If it turns out God exists will he punish un-believers?
Discuss religious, spiritual, and theological issues concerning Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or any other religion.
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Well he would else he wouldn't be benevolent... but religious arguments always go and contradict each other.
In Islam, apparently there's a thing where if you kiss the black stone on the corner of the Kabah, all your sins are forgiven. So I could go and sin and be agnostic as much as I like, and just before I die I could insure myself by going to Makkah and kissing that stone... stipulations like this just ruin the point of religion, it's well stupid. But then I've been in the Mosque and walked round the Kabah a total of 21 times, every time there's a huge crowd round the stone just trying to touch it, it's manic, well hard to go and get even a touch never mind a kiss... -
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unsureHow the hell am I supposed to know.
We ARE talking about God here. If he really exhisted I would be pretty pissed off with him, rather than worrying about being punished. Why has'nt he shown himself to us if he does exhist?
Would he have the right to punish us just because he did a crappy job of converting us to that perticular religion. Personaly I think that he would not punish us, since if he really did exhist and give us instructions to follow his religion or be punished, then where would the free will be?
The answer is that if he punished the non-believers he would be undermining his exhistance, robbing us of our free will. -
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I don't think God would punish non-believers, simply because you cannot force yourself to believe in something. You could go to Church and generally practice a particular faith, but there's no point unless you actually have faith.
I also think it's wrong to believe in something just because you're afraid of the consequences of not believing in something, i.e. Have faith in Christianity so you won't go to Hell. -
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(Original post by DarkMoon)
How the hell am I supposed to know.
We ARE talking about God here. If he really exhisted I would be pretty pissed off with him, rather than worrying about being punished. Why has'nt he shown himself to us if he does exhist?I would argue those two parts of what you said seem inconsistent. For instance, the whole idea that God doesn't 'prove' he exists is based on the theory that salvation can only come through faith. You seem to be saying he should do this....does this not undermine our free will to make a choice about our religious viewpoints?The answer is that if he punished the non-believers he would be undermining his exhistance, robbing us of our free will.
On your 2nd point - It is argued by many religious believers that everybody actually has a choice to believe in God - to let there free will see that God exists, and that would make it justified in punishing the non-believers.
My own person view is that in order for God to be a just God, he must give reward out based on a persons life (i.e moral standards etc etc) rather than belief. Therefore, God will not punish non-believers because no matter our beliefs...we must follow our own consicious as our primary source -
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That completly defeat the object of belief, should be rewarded for belief because we sought the benefit from it? Because we don't actually have the belief religion advocates.(Original post by happysunshine)
You should all play safe and believe in him.
What happens if we pick the wrong God also? Could pick Allah when it's the Christian God!
You cannot force yourself to believe something if you think it will be beneficial. For instance, there is no way you can believe tommorrow (knowing today is Friday) will be a Tuesday, it goes against something basic within you - just like people feel they cannot believe in God cannot just 'believe' in him. -
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I have to agree with you, believing for the sake of reward or because you think you have to beleive, just does'nt cut it.(Original post by corey)
That completly defeat the object of belief, should be rewarded for belief because we sought the benefit from it? Because we don't actually have the belief religion advocates.
What happens if we pick the wrong God also? Could pick Allah when it's the Christian God!
You cannot force yourself to believe something if you think it will be beneficial. For instance, there is no way you can believe tommorrow (knowing today is Friday) will be a Tuesday, it goes against something basic within you - just like people feel they cannot believe in God cannot just 'believe' in him.
I don't think non-believer's would be punnished as long as they're not out there committing one wrong after another. I honestly believe it is what you do in this life that matters not what you believe.
