# Will I really go to hell? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 26, 2002, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892 "2002-11-26T14:41:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lynn73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@lynn73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lynn73)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/21 "2002-11-26T15:50:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vanilla \* > \*\*no, I care. > And God does, too. > Your (our) job is just to tell people the truth. > Thats all. > They don’t have to accept it, but we’ve gotta tell them. > > And I thank you for doing so. \*\* Thanks, **vanillia**. 🙂 I can do nothing but share what I believe to be the truth. ---
**Author:** ![Alexei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@Alexei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alexei)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/22 "2002-11-26T15:59:34Z")
I’ve spoken to people who have done the Alpha Course - a 10 week course on Christianity, which is being run by many christian denominations. They told me that there is only ONE requirement to getting into heaven, and that is basically accepting Jesus/God into your life. Praying everyday/reading the bible/never breaking the law are not requirements, but apparently once you have been saved, those kind of things will naturally follow. So I guess if you’re a mass-murderer you can still goto heaven, as long as you accept jesus (to accept him you’ll have to regret your sins) ---
**Author:** ![Scantilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Scantilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scantilly)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/23 "2002-11-26T16:09:40Z")
I don’t have any problem with people having beliefs that are different to mine. I just find it frightening when religious fanatics make judgements about the ‘goodness’ of others based on which religious choices they make. ---
**Author:** ![Stephi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stephi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephi)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/24 "2002-11-26T16:33:36Z")
This is one of my first posts in GD. I don’t usually post in here. I’m not a great debater, so please be gentle with me! 🙂 As to the OP: > [@](#): > > How do avid Christians explain the existence of other religions? How can you justify believing that everyone who does not ‘take Jesus into their hearts’ will go to hell? Well, I certainly don’t believe that. But I’m not Christian either. My beliefs are pretty close to yours, that every religion has something good to offer. > [@](#): > > Do you really believe that god wants us all to prescribe to the same religious beliefs? Why would he have wasted his time creating so much diversity? I’ve always puzzled over this myself. People who believe this say, “Accept Jesus as your only savior, or your eternal soul will be damned to hell.” To me, that’s the ultimate death. It’s like saying, “Accept Jesus or Die!” If a mugger came up to me on the street and said “Give me your money or die!” he’d get caught and arrested. That would be completely unacceptable. And I think maybe this is why many people don’t receive this kind of message very well. It’s almost a threat. Anyways, that’s the way I see it. Like I said, I don’t possess very good debating skills. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/25 "2002-11-26T16:39:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by His4ever \* > \*\*The Lord has more than one name. Jehovah is one. I AM THAT I AM is another. Yahweh. Jesus, who I believe is and was God in the flesh is called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Lamb of God, Lion of the tribe of Judah, Good Shepherd, Bright and Morning Star, Alpha and Omega. \*\* Must have been hell getting all that on his driver’s license. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/26 "2002-11-26T17:29:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Meatros \* > \*\* > > Maybe it’s like Redskin games; their are scalpers outside of heavens gates, giving away tickets for people with the most piety… \*\* Actually, what most people don’t realize is that on the morning before Armageddon, they’re going to be releasing a limited number of primo Heaven tickets. I’m holding out for one of those. Daniel ---
**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:** [November 26, 2002, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/27 "2002-11-26T17:42:49Z")
Actually, doesn’t Yahweh MEAN “I am who is?” ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/28 "2002-11-26T17:55:14Z")
His name is Legion for they are many. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/29 "2002-11-26T18:10:02Z")
Stephi wrote: > [@](#): > > People who believe this say, “Accept Jesus as your only savior, or your eternal soul will be damned to hell.” Presume for the moment that the following statements are true: (1) God is Love, and (2) Jesus is God. Accepting those for the sake of argument, why would a person who seeks love reject Jesus? ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Dickerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Scott\_Dickerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Dickerson)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/30 "2002-11-26T18:12:33Z")
Yes, OP, many Christians believe that you will end up in Hell because you are not a Christian. Furthermore, you must be of the proper sect or denomination. Many other religions (not all) have a parallel doctrine. It is possible to be an atheist, and yet to believe that the individual continues on after death. Thus it is possible to maintain that one’s state after death depends upon one’s beliefs; and that persons with ‘bad’ beliefs will end up in a condition enough like ‘Hell’ that drawing a distinction is useless. It is even possible to be an atheist and to believe that all non-Christians will go to Hell! (By possible, I only mean that the proposition contains no definite self-contradiction.) Given the great range of what is logically possible, and the inability of ALL sides to make anything like a conclusive case as to what sort of “evidence” is applicable to the question–I don’t scorn the beliefs of biblical literalists or nonliteralist Christians, though I don’t share those beliefs. Perhaps reality is such that everyone, after death, finds only that sort of world that he/she believed-in in life. (And perhaps no one can believe the preceding statement!) ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/31 "2002-11-26T18:22:22Z")
**bayonet1976** , it has been my impression that the JW’s still do not approve of blood transfusions. Do you know if this is the case? **Guinastasia** , I’d heard that YHWH is a transliteration for a string of Hebrew characters that cannot be pronounced and represents the ineffability of divinity. I’ve also read that it’s a Hebrew rendering of the name of a volcano God called Yahweh who was worshipped in Midian and who Moses co-opted for the Hebrews, representing him as the God of Abraham for political convenience. ---
**Author:** ![Stephi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stephi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephi)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/32 "2002-11-26T18:28:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Libertarian \* > \*\* > Presume for the moment that the following statements are true: (1) God is Love, and (2) Jesus is God. Accepting those for the sake of argument, why would a person who seeks love reject Jesus? \*\* I’m not sure what you’re saying. Are you saying: God=Love and Jesus=God thus Jesus=Love Right? Well see, I think that’s why I “reject Jesus” so to speak. Because I don’t believe “Jesus=God.” I guess I can’t answer your question because I can’t get past the second presumption. I guess that’s why I’m not christian. 🙂 I hope I came across clearly. Theological debates can be confusing to me sometimes. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dalovindj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@dalovindj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalovindj)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/33 "2002-11-26T18:30:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Presume for the moment that the following statements are true: (1) God is Love, and (2) Jesus is God. Accepting those for the sake of argument, why would a person who seeks love reject Jesus? Because finding love isn’t worth accepting a sadistic bully? DaLovin’ Dj ---
**Author:** ![Gaijin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/838e76/32.png) [@Gaijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaijin)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/34 "2002-11-26T18:39:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alexei \* > \*\* > They told me that there is only ONE requirement to getting into heaven, and that is basically accepting Jesus/God into your life. > > So I guess if you’re a mass-murderer you can still goto heaven, as long as you accept jesus (to accept him you’ll have to regret your sins) \*\* Ah. Faith Alone. Feces. > [@](#): > > _James 2:24_ > \*\* > See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. > \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/35 "2002-11-26T18:43:22Z")
Stephi I highly recommend to you, as I would to DJ, that you do NOT worship the one whom you call Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![bayonet1976](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bayonet1976](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bayonet1976)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/36 "2002-11-26T18:49:24Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by cuauhtemoc \* \*\ ***bayonet1976** , it has been my impression that the JW’s still do not approve of blood transfusions. Do you know if this is the case? AFAIK, their issue now is with “whole blood” transfusions. As in you can get some blood products, but not whole blood. Give it time, some \<\\> will come out and whole blood will be ok, maybe under some specific circumstance such as “whole blood of a JW”. Interestingly enough, as I mentioned before, organ transplantation is ok now, seems to me \<\\> whole blood is bound to be included in the transplanted organ. ---
**Author:** ![kimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@kimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimera)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/37 "2002-11-26T18:59:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Libertarian \* > \*\*Stephi wrote: > > Presume for the moment that the following statements are true: (1) God is Love, and (2) Jesus is God. Accepting those for the sake of argument, why would a person who seeks love reject Jesus? \*\* Now see, if Jesus really was love, I would have no problem with religion. But it isn’t about love, as they tell me I am going to hell for falling in love with certain people. So many christians I know love to forget the love part, and make it all about the hate. “You’re going to hell if you do this, do that, do anything” I just laugh at people who tell me that I am going to hell. Ever since I stopped subscribing to organized religion, my life has really improved! Where before I used to be depressed all the time, now I believe that I actually have reached a point of happiness. I’m satisfied with who I am, I like where my life is going, and I love someone who really loves me back. Life is good. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/38 "2002-11-26T19:04:36Z")
Ava wrote: > [@](#): > > But it isn’t about love, as they tell me I am going to hell for falling in love with certain people. They are liars. And the one whom they worship is the father of lies. You did the right thing by getting the hell out of, well, hell. ---
**Author:** ![Stephi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stephi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephi)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/39 "2002-11-26T19:14:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Libertarian \* > \*\*Stephi > > I highly recommend to you, as I would to DJ, that you do NOT worship the one whom you call Jesus. \*\* Well no problem there. I don’t. 🙂 > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Ava_ > Now see, if Jesus really was love, I would have no problem with religion. But it isn’t about love, as they tell me I am going to hell for falling in love with certain people. So many christians I know love to forget the love part, and make it all about the hate. “You’re going to hell if you do this, do that, do anything” Exactly. But you said it so much better than I could. This is a big reason why I reject the religion. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892/40 "2002-11-26T19:20:53Z")
Should people reject atheism because of the American Atheists? Should they reject Islam because of the Taliban? Should they reject Christianity because of Fred Phelps? I don’t know about you, but I recognize in all that a classic Poison Well fallacy. When Jesus Himself has given the commandment, “Love one another, even as I have loved you,” why is it that what Phelps says is Christianity and what Jesus says isn’t? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-really-go-to-hell/138892.md?page=3)