Taking Responsibility

QUESTION: Today's comes from RW...
"My husband says he doesn't feel any need for the church or Jesus because he thinks he can make it into heaven on his own. I admit he's a good person, but how can I make him see this isn't enough, and that he needs Jesus in his life?".

IRRELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE:
Imagine a place where there are no unpleasant people, no crime, nothing goes wrong, you can have anything you want, and those people who died before you and you really miss will be waiting there for you. Couple this with the human being's natural fear of death and you get something too good to be true. The lure of some heavenly life after death is understandable, but anyone's opinion of what happens after death can only be speculation. However, curiously enough there are plenty of people who claim with absolute conviction that they know all about the hereafter and how to get there. These people are to be treated with a healthy dose of scepticism.
Your husband seems to desire heaven without wanting the religious dogma that goes with it. he is obviously confused by the conflicting messages that various belief systems claim. You claim he's a good person so what are you complaining about? He seems to be taking responsibility for himself, not relying on unsubstantiable religious myth peddled by a delusional man of the cloth. Furthermore if anyone claims to not need these priestly charlatans they are discredited by being accused of having excessive pride. They have the exits covered, so be careful.

BILLY GRAHAM'S ANSWER:
http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=6274

Help Yourself

QUESTION: Today's comes from LF...
"I've always tried to do my best and live by the Bible's statement that "God helps those who help themselves" because I want to go to heaven when I die. But recently a friend said she thinks this may not be what the Bible means by this statement. Is she right?".

IRRELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE:
There's not a human being who has not done something wrong in their lives. Thus there is no totally good person and no totally bad person. We are all a combination of these to varying degrees, which changes over time. Patently any religion that preaches that good people go to heaven will end up with an empty heaven, and empty pews. So Christianity gets round this by proclaiming that Jesus Christ died for our sins and if you accept this you will go to heaven. On the surface (like most religious dogma) this appears to be just and to make sense, but on examination it is extraordinarily arrogant. According to it any member of another religion, or indeed atheist, who leads an exemplary life cannot go to heaven, and anyone who leads a rotten life will only need to sincerely accept Jesus on their deathbed to ensure a berth in heaven. Furthermore those people who never even hear about Jesus throughout their entire lives are doomed to the fires of hell forever. Christianity appeals to people's vanity by convincing them that they have chosen the right religion whilst all the other belief systems are made out to be phoney. Christianity preys on our fear of death to offer us something that is arrogant, unjust, and cannot be proven.

BILLY GRAHAM'S ANSWER:
http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=6101

Stairway To Heaven

QUESTION: Today's comes from LF:
"Is there any way I can know -- really know -- that I am going to go to heaven when I die? I believe in Jesus and have given my life to Him, but I still can't say that I know beyond doubt that I'll go to heaven."

IRRELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE:
There are plenty of theories around concerning what happens after death. They include: some sort of judgement; eternal life; punishment; reincarnation; etc. However, there is no way anyone can possibly know exactly what happens, and as such any theories can never be more than speculation. People come up with theories that reflect what they would like to happen, usually revolving around such things as "you don't actually die - you live forever", "you get judged as a good person", "you get reunited with your loved ones who pre-deceased you", etc. These theories are merely wishful thinking. The human being has a very strong survival instinct, so it's not surprising that people are receptive to after death theories.
Plenty of people profess to be sure that they are going to heaven, but you're bound to find that everyone has doubts. Even someone such as yourself who has dedicated their life to Jesus has doubts. This is normal. I recommend that you stop worrying about what will happen after death and make the most of your life here on Earth. If you lead a decent and fulfilling life then, if there happens to be some post-death judgement, I'm sure you will come out favourably.
The idea that only those who accept Jesus Christ as their saviour will go to heaven is not compatible with an all-loving god. Would such a god consign all non-Christians to eternity in hell because they happened to be born into a family practising another religion? There are plenty of decent people in other faiths, and I'm sure that a god who loves all people equally would not treat them the way Christianity tells us that he would. This proves to me that the Christian idea of heaven is false.

BILLY GRAHAM'S ANSWER:
http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=6008