Judgement Day - an athiest has questions

Great Debates
1

Just because I’m an athiest doesn’t mean I’m not curious about various religions and such. So here’s a few questions about Judgement Day:

  1. Do all major religions have one?

  2. According to some segments of Christianity, if you don’t accept Jesus as your savior, you don’t get into Heaven. If this is true, what’s the point of God judging you? Or are the two events mutually exclusive?

  3. How long do you think it’d take to judge everyone who has ever lived (ignoring that time would probably be irrelevant)?

  4. While someone is being judged, what would everyone else be doing?

  5. What order would eveyone be judged in? Alphabetical or chronological? Something else?

  6. Would everyone be dressed in the clothes they died in, or would everyone be naked?

2

1.No idea

2.If I remember correctly there are two seperate judging’s. One for everyone and another for the ones who don’t make it… I could be wrong.

3.I think time might work differently and Since God is supposed to be omnipresent…everyone could get judged at once.

4.That goes back to my theory on 3

5.Hmm never thought about that. Maybe its just random

6.Im sure they will be clothed in some way, not so sure if it will look like the clothes they died in.

IMHO

3

Just as a note, this is likely to wind up in GD at some point…but I’ll answer what I can, from a Protestant, Judaeo-Christian perspective

1.) No, I don’t think so…Hinduism, for example, believes you come back over and over again to perfect yourself (that’s an oversimplification) and it doesn’t have a ‘judgement day’ to my knowlege…others probably can answer more fully.

2.) There are variants, but as I understand it, basically when you die, you’re in ‘stasis’…the Apostle Paul said that “we will all sleep” until judgement. I believe this applies to those who accept Christ as Savior and those who don’t (but again, I could be mistaken…some believe that Christians are immediately translated to heaven).

3.) Instantaneously. Sort of a “mass mind-meld” in my opinion, where once we stand at the judgement seat, we will immediately be informed of our position. There will be two judgements, by the way…a “white throne” judgement for non-believers, and a ‘rewards’ judgement for believers, where they will be judged not for their “status” as believers, but rather for their obedience during their Christian walk. The believers will be rewarded according to their “good works,” if you will. But it becomes irrelevant, because the believers give their rewards back to God. Note that good works won’t get you into heaven…you are merely rewarded for them.

4.) Observing

5.) I have no idea…but it probably won’t matter if it’s “instantaneous” like I stated in (3).

6.) We will be naked, but it won’t matter…we won’t be in our physical bodies as we know them.

As a slight hijack, let me say this:
I’ve seen debates where people can’t believe that God would be so cruel as to send someone to eternal damnation…
If I were in God’s shoes (I’m glad I’m not), and I sent my son to the earth with a message of peace and hope, KNOWING that he would be crucified…then go to all of the trouble of having him resurrected…
Well, I certainly wouldn’t have too much trouble with letting folks who don’t believe go to an eternal damnation. At least, that’s how I’d feel if I went to that kind of trouble and let you folks kill MY son, etc…
Boy there is a WHOLE different train of thought there, and I may just take it up in IMHO one day…

4

But you’re God, who is omnipotent. You can make all the Sons you want, there’s no “one per customer” rule with deities- you were the one to make the rules in the first place. You know perfectly well what’s going to happen to your Son (it was your idea, after all), and you should know (being omniscient) how humanity is going to react to this news.

5

and how is it our fault that our ancestors killed him? (assuming that he even existed)

6

Also, Buddhism and Taoism don’t “have” a judgement day.

7

For those who are interested, and to prevent a complete hijacking of this thread, I’ve started a new one in GD, here.

8

No. Most Eastern religions don’t.

Well, if someone steals, they go to jail, but they still have to be judged first. I don’t see the dilemma here.

Given that God is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent, it’ll take as long as he wishes it to take. It’s not something we can speculate in.

As far as I know the question hasn’t been addressed, but either everyone is judged at once, or they’re waiting in line.

God’s decision. Again, not something that has been addressed.

I seem to remember that you’re naked, but cannot provide a cite, I’m afraid.

9

Jesus teaches that neither He nor His Father judge anyone.

10

so no one is judged?

11

That’s why I never go anywhere without a book. My luck, I’d be stuck between two people yappin’ into their cell phones. “Yeah, I’m at the pearly gates, where are you? Whaddaya doin’? Hold on a minute, I’m goin’ under a cloud, I might lose you . . .”

12

Like right now.

13

Then explain Luke 19:22 where Jesus says, in part “Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant.” This is only one of several examples of Jesus telling folks he’s willing pass judgment on them. How 'bout Matthew 7:2, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you.”

14

He’s right, Lib.

15

Yes, he is. Perhaps when He said he judged no one He was talking about right then when He was on earth. He came to die for our sins then and be raised the third day, not to give judgment at that particular time. Judgment is reserved for later when those who aren’t in Christ will face the consequences. Those in Christ, will apparently have their works for Him judged but they themselves are saved.

16

the guilty must be judged, or there is no justice.

17

I never said the guilty are not judged. You’re not listening. I said merely that neither Jesus nor God judges the guilty. At least, that’s what Jesus Himself says.

Jesus says in John 5:22, “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son.” And yet, even though He is authorized to judge, He says in John 8:15, “You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.” And in John 12:47, He says, “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.”

In neither case from UncleBeer’s examples is Jesus judging. In Luke 19:22, the part he left out was, “His master replied,”. It was the character in the story who said the part he did quote. In Matthew 7:2, it does not say who will do the judging, but only that you will be judged.

We will judge ourselves by His standard, which He makes plain in John 12:48: “There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.”

Do you not think that people know for themselves whether they accept or reject God?

18
  1. Defintely Not!

Catholic; Not Applicable.

Depends pretty much on how much time anyone feels like taking. I doubnt you’ll get bored waitin in line, if that’ your fear. :slight_smile:

See previous answer.

Uhhh… I’m not even going to try and asnwer this one. I suppose its irrelevant.

I’m not sure you’ll have a body. Though I sort of want one. I like having a clearly defined space around me. THIS is ME; THAT is NOT ME; THAT over THERE is YOU. Besides, I don’t like looking at my own naked body, much les anyone else’s. I don’t find the human form particularly attractive.

19

According to Hadith, in righteous order, e.g. Moses before Muhammed.

20

Lib, I’m not at all certain there aren’t two meaning to “judge”, here. Not that it actually matters who does the judging.