h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I am an atheist, i dont believe in god. But that dosent make me evil, i care about my family and think that a lot of gods teachers, 'love thy neighbor' etc are good ideas. So if i died and discovered that god does exist wuld i got to hell?

It depends what kind of Christian you're asking.

You dont have to believ in god to be good, and if u dont believe in god it dosent make u evil

I knowthat, I'm an atheist. I'm just answering your question. There are many subsections of Christianity so an atheist's entry into Hell would be dependent on which you ask.

I mean the range stratches from "You'll get to Heaven if you are a good person regardless" to "You're not a Christian, you don't take the Bible literally, you believe in evolution, you go burn now."

It's also worthwhile to know that some branches of the Christian religion do not believe that there is a "hell" in the commonly construed fashion, nor a separate supernatural being aka Satan. Some would also say that there is no action as such that a person can do to "deserve" salvation - it's a gift from God rather than something that can be earnt.

As said by The Cat, it sort of depends on what kind of Christian you're asking.

okay, my first instinct is towards atheism but i have this nasty fear of hell holding me back

That's got nothing to do with atheism unless you're worried a sentient being put it there...

The fear of hell is exactly what is being played upon people by those who seek to control. It's a classic "carrot and stick" approach. If religion didn't already exist and someone only came up with the idea of religion in today's society, "pay me some of yor money and you will get a reward after you die", I suspect that they would be quickly put in gaol as a con-artist. Unfortunately power corrupts and history is littered with examples of atruistic roots being overtaken by those with less pure motives.

its an irritating little fear, i dont really believe in god but, but what if im wrong? what if god is real and i suffer eternal punishment? I guess i shouldnt start going church just because i fear that there is hell to pay if god is real, its not a good enough reason, i dont really believe. Its weird, a yr ago i had no problem with being an athist, y now i wonder?

Then that would make you agnostic...

thats what i thought but im not sure, a few months ago i was totally atheist and didnt care

i guess every single non christian person in the worldis at risk of going to hell (if god is real, i doubt it) because they dont believe, it dont bother them, it shouldnt bother me

Agnosticism is the most logical viewpoint, and requires the least faith. It's also a bit of a cop-out really. The only way you can know for certain God does not exist is to be God, the only way you can know for certain God does exist is to be God. Of course, either way there is a God.

here's a question for ya - if heaven and hell are mutually exclusive to each other (i.e. - "i believe in heaven so hell must exist" and vice versa) then an atheist has nothing to worry about, right? with no belief in a god and paradise, there can also exist no belief in a satan and hell! Home free!

unless you happen to be a satanic atheist...

satanic atheist would be an interesting one!
also, not beleiving in God and believing there is no God are different things.

anyhow, as to the question, I would think you're right, if there is no God, no heaven, no satan, no hell, then all you have is now. You can do what you like, but make the most of it

I'm an atheist, but I believe God lives in Bournemouth, and is a retired History Professor...

I am a atheist in all logical thinking but emotionally i don't want to give up on the immortal soul bit.

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This is the logic of Pascal's wager. The trouble is, it doesn't suggest a belief in the Christian God, but in whatever religion makes the biggest threat to non-believers.

And believing somebody just because they threaten you, well, it won't win you a Nobel prize.

I think a lot of Christians (but not weirdo fundamentalist ones) would say that if a person led a morally good life and behaved like a Christian ideally should (love thy neighbour, etc.), then they would go to heaven.

However, if you post things in txtspeak then you automaticaly go to hell.

Ste

I appear to be the odd one out here.

I don't have a particular belief in the existence or non-existence of a god (or many gods).

However if you look at most of the religions, the reward for being a slave to religion on earth is an eternal servitude after you die.

This doesn't seem to be that good a deal to me.

So, if heaven exists, I hope hell does too, as it would give me somewhere to go when I failed the entry exam for heaven (by not being willing to do the eternal servitude).

Of course, if there is a choice of afterlife, valhalla sounds like a better bet to me.