What determines Entrance to heaven

Originally posted by crsmithers
I am personally an agnostic and so i am indifferent as to whether you personally believe in god(s). I am, however, interested in peoples beliefs as far as entrance to heaven is concerned (obviously only if you belive in heaven/hell)

Do you have to be the correct religion?
Do you have to be a good person?
Do you have to not commit sin during your life ...[text shortened]... k off your sins in hell? (I know there is a proper name for this but i am too tired to remember)

Do you have any poor people around you, hungry people, sick people, people in dire need of assistance, lonely people etc. ?

Do you help them ? or do you ignore them ?

Christ gave a story in Luke 16 :

20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Many people asked Christ that question about getting salvation, and he always replied with one answer : "Love they neighbour as thyself". Read the parable of the Good Samaritan. Read Matt 25 - it tells in detail who will get into the Kingdom.

ITS ALL ABOUT GIVING,
GIVE, GIVE GIVE,
HELP, HELP HELP,
FEED THE POOR
VISIT THE LONELY, THE WIDOWED, THE OLD, THE SICK
HELP THE HELPLESS.

Forget about organised religion, forget about the church, dont waste your money giving it away to rich pastors and corrupt priests. You get no points for that.

Originally posted by Rajk999
Do you have any poor people around you, hungry people, sick people, people in dire need of assistance, lonely people etc. ?

Do you help them ? or do you ignore them ?

Christ gave a story in Luke 16 :

20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell fro ...[text shortened]... e your money giving it away to rich pastors and corrupt priests. You get no points for that.

I'm an atheist, but nail on the head with that one, no matter what your creed.

Originally posted by Rajk999
Do you have any poor people around you, hungry people, sick people, people in dire need of assistance, lonely people etc. ?

Do you help them ? or do you ignore them ?

Christ gave a story in Luke 16 :

20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell fro e your money giving it away to rich pastors and corrupt priests. You get no points for that.

I'll never understand why so many otherwise skeptical people on this site give Jesus a "free pass". Listening to them, you'd think that everything was just great until Paul came along and ruined the Christian faith.

Jesus loved to talk about people being tormented in hell. His endorsement of tormenting people in hell is no better than the rich's man's refusal of aid to the poor. A less generous argument is that Jesus is the moral inferior one, because the rich man does nothing to make the poor man's situation worse by ignoring him, whereas God sending someone to hell definitely makes their situation worse.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
I'll never understand .....

Well said !

Originally posted by agryson
I'm an atheist, but nail on the head with that one, no matter what your creed.

I grew up and was indoctrinated into one of those small christian religions (Christadelphian), in which we studied the Bible on a daily basis. After many years of wrestling with some of what I though was false I finally gavae it up in my 30's.

I now believe (and I could obviously be so wrong), that you, an atheist, if you live the life I described earlier, will be in better standing on judgement day (if it ever comes), than one professing to know and believe in Christ, like a born-again christian, but who does not give charity and help those around him.

It sounds like a contradiction that an atheist can be seen to be more favourable than a believer. What many believers dont realise that believing with their MOUTH is worthless. Its the DOERS and the HELPERS and the GIVERS that will be rewarded.

Originally posted by scottishinnz
Another daft thing that only you could possibly say....

[b]Since all religions contradict each other, only one can possibly be right.

No! There is no requirement for any of them to be right.

So, God just created the other 4 billion of us to get his jolly fix of sending people to Hell?

What have you to lose by believing in Jesus?

Lots.[/b]

Since all religions contradict each other, only one can possibly be right.

No! There is no requirement for any of them to be right.

He didn't say only one must be right; he said only one can possibly be right. Big difference.

Originally posted by crsmithers
I am personally an agnostic and so i am indifferent as to whether you personally believe in god(s). I am, however, interested in peoples beliefs as far as entrance to heaven is concerned (obviously only if you belive in heaven/hell)

Do you have to be the correct religion?
Do you have to be a good person?
Do you have to not commit sin during your life ...[text shortened]... k off your sins in hell? (I know there is a proper name for this but i am too tired to remember)

I believe you have to have a 'right relationship' with God in Jesus
Christ. Your works though important as a measure of what you believe
are not getting you into heaven, but your relationship with God in
Christ so you cannot count yourself worthy by what you do, but by
Jesus alone. If you do not know Jesus, you do not have a chance.
Kelly

Originally posted by KellyJay
I believe you have to have a 'right relationship' with God in Jesus
Christ. Your works though important as a measure of what you believe
are not getting you into heaven, but your relationship with God in
Christ so you cannot count yourself worthy by what you do, but by
Jesus alone. If you do not know Jesus, you do not have a chance.
Kelly

If this is what you believe, then are people who have no oppurtunity to believe in Jesus (people who live in tribes in africa etc.) still condemned to hell. That seems like an accurate assumption, but then how can your god be benevolant if he gives someone no chance of achieving eternal bliss?

Would god perhaps decide whether you obtained access to heaven based on if you would have believed in Jesus, given the correct circumstances?

Originally posted by Rajk999
I grew up and was indoctrinated into one of those small christian religions (Christadelphian), in which we studied the Bible on a daily basis. After many years of wrestling with some of what I though was false I finally gavae it up in my 30's.

I now believe (and I could obviously be so wrong), that you, an atheist, if you live the life I described earlie ...[text shortened]... h their MOUTH is worthless. Its the DOERS and the HELPERS and the GIVERS that will be rewarded.

Cool. To be honest, that makes more sense to me. To help your fellow man, to treat your neighbour as you'd like to be treated, whatever its original source, a lot of it is very good advice. Also, I'm pretty sure the motivation for doing these things shouldn't be to get into heaven, but because they are logically and morally the best of all alternatives.

Originally posted by crsmithers
If this is what you believe, then are people who have no oppurtunity to believe in Jesus (people who live in tribes in africa etc.) still condemned to hell. That seems like an accurate assumption, but then how can your god be benevolant if he gives someone no chance of achieving eternal bliss?

Would god perhaps decide whether you obtained access to heaven based on if you would have believed in Jesus, given the correct circumstances?

We are our brothers keeper, it is up to us to tell those we are around,
and over come what stops us, as fear and so on, because the cost
is so great, if you love your fellow man you will attempt to lead them
to the one who saves our souls by lifting up Jesus since it is He not
us who saves.
Kelly

Originally posted by DoctorScribbles
Do you think Jews -- those who deny that Jesus was the Messiah, a fundamental aspect of Christianity -- go to heaven?

Do you think Catholics-- those who deny that Jesus was the only holy man, a fundamental aspect of Christianity -- go to heaven?

No.

Some Jews believe Jesus was the Messiah, these go to heaven, the rest do not.

Roman Catholics do not go to heaven holding Roman Catholic beliefs.

Originally posted by DoctorScribbles
So, Jews who don't believe in Jesus go to hell, correct?

Got it in one mate!

Originally posted by princeoforange
No.

Some Jews believe Jesus was the Messiah, these go to heaven, the rest do not.

Roman Catholics do not go to heaven holding Roman Catholic beliefs.

Do Baptist go to hell for believing in Baptists beliefs or are there Catholic beliefs that are inconsistent with being a Christian?

Originally posted by princeoforange
Got it in one mate!

This is an area where we need clear language. If you said, "Yes, Jews will burn in hell." it would be much more understandable and convey the courage of your beliefs.

Originally posted by princeoforange
Do you have to be the correct religion?

Yes. Jesus said: "No man cometh to the father but by me."
Since all religions contradict each other, only one can possibly be right.

But unless you accept Jesus claim, then it does not necessarily follow that you must be a member of the "right" religion to get into heaven.
Also you appear to be claiming that all people who have never heard of Jesus will never get into heaven. I am sure that most Christians will disagree with you on that point.