The Word of God - Surprisingly indistinguishable from one's own personal opinion.

The fear that people I love will go there...that's another thing altogether.

baptism is the public announcement that you have asked / accepted Jesus into your life.
It’s like a symbol of death (old life), buried with Jesus, and rebirth (new life with Jesus)…. death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

I was very shy too... it helps to not look at the Congregation. i staired at the other side of the stairs. Preacher says your name and you walk down the steps. He puts you under (in - out) and lifts you up and you walk out. You Don’t even have to be able to hold your breath a long time - it’s that fast. The meaning behind is why it’s important.

People, by and large, always seem to think it's the other guy that's going to hell or in need of punishment, never themselves.

hence the folly of capital punishment.

still sporting a distaste for history I see.

I'm still interested in the answers to that original question so I promise to leave no further bait on my hooks.

I suppose this requires the question, what are the (your) requirements for going to Hell or being saved? If nobody is to be judged by their actions then what are the standards?

What about people who are good but don't know God or choose not to know him, following another faith or no faith at all. Are they condemned for their distance from God in spite of their good deeds in life?

So I'm gonna have to deal with a bunch of Hindu's in hell, huh? I can't understand 'em now whenever I call customer service.

But there's this whole thing before hand that I have to do, walk up and sit in a chair and say or tell the clerk that I want to be baptized. I've been struggling with incredible shyness and religion since this issue started. I just hate the feeling I get when I'm around people or in environments that make in nervous and uncomfortable I just avoid them. I just with there was another way I could do it. I don't like being around people sometimes. I wish I could get baptized without a crowd. I don't care if everyone has to know.

Okay, back on topic guys.

I also have to disagree with the idea that works are totally irrelevant to salvation. While works alone can never be sufficient, a faith that does not lead to good action is no faith at all:

I'll be the odd ball out (I'm kinda used to it), as a Christian I don't believe in a seprate physical hell; I believe we are living in hell now. As Scotty commented about how hell as being distant from "the light" of God, that is pretty much how I believe. I don't believe there is a physical place where souls are sent to be punished for all eternity. I truly believe that goes against what God stands for. I do believe, however, if one is not ready to enter heaven, has not lived a life worthy of heavens salvation, they are reborn unto earth to "try again".

Yeah I know I'm crazy.. but it's what I believe none-the-less

Well by what you describe, you're in Hell but I'm not. Since the only suffering involved in that definition of Hell is caused by the knowledge of being seperated from God (or just not being as close as you know you could/will be) then its useless against people like myself who do not believe in God, therefore I feel no pain of seperation. To me, this is simply how the world is.

If there is no seperate Hell then where will I go when I die? Will I be forced to sit outside the heavenly gates, seeing and understanding the love that is felt inside but unable to feel any of it? Or will I just cease to exist, which is pretty much what I believe to happen anyway?

I ask you to give me one reason why you think I should suffer forever. Why my rejection of a god concept, by the brain that this god supposedly gave me, will cause me to be in pain for all time.

mean, if only Christians are given life's reward has God condemned Asians, Aborigines, Muslims and Jews to hell, just because they weren't the right race at the right time knowing of the right faith

The comment was something like people even in the remote places has some idea of God or a god and have Christian-like teachings...at least that what I took it to mean. I need to find the comment.

As I was driving home yesterday ...

I was on a spirituality forum and someone posted a comment (I can't find it, but I'll try later) about people in remote places not being able to know of Christianity. The comment was something like people even in the remote places has some idea of God or a god and have Christian-like teachings...at least that what I took it to mean. I need to find the comment.

There is a huge difference between a God who sends people to hell (something I don't believe) and a person making a choice to deny God, which results in eternal separation (something I do believe).

But I fear that may be all too easy.