Pope says atheists can do good and go to heaven

[PsyOps]

If Bob is terrific and his only flaw is that he disses me, I still want him on my zombie apocalypse team.

Who I *don't* want is the guy who sucks up to me, flatters me, and pretends to be my friend, when in reality he's a POS who has no positive qualities (other than that he recognizes my superiority ).

At our next M&G I'm going to show you all the good things I've done in my life. I'll tell you how I would do them for you if you needed them. Then I'm going to spit in your food because, despite my desire to do good things for you, I think your attitude sucks (this is rhetorical - I don't really think that).

And your response will be: You're on my team!

 

[PsyOps]

You shouldn't do good things because God compels you; you should do them from the heart even when God isn't watching. If I were God, those are the folks I'd reward, not the suck-ups who mouth empty words, looking for their gold star and pat on the head. But that's just me.

You are right; everyone should do good things because they are naturally compelled to, regardless of God.

But when you believe in God, the doing of those good things comes from a different thinking within your heart. You are honoring the God that you have come to recognize as the one that gave you that gift. You don't do it to please or win favor over God; you do it because it's the right thing to do; you're only recognizing that it honors God to do them.

The thing you seem to forget is that God is not a humble God. He created everything - EVERYTHING! Give that some deeper thought and realize that we don't get to dictate the terms to the one that created the terms in the first place.

 

[hotcoffee]

The atheist hasn't bitten anyone... and just because he doesn't believe doesn't make him a bad person. In fact many atheists do a lot of good work, and moreso than their "christian" counterparts. Their accepting, quiet and humble unlike the idiot atheists you hear about in TV.. (IF you're an atheist why would a cross be offensive to you? It has NO meaning)... if there were a heaven, and I was allowed entry I'd much rather spend eternity with a good atheist then some Christian like Stonethrower.

So how many good things does a good aethist have to do to gain entry into Heaven? 1? 1000? 1,000,000,000?

What if they die when they get to 999,999,999 good things?

Who is the judge of how many and what kind of works they have to complete?

I'm sorry.... Jesus, the Son of God, came here to atone for our sins so we could live in His Fathers House... with many rooms....

Jesus said a lot of people are going to ask to come in.... but He's going to stand at the door and deny a lot of them.... Unless you are a believer, unless you are one of His... you just won't get in.... that's what I read and what I'm going by....

I think this notion of "good deeds" is dangerous for the Pope.... I know there are some excellent people out there who haven't given their heart to Jesus.... but like the lottery.... you have to play to win....

 

[vraiblonde]

The thing you seem to forget is that God is not a humble God.

Then according to Jesus, God will be going to Hell.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Luke 14:11

Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
James 4:6

(James also said, "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.")

It just pisses you off that Bob may get into Heaven anyway, even though he hasn't spent his life bowing to the glory of God and accepting Jesus as his savior. Makes you feel like all that time you spent in church was wasted.



You don't make the rules, nor do I. God gets to decide and you just have to go along with it.

 

[vraiblonde]

See, I could totally be a most excellent Christian if it weren't for that believing in God thing.

 

[Zguy28]

See, I could totally be a most excellent Christian if it weren't for that believing in God thing.

Yep, that old “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command." thing would weed you out.

 

[itsbob]

if bob is terrific and his only flaw is that he disses me, i still want him on my zombie apocalypse team.

Who i *don't* want is the guy who sucks up to me, flatters me, and pretends to be my friend, when in reality he's a pos who has no positive qualities (other than that he recognizes my superiority ).



You shouldn't do good things because god compels you; you should do them from the heart even when god isn't watching. If i were god, those are the folks i'd reward, not the suck-ups who mouth empty words, looking for their gold star and pat on the head. But that's just me.

if?

 

[Midnightrider]

You don’t believe God exists, but just in case He does, you want a freebie in.

Life on earth doesn’t even work that way. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t claim you’re a conservative, against entitlements and big spending, until it comes time for you to collect then suddenly it’s okay.

Aside from that… I didn’t make the rules, God did. God demands that you accept Him or you don’t get in. You can do all the great things in the world, but if you reject Him, you’re out. Again, why should He accept you when you’ve rejected Him?

The premise for getting in is not doing things; it's accepting God. All the other 'good things' you do should be automatic.

You are kidding, right?

And you don't know what gods rules are. All you know is which book, written by men about god, you choose to believe. What you or anyone else says about god doesn't make it gods word.

If you would like to assume that men are guided by god etc, then you have no choice but to accept that the pope is being guided by god on this.....

 

[b23hqb]

You are kidding, right?

And you don't know what gods rules are. All you know is which book, written by men about god, you choose to believe. What you or anyone else says about god doesn't make it gods word.

If you would like to assume that men are guided by god etc, then you have no choice but to accept that the pope is being guided by god on this.....

god? With a little g? Sounds like a puny god that would stir the interest of those that mock.

 

[Midnightrider]

god? With a little g? Sounds like a puny god that would stir the interest of those that mock.

Meh, what you say about god, or if you capitalize his moniker or not doesn't change anything about him or if he exists.

 

[b23hqb]

Meh, what you say about god, or if you capitalize his moniker or not doesn't change anything about him or if he exists.

Meh. OK. Your words. You sound like a good candidate to take the Pope up on his latest.

 

[vraiblonde]

Why does it bother you all so much if atheists can go to Heaven?

 

[b23hqb]

Doesn't bother me because I believe it won't happen. If they don't believe in the existence of God, why should the owner of heaven let them in?

 

[Midnightrider]

Meh. OK. Your words. You sound like a good candidate to take the Pope up on his latest.

Sorry if the truth bothers you.

 

[vraiblonde]

Doesn't bother me because I believe it won't happen. If they don't believe in the existence of God, why should the owner of heaven let them in?

Do you feel like it's not fair or something?

 

[hotcoffee]

Do you feel like it's not fair or something?

I don't think it's even fair to ask God that. I mean come on.... the people who didn't believe put God's Son on a cross and humiliated Him. So now He's supposed to be all nice and everything? He doesn't work like that. God's the kind of guy who rains down meteors on people who don't believe in Him or do Him wrong.

If you ask me... which you didn't but I'll say it anyway .... The Pope is way off base here.... I liked it when He opened the coffers. I don't like this at all.... borders on false prophecy to me... if He really said that Atheists could get into Heaven or have eternal life just being good and doing good things.... if the Pope really said that...

Nope.... If God does let the Atheists go to heaven.... it'll be for a tour and then they'd have to take the elevator down.... right?

 

[Midnightrider]

I don't think it's even fair to ask God that. I mean come on.... the people who didn't believe put God's Son on a cross and humiliated Him. So now He's supposed to be all nice and everything? He doesn't work like that. God's the kind of guy who rains down meteors on people who don't believe in Him or do Him wrong.

If you ask me... which you didn't but I'll say it anyway .... The Pope is way off base here.... I liked it when He opened the coffers. I don't like this at all.... borders on false prophecy to me... if He really said that Atheists could get into Heaven or have eternal life just being good and doing good things.... if the Pope really said that...

Nope.... If God does let the Atheists go to heaven.... it'll be for a tour and then they'd have to take the elevator down.... right?

This is the same god that "have his only son" and allowed him to be put to death to atone for our sons, right?

Seems like a pretty selfless thing to do. if you believe in christ as god I would think you would believe he would be Christlike towards good people.

 

[Radiant1]

I haven't read the article and just merely skimmed the responses so far, but I'm going to dash off my current thoughts.

Atheists can go to Heaven. Just like anyone else who lives by their conscience without having been taught about Christ. I don't think it's particularly easy to do this, so it's not likely but possible. It's the age-old "can the jungle boy who's never heard the gospel go to heaven" discussion.

I like a lot of Atheists more so than I like bible-thumping-cram-my-version-of-the-gospel-down-your-throat Christians. I find the majority of them intellectually honest, not all of them mind you, but most of them, so I kind of hope we spend eternity together.

Christ died and resurrected to save the world. THE WORLD. He came to redeem what Adam and Eve messed up. Adam and Eve messed up ALL OF MANKIND. Christ is about re-creation.

God is so majestic that I hardly think Him/It/Whatever could be offended by a peon human who doesn't believe in him for his/her own peon reasons, and vice versa I don't think He/It/Whatever is fooled by a peon who pays Him/It/Whatever lip service and ultimately creates Him/It/Whatever in their own image.

Somehow I imagine certain Christians of a certain persuasion preferring to go to hell rather than sharing Heaven with an Atheist. How ironic is that?

Again, I really, really like this pope! He's shaking things up and turning things upside down and inside out, and how Christ-like is that? I'll say it again. I REALLY, REALLY like this pope! <3

I might post again if I get the time to actually read the article and give this more thought.

 

[b23hqb]

Do you feel like it's not fair or something?

Fair? What does fair have to do with anything? Can you find the word "fair" in something as simple as our Constitution, as far as a right to something? Is God as simple as our Constitution, that people ignore and spit upon?

Do you think, as a non-Christian, that it was "fair" for Jesus to have to be executed in the most cruel form of crucifixion, for nothing other than someone spending eternity in paradise just because they were good, nice, decent?

Here we go again. Read what the Bible says about salvation and entering into God's family. Please. For your own edification. And education.

 

[vraiblonde]

God is so majestic that I hardly think Him/It/Whatever could be offended by a peon human who doesn't believe in him for his/her own peon reasons, and vice versa I don't think He/It/Whatever is fooled by a peon who pays Him/It/Whatever lip service and ultimately creates Him/It/Whatever in their own image.

See, and that's the way I feel about it. People like to put human emotions on God, but I have to believe that if there really is a God he is above that sort of thing. It seems absurd that God would be petty like that and go, "No, loser, you didn't believe in me so you can't come to my party. Nyah! In fact, I'ma unfriend you on Facebook, so there!"

I like to think that if there is a God, he's better than humans.