You have a logic problem here.

First you say death is a step into the perfect unknown. That's all well and good, apart from on a biological level no one's really sure what happens when the neurons stop bouncing around, or even if anything meaningful happens at all.

But then you say that death is a stepping block between earth and heaven/hell.

Do you see the problem here?

Either death is a 'perfect unknown', or there is hell/heaven afterwards. If you know what happens next, death isn't unknown - it's just unfamiliar.

PS. Your merciless and capricious god is not one I'd be prepared to worship, but each to their own I guess - condemning the majority of humanity throughout history in favour of a small number who he's bothered to show himself to? What an arse. Still, if you think such a being is worthy of worship, go ahead.

I know I'm going to heaven, so it's perfect, but at the same time I do not know anything about heaven, other than that it is perfect.

Would you worship a god who saved those who did not follow him?

I'd think that'd be a very fogiving and accepting God. Why condemn good people to an eternity of torture and hell just because they didn't believe in you? That's a petty god.

~Zoo

Maybe. I'm not inclined to genuflect, but if a god showed they really, truly cared about people - even those who don't like or trust them - that would be a god worth worshipping.

In this world though, I just don't see the influence of such a being.

I wouldn't worship such a god, for I knew that said god was a total wimp and wouldn't do anything.

People condemn themselves, by choice.

Era:

If there is no choice, is there condemnation?

If there is no choice, a person is damned, with the exception of the innocent who have not yet opened their eyes and become aware.

Aware of what?

Personally I've always valued the selfless above all others. Their time and influence on this world is all too short. They make the world a better place. Those who act through exclusion rarely if ever do so.

But I suppose we are talking about religion. All we can do is parrot our books in the way that best suits our own temperament and values.

I believe that God is not angry with us, but he does feel a need to punish us, and if we choose to reject him, he will not let us into Heaven with Him, and instead gives us exactly what we ask for.

Jythier, I do believe this sorta answers your question.

I'll take exception to this.

God doesn't want to punish us, but He is just. We have all sinned, and the punishment for that is Death.

Now, some of us have had our sins paid for through Jesus's death. Those sins are as far away from us as the east is from the west. (really far)

God cannot tolerate sin at all.

Therefore, if you still have sin on you, you cannot be with God. There's only one other place to go, and there you will go.

The thing is, God offers you the free way out. Take it, and be with Him forever. Reject it, and you get what you wanted - never knowing God. Unfortunately it comes with some nasty side-effects.



He CAN'T let them into heaven, as he is too Holy and someone without their sins paid for would Die immediately anyway.

Well I suppose the easiest way to ruin a man is to give him everything he wants, but why should he punish those who only want heaven and his presence by giving them it?

I think you might need to have a bit more of a think about this one.



That's an interesting idea. Most Christian sects believe that the soul is immortal. Is this a belief of a particular branch or a personal view?
One teacher I had at school said that hell was seeing God in his entirety for just a moment only to be cast away. The good got to be with him forever. I saw the flaw in that immediately - even bliss would get boring when stretched to an eternity, kind of like the lava lamp effect - engrossing for a little while, but just scenery after a few days.

Well, that depends on what 'Death' means. God is the God of life, which means separation from Him is Death. So it's actually still saying that the same thing.



Bliss will not get boring, because it has nothing to do with scenery, and everything to do with fellowship with the Creator. The saved get to be with Him forever, while the unsaved see Him (as He will judge them) and then are cast away. Whether it's into a firey pit or whether it will just feel like a firey pit, who knows? Either way, it'll really suck. Especially since Satan is going with the unsaved.

I think there's a misconception that time will keep on going forever like it does now. Time is what makes one bored, but if time no longer has meaning, will we get bored? Will we get tired of talking to God, who is infinite? I don't think so - that's part of what infinite is. And we will be like Him. So, I really don't think boredom will enter into it at all. I think if you don't have Christ between your sins and God, you would not even want to be in God's presence - it would be more uncomfortable than even Hell is.

By the way, this is all me.

Question, what about if the earth gets struck by an asteriod or comet as it has many times in the past? All life on earth will end, no one let to worship... so what was accomplished?

The thought of spending eternity bowing down and worshiping some 'god' is just as frightening as the thought of going to a 'hell' for all eternity.