I don't FEEL damned.

[Kungfuzed]

I don't go to church. I don't believe in God. I keep most of the commandments, but mainly because of my own sense of right and wrong. I give theists a hard time. I don't study scriptures. I don't practice rituals. I've been told by several people that I'm going to hell. Yet I don't feel guilty. Shouldn't my soul be racked with shame and torment? Shouldn't God be making my life miserable? Shouldn't He be pricking my consience? Why don't I feel like a damned soul?

 

[Bishka]

Because you aren't.

 

[darkpenguin]

I don't go to church. I don't believe in God. I keep most of the commandments, but mainly because of my own sense of right and wrong. I give theists a hard time. I don't study scriptures. I don't practice rituals. I've been told by several people that I'm going to hell. Yet I don't feel guilty. Shouldn't my soul be racked with shame and torment? Shouldn't God be making my life miserable? Shouldn't He be pricking my consience? Why don't I feel like a damned soul?

because your not, the ten commandments mostly make sense and are followed by me also mostly because of my repect for my fellow man. I don't see why i should (like you) be damned because i don't share others enthusiasm for a higher power!

 

[Feathers in Hair]

You haven't been damned yet, but that's only because you've remained on my good side this long. To prevent damnation, bring me a cookie, please.

 

[Pardus]

You missed the point!

You won't feel it today, or any day soon, or maybe any time in your life!

BUT YOU ARE DOOMED I TELL YOU, DOOOOOOMMMEEEDDD!!!

 

[darkpenguin]

*hides under a rock*

 

[Katzpur]

I don't go to church. I don't believe in God. I keep most of the commandments, but mainly because of my own sense of right and wrong. I give theists a hard time. I don't study scriptures. I don't practice rituals. I've been told by several people that I'm going to hell. Yet I don't feel guilty. Shouldn't my soul be racked with shame and torment? Shouldn't God be making my life miserable? Shouldn't He be pricking my consience? Why don't I feel like a damned soul?

The answer should be obvious. You haven't fully "recovered" from being LDS yet. During the time you were a member of the Church, we managed to ingrain in your mind the idea that God doesn't damn His kids. You need to go back to being a Baptist for awhile. Then quit being religious again, and you'll feel good and damned. I promise.

 

[Kungfuzed]

You haven't been damned yet, but that's only because you've remained on my good side this long. To prevent damnation, bring me a cookie, please.

I just baked a batch of them. Everyone feel free to take one.

 

[!Fluffy!]

mmm, damned good cookies....mmmmmm

 

[SquareC]

You don't feel damned because you are hanging around the wrong forum. Go to a conservative fundamentalist Christian forum and drop a few comments about evolution and how God doesn't exist, and you will be damned to Hell in short order, many times over. :yes:

 

[Shadow Wolf]

You aren't damned, so their is no reason to feel damned.

 

[MaddLlama]

I don't go to church. I don't believe in God. I keep most of the commandments, but mainly because of my own sense of right and wrong. I give theists a hard time. I don't study scriptures. I don't practice rituals. I've been told by several people that I'm going to hell. Yet I don't feel guilty. Shouldn't my soul be racked with shame and torment? Shouldn't God be making my life miserable? Shouldn't He be pricking my consience? Why don't I feel like a damned soul?

That's easy - because as an atheist, you don't believe that any of those things are true. So, why should it worry you? Hell is only something to fear if you believe it's real.

 

[Kungfuzed]

My reasoning is that, if believers have peace and love and euphoric spiritual experiences all caused by God then shouldn't non-believers and heretics experience something opposite to that? I mean, when I do something I know is wrong, I feel bad about it. But if God was the source of the guilt then shouldn't He make me feel bad about all things He believes are wrong and not just the things I believe are wrong?

 

[MaddLlama]

My reasoning is that, if believers have peace and love and euphoric spiritual experiences all caused by God then shouldn't non-believers and heretics experience something opposite to that? I mean, when I do something I know is wrong, I feel bad about it. But if God was the source of the guilt then shouldn't He make me feel bad about all things He believes are wrong and not just the things I believe are wrong?

Why would that be true?

 

[porkchop]

My reasoning is that, if believers have peace and love and euphoric spiritual experiences all caused by God then shouldn't non-believers and heretics experience something opposite to that? I mean, when I do something I know is wrong, I feel bad about it. But if God was the source of the guilt then shouldn't He make me feel bad about all things He believes are wrong and not just the things I believe are wrong?

Youve probably closed the door so much to God that He's stopped knocking. You need to seek Him, as He is always there waiting for you. But you probably wont feel a 'guilt' because you are not seeking God and wondering wether He thinks what you do is right or not ( im presuming this is the case as you are an atheist??). You judge what is right or wrong by your own standards, just like i used to do before i was saved and i had no 'guilt' over the things i did, cuz i wasnt seeking Gods will back then. Eventually He will give you over to your self and your lusts, etc.. ( theres a verse in Bbile bout that, im still looking for it!) if you continue in the walk of life you have chosen. I pray that you will find God and know Him,K.F.
God bless.

 

[Gentoo]

I don't go to church. I don't believe in God. I keep most of the commandments, but mainly because of my own sense of right and wrong. I give theists a hard time. I don't study scriptures. I don't practice rituals. I've been told by several people that I'm going to hell. Yet I don't feel guilty. Shouldn't my soul be racked with shame and torment? Shouldn't God be making my life miserable? Shouldn't He be pricking my consience? Why don't I feel like a damned soul?

Three things come to mind.

I have this belief that those who damn others to Hell are really insecure with thier own beliefs, and wish to heighten themselves by lowering others.

If that doesn't apply, then I've seen it used to be a guilt tactic. Supposedly speaking the 'spark of God' within us all. Sometimes, their thoughts are along the lines of "If we make him feel guilty enough, then he'll turn back to God."

Or, they are genuinely concerned for your soul. Yes, there are nice Christians out there who don't want to see anyone going to Hell, and want you to be saved. But if you don't feel that you need to be saved from anything, then more power to you.

 

[Quiddity]

I don't go to church. I don't believe in God. I keep most of the commandments, but mainly because of my own sense of right and wrong. I give theists a hard time. I don't study scriptures. I don't practice rituals. I've been told by several people that I'm going to hell. Yet I don't feel guilty. Shouldn't my soul be racked with shame and torment? Shouldn't God be making my life miserable? Shouldn't He be pricking my consience? Why don't I feel like a damned soul?

How are damned people supposed to feel?

 

[Zephyr]

Youve probably closed the door so much to God that He's stopped knocking. You need to seek Him, as He is always there waiting for you. But you probably wont feel a 'guilt' because you are not seeking God and wondering wether He thinks what you do is right or not ( im presuming this is the case as you are an atheist??). You judge what is right or wrong by your own standards, just like i used to do before i was saved and i had no 'guilt' over the things i did, cuz i wasnt seeking Gods will back then. Eventually He will give you over to your self and your lusts, etc.. ( theres a verse in Bbile bout that, im still looking for it!) if you continue in the walk of life you have chosen. I pray that you will find God and know Him,K.F.
God bless.

Or maybe, you know, the god that would damn him isn't his god at all. Perhaps there is no god, or maybe just no god for him. Or maybe just a really cool god that doesn't care whether he thinks he exists or not. Or maybe a REALLY cool god who doesnt care if HE exists! Or maybe the LDS folk are right and the Christian god is the god for him and just isn't too picky on what he thinks right now and would rather show him after he's dead (I do like them LDS folk. Even when they think I'm horribly horribly wrong there's still always the "You'll see eventually, even if it's after you die.")

Or maybe there is no god and he's right, and therefore not damned at all.

Just speaking as a heathen here.

 

[michel]

I don't go to church. I don't believe in God. I keep most of the commandments, but mainly because of my own sense of right and wrong. I give theists a hard time. I don't study scriptures. I don't practice rituals. I've been told by several people that I'm going to hell. Yet I don't feel guilty. Shouldn't my soul be racked with shame and torment? Shouldn't God be making my life miserable? Shouldn't He be pricking my consience? Why don't I feel like a damned soul?

Do you want to feel "a dammed soul" ? Sorry - Joking. Why should you ? Have you done anything that you personally feel would Dam you in God's eyes, if you believed in one ? - That's the test, I should say.

 

[wmam]

Eventually He will give you over to your self and your lusts, etc.. ( theres a verse in Bbile bout that, im still looking for it!)

Is this it?

Psa 81:12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.