This is a follow up article to http://www.news24.com/MyNews24/Will-the-real-God-please-stand-up-20121123.
According to the Christians, the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ and according to the Muslims, worshipping Jesus will send you down under. Muslims are going to Christian hell and Christians are all going to Muslim hell (or maybe Muslim heaven as virgins) and both bet their eternal souls that they are correct.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.
Comment from N24 - "And when He created a flesh for Himself He became God in human flesh. For Muslims to deny Jesus is the same as denying GOD. But they like the Jews are blind to that fact."
Sura 5:72-73, 5:75“They do blaspheme who say: “God is Christ the son of Mary.” They do blaspheme who say: God is one of three in a trinity: for there is no God except one God Allah. If they do not desist from their word of blasphemy, verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them. Christ the son of Mary was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him.”
According to the Christians; God realized that he wasn't winning with us sinful beings so he sent down a middleman (who is himself) to die for our sins. The Jews and Muslims don't accept Jesus as being God and think it is a wiser decision to worship God directly. God doesn't like this and because they don't worship him as Jesus but rather as God, he is going to send them all to hell.
The Muslims accept Jesus as a mere prophet but not as God, they believe worshipping Jesus instead of God is a sure ticket to that everlasting pit of fire. Now the Jews apparently follow the Old Covenant but not the new (or Jesus) but are still God's chosen people so they might be lucky enough to escape eternal torture except for that small glitch that Jesus said they have to go through him (Jesus not God this time). But God loves the Jews (discrimination?) so they might escape Jesus' jealousy.
Do you see the dilemma we have here? We have three conflicting and confusing stories from 3 prominent groups who equally think they are right. Dedicating your life to the wrong version, no matter how you live your life, means everlasting torture.
Jesus may or may not have existed; I don't dispute his existence but sure do dispute his claims of being the son of (as well as) God. If Jesus did exist, he was a mere babbling preacher claiming miracles (quite common in this day and age as well). He was a good salesman and in an age of shepherds and gullibility managed to convince quite a few. I think you are taking a serious gamble with your soul worshipping the middleman who was more than likely just a mere mortal selling lies. Why would God send a person to hell for not worshipping him directly? God is Jesus and Jesus is God so what difference should it make if you live a noble life?
Comment from N24 - "Islam believes that good works define your character in the eyes of God, that these works gain His favor. Yet in the same instance, it is by the grace of God that you will see heaven. Meaning you could live a great life seeking God, yet be denied entrance to Heaven if God doesn't want it."
I am battling to grasp the just and loving God part. He loves us so much that he will send us to hell for simply being Jewish or Muslim or (be careful guys!) Christian. I did not receive a single response that God is just and loves us all equally and will take our good deeds into consideration. This just shows the tactics churches and preachers use to keep you locked in their specific belief system. A small misinterpretation on who Jesus is (was) warrants a one way ticket South. You can live a noble life, pray to God every night but miss that part about the earthly guy who claimed he was the son of God and oh dear, that makes God angry. Never mind us atheists, you believers are in trouble too.
God has 'grace' which is conditional upon what one believes. If you accepted Jesus, then he gives you 'grace'. If you happen to have unorthodox opinions (or you cut out the middle man), but nevertheless were a good person, then you deserve eternal torture. Few things are more stupid than that.
It is very tempting, eternal bliss - but we must recognize it for what it is: Immoral and unjust...and most probably unreal.
“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”Marcus Aurelius
Then again, who knows? Maybe we are all wrong and reincarnation is the correct belief and we are all coming back as dung beetles.
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
