If you believe in God?

clynn58 · September 2010

I don't want this to start a debate I just want to know what you believe.

How do you get to heaven and what religion to you practice?

ali-1411 · September 2010

I don't really practice any religion.

I believe that you get to Heaven by believing in God. I don't think that good deeds get you into heaven, but I do think that if you truly believe in God that you will strive to be a good person.

I believe in Jesus but I don't think that Jewish and Muslims automatically go to hell because they don't. I have some weird theory that the god of different religions are actually all of us believing the same god, just different faces. Or something. Its hard for me to put into words.

Nessia · September 2010

I'm Catholic. Probably more of a liberal Catholic. Love the history and traditions but I believe you go to heaven if you have a good heart. I also don't believe gays go to hell or anything and they should be allowed to marry and that every women should have the right to her own choice on abortion. The church believes there is NEVER a reason for abortion but I can see where in some it may be necessary. I guess I kind of make my own rules for being a catholic.

JezcaM · September 2010

wow! that's like asking the meaning of life.

i'm christian. i don't claim any one particular branch because there's not a branch of christianity that i 100% agree with, but i grew up in a Church of Christ and currently attend a Southern Baptist church.

i believe that god makes the call. he gives us guidelines in the bible - things to do in order to get to heaven (believe, confess, repent, baptize, etc.) but in the end, we all fall short and are saved by grace. so whoever is awarded god's endless grace, is IN! and i'm so glad it's not dependent on me or my actions... talk about pressure!

i don't know of a scripture where it says so but i feel like god will judge our hearts when distributing grace. i don't believe he'll penalize those who don't have the opportunity to "know" him or that there are absolutes like "if you ____ you're going to hell." he wants us to do the best we can, and to sincerely repent when we do otherwise. and, like any parent, he wants us to love him.

that's my attempt at a brief response. ha!

joyco · September 2010

how can you go to a place you don't believe exists at all. When we die, we're dead. Done. No more.

I don't practice any religion.

CagleBaby · September 2010

I grew up Baptist and now attend a Methodist church. (my husband is the Youth Director.)

I believe in the ABC's
Admit honestly to God that you have sinned and disobeyed Him.
The Bible says:

Romans 3:23 ?All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.?
Romans 6:23 ?The wages of sin is death (everlasting punishment).?

No sin is allowed in heaven.

Believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose again. His blood was shed to pay for your sins.
The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 ?Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.?
Romans 5:8 ?But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.?
John 3:16 ?For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.?

Because Jesus loves you so much, He took the punishment for you so that you can be forgiven.

Choose to trust Jesus alone for the forgiveness of your sins.
The Bible says:

Romans 10:13 ?Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.?
John 3:18 ?He who believes in Him (Jesus) is not condemned.?

When you trust in Jesus Christ alone to save you, God forgives you! You become His child, and He promises you a home in heaven forever!

Faon · September 2010

I am a Christian who believes you get to heaven by admitting you're a sinner and accepting Jesus as your savior. There is much more to it than that, but it's all right there in the Bible. Smile

My sister is part of a cool online ministry that answers questions people have about Christianity if you're interested in asking there. (I'd have to get more info.) I'd also be happy to get together and chat sometime about what I believe. If this is for you, and you are thinking some stuff over, I think it's helpful to do it on a more personal level. I'd also love to have you join me for church anytime. You can email me at lcgemail at gmail if you have more questions.

thethomps · September 2010

CagleBaby:
I grew up Baptist and now attend a Methodist church. (my husband is the Youth Director.)

I believe in the ABC's
Admit honestly to God that you have sinned and disobeyed Him.
The Bible says:

Romans 3:23 ?All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.?

Romans 6:23 ?The wages of sin is death (everlasting punishment).?
No sin is allowed in heaven.

Believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose again. His blood was shed to pay for your sins.
The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 ?Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.?

Romans 5:8 ?But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.?

John 3:16 ?For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.?
Because Jesus loves you so much, He took the punishment for you so that you can be forgiven.

Choose to trust Jesus alone for the forgiveness of your sins.
The Bible says:

Romans 10:13 ?Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.?

John 3:18 ?He who believes in Him (Jesus) is not condemned.?
When you trust in Jesus Christ alone to save you, God forgives you! You become His child, and He promises you a home in heaven forever!

Yep. This exactly, except that I grew up Baptist and now attend a Christian/Non-Denominational church.

balihaigirl · September 2010

I believe in God but I'm anti-organized religion.

And yes, I believe in heaven and hell.

MrsAJL · September 2010

I'm Jewish. Heaven and hell are a complicated concept in Judaism because the words themselves don't have entirely any meaning the way they do in Christianity.

In the liberal movements of Judaism (i.e. Reform, Conservative, Reconstruction, Renewal), heaven is a purely spiritual concept. A person doesn't die and live bodily in an afterlife. Rather, the soul is considered eternal. "Heaven" is best described in degrees of closeness to God. The idea is that men and women who strive to follow the commandments (by the way, there are 613. The Ten Commandments are just the tip of the iceberg), practice tikkun olam (literally "to repair the world", but is usually meant as performing acts of social justice), performing acts of loving kindness (gemilut chassidim), and study Torah are those who'll get a closer place to God in the afterlife.

Jews who don't do those things will also get to heaven, but they are missing out on an opportunity to be closer to God. Hell in the Christian definition doesn't exist in Judaism.

The mystical traditions (i.e. Kabbalah, and NOT that rubbish Madonna practices), teach about the soul's eternal recirculation through time, or reincarnation. A lot of Jews who couple their practice with eastern beliefs like Buddhism tend to believe that their soul will continue to be placed in a bodily form, life after life, until they have reached a perfection state.

The question might be then, if all Jews get to "heaven", albeit some closer to God than others, then what's the motivation to do the tasks that bring your closer to God? Well, I think for me, the answer is because being a Jew is as ingrained into your soul as your gender or your entire sense of being. I can't decide one day that I don't want to be a Jew anymore. I may decide to practice another religion, but I'll still be a Jew (a fallen away Jew, but still a Jew).

But my motivation to do the things I mentioned above isn't so I can get to heaven. I guess my motivation is that it's what is right to do.

2H2L · September 2010

Aw, debates are fun! Especially on religion.

J and I love to debate about it.

I also do not believe in god, as most religions recognize him/her/it. So, I also don't believe in "heaven." My beliefs are still evolving, but mostly I believe that our "essence" or energy or what some might call a "soul" sort of mixes back in to some cosmic soup. Not quite like reincarnation, but I think we return to the source of our energy and our matter when we die. Kind of like the universe, expanding and eventually retracting back down. Eh, I know I can't explain it in writing well yet and it sounds a little loopy. But that's where I am in making sense of it all right now.

btrrcupbride · September 2010

joyco:
how can you go to a place you don't believe exists at all. When we die, we're dead. Done. No more.

This exactly. Worm food. I believe in Science.

A&R2006 · September 2010

MrsRosie:

I'm Lutheran - WELSynod or ELSynod to be exact.

Huh, well, I guess the short story would be: I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, and that the sacrifice of his death is the only way for my sins to be forgiven. I believe that if I repent and feel sorry for my sins, and have faith that my sins are forgiven, I will go to heaven. I believe that this faith is not earned through human accomplishments or earthly acts of kindness/goodness, but that it is a gift from the Holy Spirit (Lutherans typically refer to the term "grace").

I grew up in a Baptist church and now am a member of a non-denominational Christian church, and this is a good summary of what I believe as well.

abh1977 · September 2010

Ditto CagleBaby, for the most part. I also believe that most of us who believe in a 'higher power' are really believeing in essentially the same being, just with a different name. But to put a different spin on it, I don't necessarily believe that it't the belief in Jesus that sends us to Heaven, but instead the rejection of Him that sends us to hell. Make sense? I just don't think that the God I know sends people to hell who haven't heard the gospel, aren't old enough or don't have the mental capacity to understand it, or just haven't made up their minds. I think that for those people, there is some way after death for God to reconcile that. I also think that actions don't send people to hell. Sin is sin, and we all do it. We are saved through His grace and the acceptance of that. I am (obviously) Christian, but not a particular denomination. I was raised a Southern Baptist and was a minister for a while (I have a religion degree), but got a little p!ssed off about how they view women in the church.

MrsAJL · September 2010

btrrcupbride:
joyco:
how can you go to a place you don't believe exists at all. When we die, we're dead. Done. No more.

This exactly. Worm food. I believe in Science.

Religion and science don't have to be mutually exclusive. I believe in science as well. I'm pretty sure that my body will decompose as does any other organic product (and faster, too, since Jews don't embalm their dead.)

But by the same token, we are comprised of matter and energy. The Law of Conservation of Energy states that the total amount of energy in an isolated system remains constant over time. The consequence of that law is that energy can not be created or destroyed. So, energy in our bodies, be it souls, spirits, or electrical impulses, are going to be released once the body dies. Where does it go? For some, it goes back into the universal energy pool (which is what I think 2H2L was trying to say). For others that energy is defined as being spiritual and makes its way to a primary source. Some believe that source is God.

btrrcupbride · September 2010

MrsAJL:
btrrcupbride:
joyco:
how can you go to a place you don't believe exists at all. When we die, we're dead. Done. No more.

This exactly. Worm food. I believe in Science.
Religion and science don't have to be mutually exclusive. I believe in science as well. I'm pretty sure that my body will decompose as does any other organic product (and faster, too, since Jews don't embalm their dead.)
But by the same token, we are comprised of matter and energy. The Law of Conservation of Energy states that the total amount of energy in an isolated system remains constant over time. The consequence of that law is that energy can not be created or destroyed. So, energy in our bodies, be it souls, spirits, or electrical impulses, are going to be released once the body dies. Where does it go? For some, it goes back into the universal energy pool (which is what I think 2H2L was trying to say). For others that energy is defined as being spiritual and makes its way to a primary source. Some believe that source is God.

This is more along the lines of what I believe. And I did not mean to offend you, if in fact I did. I was only trying to convey that for me, since I don't practice an organized religion, Science offers an explanation of my beliefs.
I usually don't offer up my beliefs b/c, in my experience, they are unpopular.
I did not mean to imply others didn't believe in Science. Sorry!

Kim777 · September 2010

MrsRosie:

Huh, well, I guess the short story would be: I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, and that the sacrifice of his death is the only way for my sins to be forgiven. I believe that if I repent and feel sorry for my sins, and have faith that my sins are forgiven, I will go to heaven. I believe that this faith is not earned through human accomplishments or earthly acts of kindness/goodness, but that it is a gift from the Holy Spirit (Lutherans typically refer to the term "grace").

This pretty much sums up what I believe too. I grew up in the Southern Baptist church. I moved away from that and attended non-denominational Christian churches for a while, but the church we happened to choose for our family is Southern Baptist so that is where we are at now. They would probably die if they knew how left of center I really am, but I just don't talk about all of my beliefs there.

MrsAJL · September 2010

btrrcupbride:
MrsAJL:
btrrcupbride:
joyco:
how can you go to a place you don't believe exists at all. When we die, we're dead. Done. No more.

This exactly. Worm food. I believe in Science.
Religion and science don't have to be mutually exclusive. I believe in science as well. I'm pretty sure that my body will decompose as does any other organic product (and faster, too, since Jews don't embalm their dead.)
But by the same token, we are comprised of matter and energy. The Law of Conservation of Energy states that the total amount of energy in an isolated system remains constant over time. The consequence of that law is that energy can not be created or destroyed. So, energy in our bodies, be it souls, spirits, or electrical impulses, are going to be released once the body dies. Where does it go? For some, it goes back into the universal energy pool (which is what I think 2H2L was trying to say). For others that energy is defined as being spiritual and makes its way to a primary source. Some believe that source is God.

This is more along the lines of what I believe. And I did not mean to offend you, if in fact I did. I was only trying to convey that for me, since I don't practice an organized religion, Science offers an explanation of my beliefs.
I usually don't offer up my beliefs b/c, in my experience, they are unpopular.
I did not mean to imply others didn't believe in Science. Sorry!

Oh no! No offense taken. Smile

clynn58 · September 2010

CagleBaby:

I grew up Baptist and now attend a Methodist church. (my husband is the Youth Director.)

I believe in the ABC's
Admit honestly to God that you have sinned and disobeyed Him.
The Bible says:

Romans 3:23 ?All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.?

Romans 6:23 ?The wages of sin is death (everlasting punishment).?
No sin is allowed in heaven.

Believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose again. His blood was shed to pay for your sins.
The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 ?Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.?

Romans 5:8 ?But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.?

John 3:16 ?For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.?
Because Jesus loves you so much, He took the punishment for you so that you can be forgiven.

Choose to trust Jesus alone for the forgiveness of your sins.
The Bible says:

Romans 10:13 ?Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.?

John 3:18 ?He who believes in Him (Jesus) is not condemned.?
When you trust in Jesus Christ alone to save you, God forgives you! You become His child, and He promises you a home in heaven forever!

this is what I believe but Dh does not. He believes that if you are a good person you will get to heaven. That is fine but I want to find a church home where we can both feel comfortable.

Kristen&Doyle · September 2010

I've grown up in the lutheran church (LCMS) and my dad and brother are both pastors in that church. I currently don't attend a LCMS church on a regular basis because we have yet to find or make much an effort to find a church that we are both happy at, so I'm "settling" on attending a southern baptist church that I don't know much about, but it's much closer to us than any lutheran church we may find. I still and will always believe what I've grown up believing and will teach that to my children. It's basically what MrsRosie has stated in addition to a verse in the bible that says "He who believes and is baptized will be saved". Which is a whole other belief in itself and is also kind of along the lines of being inclusive (baptizing babies who don't yet believe) and exclusive (saying that if you aren't baptized but believe isn't good enough). I'm not sure how to truly believe in such confusing things, but I guess I just kind of except the fact that it is what it is and I don't worry about it. If I'm believing the wrong thing, I won't know till it's too late, so there doesn't seem to be any real reason to be so concerned over it. All I can do is try to believe what the bible says in it's most correct interpretation and that is what I believe lutherans do.

kiarox2002 · September 2010

Nessia:
I'm Catholic. Probably more of a liberal Catholic. Love the history and traditions but I believe you go to heaven if you have a good heart. I also don't believe gays go to hell or anything and they should be allowed to marry and that every women should have the right to her own choice on abortion. The church believes there is NEVER a reason for abortion but I can see where in some it may be necessary. I guess I kind of make my own rules for being a catholic.

This is me too. I also tend to believe that God is God across the religions, but has different names. I also don't really believe in hell, but more of a purgatory concept where you atone for your sins after death. I'm a terrible Catholic, huh.

DH is an atheist, but we were married in the Catholic Church because he knew how important it was to me. We agreed before we ever got engaged that if we had kids I could raise them Catholic. Kate has been baptized and I'm trying to get better about bringing her to mass.

2H2L · September 2010

btrrcupbride:
MrsAJL:

But by the same token, we are comprised of matter and energy. The Law of Conservation of Energy states that the total amount of energy in an isolated system remains constant over time. The consequence of that law is that energy can not be created or destroyed. So, energy in our bodies, be it souls, spirits, or electrical impulses, are going to be released once the body dies. Where does it go? For some, it goes back into the universal energy pool (which is what I think 2H2L was trying to say). For others that energy is defined as being spiritual and makes its way to a primary source. Some believe that source is God.

This is more along the lines of what I believe. And I did not mean to offend you, if in fact I did. I was only trying to convey that for me, since I don't practice an organized religion, Science offers an explanation of my beliefs.
I usually don't offer up my beliefs b/c, in my experience, they are unpopular.
I did not mean to imply others didn't believe in Science. Sorry!

Thank you, MrsAJL. That is accurate for me. And I agree with bttrcup, too. I also keep it to myself bc it is unpopular. As a side note, I was raised Southern Baptist.

FireChiefsBride · September 2010

Agnostic theism.

DH is Southern Baptist, though. Zip it!

ssinca · September 2010

I was raised catholic but have my issues with the faith, I think it needs to evolve with modern times (priests/nuns should be able to get married, gay marriage, etc).

I believe in a higher power and feel for the most part that if you live a decent life, you will hopefully be rewarded. but religion is funny - we're not going to know who's "right" until we die, correct? so all of this religious bickering/wars just makes me scratch my head. you believe what you want, I'll believe what I want, and we'll call it a day. kumbaya people.

AustinBride06 · September 2010

kiarox2002:
Nessia:
I'm Catholic. Probably more of a liberal Catholic. Love the history and traditions but I believe you go to heaven if you have a good heart. I also don't believe gays go to hell or anything and they should be allowed to marry and that every women should have the right to her own choice on abortion. The church believes there is NEVER a reason for abortion but I can see where in some it may be necessary. I guess I kind of make my own rules for being a catholic.
This is me too. I also tend to believe that God is God across the religions, but has different names.
DH is an atheist, but we were married in the Catholic Church because he knew how important it was to me. We agreed before we ever got engaged that if we had kids I could raise them Catholic.

I agree with most of this, considering myself Catholic. Abortion is the topic that I waver on... I'm not totally pro-choice or pro-life but it pisses me off to no end when people say that if you're not pro-life, you're pro-abortion. But that's a WHOLE other topic!

Ruby44 · September 2010

thethomps:
CagleBaby:
I grew up Baptist and now attend a Methodist church. (my husband is the Youth Director.)

I believe in the ABC's
Admit honestly to God that you have sinned and disobeyed Him.
The Bible says:

Romans 3:23 ?All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.?

Romans 6:23 ?The wages of sin is death (everlasting punishment).?
No sin is allowed in heaven.

Believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose again. His blood was shed to pay for your sins.
The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 ?Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.?

Romans 5:8 ?But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.?

John 3:16 ?For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.?
Because Jesus loves you so much, He took the punishment for you so that you can be forgiven.

Choose to trust Jesus alone for the forgiveness of your sins.
The Bible says:

Romans 10:13 ?Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.?

John 3:18 ?He who believes in Him (Jesus) is not condemned.?
When you trust in Jesus Christ alone to save you, God forgives you! You become His child, and He promises you a home in heaven forever!
Yep. This exactly, except that I grew up Baptist and now attend a Christian/Non-Denominational church.

This, exactly. Except I go to a Baptist church. Not southern Baptist, though.

brideonjuly8 · September 2010

kiarox2002:

Nessia:
I'm Catholic. Probably more of a liberal Catholic. Love the history and traditions but I believe you go to heaven if you have a good heart. I also don't believe gays go to hell or anything and they should be allowed to marry and that every women should have the right to her own choice on abortion. The church believes there is NEVER a reason for abortion but I can see where in some it may be necessary. I guess I kind of make my own rules for being a catholic.

This is me too. I also tend to believe that God is God across the religions, but has different names. I also don't really believe in hell, but more of a purgatory concept where you atone for your sins after death. I'm a terrible Catholic, huh.

DH is an atheist, but we were married in the Catholic Church because he knew how important it was to me. We agreed before we ever got engaged that if we had kids I could raise them Catholic. Kate has been baptized and I'm trying to get better about bringing her to mass.

I agree with most of this, although I'm 95% pro-life, with the exception of incest, rape, or risk of the life of the mother.

I was brought up Catholic and definitely still consider myself a Catholic. But I definitely don't think gays go to hell, priests/nuns should be able to marry, basically whoever said a more modern Catholic church.

Jess.O · September 2010

This is interesting and I'm happy to see how respectful everyone is of the other opinions.

I grew up in a Baptist church but currently do not attend a church. I do however feel that I have a strong relationship with God. I believe that Jesus died for our sins. If you ask him to be your savior, have faith in him and ask for forgiveness you will go to Heaven. I also believe that all faiths have the same God, just in different forms. I also do not believe that someone would be sent to hell because they have never been taught about Christ. I don't think they would be judged for something they never knew. (That's the short version of what I think.)

shanwalk2 · September 2010

DH and I have been having lots of conversations about this lately.

I'm at a place in my life where I flat out don't know what I believe. Honestly, I think I may actually know what I believe and I'm just not ready to say it and have it be indefinite - but I'm getting there.

I, personally, don't think the bible is an accurate story of what anyone did or said - but more of a moral compass... that I think it out of date and I don't believe in anyway.

I'm not sure about god, higher powers, anything... I do believe in science. I don't believe in heaven or hell. I'm 100% pro choice. I think dancing, sexing, and drinking are all awesome if done within reason.

DH is on the same page in regards to my (dis) belifs... but still feels like we should find a church which seems a little crazy to me. He thinks the church is a great way to teach kids about morality, and they can make their own decisions about what they believe later on. (So we should just grin and bear it while we take them to church on Sundays).

I think by sending them to church I would be setting myself up to try to disprove most of the things they taught... but I dunno.

I think church is great for so many people, practiced religion is great for so many people - but I am not one of them.

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