Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

Great article. I agree.

As a Christian, I have met a lot of people who are in your shoes. I agree with you completely. Church IS NOT the ONLY way one gets to heaven. Church isn't even supposed to be constructed as this big "must have" thing. Church is supposed to be a gathering of people for God. That's all it is. It doesn't say it has to be in a building, every Sunday, with a pastor or any of that.

I don't go to church every Sunday. Does that instantly mean I am hell-bound? No. Church has now become a system of religion, a set of rules to make people feel good about themselves.

The real way is through faith, and sadly, even for some people who do go to church, don't have that anymore...

Thank you for your courage, Felicia. You are in good company. There are so many of us who do not believe in god any more than we believe in Santa Claus, but we still manage (quite easily) to be honest, caring, loving people. What is faith, other than a means to get rewarded for gullibility and obedience? We need more people like you to have the guts to stand up!

You have a lot of misconceptions. Saying your parents converted from the catholicism to being born again Christians because the catholic church wasnt "good enough"... its not like they went and exchanged a pair of jeans because they didnt fit. i'm certain their reason is slightly more complex than that. Secondly, nowhere in the Bible does it say "go to heaven or you are going to hell." The Bible is clear when it says that it is NOT by works (good deeds) that one will get to heaven, but by the grace of God. Anybody that tells you otherwise is going against the Bible. I'd be glad to bring light to this situation, you seem interested in whether your family/boyfriend's claims are real; my email is there if you have any questions :)

My friend, you are correct in thinking that 'going to church' isn't what gets anyone into heaven. There is only one way to be saved and to have a relationship with Almighty God, and that is through a saving faith in Jesus Christ!

Being a 'good person' won't do it, as we are told that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, and not our works. Because all people are inherently sinners, born into the curse of sin, our most righteous acts without Jesus Christ are nothing more than "filthy rags" before God.

It is good that you want to be a good person and live a good life; but that alone will not save you, or anyone else. As for attending church, we are instructed in the scriptures to fellowship with other believers for the purpose of edifying one another and to praise and worship God together. As for people that cannot go to church because they are sick or whatever, so long as they have that saving faith in Jesus Christ, and through the grace of God, a gift from Him...they are saved!

All of this is contained in the scriptures; before you make a decision, read through them and consider what they say. I don't mean skim through them, but read them prayerfully and seriously. It will be the most important decision of your life.

May God bless you with wisdom and guidance my friend.