# Did you know that God has only one requirement for a person to enter Heaven? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 13, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465 "2005-01-13T00:17:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/101 "2005-01-15T00:53:56Z")
> [@AmazingGrace](#): > > When the rapture of the true Christians happens let that be a sign that the Gospel I preach is true and then allow God to save you by turning to Him in the name of the Lord Jesus and pray the sinners prayer. > > If I were you I wouldn’t wait until after the rapture because you may die before the rapture takes place. > > Rapture = When God supernaturally brings all the Christians on earth to Heaven before the 7 year tribulation begins to happen on earth. > > 1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: > > 1 Thessalonians 4:16 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. > > 7 year tribulation found in Daniel 9:24-27 I was going to warn you that you’d chosen the second least effective method of making converts to Christianity on this board. Now, you’ve jumped right up the least effective. You do realize that, to this Christian, Rapture Theology is tantamount to blasphemy. Please leave now, before you do more harm to the faith you allegedly profess. With respect for now, Siege ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/102 "2005-01-15T01:01:26Z")
By the way, while you’re jumping around the Bible like a flea with itchy feet, you might want to check out [Matthew 7:21-23](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%207:21-23;&version=49;) and Matthew 25. Personally, I’m acutely aware that despite my best efforts, I may well find myself among the goats, not the sheep. Oh yes, as I was looking for the verse above, I noticed the quote of the day and found it relevant: “ If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. ”- 1 John 4:20 and 21 Siege ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/103 "2005-01-15T01:32:46Z")
When the destruction of the human race happens let that be a sign that the gospel I preach is true and then our gods shall slat you, and we shall turn to them in the name of the Father Dagon and chant our unholy litany. If I were you I wouldn’t wait until after the Dark Return. It would be better for you to die before the Dark Return takes place. Dark Return = When the alignment of the stars brings all the Great Old Ones back to earth, beginning their eternal reign on earth. Necronomicon page 100 paragraph 1 For gates of heaven shall shatter, with the lunatic playing of mad amorphous flute players, and with the red eye of the Bull: and then shall dead Cthulu rise from R’lyeh: Basalt Obelisk Then we which are undying and enduring shall be rise up like sea foam, to meet Cthulu at his broken tomb: and so shall we ever rule with our lord. The Dark Return found in Shrewsbury. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/104 "2005-01-15T01:56:55Z")
> [@The Asbestos Mango](#): > > Give it up guys, you’re trying to argue with either a machine or some faceless organization. Or maybe both. Remember how Dr. Durant didn’t believe Dr. McCrae until he pulled off one of the shiny silver masks for himself? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/105 "2005-01-15T02:23:02Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > When the destruction of the human race happens let that be a sign that the gospel I preach is true and then our gods shall slat you, and we shall turn to them in the name of the Father Dagon and chant our unholy litany. > > If I were you I wouldn’t wait until after the Dark Return. It would be better for you to die before the Dark Return takes place. > > Dark Return = When the alignment of the stars brings all the Great Old Ones back to earth, beginning their eternal reign on earth. > > Necronomicon page 100 paragraph 1 For gates of heaven shall shatter, with the lunatic playing of mad amorphous flute players, and with the red eye of the Bull: and then shall dead Cthulu rise from R’lyeh: > > Basalt Obelisk Then we which are undying and enduring shall be rise up like sea foam, to meet Cthulu at his broken tomb: and so shall we ever rule with our lord. I know, you would not leave us Cthulhess\*. > [@](#): > > The Dark Return found in Shrewsbury. Not Doonesbury? I thought the Prophet Zonker prophesied it! Or was that Bloomsbury? You know, repent in Sackville and Ashes… - Look up the pronunciation of Cthulhu if this doesn’t make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/106 "2005-01-15T02:32:10Z")
> [@av8rmike](#): > > Yeah, but she’s easy to defeat. Stand near one of the teleporters and shoot anything that gets too close, and wait for the flying thing to disappear into her. Jump into the teleporter, and you’ll tele-frag her into next week. 😛 Damn, I gotta start reading Lovecraft. **Siege** , it’s funny you bring up Matthew 25. I was just responding to someone today on another boardwho was going on about the whole only believers go to Heaven, and everyone else can rot in Hell, and listed Matthew 25. Then he said, > [@](#): > > Secondly, the believers are saved, if you read Matthew 25. It never says who is saved, it says there are those going to heaven and those going to hell. Those that go to heaven to be with the father must go through Jesus. “I am the way, the truth, and the light. No man cometh to the Father except through Me” Um, hello, that’s John 14!!! It’s pretty sad when a lapsed Catholic knows her Bible\* better than devout Protestant Evangelicals, isn’t it? \*I wasn’t sure WHICH chapter of John it was, but I KNEW that verse was from John, not Matthew. John seems very bare bones when it comes to Christ’s teachings, at least to me-it’s more about “believe or else!” ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/107 "2005-01-15T03:32:47Z")
John 14:6, to be precise. But, like many another prooftext trotted out by evangelicals, it’s taken completely out of context. Jesus is saying that in answer to Thomas. Jesus has just announced that He is “going away” for a while, but will return and take the Twelve to Himself, and where He goes, they cannot follow. (This is an allusion to the impending Crucifixion, of course.) He then gives the “Let not your hearts be troubled – in My Father’s house are many mansions” speech, finishing with “I will come again and take you to myself. And you know the way.” Thomas is freaked – he’s been following Jesus, in hopes of learning from Him the way to God. He says, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going, so how can you say that we know the way.” And Jesus answers him with those words. They’re **not** said in a context of restricting access to God to only those who acknowledge Jesus – they’re said comfortingly – “Hey Thomas, you **do** know the way. **I’m** the way – and the truth and the life as well. Nobody finds God except through me – you don’t have to keep the Law perfectly, or have a mystical _satori_ experience, or something – You know **me**. God loves you; I love you; we won’t abandon you. Chill out; I’ve got it covered!” Like the story of the woman taken in adultery, for which the **point** is Jesus’ forgiveness when the Law would condemn her, and His guilting those who are accusing her that they too are not sinless, about which seemingly every evangelical **jumps** on the last five words “Go, and sin no more,” it’s **missing the point** to try to make that into a shibboleth to draw lines between people and God. ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/108 "2005-01-15T04:06:58Z")
Are you saying God forgives anyone, if they realize Jesus is the one? I’ve been told we must accept him into our hearts, which doesn’t quite seem concrete. ---
**Author:** ![Magickly\_Delicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magickly\_Delicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magickly_Delicious)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/109 "2005-01-15T04:09:55Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > If you question one verse don’t you have to question them all? I wasn’t questioning the verses as much as I question the practice of ripping random Bible quotes out of context to support one’s arguments. As I just started typing this, I see yet again that **Poly** has said exactly what I mean, only worded better. If I recall correctly, the idea of ‘by faith alone’ has been rejected by the Catholics anyway. [Here’s](http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/SOLAFIDE.htm) the best article about this I could find. It splits a lot of hairs, but basically the faith described in James 2 is the same as the ‘faith’ **Amazing Grace** wants us to have. Which seems to amount to reciting a few sentences. ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/110 "2005-01-15T06:11:54Z")
hehehehehe \*\*Amazing Grace \*\* [Ron?] You’re funny. Thanks for the laugh. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AmazingGrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/278dde/32.png) [@AmazingGrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmazingGrace)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/111 "2005-01-15T15:25:00Z")
I like this translation. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)(New Living Translation)(Holy Bible) Once a person is saved God seals them with the Holy Spirit. Although a Christian can grieve the Holy Spirit a Christian can never be unsaved. Awesome! ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/112 "2005-01-15T16:00:11Z")
OK, fine. What have you got for my father, an agnostic who was never baptized? Seriously, please, if you really do want your ministry to have an impact here, rather than just patting yourself on the back for putting words out there, please do respond directly to some of the questions people have asked you. Otherwise, you’re no more than a clashing cymbal or a clanging gong. Respectfully, CJ ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/113 "2005-01-15T16:29:53Z")
**Grace,** have you actually read **any** of the posts in this thread? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/114 "2005-01-15T20:20:46Z")
_ **sigh** _ Um, hello, people?'B **Amazing Grace** is not a human being. He is either a 'bot or some clerical type hitting “reply” to e-mails or clicking on provided links and copy-and-pasting some pre-written text without actually reading the messages he/she is responding to. Personally, I’m leaning towards 'bot, since the last couple of replies seem to have been spit out at random, rather than being a “response” selected by a human keyboard jockey selecting replies based on a cursory glance at the message being replied to. Repeat, **Amazing Grace** is not a human being… ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/115 "2005-01-15T20:35:03Z")
> [@The Asbestos Mango](#): > > _ **sigh** _ > > Um, hello, people?'B > > **Amazing Grace** is not a human being. He is either a 'bot or some clerical type hitting “reply” to e-mails or clicking on provided links and copy-and-pasting some pre-written text without actually reading the messages he/she is responding to. Personally, I’m leaning towards 'bot, since the last couple of replies seem to have been spit out at random, rather than being a “response” selected by a human keyboard jockey selecting replies based on a cursory glance at the message being replied to. > > Repeat, > > **Amazing Grace** is not a human being… Then shouldn’t you report his posts to a mod? ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/116 "2005-01-15T20:35:19Z")
!!! [isn’t that the way to confuse 'bots?] Aww. He’s no ‘Ron’ either? _pout_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/117 "2005-01-15T21:34:31Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Then shouldn’t you report his posts to a mod? Considering that I didn’t even get into this thread until close to the second page, I’m actually suprised that 1)Somebody hasn’t reported him already 2)That so many of my seemingly intelligent fellow Dopers are still trying to argue with posts that are obviously copy-and-paste responses which in all probability are being posted by a piece of software, even after I gave the heads-up 3)Bring on the tentacled monsters! Actually, considering that the OP itself is so obviously 'bot generated, I’m surprised that it got more than a half-dozen or so responses before the thead died a natural death. But, ok, if you insist… ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/118 "2005-01-15T21:39:45Z")
He may be a bot, but this thread is worth it for **Doc Cathode’s** posts alone. Also, even though **Polycarp’s** posts may be futile in their intent–as he is arguing with something with no more reasoning ability than an answering machine message–I get a lot out of them, and I know I’m not the only one. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/119 "2005-01-15T21:54:26Z")
> [@Larry Borgia](#): > > He may be a bot, but this thread is worth it for **Doc Cathode’s** posts alone. > > Also, even though **Polycarp’s** posts may be futile in their intent–as he is arguing with something with no more reasoning ability than an answering machine message–I get a lot out of them, and I know I’m not the only one. Thanks, **Larry** – that means a lot!! I agree with you about **Doc Cathode** ’s posts – where else in the world would you be able to follow a thread that does scholarly Necronomiconical criticism – sort of the Alhazred Seminar? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465/120 "2005-01-15T22:01:15Z")
> [@Larry Borgia](#): > > He may be a bot, but this thread is worth it for **Doc Cathode’s** posts alone. Except for the fact that **Doc** hasn’t adequately explained how one can be among the First to Be Eaten. > [@](#): > > Also, even though **Polycarp’s** posts may be futile in their intent–as he is arguing with something with no more reasoning ability than an answering machine message–I get a lot out of them, and I know I’m not the only one. I get a lot out of **Polycarp’s** posts, too, in a wide variety of threads and fora. He has started another thread in answer to this one. If folks here want to use Ron’s posts as a jumping-off point for debate, I really don’t have a problem with that. But when **Seige** and **Brain Glutton** continue to ask for direct answers to their posts (no, **BG** , he is not reading this, he is a 'bot), even after another poster has voiced suspicions that there is not an actual human reading and replying to this thread, well, that worries me just a bit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-that-god-has-only-one-requirement-for-a-person-to-enter-heaven/284465.md?page=7)