Who would be judged more favorably by God: A good non-religious person or a bad religious person?

Question

The Bible talks about Christ as being the savior, but how is that possible? If you commit a sin, that sin has your name on it. By what other standard would God judge people other than how they lived their lives, and by the choices that they have made? We don't know what's forgiven and what isn't until we stand before God when we die.

So, a good non-religious person and a bad religious fundamentalist (that 'repented' on his death bed) have both died. Which person would be judged more favorably by God? Would God even care about the religion?

Answer 1

God doesn't care about "religion".  He cares more about the fact if you had followed His decrees.  And one of His decrees are about Jesus.  Saying that we can't get to the Father but through Jesus.  So, if you don't take Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior then you will be judged whether or not you lived a good or bad life.  Same goes for Jews, (God's Chosen people) they can't get to heaven either without believing in Christ.  But God is more likely to wait upon the jews to catch up and take Jesus as their Lord, because they are chosen and all.  Muslim, Jews and Catholicism, you can say we believe in the same God... but different Saviors.  And that's where I believe "religion" comes into play.

Answer 2

God only makes one judgement for EVERYONE....innocent.

Answer 3

No, God doesn't care about religion. How could he? If he is all loving and all forgiving, than obviously the details of your belief are not the issue. The only issue is your heart.

Claiming that God will condemn you for not being a Christian is just an example of emotional blackmail. If that were true, than children in countries that are not primarily Christian who may never even HEAR of God would condemned to h**l. Does that make sense?

So if it turns out to be a sin (which I doubt) good thing God forgives sins.

Answer 4

One of the reasons I left Christianity was the fact that I was told that a wonderful person I knew from by childhood was condemned because she rejected god and called herself an atheist.  However, she lived a better more 'Christ-like' life than most so-called Christians I knew.

Personally, I don't think God cares what your religion is, or if you even have one.  He cares that you treat people and creation well and with respect.  The rest is just personal preference; it is what we as humans do to make ourselves feel better.  Some of the best people I have known were 'non-believers' but their actions spoke volumes of what the Real God must be like - full of unconditional Love and Forgiveness, because that is what they were like.