Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Daggah · 01-24-2002, 01:24 AM

For the sake of the argument, let's assume that members of every Christian sect are going to heaven. (I.e., catholics, protestants, etc. There are no "true Christians only" rules in this situation.)

So far, I've got:

Thomas Paine
Robert Green Ingersoll
Thomas Jefferson
George Washington
James Madison
Benjamin Franklin
Abe Lincoln (questionable)
Anne Frank
Voltaire
Charles Darwin
Albert Einstein
Ghandi
Epicurus
Socrates
Plato
Carl Sagan?

I thought about starting the list as "famous good" people, but that's too subjective.

Add to the list, guys.

Pandora · 01-24-2002, 02:58 AM

Are you counting only Christianity here? Or are we assuming that subscribing to any kind of deism is enough to get you in.

If it’s only Christianity, then do the famous dead people only count if their most probable religion of choice would have been Christianity? If they lived before Christ do they still count?

Sorry if this is nit-picking, but otherwise you could pretty much fill up hell just adding all the famous Greeks and Romans.

kwigibo · 01-24-2002, 03:01 AM

Confucius
Buddha (can never remember his real name)
Marquis De Sade (was there ever a doubt)
Thomas Edison
Friedrich Nietzsche
etc...

GunnerJ · 01-24-2002, 06:29 AM

There's actually a book written on the subject...

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1569801584/qid=1011886033/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_10_5/103-4494268-7284648" target="_blank">Who's Who in Hell</a>

IvanK · 01-24-2002, 06:34 AM

Dante peopled the various cycles of his Inferno with princes and bishops as well as infidels. "Good" pagans like Socrates and Plato he put in a sort of Limbo, wandering around smacking their heads philosophically over how stupid they were not to believe in someone who hadn't been born yet when they passed over.

Quote:

Originally posted by kwigibo:
Marquis De Sade (was there ever a doubt)

"If atheism needs martyrs, my blood is ready." -- Donatien Alfonse Francois, Comte de Sade, "the Divine Marquis"

[ January 24, 2002: Message edited by: IvanK ]

Henrietta · 01-24-2002, 06:59 AM

Why is there a question mark after Carl Sagan's name. Is there any doubt.

babelfish · 01-24-2002, 07:55 AM

If evangelicals are right then it's everyone who was born before "born again christianity" was invented. That includes the Puritans and the rest of our highly touted Founding Fathers. Can you imagine George Washington or Thomas Jefferson attending your local christian church? Would they fall all over themselves laughing or just stand there in mute horror?

lpetrich · 01-24-2002, 08:53 AM

Carl Sagan was a Jewish agnostic/atheist.

Paul Case · 01-24-2002, 09:32 AM

"If Christianity is right"

If pigs could fly.

HelenM · 01-24-2002, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by babelfish:
If evangelicals are right then it's everyone who was born before "born again christianity" was invented.

I suppose you don't know that 'born-again' is a New Testament term

Quote:

Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." -- John 3:3

Anyway, I'd say one of the better things about Christianity is it's insistence that being famous makes no difference to whether you get to heaven or not.

After all, being famous is often rather arbitrary. So it would be a very strange way to choose who goes to heaven...

love
Helen

01-24-2002, 01:24 AM	#1
Daggah Banned Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Deployed to Kosovo Posts: 4,314	If Christianity is right, how many famous people are in hell? For the sake of the argument, let's assume that members of every Christian sect are going to heaven. (I.e., catholics, protestants, etc. There are no "true Christians only" rules in this situation.) So far, I've got: Thomas Paine Robert Green Ingersoll Thomas Jefferson George Washington James Madison Benjamin Franklin Abe Lincoln (questionable) Anne Frank Voltaire Charles Darwin Albert Einstein Ghandi Epicurus Socrates Plato Carl Sagan? I thought about starting the list as "famous good" people, but that's too subjective. Add to the list, guys.

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01-24-2002, 02:58 AM	#2
Pandora Regular Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: UK Posts: 367	Are you counting only Christianity here? Or are we assuming that subscribing to any kind of deism is enough to get you in. If it’s only Christianity, then do the famous dead people only count if their most probable religion of choice would have been Christianity? If they lived before Christ do they still count? Sorry if this is nit-picking, but otherwise you could pretty much fill up hell just adding all the famous Greeks and Romans.

01-24-2002, 03:01 AM	#3
kwigibo Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Gold Coast, QLD, Australia Posts: 5,814	Confucius Buddha (can never remember his real name) Marquis De Sade (was there ever a doubt) Thomas Edison Friedrich Nietzsche etc...

01-24-2002, 06:29 AM	#4
GunnerJ Banned Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: a place where i can list whatever location i want Posts: 4,871	There's actually a book written on the subject... <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1569801584/qid=1011886033/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_10_5/103-4494268-7284648" target="_blank">Who's Who in Hell</a>

01-24-2002, 06:59 AM	#6
Henrietta Regular Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: West USA Posts: 380	Why is there a question mark after Carl Sagan's name. Is there any doubt.

01-24-2002, 07:55 AM	#7
babelfish Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Augusta, Maine, USA Posts: 2,046	If evangelicals are right then it's everyone who was born before "born again christianity" was invented. That includes the Puritans and the rest of our highly touted Founding Fathers. Can you imagine George Washington or Thomas Jefferson attending your local christian church? Would they fall all over themselves laughing or just stand there in mute horror?

01-24-2002, 08:53 AM	#8
lpetrich Contributor Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Lebanon, OR, USA Posts: 16,829	Carl Sagan was a Jewish agnostic/atheist.

01-24-2002, 09:32 AM	#9
Paul Case Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Seallte, Wa. U.S. Posts: 23	"If Christianity is right" If pigs could fly.

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