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I'm Christian, but not for a normal reason. I figure that if I die and all of the stuff about Christianity is true...heaven, hell, etc...I'm safe. If I'm wrong about it...then I guess I didn't lose much??? I can't prove or disprove God exists, but I do believe in him. I'm Christian because in my mind, it's better safe than sorry.
I think it's perfectly normal to have a fear of death and what may or may not happen after. Your reason was actually first put forward by a guy called Blaise Pascal in the 17th century (pascal's wager), but most philosophers seem to poo poo it as a fairly weak argument. He was responsible for several advances in mathematics so at least there's that.
I am an atheist and I personally find it quite difficult to reconcile the idea of the loving forgiving god with the same one who gives humans free will, then arbitarily condemns them for eternity* based on whether they believe or not. I think if I were a believer I wouldn't have much respect for the being who does this - it seems pretty vindictive to me. Ditto for condeming homosexuality which is not actually a choice, just a slightly different set of neuronal connections and neurotransmittor release that some people are born with. It's not wrong or right, it just is.
I would suggest you read around the subject of belief in God, you may find a different viewpoint or better reason to have faith that you feel more comfortable with.
* The definition of eternity in the bible is pretty vague. Is it literally infinite time? until the heat death of the universe? Is it the end of physical human existance? What if the modern humans survive another 100'000 years and we have become another species? There's no mention of homo habilis happily making stone tools in heaven. Another million years and our descendants could be totally unrecognisable from ourselves. Do they mingle with us or is heaven segregated? These, and other pedantic questions I have in abundance...
I have a lot of these questions too. Your insight was very interesting to read, thanks for commenting. I know I fully believe in God however, I just have worries about what will happen after we die...and what if I was wrong all along? I'm going to look into it more, thanks!
It doesn't. But the idea of Hell is widely disputed with different interpretations. You've actually given me cause to look at different texts and it's said very plainly in the infamous John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
The idea is that if you're unrepentant and choose to stay in your ways that upon death you will stay dead, instead of receiving eternal life. The word death is brought up again and again, not torture.
In the circumstances she made the best decision she could make. And why wouldn't she?
- If there's a heaven she's going (and she's probably there right now)
- If there's a hell she's (probably) not going
- There's zero cost, there's no entry fee
- Salvation is not earned, everything is simply accessed, it is a free gift.
Sounds like a good deal to me!
If she's wrong... she loses nothing. Therefore she would be in the same position as a non-believer.