Hello Everyone,

We all live a sheltered life of comfort. But what happens to those who are not "Gods children?"

Are these the ones to be resurrected to life or death?

Where are the dead according to your personal belief system until the Resurrection?

Please back up your beliefs with why you believe the way you do. Thank you.

Hope12

I believe there is no God's creation who is not God's child. Everybody returns to the father after our life on earth. This is a life we begin with god in heaven, our souls become our identity.

We all start afresh in heaven as X Y and Z...

No one knows what happens after you die. Not a single person alive on this earth can tell that with any certainty. So in the end it does not matter whether you are a child of any god.

From what I know(based on the Bible & experience) The dead in Christ, their spirits are in Heaven (also the O.T) righteous. Their spirit is who they really are.
The unsaved dead, when they die, go to a Hell (Such as in Luke 16:19-31) (Also, see 2Peter2) In Rev.21-They are resurrected only for judgment purposes then they are cast into the Lake of Fire. Here's an interesting thing I read- is that if they were deemed "not so bad" unbelievers- then they would cease to exist in the Lake of Fire. If they were really wicked unbelievers, they would suffer a little while before ceasing to exist in the Lake of Fire.

John 14.6 Jesus, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me."

I look at this as meaning that unless you can call on the name of the Lord then you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. I do think that very young children and people with very bad disabiltys that can not make there own choice's will be saved in God's grace - Romans 9.18 -

I see it as people that can call upon the name of the Lord will be in Heaven until the Resurrection but people that can not call on the name will be in Hell !

Okay I'm a Christain born and raised a Christain. One can't really prove what will happen to anyone in the afterlife. We know that God loves all of his children and all of use will be judged for our life. No matter if you believe in him or not you can be saved. God sent his only son down to die for our sins giving us a chance to make it to Heaven. Just live a good life and you will make it. God's always watching over us.
- Erin

Erin, I'm sorry, but your statements are contradictory.
There is a general mercy that goes on for all people in this life. However, God sent His only Son to die for the sins of all mankind- BUT YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT FREE GIFT! I would think that would have been basic learning.

There are people who have lived and died without ever knowing Christ. Do you really think our Heavenly Father would have them live eternally in hell? No, He is a loving Father. Hell is reserved for those who have committed grievous sins without repentance. There is hope for us all. We all will be resurrected and judged by One who knows us best. ANd then we will receive our reward or punishment.

Lacey, we are given a free will. We can accpet Jesus or we can reject him. The choice is ours and I agree our Heavenly Father is full of love and mercy. Hell is reserved for the sinner without Christ... in Revelation it states clearly all that will be cast into the Lake of fire and there are many horrible types of sinners/sins listed but it also states and the unbelieving too are cast. God sends no one there... man sends himself there. He sent Jesus to rescue us but we have to take his hand.

I don't know and wouldn't pretend that I do know. I trust God is merciful, loving, kind. I feel certain there is a provision for those who have never had the opportunity to accept or reject Christ. (those are my thoughts and I can't back that with scripture) I can back up this... those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ and die in their sins will spend eternity in hell.

Here is the thing, we are given a free will he won't make us do anything we don't want to but he did provide a way for us to be with HIM forever. To be honest, in the natural I suppose it doesn't seem fair but I'm not God and He is sovereign.

In fact, ( I will probably be eaten alive for this comment) I would say it is the thing man in his natural state hates the most about God... His sovereignty.

That cannot be true since millions of good people live without God and they are free of any hate.

You know "millions" of people who are free of hate? My gosh, you ARE well travelled. Kudos.

Yes, I do and yes I am.

Hope, as I said before, EVERYONE will be resurrected:


Why don't we deal with that much first?

Where do you go when you die? It's all according to your particular belief system. If you're religious you believe you're going to end up in Heaven although the Bible is strangely silent on a description. Muslem males get to go to Paradise and frolic with virgins that "revirginize" after each encounter. I don't have the word about Muslem women.
I'm a little more pragmatic on the subject. I've talked to people that are certain that pets go to Heaven and are waiting there to be reunited with their owners. Nice to think about but let's be practical. If there were a "doggie or a kitty kat heaven" then it follows there must be a "horsey heaven " and a "cockroach heave ect. ( the list includes eve4ry thing that ever lived.)
My personal belief is that when your dead, that's it, your dead. There are just too many paradoxes connected to the concept of a afterlife. But hey!!
If it makes you feel good to believe that your spirit exists forever or you'll b e reunited with pet and family menbers, ( or even to frolic with a bunch od virgins in Paradise ) that's your choice.
Where do you go when you die?? Any place your personal belief system covers. My personal conception of Hell would be to stuck in the middle of Jimmy Swaggarts ot Pat Robersons audience for eternity and not be able to escape.
Never knock anybodies belief system because this might just be the one you end up in because, "YA NEVER KNOW!

For those of you who ask what about those who haven't heard the gospel, consider this:

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:18-20

It sounds to me like the bible is saying people are "without excuse," or is that not what was said here? But to me this also indicates that technically, you don't have to hear the gospel to be saved, "since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them." Deny God at your peril... and besides, what exactly does one have to lose by simply believing?

Sppechlesstx,

I actually agree with you... I feel that man in his natural states HATES God's sovereignty. That is my opinion. That is why people get so upset at the thought of one way to heaven. They don't like it. They would rather debate, conclude, feel, think and summarize without finding out what God says. It is easier to point to another race, people or religion and say what about them! But God says... what will YOU do with Christ.

Also consider this verse in John speaking of Christ:

John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth EVERY man that cometh into the world.

How does he do this? I don't know, but I am content with letting God be God.

After I retired from plumbing I volunteered at a local abortion clinic as a escort escorting frightened young girls past screaming protesters. After 3 years I was put on staff as Head of Security, chief escort and Clinic spokesman. In the following 10 years until I retired again I heard from the fundimental protesters over and over again, What speechless asks. "what exactly does one have to lose by simply believing?"

My response to that was, " think back to when you were a child when you believed in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy or the easter bunny. I want you to start "simply believing" in them again. What's that? you can't?? Why not?? You just asked the same thing out of me."
You can no more force belief on a person then you can change your own.
I an totally against religious whackos that attempt to force their particular brand of religion down your throat because "It's the one true religious belief and everyone elses is wrong." These people fly in the face of scientific fact.
The Earth is flat because the Bible mentions the 4 corners of the Earth. The earth is only a few thousand years old and one poster claimed that dinosaurs never existed and the bones were put there by satan to confuse us that the earth is really older then a few thousand years.
As I said, We are all free to believe, or not to believe, anything we want. Just don't try to force yours on me. I'm happy with mine.

Tessy I have read the bible not all but a lot of it and what I interpret and what someone else interepts is different am I going to hell if I do my best... this is the problem that I have and it caused me many many of sleepless night of torment until... I just refuse to worry about it anymore. I try to be the best person I can be and if that is not enough then maybe I am doomed.

Dude,

I feel your pain. There are lots and lots of weird so called "Christian" ideas out there. Don't go by what other people think or say... my point is.. find out what God has to say.