Are You A Good Person?

[Evan-Ed]

If there is a Heaven, do you think you are good enough to go there? To answer this question, try taking this test to see if you are a good person: (I know that I'm not.)

1. Have you ever told a lie?("white" lies are still lies.) What do you call someone who tells lies and are you one?

2. Have you ever stolen anything? (Even when you were a kid.) What do you call someone who steals and are you one?

3. Have you ever looked someone with lust? Jesus said, "Whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:28)

4. Have you ever you used God's name to curse? That's called blasphemy. "The Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." (Exodus 20:7)

This is only four of the ten commandments. So IF God were to judge you based on the ten commandments, would you be innocent or guilty? Heaven or Hell? If you have failed any or all of these commandments, than you are not a good person by God's standard.

Now the common response is: "Okay, so I'm not perfect." or "I haven't killed anybody."
But remember the standard is God's perfect law, not other people. God only considers good to be moral perfection! Which none of us are and therefore the whole world is guilty before him!

*The Bad News: We all have sinned (violated God's law: such as lying, stealing, and so on.) and fall short to the glory of God (Romans 3:23). God can not tolerate sin and will punish for it because of his holiness and justice (Isaiah 13:11). Which means that there is no one who is good, but God alone, and the wages of sin is death(Hell). (Romans 3:10-18, Romans 6:23)

Don't worry there is hope!

*The Good News: The good news is that God loved us so much that he sent his son to take the punishment for our sins, so who that whoever believes in him should not go to hell but have everlasting life (John 3:16, with emphasis). All you need to is repent from your sins and place your faith in Jesus Christ. The moment you do that you will be forgiven from your sins and know and will be granted everlasting life into heaven. (Romans 10:13)

Now, the final question is: Will you place your faith/trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and repent from your sins today and accept the free gift of eternal life?

[argorstran]

The Bible is a long and complicated historical document which has been translated a number of times from the languages that the scripts were originally written in .Some of its passages are metaphoric , allegorical or symbolic rather than literal explanations eg Revelation . Some of it is poetry - Psalms . Jesus himself often spoke in parables .
In this context , is quoting a couple of unusual verses and demanding a concrete explanation of their meaning , dare I say it , irrational ?

[naomi24]

Who is qualified to decide which parts are intended to be viewed metaphorically, or allegorically, or symbolically, or literally? Unless you are happy to take someone else’s word for it – which, bearing in mind no one knows any more about it than anyone else, is a very foolish thing to do - for that reason alone it’s perfectly rational to question any part of it.

[Answerprancer]

That's my whole point Naomi, until the OP returns to discuss his responses properly, my default assumption is that he is of the dogmatic persuasion.
"...but how do you KNOW it's true?!"
"...because it is written" (smug smile)

[argorstran]

...." who is qualified to decide which parts are intended to be viewed metaphorically, or allegorically, or symbolically, or literally?".....
Exactly - this is why taking a couple of verses out of context and demanding a concrete explanation for them is a bit unfair .
(My remark was aimed at Keyplus).

[naomi24]

AP, //my default assumption is that he is of the dogmatic persuasion. //

If he's one of Ray's herd, make no mistake - he is!

[Answerprancer]

Who is this "Ray"?

[lcg]

omg.....we could die at any time???? best get on with enjoying myself, then ;-)

[naomi24]

Argorstran, I don't think Keyplus has taken verses out of context. His question is valid. Why is it unfair to question anything that other people want you to believe?

[naomi24]

AP.

http://www.livingwaters.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30&;Itemid=130

[Answerprancer]

Ah, one of those.

[vulcan]

Another "good" man making millions out of the gullible.Naomi is absolutely right, an example from my own life. When my wife was dying an acquaintance at work, a JW, told me "only prayer will save her". When asked why he more or less said "because". The Ironic part is that a few years later his MinL was diagnosed with cancer and he took her to every person he could think of including a Doctor who was a humanist and a specialist who was an atheist. Suddenly prayer wasn't the only answer.

[mibn2cweus]

//This is Ray Comfort's Good Person test//

http://www.gotquestions.org/way-of-the-master.html

So when do we get to the part about tithing . . . and how do I get my cut?

[naomi24]

Mibs, dream on. Their mission ‘seeks to witness to the lost’, so for you to benefit they’d have to find you first – and there ain’t much chance of that! ;o)

[lcg]

vulcan.....typical of religious people.

[LazyGun]

I will answer your final question first. No, no way, not ever. In fact, I might consider reporting you to the Advertising Standards Agency or the Trading Standards People, since you are offering "a free gift of eternal life" - but you not have any such prize in stock ,and it most definitely has not been verified as a legitimate prize!

More generally, you do not get to determine who we should decide is a good person.The days when those with religion could determine who gets to burn at the stake and those who are allowed, on gods sufferance, to live are long gone thankfully.

Blasphemy is a tool by which weak minded religious fruitloops attempt to legally victimise and punish those with other views, to shelter their outdated rites and arcane rituals from scrutiny or criticism, to "protect" their god from hurtful comment or criticism, or as a way to avoid the general secular trend toward individual liberty and equality for all. Blasphemy laws should have no place in the modern world.

And who is god to judge anyway? Neither you nor anyone else of faith, in all of recorded history, has been able to prove the existence of such a being. I do not recognise the authority of a fairy tale being to pass judgement on my actions.

I do not need to take a test to determine whether I am a good person or not; My own sense of ethics and morality and conscience tell me that.

Keep you quiz, and keep your "good news" of false hope.

Now, I have a question for you.
1. Are you the same person as "Ed", who posted, almost word for word, this exact same screed on yahoo! answers?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130104152717AAYDxuf

And a statement from me. I do not like your username. I think it could be considered a little misleading, inferring you are part of the editorial team at answerbank.

And finally, an apology to any other posters who may have posted the same or similar points and observations that I have - I have only read the original post, not the subsequent answers due to time limitations.

[Truthabounds]

gness@//He sent his son to earth to be abused, tortured and murdered.//

when God created the spiritual creatures in heaven and the fleshly creatures on earth, they were not created robots. They were given free will.

Satan the Devil chose not to continue serving Jehovah, he wanted the glory and worship for himself. He had free will!

Adam and Eve chose not to subject themselves to God's rulership, but preferred to listen to Satan. They had free will!.

Jesus Christ was also given free will. He could have refused to come to earth and die as he did. He chose to!

All mankind has free will to chose whether to accept the ransom sacrifice of Christ, or not.

[argorstran]

Whatever happened to giving people the benefit of the doubt ? If he's the same person who posted on Yahoo so what? He got much better answers here than there . If a person's real name is Edward or Edwin abbreviating to Ed as a username doesn't mean you're trying to look like an editor .

[goodlife]

But if God is responsible for your misfortunes, see what says at Ecclesiastes 9:11: I also saw other things in this life that were not fair. The fastest runner does not always win the race; the strongest soldier does not always win the battle; wise people don’t always get the food; smart people don’t always get the wealth; educated people don’t always get the praise they deserve. When the time comes, bad things can happen to anyone!

Jesus Christ himself argued against fatalistic reasoning people (Luke 13:4, 5) Jesus evidently attributed the disaster, not to God’s intervention, but to “time and unforeseen occurrence”.

And to render any worship with lasting benefit to oneself, it is good to know what one worships,

[LazyGun]

Since that post seems directed at mine, Argorstran.

What benefit of the doubt should I be offering the OP? I asked if he is the same person who posted, word for word, the same screed on Yahoo Answers. I would like to know if it is the same person, or just someone else cut and pasting stuff to do fly-by postings on forums like this one.

You might find his name fine - I myself was somewhat misled. I opened the post partly in anticipation of reading something from the editorial team - so for me at least, the username was somewhat misleadling. I used my post to make that comment. I am overjoyed you were not similarly confused.

@goodlife - "If" god is responsible for your misfortunes? Dare I hope we are finally getting through to you? Surely for believers like yourself there is no if - no buts, no doubts?
If you want to worship, fine, you go right ahead - have a ball, knock yourself out, I am happy for you. Just do not try to tell everyone else that that is the only way and the only life, or that you have any facts or evidence to support your notions....

[naomi24]

Truthabounds, //ransom sacrifice of Christ//

I'd like to know why such a wise and almighty God apparently needed a ransom sacrifice.