Atheists Will Be In Heaven!

Don't believe me? Then check this out.

Most Americans think we will!

Charles M. Blow of the The New York Times wrote:

In June, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life published a controversial survey in which 70 percent of Americans said that they believed religions other than theirs could lead to eternal life.

This threw evangelicals into a tizzy. After all, the Bible makes it clear that heaven is a velvet-roped V.I.P. area reserved for Christians. Jesus said so: “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” But the survey suggested that Americans just weren’t buying that.

The evangelicals complained that people must not have understood the question. The respondents couldn’t actually believe what they were saying, could they?

So in August, Pew asked the question again. (They released the results last week.) Sixty-five percent of respondents said — again — that other religions could lead to eternal life. But this time, to clear up any confusion, Pew asked them to specify which religions. The respondents essentially said all of them.

And they didn’t stop there. Nearly half also thought that atheists could go to heaven — dragged there kicking and screaming, no doubt — and most thought that people with no religious faith also could go.

What on earth does this mean?

One very plausible explanation is that Americans just want good things to come to good people, regardless of their faith. As Alan Segal, a professor of religion at Barnard College told me: “We are a multicultural society, and people expect this American life to continue the same way in heaven.” He explained that in our society, we meet so many good people of different faiths that it’s hard for us to imagine God letting them go to hell. In fact, in the most recent survey, Pew asked people what they thought determined whether a person would achieve eternal life. Nearly as many Christians said you could achieve eternal life by just being a good person as said that you had to believe in Jesus.

Also, many Christians apparently view their didactic text as flexible. According to Pew’s August survey, only 39 percent of Christians believe that the Bible is the literal word of God, and 18 percent think that it’s just a book written by men and not the word of God at all. In fact, on the question in the Pew survey about what it would take to achieve eternal life, only 1 percent of Christians said living life in accordance with the Bible.

Now, there remains the possibility that some of those polled may not have understood the implications of their answers. As John Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum, said, “The capacity of ignorance to influence survey outcomes should never be underestimated.” But I don’t think that they are ignorant about this most basic tenet of their faith. I think that they are choosing to ignore it ... for goodness sake.
Picture this if you will: me, sitting in heaven next to some of the most obnoxious Christians on the web. Yeah, that'd be hell for me. Good thing the majority can be wrong.

Now, about the majority opinion concerning the Christian faith itself...

;-)

31 comments:

Brad Haggard said...

Will you still be an atheist in heaven, then?

Manifesting Mini Me (MMM) said...

Can atheists be in heaven? Only if they do not condemn those within - including God.

Teleprompter said...

Brad Haggard:

My reaction is similar to when my friends ask me, "if there were no more war?"...and then I keep listening politely, but I don't take the question all that seriously.

Editor said...

I think that you answered your own
question when you quoted Jesus.

Regardless what anyone thinks, there is only one truth when it comes to eternal life. If Jesus isn't The Truth, I suppose that would make Him a liar.

Why don't you pose that as a poll question: Was Jesus a liar? and see how people answer.

They'll answer in such a way that will cause a conflict among the questions, leading me to believe that people don't have a clue as to what they speak of...

Jason Long said...

This just shows that people who identify themselves as Christians either
a) know next to nothing about the Bible
b) openly dispute what Jesus says
or c) refuse to harmonize a loving God with hell

Harry H. McCall said...

OK, lets see what the Bible says:

Satan believes in both God and Jesus, and yet he will not be in Heaven (Unless, asthe Church Father Origen believed, in the last times, Satan and all the demons will be saved). So the theology that faith will get one to Heaven is out!

Nowhere in the Bible are atheists condemned for being atheist since the Biblical writers had NO idea what an atheist was (they only knew faith in any god but their own god was not acceptable).

So, after I convert to Islam, get to Heaven (getting my 72 virgins) and live in the room Jesus will give me (John 14:2) in his father‘s house, remember Christians:When the rooms a-rocking, don’t come a-knocking!

Shygetz said...

Jason, you have exhibited a terrible fallacy. There is also:

d) do not believe that the words of the Bible accurately represent what Jesus said
e) believe that God may have changed its mind, as it did several times in Biblical narratives
etc., etc.

Can atheists be in heaven? Only if they do not condemn those within - including God.

Wow, you're the doorman to Heaven now, eh? Nice gig if you can get it, I guess. Is there a dress code? If atheists go to heaven, many will remain atheists if there is no evidence for god(s) there.

It's a core unspoken error of many Christians. They act as if "Oh, if only I can prove a First Cause, then Christianity is proven true." Or "If only I can prove a soul, then Christianity is proven." Of course, this is not true, but it never ceases to be entertaining.

Oh, who am I kidding...it quickly ceases to be entertaining, but endured nonetheless.

Shygetz said...

Sorry for the double-post, but I have a question. What is the difference between "atheists" and "people with no religious faith"?

Anthony said...

Come on John, don't you want to spend eternity with J.P. Holding and company?

Anonymous said...

It looks like syncretism to me.
Faith changing with the times. Its an ongoing process, reveals that god was manmade.

The bible was undoubtedly manmade with no evidence of any intelligence in it other than human. My articles on Data Quality flaws prove that.

District Supt. Harvey Burnett said...

I mean isn't that what evangelical theology says about the "elect". I don't know but I believe that evangelical theology interprets the "the elect" to be people who may or may not have come to biblical faith (as I understand biblical faith) but cannot "miss" heaven because they are "elect" by god's soveriegnty.

I leave room that I could be wrong about my understanding of evangelical theology and am certainly not dogmatic, but that's partially why I don't agree with many of its tenents.

Now I know you'll chew on that for a minute...so I'll just look and see.

Later and Happy New Year!

District Supt. Harvey Burnett said...

Lee,

Your IDQ articles prove that you are manmade with no evidence of any intelligence in it (you)other than human.

Now that's certainly the truth. I just couldn't pass that one up.

Later

Philip R Kreyche said...

Nice one, Harv.

Shygetz,

They act as if "Oh, if only I can prove a First Cause, then Christianity is proven true." Or "If only I can prove a soul, then Christianity is proven."

I've always found this to be hilarious. Christian apologists spend months and months writing books and tracts trying to prove that there's proof of a Creator god ... when there's still an unbelievably enormous gap between there being a Creator and that Creator being the Christian god.

zilch said...

Hey, if I make it to Heaven, I'll start believing. Is that a deal? Hello?

Shygetz: are you a Gershwin fan too? "Nice work if you can get it, and you can get it, if you try".

Happy New Year, everyone.

Jason Long said...

Shygetz, I could have continued the list I suppose, but I thought the point was made.

Shygetz said...

Shygetz, I could have continued the list I suppose, but I thought the point was made.

I always hesitate to leave out of "misrepresented" or "fictional", because without them any such list seems to play into the Evangelicals' emotion-based talking point "Liar, lunatic, or Lord". But I get your point.

Ten Minas Ministries said...

Mr. Burnett,

Actually, there are different intepretations of the "elect", but none of them are that they are "people who may or may not have come to biblical faith (as I understand biblical faith) but cannot 'miss heaven because they are 'elect' by god's soveriegnty."

Calvinism: God's grace is granted only to a few; i.e., the "elect." However, by definition, as the "elect" these people will come to belief in God because He has empowered them to do so and they cannot resist His grace.

Arminianism: The decision of whether or not to believe is entirely one of free will, not influenced by God whatsoever. The "elect" are those who have come to belief by their own free will. Still, however, only those who believe go to heaven.

Middle ground (expressed by Norman Geisler, among others): People still have a free choice of whether to accept God's grace or not. However, because God is timeless, he does not "foreknow" anything. All times are equally accessible to Him. He simply "knows" in His ever-present "now." What you did 5 years ago is just as present to God as what you will do 5 years from now. God does not interfere with our free will as we express it in linear time. However, he "elects" those who choose to believe via their own free will from his timeless perch. He is not simply "predicting the future" as to who will come to faith because to God there is no such thing as the "future."

This is a very brief summary, but hopefully it clears things up. None of the views hold that someone can be part of the "elect", thereby going to heaven, but not actually have faith in Christ's sacrifice. That is a common misunderstanding of Christian theology.

Ken

Ten Minas Ministries said...

Speaking as a Christian, I would also say that the poll results are not surprising. In my experience there are an enormous number of people in this country who call themselves "Christian" who actually have very little understanding of Christian doctrine. Whether these folks really are Christian or not I leave to God, but in our increasingly postmodern "anything goes" society, I could have predicted these poll results for you before they came out.

Ken

Anthony said...

Ken wrote,

None of the views hold that someone can be part of the "elect", thereby going to heaven, but not actually have faith in Christ's sacrifice. That is a common misunderstanding of Christian theology.

Actually Ken inclusivists and some hyper-Calvinists believe that there can be those who are elect and go to heaven but never profess faith in Christ.

I have even heard Christians who thought that the "elect" were a special breed of Christian and were hoping to obtain that level.

a helmet said...

Apropos Hyper-Calvinism,

there isn't really a significant difference between Hyper-Calvinism and Calvinism, except in rhetorics. The Hyper-Calvinists is just more honest and straightforward in the articulation of his beliefs, while one of the most frequent lamentations of Calvinists is "you are misrepresenting us!!". Calvinists never fail to unmistakenly articulate their beliefs, but don't you try to repeat that in your own words -- you can be sure you will misrepresent them!


I admit that there is good grounds to doubt whether (Hyper-)Calvinists are christians anyway. But ironically Calvinists are also eager to point out other believers' "not being christian". Check out for example the calvinistic site

www.aomin.org

,scroll down the blog article list --- there are two recent videos, one is "Are Calvinists not Christian?" and "Is Mormonism Christian?".

Guess what. The answer to the first is of course: "sure calvinism is the only true gospel", the second answer is "By no means, mormonism isn't christian".


By the way, Calvinists never know what they're talking about when they speak of their "regeneration", which led to their faith.

Shygetz said...

Ken, I am afraid, leaves out a sizable number of Christian Universalists who believe that Christianity is true, but that all humans will be reconciled through Christ and part of the elect allowed into heaven. While Universalism isn't the strong formal denomination it was during our nation's and the Church's infancy, it is still a sizable population, has considerable impact, and seems to be enjoying a revival even within the Evangelical and Pentocostal movements.

A more charitable way of reading that poll is that more Christians are coming into a Christian Universalist theology rather than that more Christians are ignorant of "correct" doctrine (whatever "correct" means when it comes to mythology-based doctrine).

I actually find such surveys to be quite heartening, as it promises to curtail the two most insidious facets of the modern Evangelical movement--the separation of people into the anthropologically familiar "people" and "other" (or, in the Evangelical terminology, "saved" and "lost"), and proselytism of the "other" (seriously, quit knocking on my door!)

Anthony said...

there isn't really a significant difference between Hyper-Calvinism and Calvinism, except in rhetorics

Phil Johnson (good buddies with John MacArthur) would definitely disagree. :-)

But ironically Calvinists are also eager to point out other believers' "not being christian". Check out for example the calvinistic site

www.aomin.org


Actually James White is like a lot of Calvinists who would say that Calvinism is the gospel but then would turn around and say that Arminians are still Christians, just confused. When I was a Christian I held to a form of hyper-Calvinism and argued that indeed Calvinism was essential to the gospel and that anyone who rejected it was not a Christian. Most Calvinists are indeed inconsistent.

Anthony said...

Shygetz, when I referenced inclusivists in my post I was including universalists as well. I do agree with the points that you made.

Daniel said...

Hmm, I don't think God was surveyed in that poll, haha!

Teleprompter said...

If your god would show up, I'd gladly ask a few questions of my own, Daniel!

"Why did it take you somewhat more than 90,000 years to even start caring about the fate of the Gentiles?"

"Why would you even think about making a bet with Satan? - what are you, his drinking pal?"

"Are you the god of love mentioned in John or the god of hosts (god of war) mentioned in the Old Testament? If you are the god of love, then why did Jesus (supposedly your son) mention that "not one tittle of the law could be removed?"

Stan, the Half-Truth Teller said...

Whenever I have a discussion on religion with a Christian (usually one of two or three ministers who frequent the UMC at CU-Boulder), after a lengthy conversation which leaves them with a few questions to ponder, but leaves neither of us with a truly changed position, I generally recite Revelation 3:15-16:

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

I note that I am cold, and that they may well be hot (or whichever they fancy themselves -- so long as we are opposites), and that therefore I have nothing to fear. It seems a fitting place to end the conversation.

--
Stan

Unknown said...

Since these results obliterate the underpinnings of Pascal's wager, do you think we'll still have to hear it in debates?

Yeah, me too.

Gandolf said...

Eskimo: "If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?" Priest: "No, not if you did not know." Eskimo: "Then why did you tell me?"” . Annie Dillard

John Loftus :( we will spend a afterlife with the faithful believers of this world ?, that thought to me is a complete utter nightmare!.Its like suggesting jail time thats already been long served ,will need to be served again and whats more will last forever.

Yes "Good thing the majority can be wrong."

District Supt. Harvey Burnett said...

Ken,

Thanks for that understanding.

Anthony,

I appreciate that too. Belive me, I just don't discount your commentary regarding this.

Later

daniel hutchinson said...

Interesting post and comments.

zilch said...
Hey, if I make it to Heaven, I'll start believing. Is that a deal? Hello?

Heaven is in the heart. If you not there before you die, you won't be there afterwards, in my view.

I think Zilch is right. Only after making it to heaven, does one start believing. I think the evangelicals have it upside down. In other words, belief is a consequence of a heaven experience, in the heart.

* I mean "heart" in the sense of spirit (pneuma), not soul (psyche). I think all those that truly want to be in heaven (i.e. be with God) will be there, through Jesus... but it will start before death, even if in one's final hour.

Last point, nobody yet quoted the scripture that "every eye will see, and every tongue confess..."

Boris said...

"Just consider for a moment what their [the devout's] heaven looks like. Endless praise and adoration, limitless abnegation and abjection of self; a celestial North Korea." - Chris Hitchens