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The best analogy I can make is this: someone who jumps off a bridge to his death is making a choice to take his own life. However, if you saw him before he jumped, wouldn't you try to talk him out of it? To find out why he thought death was better than life and see if you could give him a reason to choose life instead?
You are assuming by becoming a christian, the jumper is choosing life.This is a huge assumption. What proof do you have that his existing religion (or lack thereof) is not a better option? I think none - other than your faith.
You are assuming by becoming a christian, the jumper is choosing life.This is a huge assumption. What proof do you have that his existing religion (or lack thereof) is not a better option? I think none - other than your faith.
You misunderstand me. I wasn't assuming that. The way I interpreted the OP was that the following question was being asked: Why do missionaries try to convert people if those people are choosing to go to hell? I was merely suggesting an analogy that might explain the perspective of the missionary. The questions I posed were from the point of view of a missionary, as I see it.
I never gave my personal opinion on whether or not missionaries should try to convert people. The OP didn't ask for that, and I endeavored to honor the poster's intent.
Because I can see why it might have come across that way and you raise the issue, here is my opinion on the matter: I am uncomfortable with people of one religion seeking to convert others to their own faiths (or specific version of said faith, if they're the "same"). I believe people need to find their own paths in life. I do not like when people try to force their beliefs on me, so I do not force mine on them.
You misunderstand me. I wasn't assuming that. The way I interpreted the OP was that the following question was being asked: Why do missionaries try to convert people if those people are choosing to go to hell? I was merely suggesting an analogy that might explain the perspective of the missionary. The questions I posed were from the point of view of a missionary, as I see it.
I never gave my personal opinion on whether or not missionaries should try to convert people. The OP didn't ask for that, and I endeavored to honor the poster's intent.
Because I can see why it might have come across that way and you raise the issue, here is my opinion on the matter: I am uncomfortable with people of one religion seeking to convert others to their own faiths (or specific version of said faith, if they're the "same"). I believe people need to find their own paths in life. I do not like when people try to force their beliefs on me, so I do not force mine on them.
I hope that clarifies what I meant.
Thanks.
I am also against trying to convert people from/to any religion or lack thereof.
What I don't get about those that believe you must accept BEFORE death- it seems very arbitrary. We are supposed to make a decision based upon the limited knowledge we get in our incredibly short lives based upon our very limited abilities based upon very questionable "evidence", and yet we are not allowed to change our minds after we have an infinite amount of time to consider the issue? In short, why would it matter when we reached the correct decision- before or after death?
Hummmmmm, I may actually believe there is a Hell. It seems to me, as best I recollect, that I spent several hours there as a child, being forced against my will to sit on that hard pew and listen to incredibly inane sermons. Personally, I can not imagine anything worse. It was HORRIBLE!!!!! I suspect a good case could be made for Child Abuse. Church is not a good place for children or other human beings.
I believe supposedly you are not punished for ignorance; only if you know and you choose No.
In this case it seems like missionaries are the biggest jerks in the world. I mean, what if they're not good at forging evidence to cover up the fact that there is no evidence to believe? You can't force yourself to believe in Santa Claus, can you? It would be cruel to punish someone simply for not believing due to lack of evidence.
And God most certainly does send people to hell. Satan runs hell, but Jesus decides who goes there. God created Satan and hell, did he not? He does everything deliberately, does he not? Only 1/3 of the world's population is Christian.
My take though I'm not familiar with any other Christian who accepts it:
Romans 2 (New International Version)
Romans 2
God's Righteous Judgment
12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law,
(I believe that this not only accounts for Christians under Grace but unbelievers as well.)
and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
(Those who claim the law - the OT - will be judged according to the standards of the OT)
13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
(In the end it's our behavior and knowledge that we are judged by. The more we know, the more we are held accountable to.)
14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law,
(In the NT it is made clear that God has made His existence apparent through creation and though we non-Jews did not have the OT, there were still standards we could be judged by. Did we lie, cheat, steal, murder or did we sacrifice for others, show love and concern for our "brother", and so on.)
15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)
(God gives us a conscience which can guide us to the moral throughout our lives. Many people choose to ignore their conscience and over time corrupt their minds and numbing their conscience. Their moral compasses become unusable and they stray. So these men will be judged on how they held to their youthful, innocent consciences or if they strayed and allowed themselves to become corrupt.)
16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
Some of the significant attributes of God that apply to this topic are that He is just and that loves and that He is merciful.
The standard punishment of sin is death/destruction. But God loves us and in His mercy, he offers us an out. That out is to accept Jesus and to follow His Son, to bend to His Will. For those who have not been made aware of the name and theology behind Jesus, they still have a source of information, their conscience (hearts). If they submit to the innocent consciences of their youth they have shown that they are devoting themselves to God and by the standard of that conscience, God will judge them and by that conscience, they will also be defended by God.
The question of how is the aborted baby treated or the man living deep in the Amazon or whatever other scenario one puts out there it is answered. The Jew (religious Jew) is held into account by the Law, it will defend him and it will accuse him. The Christian and those aware of Christ are held to the NT standard, an obedient Christian is blessed with the Grace of Jesus' sacrifice and the disobedient Christian (not really a Christian) and the unbeliever are not blessed with Grace and have no defense when they are judged before God. And finally those who have not been exposed are defended and accused by their consciences. The faithful will be absolved and the unfaithful will be condemned.
This is how God is Just, Merciful, and Loving all at the same time. The only thing left is for us to take responsibility for our souls.
I had hell on Earth for two years much the same as job only i was guilty and told our lord to please save somebody else who was more worthy than a wretch like me, i would not wish it on any human being that has ever lived and i said as much.
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