatry” – the service of created things (even of serving oneself).
 
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