OK. So pretty much ever since I was young I’ve had this question: Is God restricted to his traditional names? I mean can an entity SO powerful be restricted to an image as simple as this? Did every person after the death of Jesus go to hell simply because they never heard the “message?” I honestly believe that Jesus is the savior of this world, but what about the natives in Madagascar? Are they screwed because Mommy and Daddy told them X god was true when it was really Y? Or does God take many forms in many places to fit the cultures and time? These questions are pretty hard to answer I’m sure but I really want to hear all of your opinions on it… Because I’ve NEVER received a straight answer on this – Whether it be from my parents, my youth leader, or the pastor of my church. It’s just REALLY holding me back in my faith. How can I believe in something that punishes people for the mere “crime” of lacking education?

My honest view on this topic is that EVERYONE who ever lived has a chance to either except Jesus or deny him. Whether it’s natives in Madagascar, children that die before they can make their own decisions , or every single person that died before Jesus walked the earth will have an opportunity to make the choice. Jesus said: “No one comes the the Father except through me.” My understanding about our reality and this strange physical property that we’re bound to called time, in which we can move forward and look back but not move back or look forward is this: Once you die you will reach the gates of Heaven at the same moment as everyone else who ever lived. There I believe that if you have not had the opportunity to hear the good news and decide for yourself you will be given the choice to accept Jesus as your redeemer or deny Him.

Interesting question,jestervr…How can one seriously expect those who have never even heard of Jesus,God,and all their notions of behaviour be expected to embrace the Christian faith…abs made a very interesting comment about all those who die get to choose to accept Jesus as their personal saviour…Believe you me…When I die…If I’m standing before any gates,pearly or other wise…I’m going to play ball with anyone on the other side of said gates who seems in charge…I’d likely want to have a chat with God and his son about what a poor job they were doing expecting non-believers to buy stories about burning bushes that talk…people being turned into pillars of salt,etc. ...”God…come on now…”

Jest, You are responsible (not personally, christians en masse) for informing those Madagascar natives and all other populations of your good news. It says so in the bible. I don’t think that they have to convert (you’re supposed to try to convince them, tho). I read a fantasy story once about the last person on earth being informed. The gist of it was Boom! Rapture!

Yeah i guess that makes sense… but I think more what i was trying to ask (whether it came across this way or not) was if some hermit could worship boktar the god of tree people until he died, but lived his life with kindness and compassion, isn’t that enough? I mean we picture God as a bearded white man, but who cares really? That’s obviously NOT what he is… Who says God can’t be “boktar?” I mean how the hell is this guy supposed to come up with the word “God” if nobody tells him. Plus, whats the difference ya know?

Responding to Kookoo: Yeah I know that’s the responsibility of Christians, but i guess I more referring to the time before mass evangelism was around like it is now.

jestervr…I hope you like the new tree I’m giving you for “boktar’s day”...Like the old hermit…do any and all forms of religion/meditation which bring joy to your life…And being a good and decent person to others is what it’s all about…

AL may be right, you may have a chance to accept Christ before you’re sent off to your final destination. (As if i can interpret scripture) So, if Boktar led a good life, but doesn’t accept Christ when given the chance, I think he’s screwed according to the way I read it in there (and, of course, I have read it but these interpretations are so relative for nonbelievers). Concordance, please! AL, you should write one! Jest, Jesus is quoted as saying that you are to spread word of him, so it’s kinda been around for all time (at least the A.D. part).
rb, a brazil nut tree would be a good one for me, my parrot loves them and so do I.

waves his sandal at kookoo…’It is a sign…”

To recap and clarify. It does NOT matter if you live a “good” life or not. The Bible states the ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are all born with the sin “gene” if you will. Hence, the plan of redemption. It is God’s will that NONE should parish, but all would repent and have everlasting LIFE. It’s true we Christians are called to spread the word of God, and that was an interesting proposal about the trigger for the rapture. I hold to the view that there is a contingency plan for those not presented with the gospel in their natural lifetime.

The notion that all folk are born with sin is one of the big controversial(comic) issues atheists have with conservative Christians…I’ll go with the idea of living a good,kindly life…

Jestervr. Those who never heard of Jesus or where before him where judged on how they lived their life’s. It’s not a “you go to hell if you haven’t heard of him” thing at all. Theres an innate sense of moral that most (sane) people feel, and even the not sane show remorse. So if you where a good person and did what you though was right, your not judged on any other level then someone who went to church every day, its the person who knows and doesn’t question and search for the truth that is the one subject to the repercussions.

I Think God has a different name because there are many languages but there is only one God, its not possible that a Christian God is any other God then a Christian one because they stand for something else. Peanut butter can be translated into a different language and called different things but the name never changes what it is at the core.

I think the problem nonbelievers have when “interpreting” the bible is they do it themselves, they dont seek someone who is well read, and unfortunately not all clergy are. They tend to pick and choose these little things that don’t make sense when you first read them (and makes sense why, different time, different culture, i could go on, look at even the black vs white culture differences in THIS time that should be enough to have it make sense) but when someone who knows what the are talking about explains it, it makes a lot more sense. Its kind of how rumors are started someone hears a little part of something then goes blurting it all over without knowing the whole story, we’ve all be victims of it I’m sure.

and absoluteliquid, no thats not what the bible says at all. if you know the truth AND then decide to deny it then thats when you are turning away.

I enjoyed your post Lukasz, well done. Maybe I have too conservative of a view here… could you clarify on what the Bible says nothing at all?

lukasz…non-believers have no trouble “interpreting” the Bible…they just consider it nonsense…

lukasz, I recently answered a question of yours in the original God Still Loves Us thread.(about errors in the bible) Part of my answer is up there in your post on this thread and I KNOW you havent read my answer yet. Take a look and see… how very interesting. I must really have it all figured out! (lol). Everyone interprets the bible based on their faith, all faiths aren’t the same so there will be interpretations that others don’t agree with. Some really far-out faiths who are not well read like you say could be interpreting things in some really far-out ways…well, look at it, I give some silly and completely understandable examples, but don’t want to ruin it for you so trot on over there (lol). I should be able to levitate soon, I am becoming just that splendid (plus that mindreading thing seems to be working both ways, now…practice makes perfect!)

imagines kookoo as a balloon in your Macy Parade…

Read “The Christ Conspiracy: THE GREATEST STORY EVER SOLD” i think it may give you some insight :]

Islam has this same idea about the one and only god, and that this life is your only chance in finding “him.”

So, who do I believe?

Islam says there’s this one god, and Christianity says there’s another. Who’s right? The religion that can convert more people? The better manipulators? Or, to be more historically accurate, the better murderers?

I’m right.

But seriously here’s how I interpret your question: Who’s right? The convert=christianity manipulators=eastern religions murderers=islam

I can say what’s right for me and you have to decide what’s right for you. No one else can answer your question for you.

I don’t think you got my point. Yes, many have been murdered in the name of Islam. But many more have been murdered in the name of Christianity. Why has it survived? Mostly because it has been wielded as a power. It just happened to be in the hands of the more powerful people, historically. Had the religion been Islam, instead, probably the same would’ve happened, sure. But shouldn’t I be wary of a spiritual path that brought about so much bloodshed and power mongering?

To Biancacadot…

Oh…but those regular non god believing people over the course of history have never committed an atrocity. Right:|

You should be wary of it. Something humans use as political tool isn’t anything divine. Your know killing is wrong so how could you support a religion based on killing all those who are opposed to it?

joew…not answering for biancourt…

Christians and other moralizing religious types should be held to a higher standard of behaviour than us poor heretics…I don’t HAVE to be good and kind…You really must be…

The church’s biggest flaw is that it is full of people.

“And Jesus said to them,”Most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was I AM.”

Maybe it is not because of Religion that killed all those people, but the people that thought of their religion being the only one and so have wars with the other people not believing on them. Didn’t Catholics in the middle ages acted way differently than Jesus’s example? By the use of indulges and to convert people by force?

Sain…Protestants killed Catholics in those times too…most world religions have oppressed the minorities within their reach at some period…