How to get to Heaven?

What amazes me is that so many people can't separate faith and belief in truly needy causes from religion. Just my 2 cents. Personally, if there was a Jesus, he was probably a wonderful teacher who died a martyr, not for for my sins, not for the world's, but for those who missed the message. Hmm...

Asherman


I cannot speak for Christianity or Islam, however, I never heard of this free pass you speak of in Judaism. Everyone is judged and will pay for their sins.

Slipstream, no, I do not think that a belief in Jesus is necessary to get to heaven, if there is any such place. Eve, Frank, and Asherman pointed out the irrationality of that belief.



Romans 2
6God "will give to each person according to what he has done." 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11For God does not show favoritism.
12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

If there was a jesus, I think he was a man, a philosopher, who decided to die a martr so that christians can abandon the notions of a intolerant god in favor of a loving one that accepts people for who they are and what they believe in. Funny how so many christians lose this message of compassion in order to not treat homosexuals in the same manner they treat everyone else.

Personally, I think that any god that exists is far too complex to ever be understood by the human mind. So it's really pointless to follow the human interpretation of what god is.

Christians, what Christians. There were no Christians during the lifetime of Jesus. It was a concept that appeared in his name many years after his death. Were he to come back today he would be, like it or not, a Jew.

We all have a conscience that maks us feel bad about doing certain things (well, most of us!) When I pray to God coz I've done something wrong I generally feel like I'm not being blamed, suddenly, just like this. Could this just be my conscience relieved? Or is your conscience God anyway? Would a lucky chance being of molecules etc. have a conscience at all?

no God
no Peace

Know God
Know Peace

If one seeks peace, it must come from within. How you get there is unimportant. As for praying to God when you feel you have done something wrong, well that's just dandy, and incredibly convenient that it instantly makes you feel better. This is not a criticism of you, but a question. Why not correct the wrong, rather than simply pray to make yourself feel better? What would Jesus have wanted you to do?

Hey, au1929, how exactly does one spell 'bubbemeise?'

How to get to Heaven?

Take a left at purgatory . . . just drive around the orange barrels, they've been there forever . . .

Cav
You imply that I do that? if "you Cav" don't mean that, then stop saying "you" and restructure your statement.

on what basis can you make this statement?

Sorry about that husker, I was addressing Seeker's last post. You are correct, sir, I was not clear.

If you look back at history , thousands of years or a few hours, it is more like

Know God
no Peace

Cav
No matter how you spell it. That is what it surely is.

Re: How to get to Heaven?


No. belief is not sufficient. You must act on your beliefs and act accordingly.

Jesus was executed for preaching without a licence. He was a radical who fought the established church. He was a heretic.

He believed that what he saw around him was broken, but could be fixed, and he never wavered from his true path.

It's an extremely narrow road that Jesus walked, and he knew what was waiting at the end.

Personally, I believe that Jesus was the 'Son of Man', and the 'Son of God'. By extension we are all God's children... saved or not. If Jesus is/was holy, so are we all. If Jesus is/was God, so are we all.

One requirement to get to heaven... you gotta be dead first. But you had better make sure of what you do before then!

Penitence
Cavfancier: You're right, you have to do something to make it better. But the point is, I feel better and ready to try again. Sometimes I get an idea of how to put it right again. I believe that half the journey is saying sorry, then you can take action with God guiding you. Does that make sense?

Setanta don't forget the left at Albequerque.....

Knowing what works for you is a big part of the journey, seeker.

I thought Jesus was executed so the religious right could continue to get rich by making deals with the devil (in this case Rome) under the table to profit from the occupation and keep fleecing the local yokel Jews out of their money by selling and reselling the same unblemished lamb and converting the coin of the land to coin that was "acceptable" to God at fifty cents on the dollar.....nothing ever changes......

Did Jesus die on the cross to demonstrate his love? Because actually, dying wouldn't help somebody else to be forgiven. So was it just the nicest way of showing us he was taking our sins? Or is their a deep meaning I haven't got?

The only reasonable guess about why Jesus died on the cross is -- because he riled the wrong people.

My guess is he would puke at what people have made of it.