Religious Question/Opinion

[supmet]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

Here's the thing, my gf (and the rest of them), are saying that the only way to Heaven is to follow everything the Bible says; i.e. do not eat pork, do not do anything but stay home and read the Bible during Sabbeth (Friday through Saturday), etc. Well, not exactly that, it's more of showing that you love Jesus/God, and to do so, you follow the Bible, primarily the 10 Commandments. However, I have different beliefs on how to get into Heaven or Hell. I find it extremely hard to believe that a person who is genuinely good, but does not necessarily follow all of the Commandments/the Bible will not get into Heaven; yet, let's take a "bad" person (what ever that may be) that follows the Commandments/Bible; does that mean that that person has a better chance of getting into Heaven than the genuinely good person?

I found it highly irritating when my gf said that "Catholicism is the anti-Christ." We all have different beliefs, and there are people who do not even believe in a heaven and hell. Who is to say that those who do not follow/believe in SDA will go to hell? I mean, with other religions, doesn't that mean that SDA will go to their version of hell?

The whole works vs faith thing is pretty much summed up in ephesians 4:8-9

For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast

Pretty much that says to me good works comes after faith, not the other way around.

My problem with the bashing on SDA, is this. 2 Timothy 3:16 - "ALL SCRIPTURE is god-breathed and useful for training, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness". Now the whole idea behind the bible is that god controlled the canonical meetings, to decide which books would be in the bible. Now the previous verse from timothy, would tell me, that any book that GOD decided to put into HIS bible, would only contain useful, pertinent scriptures, and we should follow EVERYTHING in the bible... One hallucinatory dream by peter negates the entire old testament? A dream that very conveniently greatly reduced tensions between jews and gentiles in the early christian church?? The dream only mentions food products, and that somehow overturns half of the bible?

As for catholics, the whole praying to mary, and calling her the "co-redemtrix of the world" is ludicrous. Talk about something that isn't in the bible. That and the fact the entire church blackmailed its followers through the sale of indulgences. St. Peter's Basilica was built solely on money stolen from catholic people through this false teaching. The catholic church gave up on indulgences after luther and the reformation, but they still have most of the money to this day. They are one of the richest organizations in the world, and they let their parishes close, rather than selling paintings they have stored under the vatican. Oh, and there is nothing in the bible saying pastors/preachers/fathers/church leaders have to be celibate, and that one is kinda coming back to bite the catholic church in the ass..

As for heaven/hell, from the bible, the only way into heaven is believing that jesus died for your sins, and is your savior. Some people from every religion believe this, and there are people from every religion who don't believe this. The bible is pretty clear though, that there is no other back doors into heaven.


As for me, I'll take none of it thanks. Religion is the greatest mind control ever created. It makes use of people's fear of death, which is without question the greatest fear any person has(public speaking ain't got nothin)..

Anyways, for the hell of it. How would you all feel about your kind loving God, had you been born in china, wait no too easy, how about if you had been born on an island only inhabited by headhunting tribesman. You spend your whole life doing good, you never stole, killed, raped, or in anyway hurt another person. Unfortunately nobody on the island has heard of god, or christianity. Are you doomed to burn in the eternal fires of hell?? If yes, then please explain how the omnipotent god, creator of the universe, who "wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth"(1st Timothy 2:4) was unable to satiate his needs. If no, then please explain how I get to heaven without believing in Jesus.