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Is God's acceptance of us conditional?

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Magna

Magna

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God's love is generally regarded as being unconditional. God loves everyone equally regardless of who they are. Jesus showed great love for the lowly and the sinners. Actually, in contrast, Jesus seemed to show no love or have any tolerance for scribes, Pharisees, etc, but that's for another thread as to whether he also indicated that he loved the ruling class in equal measure.

God's love is unconditional; however, is God's acceptance conditional? It seems to be. God only "accepts" ie, welcomes into Heaven, those God deems fit to enter based on how they're judged by God.

If so, that wouldn't be any different than how people accept other people (ie conditionally). No one would likely knowingly invite a deranged person or an active and indiscriminate thief to stay with them.

It was just something I was thinking about recently.
 
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From my own perspective I doubt there is any element of acceptance or judgment when one returns to their primary plane of existence. That once we cross back over, we are no longer human and no longer subject to human frailties, whether spiritual or physical. In essence, we are all once again "perfect" in comparison to our temporary earthly existence. So there's no reason to be judged or accepted by God or any other soul.

The only thing that goes home with us are collective memories of all our earthly reincarnations. Past lives that we remember and learn from to enrich our eternal souls, but without earthly lamentation. That whatever happens for better or worse on this plane of existence is merely something to reflect upon while on our primary plane of existence. Nothing more, nothing less.
 
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I can't easily see that God would want us to worry about this kind of question, when our world is in so much need, and so much that's up to us to do is not getting done. First question he'd probably be asking as we rocked up at the gate might be, how else could you have used your time?
 
Well, I’m no expert on religion, but isn’t it obvious that God’s love is conditional? (And by “God” I assume you mean the Christian god.) I mean, how about the ten commandments and the deadly sins? Unless you behave and think a certain way, you’re going to hell. Doesn’t that make God’s love entirely conditional? Or does he even love you after he’s banished you to an eternity of torture and misery for saying the f-word too many times or wanting to have it on with your neighbor’s wife? Which has always sounded like the typical abusive relationship to me. Like how husbands who beat their wives insist that they do it because they “love” them.
 
Thinx said:
I can't easily see that God would want us to worry about this kind of question, when our world is in so much need, and so much that's up to us to do is not getting done. First question he'd probably be asking as we rocked up at the gate might be, how else could you have used your time?
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!what I've memorised its unconditional and its God who does 99.9% of it we ask for forgiveness and depending on the unique individual the relationship begins,if you have never had an experience of God with a big G (small g usually denotes demigods) then he decides on the named judgement day,Yeshua(Jesus)is apparently appearing to many Muslims whove never conversed about Yeshua to one of his followers,like two small Muslim children who'd been buried alive by their guardian .
 
Kalinychta said:
Well, I’m no expert on religion, but isn’t it obvious that God’s love is conditional? (And by “God” I assume you mean the Christian god.) I mean, how about the ten commandments and the deadly sins? Unless you behave and think a certain way, you’re going to hell. Doesn’t that make God’s love entirely conditional? Or does he even love you after he’s banished you to an eternity of torture and misery for saying the f-word too many times or wanting to have it on with your neighbor’s wife? Which has always sounded like the typical abusive relationship to me. Like how husbands who beat their wives insist that they do it because they “love” them.
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I'm making a distinction between love and acceptance with my focus in this thread on the aspect of acceptance or rejection. I think you can love a person while not accepting or approving of what they do.
 
Magna said:
I'm making a distinction between love and acceptance with my focus in this thread on the aspect of acceptance or rejection. I think you can love a person while not accepting or approving of what they do.
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But when the Christian god rejects/disapproves of those he claims to love, doesn’t he still banish them to an eternity of misery and torture? If his love was unconditional, wouldn’t he allow everyone into heaven, no matter what?
 
I believe that God's judgment is incidental, not malicious.
It arises from us being in a bad place.
And He gave so much to offer a Means of Amnesty.
 
Crossbreed said:
I believe that God's judgment is incidental, not malicious.
It arises from us being in a bad place.
And He gave so much to offer a Means of Amnesty.
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So in other words, his love is conditional. As long as you obey, you are loved.
 
Kalinychta said:
But when the Christian god rejects/disapproves of those he claims to love, doesn’t he still banish them to an eternity of misery and torture? If his love was unconditional, wouldn’t he allow everyone into heaven, no matter what?
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I think of it in terms that I can understand. The parent/child relationship is a good analogy. A parent often loves their child/children unconditionally. No matter what the child does, the parent never stops loving the child. However, the parent may not accept what the child (ie adult child) does.

If a parent won't allow an adult child who has a heroin addiction stay with/live with the parent (ie "accept"/take in) because the parent objects to the child's behaviors (e.g. stealing from the parent to support their habit), that doesn't mean the parent stops loving the child.

I knew a woman years ago who had an adult son who suffered from alcoholism and had tendencies toward violence. The man was very unstable to the point that he'd physically abused his mother. She legitimately feared for her safety when he was around. She ended up having to file a restraining order barring her own son from coming into her home so she could be safe. She felt terrible about having to do so, but she had no other option. She still loved her son (unconditional), but she would not accept him in her house; expecting her to do so under those conditions would be unthinkable.
 
Magna said:
I think of it in terms that I can understand. The parent/child relationship is a good analogy. A parent often loves their child/children unconditionally. No matter what the child does, the parent never stops loving the child. However, the parent may not accept what the child (ie adult child) does.

If a parent won't allow an adult child who has a heroin addiction stay with/live with the parent (ie "accept"/take in) because the parent objects to the child's behaviors (e.g. stealing from the parent to support their habit), that doesn't mean the parent stops loving the child.

I knew a woman years ago who had an adult son who suffered from alcoholism and had tendencies toward violence. The man was very unstable to the point that he'd physically abused his mother. She legitimately feared for her safety when he was around. She ended up having to file a restraining order barring her own son from coming into her home so she could be safe. She felt terrible about having to do so, but she had no other option. She still loved her son (unconditional), but she would not accept him in her house; expecting her to do so under those conditions would be unthinkable.
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Did the woman you speak of then banish her child to an eternity of hellfire and torture for not adhering to her rules, regulations, and expectations? I’m guessing not.
 
Kalinychta said:
Did the woman you speak of then banish her child to an eternity of hellfire and torture for not adhering to her rules, regulations, and expectations? I’m guessing not.
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In context, yes. I'll explain. Substitute eternity for the length of her lifetime. If her son continued to act violently toward her (ie against the rule) then she'd banish him for the remainder of her life (ie prevent him from coming into her home and being around her).
 
Kalinychta said:
No. I’m saying that the god of the Christians clearly doesn’t believe that love and acceptance are synonymous.
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In our fallen state, we are unable to stand in His Presence.
His "conditions" are only in place so we can resolve that problem.
 
Magna said:
In context, yes. I'll explain. Substitute eternity for the length of her lifetime. If her son continued to act violently toward her (ie against the rule) then she'd banish him for the remainder of her life (ie prevent him from coming into her home and being around her).
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A man beating up his mother is the same as someone not obeying words written in a book? Um, okay. I’m ducking out of this conversation now.
 
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