To also put it bluntly, Zinnia and I aren't bad people. (Well, I can only speak for myself as far as that goes, but I don't think Zinnia is a murder or anything) Are you saying that we will be sent to Hell, simply for not believing? Or believing something else? That could be considered religious discrimination on Gods part, which really contradicts his merciful, all-good-things demeanor.![]()
Heaven and Hell aren't about whether you are a "good" or "bad" person. Hell was never intended for a human. Hell was for Satan, but Satan brought sin into the world, and humans weren't strong enough to resist it. Maybe you're not a murderer, or a thief, or maybe you've never done any "big" sins but sin is sin and we've all sinned. Those who are lost in sin without the blood of Jesus Christ to wash away that sin are sent there. And no, I'm not pointing you out as being a 'sinner', I'm a sinner too, have you ever lied? I know I've lied. I don't think there's anyone who's never lied. God used to require people, as I'm sure you're aware of, to make sacrifices for their sins, but, that didn't work very well, people were getting all twisted up with rules are most important instead of God is most important. (And honestly the lamb would probably be my favorite and I wouldn't have the heart to kill it) So he sent his son, to be a sacrifice, so that we wouldn't have to keep on killing animals to atone for our sins. He was crucified, that hurts. The spikes would have been through just above his wrists, and his feet would have been on each side of the wood, spikes through the ankles. 39 lashes with a whip that has glass on the end. 40 kills a man. A crown of thorns, probably forced into the sin on his head. His sides were sliced open. He hung there for hours, the weight of his organs hanging in that position would have slowly and painfully killed him. And there really was a man named Jesus, who was crucified, and was found missing from his tomb. You don't have to believe any of that. It's your choice, I'm just stating it. And it's not God's fault that you choose not to believe. And if you choose not to believe, your sins are not forgiven, not washed away, and maybe your not a bad person, but you get sent there. And God, does not, have a merciful, all-good-things demeanor, he is that but he is also a God of judgement, it's not all mercy and grace, he won't keep giving as the people continue in sin and quit listening to him.