Do people believe in Jesus to avoid going to hell?

For me, no. I believe for some people, they believe a ‘false’ belief can save them, but since God knows our hearts and thoughts, He would easily see through a ‘show’ you put on each Sunday.

In theology, Occam’s razor is used to prove or disprove the existence of God. William of Ockham, being a Christian friar, used his theory to defend religion. He regarded the scripture as true in the literal sense and therefore saw it as simple proof. To him, the bible was synonymous with reality and therefore to contradict it would conflict with established fact. Many religious people regard the existence of God as the simplest possible explanation for the creation of the universe.

In contrast, Thomas Aquinas used the concept in his radical 13th century work – The Summa Theologica. In it, he argued for atheism as a logical concept, not a contradiction of accepted beliefs. Aquinas wrote ‘it is superfluous to suppose that what can be accounted for by a few principles has been produced by many.’ He considered the existence of God to be a hypothesis which makes a huge number of assumptions, compared to scientific alternatives. Many modern atheists consider the existence of God to be unnecessarily complex, in particular, due to the lack of empirical evidence.

Taoist thinkers take Occam’s razor one step further, by simplifying everything in existence to the most basic form. In Taoism, everything is an expression of a single ultimate reality (known as the Tao.) This school of religious and philosophical thought believes that the most plausible explanation for the universe is the simplest- everything is both created and controlled by a single force. This can be seen as a profound example of the use of Occam’s razor within theology.

https://fs.blog/2017/05/mental-model-occams-razor/

GA^

I think people behave in certain ways, sometimes, to get points with their god, or avoid a negative afterlife. This implies a belief, that is separate from their actions. Cause and effect. Some people need a reason, to behave in a way they consider is following their ethics.
It seems nearly impossible to live 100%, by the desires of one’s god. Many cherry pick, or do the most convenient/least “evil” things, and figure that’s enough. I would opine that the vast majority of thiests , do not follow their interpretation of what their god (s) want, to the letter…

No.

Maybe the opposite is true. Jesus put himself through hell on our behalf so if we believe in him and want to follow his example we should, as Christians, be prepared to put ourselves through hell as well.

@flutherother I wonder if Jesus would lose patience on fluther haha!

I think he might, but I won’t say who with.

Well, if you don’t believe in Jesus, you don’t believe in Jesus. Its a moot point. Belief in Hell doesn’t matter to you,

I do wonder, however, if people praise or say they love Jesus because they are afraid of Hell. Its sort of “fire insurance,” Christians believe we are saved by grace, but “do good” because it pleases God, or becomes part of our nature in response to grace.

@Yellowdog I know one actually. He mentioned Occums to me in his arguments. Not in any way a ‘good’ Christian other than treating people of all walks with acceptance-and a cocktail or three haha

I don’t. I don’t believe in any God(s), or Jesus as a deity, or any religion, or anything magical, or in superstitions, or heaven or hell. I try to do good things to be useful and helpful, and because it beats the alternative.

When I do what I consider “good” things, it makes me happy. With absolutely zero belief in anything…. Go figure…

No. I believe in Jesus because my life was hell without him.

It (Christianity) definitely changes a person. One’s walk with Christ has no fear of Hell, even though Hell is one of the beliefs

Even churches which teach about hell to little children, which I find inappropriate, the children aren’t scared if they are taught about grace and Christ.

So. What is Hell, to a Christian? How do Christians end up there?
Is it a sentence, or time they have to spend there, or is it forever?
Can a Christian ,in Hell, go to Heaven, like through good behavior or some revelation?

So Christians believe that Hell exists, but only for other people? It seems somehow…......unchristian.

Essentially, yes…that & the fact it does no real harm & is no one’s business but their own.

I wasn’t being a jerk, with my questions above. I was hoping a theist would tell me what they thought. If HC were here, he’d have explained it… I miss him…

Believing in Jesus Christ would not save you from going to hell, if there truly was such a place. Check your dictionary: A Christian is a follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t imply anything about believing in Jesus Christ. (Contrary to what some may say or believe.)
@MrGrimm888 Even though I am not a practicing Catholic, I always liked the idea of Purgatory, a place to go to be cleansed of minor sin before moving on to heaven. But, yeah, it seems like hell, otherwise, would be forever.

I am Christian. I am following, but I’m quite busy at the moment. @MrGrimm888 and all I hope to answer later, when I have more time. It may be a couple weeks.

^Thanks. I’m hoping to get as many interpretations, of such things, as possible. Otherwise, I only learn about religions from the loudest, lost extreme voices. Which, I’m certain are more radical, and less realistic than most believers.

I’m back. Sorry for making you all wait. I have a lot going on right now, and to add to that, I often have no Internet.

First, I want to make something clear. I have seen people change instantly (and miraculously) upon accepting Christ, but it usually doesn’t happen that way. The changes that happen as a result of becoming a Christian usually come because of that person first wanting to change, praying, spending time with other Christians, studying the Bible, but most importantly, God is involved in their life, helping them change and answering prayer.

It’s never something that a person can pull off by themself.

Now, to answer your question. Many people become Christians to avoid going to hell, although I am not one of them. But regardless of why someone becomes a Christian, if that’s all they do, and there’s no change in their life (what we Christians call fruit), there’s nothing to show they meant it. And that means they aren’t really a Christian at all, except in name only. They are lukewarm. In my opinion and according to the word of God (So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth Revelation 3:16), they are worse off than they were before.

^Thanks for some clarity. But I still don’t understand how someone could go to Heaven, unless they follow ALL the rules.
Are some sins unforgivable, and others not?

Christ died on the cross in atonement for all sin; past, present and future.

All YOU have to do is receive this gift by receiving Christ as saviour and Lord.

What about all the people who came before him, died before he was born, and those who have never heard of him, and who will never hear of him? What happens to them?

@Yellowdog said “past,” present future.

Yes, then he qualified it with ”All YOU have to do is receive this gift by receiving Christ as saviour and Lord.” So if you don’t receive him you lose.
Which brings us back to what about those who have never heard of him, much less received him?

Well. They go to Hell, right?

@MrGrimm888 Personally, I believe that you have to hear about God and reject him in order to be sentenced to Hell.

I know other sects and religions vary widely on that, like Catholics baptizing infants.

So. There has to be a rejection of God? That’s the only unforgivable sin?

Well, how could one be “saved” if they reject the only way to God, which is through Christ Jesus?

Well. We aren’t “saved.” We still die…. Dying is probably unpleasant….

We’ll all face it.

Well. How did God get into Heaven? Did he die?

He climbed Jacob’s Latter.

“Jacobs latter,” is a penis piercing….

Does God have a penis?

Well. My tenuous understanding of the Bible means yes. “God created man, is ‘his’ image.” Right?

He probably has a huge penis. The better to fuck mankind with…... Well. The whole world….