Do people of different faiths/religions go to Heaven?

General Faith
182

@Bestill Look at the answer. Am I really talking about my feelings? Twisty

Look at their answers, their methodology, their tone. Look how the conversation moves from one person responding to another, but is there really a change between what’s being said or how it is being said? The one track focus. The lack of deviation. The goal. Like a flock of vultures circling above. Like sharks in the water when they smell blood.

And the compliments. My God, it’s like a man shaking his own hand in salutations and celibration..

Look at what I wrote and compare it with the answer given. Not a reply. A distraction. A detour.

183

Love, your calling, and very commendable-but…

You are right to speak of God’s love, but you are wrong when you isolate it from the rest of who God has revealed Himself to be, because Scripture never permits us to extract one attribute and enthrone it as if it alone defines Him.

When John says God is love in ~1 John 4:8, he is not offering a reductionist definition but a covenantal description of how God acts toward His people in Christ, and that same letter also speaks plainly of sin, judgment, confession, and advocacy through the blood of Jesus Christ, showing that divine love operates through holiness and truth, not in denial of them, as seen in ~1 John 1:7–9 and ~1 John 2:1–2.

God Himself declares that He is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving devotion, yet in the same breath He says He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, which means love and justice are not competing traits but coordinated expressions of the same righteous character, as revealed in ~Exodus 34:6–7.

The prophets never present divine love as permissiveness, because the God who loves Israel also disciplines her, wounds in order to heal, and brings covenant lawsuits against rebellion, all of which flow from faithfulness rather than cruelty, as stated in ~Hosea 6:1–6 and ~Isaiah 1:16–20.

At the cross itself, the place where love is most clearly displayed, you do not see sentimentality but judgment borne, wrath absorbed, sin condemned in the flesh of Christ Jesus, which means love is defined by sacrifice and justice satisfied, not by the suspension of moral truth, as Paul explains in ~Romans 3:24–26 and ~Romans 8:3.

When you preach love without holiness, mercy without repentance, grace without transformation, you are not preaching the God of Scripture but a truncated image shaped by human preference, because the same Lord who welcomes sinners also commands them to repent and walk in the light, as Jesus Himself declares in ~John 8:11 and ~John 14:15.

God’s love does not erase His sovereignty, His righteousness, His wrath against sin, or His role as Judge of all the earth, and Scripture warns repeatedly that selective theology is a form of self deception, because it listens to what comforts while refusing what confronts, as shown in ~2 Timothy 4:3–4 and ~Hebrews 12:5–11.

If you truly love God, then you must proclaim Him as He has revealed Himself fully, loving, holy, just, patient, and uncompromising in truth, because anything less is not faithfulness but distortion, and distortion always weakens the gospel rather than magnifying the glory of Christ crucified and risen.

My 2 cents.

J.

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184

On the contrary, @Johann I do believe in God’s Judgement. I do believe in Repentance, Atonement, Transformation, and Consequence. I never said I didn’t. Somehow you guys miss every moment that I mention it.

I only disagree with what you call sins and how you seem to define them. You use the Bible, a book that is made up of a long list of other books, poems, and letters that were all written, and rewritten countless times by men. A gathering of books that have been passed down by men, possibly retooled as each generation of priests saw fit. And how do we know this? Jeremiah himself, 8:8, sounds the alarm and says in Scripture; the scribes have lied. Plain as day. He warns, “How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us,’ when in fact the lying pen of the scribes has produced a deception?”

You are using the Bible to judge what a sin is. But we see here, something has twisted what is written…You cannot go based on that alone. It cannot guide you. And it cannot save you anymore than it saved them.

The Bible was chosen by ordinary men, like yourself, with or without the guidance of God. And while I have complete faith in God, and Christ, and God’s Word, I do not have faith in men and those who handle it. The Word of God is unerring. The Bible? I have my doubts. And that is where you and I cannot meet.

I use the Law of LOVE. Sin is a lack of LOVE. And I don’t mean a feeling. I mean treating another’s life as if it were your own, if you LOVED yourself. The Teachings of Christ shows us what God wants for our lives. They teach us how to read the Law, how to treat each other, how to tell what a sin is. Even how to tell whether a Teaching is of Christ or not.

When you look at the Old Testament from this perspective, of Christ, you begin to see where the Priests moved into error. But when you look at Christ through their eyes, you see the world in a different way entirely. From the false pen of the Scribes.

And I do agree, God’s character does show Anger, because God is not anyone’s Puppet. Because LOVE does lead to Righteous Anger when you see suffering, and bullies, and the mistreatment of the innocent and the vulnerable.

And the Bible does show people coming into Judgement. But the Old Testament shows us a clear picture that whole peoples bare the consequence. Not just singular sinners. Whole Cities and Nations.

There are natural consequences to sin. And there are consequences directly guided by His Hand. And all Judgement hangs over all people, as does Death. Even Christians face a form of accounting, measured by what they did and what they did not do. And God separates those who truly belong to Christ, who are measured by what they did with what was given to them by God, and those who were only Christian when it was convenient and popular, at face value alone with no real internal transformation from slave to son or daughter, who are judged with every other sinner for the good or evil that they did.

And make no mistake, any Christians who follows the AntiChrist against God’s people will pay the consequence for that. Any Christians who support the AntiChrist in causing evil, harm, and destruction in this Nation or any other will pay the consequence for that, cast out into the cold and the darkness where they will know true regret. And make no mistake, pleading ignorance will not save you. Because if you knew Christ at all, then you would have known who the AntiChrist was by behavior alone. The fruit of the spirit. God is not a Fool, though some people may believe it so.

Scripture also shows us that Forgiving others, and showing other’s Grace, is returned to us, which is one really good reason why we should practice it. For our own sakes if not for those other people whom God also LOVES.

And it shows us that God also always leaves a Remnant to return from Exile. God does separate a small portion to survive and return with the world when it comes under full Judgement and complete devastation. And make no mistake, I believe we are approaching that Day.

185

Elaborate a bit more on this @Tillman

“A Christian, follower of the WAY, following the anti-Christ…AGAINST God’s people?”

J.

186

@Johann

Reread what I wrote. you may have read it before I added more. Deception leads many to their doom. Even those who think they know Christ or pretend to.

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187

What makes one a “knowing” Christian @Tillman ?

You say:

“Even those who think they know Christ or pretend to?”

Care to elaborate? I really want to know and see your POV.

Shalom brother.

J.

188

Not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a Christian. And not everyone who claims to know Christ actually does.

The Gospels show us this. There will be those who claim they know Christ, but Christ will say, away from me.

The Gospel also speaks of the weed and the wheat. And just like with Jeremiah 8:8, there is a lie in place. The enemy has sown lies to lead people astray.

In my perspective, there are those who are drawn to Christ and His Teachings. And amazing things are born from it. They are truly transformed and moved in the Spirit and become living vessels that carry that Spirit throughout the world, causing great change for the good.

And then there are those who are broken, injured, hurt, and struggle. Sometimes they come through it and do amazing things. But sometimes they don’t, and God is with them regardless. God sees them and knows them, but they are unable to rise to a place where they can do any good for others let alone themselves because the struggle keeps them stuck in place. So growth and fruit is minimal, or more so in some areas than others.

There are those who are long time Christians, born in the church and never left it. Sometimes they are amazingly loving and kind beautiful souls who live for God. .They were taught what a Christian is and isn’t. But sometimes there is a bit of smugness to their faith. Or a sort of Patriotism based on being a member of the Church alone. It’s about the identity rather than a transformation that has taken place. No real change has occurred because there is an error that says, “I am doing all the right things and I don’t need to change.” But being a Christian is not about outer appearances. Its’s about what is in the heart, which produces the fruit. A person can do all sorts of good deeds and still murder people in their hearts.

And there are those who are drawn to the lies. The lies do not bare the Fruit of the Spirit in a person’s life, while the Truth does. And while the Truth strives to save lives, and souls, the Lies do not. They pursue the damnation, murder, and destruction of others. This is the sole focus of their hearts. They use every opportunity to tear down, discourage, trampling the start of growth and change for the better, to destroy.

There is a reason why we are called to return kindness to those who wrong us. Instead of judging and cursing others, retaliating or causing hurt or harm. And that is because the act itself is a seed of the fruit it grows. Curses begat curses, blessings begat blessings, kindness begats kindness, judgement begats judgement. And we reap what we sow. It always returns to us, and we will eventually harvest it.

Those who follow the Lies will naturally be drawn to the AntiChrist because he is the embodiment of everything they have in their own hearts. They will praise him, claim he is God sent, and cheer him on with every evil act he does. And eventually, he will claim he is God, or higher than God. It is a natural progression of sinfulness and lawlessness.

He will respect no Law, only his own Desires as they rise. Following the wickedness of the flesh rather than the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And just as Christ saved many in his wake, the AntiChrist will take many in his. They will all rush together to their doom. The consequences to their actions will come. And God help all those who must deal with this madness now, and endure it, until this all has played out and he meets his fate, and God, face to face.

189

I have taken the liberty to insert the scripture references @Tillman …this correct?

Not everyone who claims to be a Christian is truly one, and not everyone who professes to know Christ actually does. Jesus Himself warned of this in ~Matthew 7:21–23, where He says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name? …’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’” The verb ἐπιγινώσκω (epiginōskō, to know fully) emphasizes relational, experiential knowledge, not mere verbal acknowledgment.

The Gospel likewise teaches about wheat and weeds (τὰ ζιζάνια ta zizania), illustrating the presence of genuine and counterfeit growth within the field of God’s people (~Matthew 13:24–30). Like Jeremiah warns, the enemy sows lies that deceive the hearts of many (~Jeremiah 8:8, ἀπάτη apate, deceit or fraud).

There are those genuinely drawn to Christ and His teachings; they are transformed by the Spirit, bearing fruit (καρπός karpos) that impacts the world (~Galatians 5:22–23, fruit of the Spirit). Their hearts are renewed (καινὴ κτίσις kainē ktisis), and their lives produce evidence of divine work (~2 Corinthians 5:17).

Then there are those who are broken, hurting, or trapped in life’s trials. Scripture affirms that God sees, knows, and sustains them (~Psalm 34:18; ~Romans 8:38–39), even when they cannot rise to fullness of fruit. Growth may be uneven (~Hebrews 5:12–14), and transformation may be limited by ongoing struggle, but God’s presence is constant.

There are also long-time Christians, born in the faith, sometimes marvelously loving and faithful (~1 Peter 2:9), yet occasionally prideful or bound to identity rather than heart transformation (~Matthew 23:25–28). External conformity without inner change is useless, for the heart (καρδία kardia) produces the fruit that defines righteousness (~Luke 6:43–45). One can perform good works yet harbor murderous intent in the heart (~1 John 3:15).

In contrast, those drawn to lies bear no true fruit of the Spirit (~Galatians 5:19–21), but pursue destruction, murder, and deceit. The heart that thrives on evil naturally aligns with lawlessness, whereas the Spirit-guided heart seeks life, restoration, and reconciliation (~Romans 12:14–21; ~James 3:18). Sowing and reaping (σπείρω speirō) is literal and spiritual: curses produce curses, blessings produce blessings (~Galatians 6:7–9).

Those bound to deceit will gravitate toward the Antichrist, who embodies their own lawless desires (~2 Thessalonians 2:3–4). He will honor no law but his own will (θέλημα thelēma), acting in lawlessness (ἀνομία anomia), following the flesh rather than the Spirit (~Romans 8:5–8). Many will follow him to destruction (~Revelation 13:8). Consequences are inevitable, and only God’s judgment will ultimately confront evil (~Psalm 7:11; ~Revelation 19:11–21).

Until that day, God calls His people to faithfulness, endurance, and discernment (~James 1:12; ~1 Corinthians 15:58). The hope of resurrection (~1 Corinthians 15:42–44) and union with Christ (~Romans 6:5) sustains those who walk in Spirit-led obedience, distinguishing truth from deceit and light from darkness.

Is this what you mean brother?

J.

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190

Now THAT is the problem. You do not believe the Bible when it clearly tells you what sin is, yet you try to claim it, to say it says what you agree with, whether it does or not. You really cannot have it both ways @Tillman

Jeremiah 8 reveals the depth of Judah’s willful apostasy and the inescapable nature of the coming judgment. It’s a diagnosis of a nation spiritually sick beyond self-cure, led by corrupt religious authorities who dispense lies instead of truth. The people are portrayed as unnatural in their rebellion, failing to recognize God’s law even as animals follow their created instincts. This rejection of divine wisdom makes God’s fierce, comprehensive judgment—a reversal of all they hold sacred—inevitable. The chapter culminates in Jeremiah’s own profound grief, a lament that mirrors God’s own sorrow over a people who refuse the very healing offered to them.

The Slogan of the False Elite: “We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us,” was likely a common refrain of the temple establishment. They saw possession of the Torah scrolls as a guarantee of wisdom and divine favor. The Lying Pen: The phrase “the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie” does not mean the scribes physically altered the biblical text. Rather, their interpretations, teachings, and applications twisted the Law’s true meaning. They used it to create a false sense of security, ignoring the covenant curses and the prophetic warnings within that very Law. They claimed to have the Law (Torah) but rejected the Word (dabar) of the Lord—the living, prophetic message God sent through Jeremiah. True wisdom is inseparable from obedience to God’s current revelation.

It clearly does not mean what you are attempting to indicate. Either the whole Bible is correct and true, and it is, or none of it is correct and true. You keep trying to justify sin by calling it love. Sorry, you are simply wrong.

Peter

191

Nicely done @PeterC

J.

192

Definitly did not mean what he claimed. That is the easiet explination to explain it I could find. But thanks.

Peter

193

Don’t forget to rest brother, I need it too.

J.

194

Definitely. Must be wrong. The only answer must be the one that allows us to hold our position without question. Let’s give ourselves high fives as we rest with ease now that we easily explain how “he” must be wrong. Without question.

Yes, do rest, my dears. I will not trouble you any more with my outrageous beliefs. And never mind about any concern regarding the antiChrist amongst us, or following greed, or letting murder go undealt with within us. Yes, my dears, rest. For the days ahead shall be pleasant for all of us who pretend the darkness is not gathering overhead.

Blessings, my lovelies.

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195

Returning back focus to the post, yes, I believe so. I mean, not sure about “heaven” per say, whether it is real or just a construct of human imagination… But amazing how a group of Buddhist Priests from Houston could do something so aligned with God’s Will. While the Christian Church seems to be gridlocked somehow with no idea what to do…or a desire to do it…. And all those people, experiencing the Spirit of Peace from just being around the priests of an entirely different religion…. Such Faith, and Dedication. Even a willingness to suffer for the cause. Just a march for Peace without judging others, without condemnation, without accusation, without picket signs or blow horns, or screaming. They aren’t even doing a membership drive. No call for converts. Just walking with a Godly desire for Peace to grow. God Bless them.

196

You are not alone in the struggle, brother. While I may not agree with every point, I am beginning to discern the direction and substance of what you are conveying.

Hold on and stand fast. We are in for a bumpy ride.

J.

197

Yeah. Fellings. They march because they FEEL they are right and just. It does not mean they are right and just. If I say you can come to my House, and I will give you the thing, and you read that, and you decide to come to my house, you get the thing. However, if I tell you, or someone else tells you to come to my house, at 123 Lane, and I will give you the thing, and you say, well, I want it in the field. I want it over there. I do not think I should have to go to Pete’s house. Or you say, surely there is another way to get the thing without having to believe in Pete, you would simply be wrong.

The truth does not care about your feelings. The truth just is. The Bible is Truth. God is real. The only way to get to Him is through Jesus. Jesus IS God. There is no other way. It matters not how you feel about it, what you think about it, and has no reliance on your acceptance. It simply is the Truth.

Hope you come to realize the Truth one day soon, before it is too late. God bless.

Peter

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198

Indeed, brother, they FEEL. They feel the feeling of being right with God, Perfect Peace that cannot be deterred by any of the squawking lies or accusations of the Enemy or those with warped, determined minds who preach his lies, who strive so hard to distort the Truth.

I LOVE that feeling.

And it’s so much better than the compulsion to be at war with others, to wage a battle that can never be won. To struggle, in sin, against others for even the most minor of infractions because we have yet to truly repent of our own sins. Because we have yet to step away from this wretched battle within ourselves and with the world. And to become a Servant of God who works toward the PEACE and SALVATION of ALL.

God Bless.

-Beloved Child of God

199

@Hungry, please tell us what the specific book, chapter, verse are for your references, and we can discuss it.

200

On going to heaven? or would you like to talk about something else? Honestly we are a long way from getting to that subject. I would think. But i have read quite a bit of the bible and am open to discuss anything you would like to. Backed with scripture. Of course.

201

@Reine, yes, God created the universe in Genesis 1 & 2. However, what happened in chapter three altered all humans until Jesus comes the second time when he will perfect believers. You don’t have much emphasis on humans’ fall into self-centeredness when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.

All other religions have the idea that we must earn our way to heaven by our good lives. The Bible’s teaching is that salvation is a free gift; we never deserve it. That’s the reason the Father sent Jesus, the God-man, to live a perfect life, suffer, and die to satisfy his just verdict of guilty and deliver us from his eternal punishment. Furthermore, his permanent resurrection gives believers permanent life.

No other belief system has such an amazing rescue, which all we have to do is accept.

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