Other religions, gods, and heaven.

[Chocolate Bar]

;D

[Vanador]

For those of you who wanted me to elaborate more im sory that i havent been on for a while to do so.

what i was talking about is of gods like the golden calf that people make with there one hands. then worship it as if it were sent to them by the god to show them what he/she realy looks like. many of the egyption god's were done this way. along with a few others done by the greeks to explain how things worked.

[GDL]

I'm not judging in anyway at all but how could they call themselves Christians.The Father said he's the only G9od Jesus said it to that's enough proof for me!

[Vanador]

I agree with you about God being the only way. some people seem to think that they can worship some thing that they have made because they have some sort of power. Such as Isis who suposedly has the power of watching over all of her choldren and protect all women. in any way that shee semes fit. This is a godess of the Pagan religion and what i put down is all that they know about her and her avilities.

[GDL]

I thought that she was an Egyptian Goddess.

[ApologeticChrist]

Indeed she was. The Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Chinese, Japanese, Hindu and pretty much every non-Christian religion (save Judaism and Islam) can really be classified as pagan. My Google search for "pagan" (yes, I indeed was too lazy to go find an actual dictionary) revealed that it is any religion not believing in the God of Christianity, or our God.

No discrepancy here.

-R. S. of UC

[GDL]

Mop just because a person leads a good life means nothing if they don't know Jesus.They could do everything that's nice and try to always set good examples for people but it would all be useless if they didn't know Jesus Christ.

[TheCatholic]

I think that those that never had an opportunity to know Jesus (Native Americans before Columbus, etc), but lived good lives have the ability to get to heaven.

It is interesting to note that up until the reign of King Josiah (And the writing of the Book of Deuteronomy), many Hebrews were duotheisic: They believed in and worshipped a god named 'Ashura', supposedly God's wife. And some also believed in the exsistance of other gods, but did not worship them, as God commanded them to worship only Him. Interesting, huh?

[GDL]

NO they wouldn't before Jesus it was only meant for the Jews.
(this is hard for me to say because I am part indian.

[TheCatholic]

Why? Even the Jews have the concept of a 'Righteous Gentile', who, as long as they follow a commandments 2-10, could go to heaven. And that is in spite of the fact that these gentiles would not necesarily accept God as their god. Why is it so hard for us as Christians to believe that righteous non-Christians, who had NO OPPORTUNITY AT ALL to know Christ, and thus did not ACTIVELY REJECT HIM, but lived good lives, be d**ned to Hell? Its not their fault being born where they were...

[GDL]

Gentiles were lost unless they became Jews and all the males in there family were circumsized as it says in the bible.

[Armany]

TheCatholic said:

It is interesting to note that up until the reign of King Josiah (And the writing of the Book of Deuteronomy), many Hebrews were duotheisic: They believed in and worshipped a god named 'Ashura', supposedly God's wife. And some also believed in the exsistance of other gods, but did not worship them, as God commanded them to worship only Him. Interesting, huh?

The Israelites were under constant influence by their Canaanite neighbors and their abhorring practices, which included, as you said, idol worship and other absolutely abominable practices that I don't really even want to talk about. However, knowing at least a little about what Israelites were tempted to do, it was easy to see why God wanted all Canaanite prisoners executed. They were destructive to their own societies, and He didn't want that to spread to the Jews.

That said, some Israelites did indeed worship pagan gods. In fact, because of Israel's position in Palestine, many of the pagan deities were centered around agriculture and the annual rainfall rates (since Palestine does not have a major river such as the Euphrates/Tigris and Nile, they depend on rain). Whenever the Israelis encountered hard times, those with little faith could probably easily apostasize themselves and go to pagan gods that supposedly promised rainfall and fertile crops.

[Armany]

Why? Even the Jews have the concept of a 'Righteous Gentile', who, as long as they follow a commandments 2-10, could go to heaven. And that is in spite of the fact that these gentiles would not necesarily accept God as their god. Why is it so hard for us as Christians to believe that righteous non-Christians, who had NO OPPORTUNITY AT ALL to know Christ, and thus did not ACTIVELY REJECT HIM, but lived good lives, be d**ned to Hell? Its not their fault being born where they were...

You have a point, and in fact there is a verse somewhere in Romans that may possibly suggest that God pardons ignorant sinners. However, with the promulgation of the Word today so widespread, that principle can surely not apply totally anymore, and I don't know that it did in the first place. I don't know, though, it's in God's hands.

Gentiles were lost unless they became Jews and all the males in there family were circumsized as it says in the bible.

Yes, I think that that was true, GDL. I sure am glad that Jesus came with salvation and mercy for non-Jews like me, though.

[GDL]

Well when Jesus came that cancelled out the old covenant.

[Armany]

That's what I was trying to say, but it may not have came out like that. It happens sometimes.

But yeah, we are now free from the Law. I don't know everything about it, but in Romans Paul sure does do a good job 'splaining it.

[GDL]

yep.

[Geberia]

It is intresting- polls are taken asking the question, Do you believe in God? 90% of Americans say yes. But we really should be asking the question, Do you Believe what God said? There's quite a difference there.

No, no animal heaven (my poor cats and guniea pig)