Question for all religious people.

[Ranzo Bianser]

I think this question is unrealistic on multiple accounts:

1. First, assuming I am normal, I have evil thoughts, don't always love my family correctly, don't always help other people and have lied in my lifetime. I'm not sure anyone matches your qualification unless it was Jesus.
2. It assumes that we, as humans, are the ones who will judge who goes to Heaven and who doesn't. It is God that judges and not man.
3. It presupposes that in his effort of being "good", there are also times when he is "bad". If it is man's goodness that determines the destiny, how would someone know if he is "good enought" and that his "goodness" outways his "badness"?
4. In the measure of "goodness", how do we know we have the right measuring stick? Was it man's measuring stick or was it God's?

The person described in my question was hypothetical one but not impossible to exist. I'm sure heaven is built for "reasonably" good persons (not ideal ones) but the point of my question was to discuss what is more important for getting the main award all religions are giving (soul end up in heaven): being a good person or following the religious teachings?

 

[Ranzo Bianser]

Can you be good without being grateful to your mother?!
Can you be good without being grateful to your teachers and all those who have helped you?!
Can you be good without being grateful to him who has brought you into existence and gave you everything that you have?!

If you claim that the one who makes you exist DOES not exist himself, then you have certainly lost the compass..and went astray!
You just can't be good..
The one who is not good with the one who have the most rights over him cannot be good with the others!

But then, for those who lack the means to consider that they must search for and find the truth and know God, such as those who lack the mental ability to realize the truth, their story is different, we believe that they will be tested in the other life..

I'm not sure how you came up with all this story of "being good"="being grateful" but OK. The person I have described is good in a sense that he is grateful to his parents and teachers and friends and family and he cannot be grateful to entity in which existence he doesn't believe but nevertheless does this means that God will punish him just for not believing in him even though he loves and cares for his parents, family, friends and teachers? Is that person less worthy of God`s love than a bad person who believes in God?

 

[Ranzo Bianser]

I am an atheist religious person and I'd say more than likely goes to Heaven.

Then, not one of the religions is right... right?

 

[sayak83]

If a person is an atheist and he had lived his life as a good, honest and hardworking person, always helping other people, loving his family and friends and not having evil thoughts about anyone or anything and eventually he dies-my question is: where does his soul goes-to the heaven or to hell?

Heaven..or back to earth for the next birth.

 

[Ranzo Bianser]

My own personal view is that if an "atheist" is "a good honest and hardworking person, always helping people, loving his family and friends and not having evil thoughts..." he or she must have been exposed at some stage in their life to the teachings of an advanced system of philosophy (love of wisdom) or belief. Over time the ethical and moral teachings of inspired teachers has an affect on our values regardless of some of our other beliefs.

Atheism is usually defined as ".....a lack of belief or a strong disbelief in the existence of a god or any gods

b : a philosophical or religious position characterized by disbelief in the existence of a god or any gods"

If a person had a "strong belief" opposing a prevailing religion some would designate him/her an atheist. I do believe people can pass through a stage(s) in their seeking truth and could be considered "atheist". At a later stage in their thinking they may have a belief or develope a spirituality.

If we consider that this "atheist" has a "soul" then he/she has a sense of the spiritual reality. Now in terms of "heaven" and "hell" these are in my belief conditions of the soul rather than localities or such things as hell as being hot or below us and heaven being a really cool place above us.

Is being a "good person" a religious category? If so than it is impossible to have a non-religious good person which is farfetched to say at least in my opinion.

 

[Deeje]

Then, not one of the religions is right... right?

Since the Bible does not speak about life continuing after death in any form, and God never promised to give everlasting life to "good" people, I think the answer to your question in the OP is neither.

God requires obedience to his laws and principles. You can be as "good" as you like but unless you are "obedient" to God, you basically disqualify yourself for inclusion in his purpose.
It amazes me that people think he owes us something....he gave us life and a book of instructions....it is we who owe him our gratitude and obedience. Disobedience has caused every problem afflicting the human race. Will we ever get the message, I wonder?

We all go to the grave, and at death we have either built up a good record with God or a bad one.
A restoration to life according to the Bible is not by an immortal soul that floats off to destinations unknown when the body dies, but in God restoring the life that was lost, right here on earth by a resurrection.

It is God who decides who to wake up and who to leave in the ground. I believe it is really that simple.
Religions make stuff up and complicate everything......so you are correct...none of them have got it right.

 

[sayak83]

Neither. Many faiths don't have the heaven/hell concept.

There are heavens in Hinduism and Buddhism though...

 

[sayak83]

The point I was making with my question is this: All major religions are recognizing heaven and hell in some form and both are considerate as punishment and reward for ones soul for following religion`s teachings. In the same time all religions are teaching morality and rewarding the good behavior and thoughts as oppose to the bad ones (what`s good and what`s bad is basically the same for all major religions with some minor differences). If all of what I have mentioned is true then there are two possibilities for the last destination of the soul of a person I have described: his soul goes to heaven-means that not one religion is a valid one as it is only required for one to be a good person rather then to follow religious teachings; or his soul goes to hell-means being a good person doesn't matter in any religion and deities prefer people following rules and religious teachings to the letter which by-the-way are telling everyone to be a good person in the first place.

In Dharmic religions, heavens and hells are not punishments, but are automated consequences of the actions and intentions of the person. Thus, if your spirit is filled with hate, say, then after death, it naturally flows into a world where hatred is a dominant emotional expression of sentient beings...etc. But all these lives and worlds are temporary manifestations, nobody stays in the same place forever...and at the end all beings achieve their unity with Brahman.

 

[Vinayaka]

There are heavens in Hinduism and Buddhism though...

Yes of course. There are also heavens and hells on this plane. Addiction is a hell, and a relaxing holiday is a heaven. None of these (on this plane and the ones you refer to) come close to the heaven/hell of Abrahamism.

 

[Aupmanyav]

If you claim that the one who makes you exist DOES not exist himself.

My father and my mother made me. Unfortunately, my father did not have a long life. He was a gem of a person.

My bet is sooner or later our universe runs out of gas or dark energy.

From 10 raised to power 100 years (10 duotrigintillion years or 1 googol years).
Future of an expanding universe - Wikipedia

.. and they will have to choose a side even if they do not have a full grasp of the consequences.

The poster fails to frighten me. We will not be raised and we will finally be dead. But that is exactly what an atheist - not believing in existence of soul - believes is going to happen.

 

[Aupmanyav]

The point I was making with my question is this: All major religions are recognizing heaven and hell in some form and both are considerate as punishment and reward for ones soul for following religion`s teachings. In the same time all religions are teaching morality and rewarding the good behavior and thoughts as oppose to the bad ones (what`s good and what`s bad is basically the same for all major religions with some minor differences). If all of what I have mentioned is true then there are two possibilities for the last destination of the soul of a person I have described: his soul goes to heaven-means that not one religion is a valid one as it is only required for one to be a good person rather then to follow religious teachings; or his soul goes to hell-means being a good person doesn't matter in any religion and deities prefer people following rules and religious teachings to the letter which by-the-way are telling everyone to be a good person in the first place.

You see, Renzo, there are various levels in religious thoughts. One may be for a common man, the other may be for a better informed person. We have thousands of Gods and Goddesses in Hinduism. I am a staunch Hindu but I am also a strong atheist. I do not believe in existence of God, soul, heaven, hell. There would be other staunch Hindus who would be thoroughly theists. Hinduism allows us our own personal views. As for our deeds, Hinduism gives them the first importance, more than what religion one follows or which God one worships. Theist Hindus will consider that a good person will get a through trip to heaven without even being questioned once. They do not need to question because they have the record of his/her deeds.
- Please note that such a person will be escorted to heaven in chartered Boing Dreamliner (Vimanas) by divine attendants very respectfully.

 

[1137]

If a person is an atheist and he had lived his life as a good, honest and hardworking person, always helping other people, loving his family and friends and not having evil thoughts about anyone or anything and eventually he dies-my question is: where does his soul goes-to the heaven or to hell?

There are no such thing as Heaven or Hell per say, we create our own afterlives.

 

[Muffled]

Indeed, we should ask. And answer.

I believe the question is more: Does it matter if something is lacking? I can do without cutting off the hands of thieves and the injunction against eating shellfish.

I believe if a faith is lacking salvation that is disastrous not just an, "Oh well. "

 

[Muffled]

Can you be good without being grateful to your mother?!
Can you be good without being grateful to your teachers and all those who have helped you?!
Can you be good without being grateful to him who has brought you into existence and gave you everything that you have?!

If you claim that the one who makes you exist DOES not exist himself, then you have certainly lost the compass..and went astray!
You just can't be good..
The one who is not good with the one who have the most rights over him cannot be good with the others!

But then, for those who lack the means to consider that they must search for and find the truth and know God, such as those who lack the mental ability to realize the truth, their story is different, we believe that they will be tested in the other life..

I am not sure what you mean by that. I believe there are many lives giving opportunities for salvation but that will end after the thousand year reign of Jesus. I for one would not want to chance anything beyond the end of this world as we know it but prefer to enter into eternal life at that time.

 

[Muffled]

With many 'questions', I don't think we should answer them, but question them.

I believe you would make a good New Englander. We often answer questions by asking a question. But maybe Jesus beat us to it since He does that also.

 

[robocop (actually)]

Then, not one of the religions is right... right?

All the non-made ones are right. They are true; they just have different perspectives. That's my opinion anyhow.

 

[LuisDantas]

Then, not one of the religions is right... right?

Even restricting ourselves to faiths that have heaven and hell concepts and that do not welcome atheism, quite a few of them do not really claim that atheists will automatically go to hell.

 

[dfnj]

If a person is an atheist and he had lived his life as a good, honest and hardworking person, always helping other people, loving his family and friends and not having evil thoughts about anyone or anything and eventually he dies-my question is: where does his soul goes-to the heaven or to hell?

People have more than one way of believing in God. Some people have faith in an omnipotent God of unconditional love. This type of God, that is an omnipotent God of unconditional love, allows EVERYONE to enter the gates of Heaven to experience eternal heavenly bliss regardless of our Earthly sins or how we practiced, or not practiced, our religion. God has to do something with all the Chinese. This is what unconditional love means. No conditions. Everyone is save because God uses His omnipotent powers of forgiveness which are a lot stronger than most people who have petty desires for revenge, justice, and sadism of unusual punishment.

I think you will be fine. Everyone gets to "go into the light".

 

[GoodbyeDave]

All major religions are recognizing heaven and hell in some form and both are considerate as punishment and reward for ones soul for following religion`s teachings.

No, unless you only count the monotheistic religions as "major", which is very arrogant.
Other religions regard our behaviour as having its built-in consequences, as the Hindus in this thread have pointed out. And good behaviour certainly doesn't mean following "teachings" in our view.

In the same time all religions are teaching morality and … what`s good and what`s bad is basically the same for all major religions …

Again, no. Only monotheists regard their gods as laying down laws. The rest of us believe that moral behaviour is behaviour that is essential if we are to flourish as human beings, and that is why the outlines are the same.

… [if] his soul goes to heaven [it] means that not one religion is a valid one as it is only required for one to be a good person rather then to follow religious teachings…

Indeed!

If I were asked for my personal views, I would deny heaven and hell and affirm that there are many possibilities after this life is over. I trust that when the time comes, someone like Persephone will assess me and select what will be in my best interest.

 

[Vinayaka]

I believe you would make a good New Englander. We often answer questions by asking a question. But maybe Jesus beat us to it since He does that also.

Smart. You can tell so much about a person by looking at the questions they ask. Very often questions include false presumptions. Most obvious are the ones that only give 2 choices.