Why Do Bad People Go to Heaven?

People often ask, “Why does God send good people to hell”, but perhaps as important is, why does God allow bad people into Heaven? I summarize the heinous crimes of a few individuals who have found Jesus while in prison and inquire whether they deserve Heaven. Is God just? Yes!

[FULL TRANSCRIPT]

Welcome back to Bible Bears. The following is a tough subject and the further I dug into it, I realized a brief video could not sufficiently explore the many questions it raises. With that said I will do my best and count on your comments to fill in the gaps. I’m sure you have heard the question, “Why does God send good people to hell?”. I have addressed this question in an earlier video but to summarize, no, God does not send anyone to hell. Our final destination is our choice. What is interesting about this question is that few people ask the inverse, “Why do bad people go to heaven?”

Actress Kiera Knightly remarked, …You know what, before we get into that, let’s take a moment to pause and reflect on the beauty of Miss Knightley.

Anyway she remarked, “If only I wasn’t an atheist. I could get away with anything. You’d just ask for forgiveness and then you’d be forgiven. It sounds much better than having to live with guilt.”

Okay, so she says a couple of noteworthy things here, one of which is her admission that she’s an atheist, but more importantly she comprehends the Christian doctrine of God’s forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, He is righteous and just to forgive us of our sins.” She is suggesting here that if she wasn’t an atheist, more specifically, if she were Christian, she could get away with anything by simply asking God for forgiveness, and then she wouldn’t have to feel guilty over the bad things she’s done. Her statement raises so many questions. First, Keira, are you someone who wants to get away with anything? Does atheism provide a moral framework which might cause you to feel guilty over your actions? God provides to us our objective moral values. With atheism there is no right or wrong, there is no good and evil. As atheist Richard Dawkins said, “we are all just dancing to our DNA.”….So As Dostoevsky affirmed, “Without God, everything is permitted.” So Kiera, while the laws of the land may prevent you from getting away with “anything”, your atheism offers no restraint. After all, the atheists are the ones who suggested that since there is no God, you should stop worrying and enjoy your life. However, if you are feeling guilty over the past things you’ve done, that might be a corrective nudge from the Holy Spirit. Ask your Father for forgiveness.

But this perhaps is the bone she’s picking with God. If we ask God to forgive our sins, He will. And if He forgives our sins, then we go to Heaven. Sounds great! Except when we think the people who shouldn’t go to heaven, do. Many unbelievers shake their fist at God, crying, why would a just God send the righteous to hell if they don’t believe in Jesus? But there is also a contingency that asks, “Why would a just God allow the wicked into heaven because they believe in Jesus?”

Now your everyday run of the mill liar, idolator and blasphemer is still in danger of going to hell, sin is sin whether we feel it is sensational or not. But most don’t consider those sins true wickedness and unbelievers express no exasperation with believing these blokes get a pass into heaven. Unbelievers are troubled by those dark hearts who wreak havoc, death and destruction but are still welcomed by Jesus.

Tom Tarrants was a White supremacist in the 60s who was once labeled the most dangerous man in Mississippi and a “Mad dog”. He bombed the homes of prominent Jewish businessmen and their synagogues. After nearly dying from police gun shots, he was sentenced to thirty years in prison. There he found Jesus.

What about Mark David Chapman? In 1980 he murdered John Lennon the Beatle beloved by millions. He has been denied parole ten times and knows he will likely never see freedom again.  

In an interview Chapman said,

“I’m sorry for this crime…This wasn’t just done to a wife or a family. It was done to a lot of other people and they still have pain. Many, many people loved (Lennon)…I’m sorry for causing that type of pain. I’m sorry for being such an idiot and choosing the wrong way for glory,” he said.

“I found my peace in Jesus. I know him. He loves me. He has forgiven me.”

Is God just by allowing Chapman into Heaven?

Are you familiar with David Berkowitz? He is better known as the Son of Sam serial killer who killed six people and wounded seven others between July 1976 and July 1977. He was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences and will die in prison.

[Clip of Berkowitz]

He found Jesus. Does he deserve heaven?

Karla Faye Tucker murdered a man and woman with a pick axe. She found God in jail. Before her execution she told Larry King, “Before I knew it, I was just—I was in the middle of my floor on my knees and I was just asking God to forgive me.”

Perhaps these crimes are too distant from our memories. Enter, Chris Watts. In 2018, Watts killed his pregnant wife and two daughters. He hid his daughters in two oil cans and his wife in a shallow grave. After finding God in prison, Chris expressed remorse and agreed to provide previously withheld details of his family’s deaths including how his four year old daughter Bella begged for her life after she witnessed her father kill her little sister.

In an interview he said, “I never knew I could have a relationship with God like I do now,” “It’s like the amazing grace with all of this, but I just wish nobody had to pay any kind of price for this…I know there is a purpose for everybody, I just hope I can find mine.”

How can God forgive these killers and tens of thousands more like them despite the havoc they sowed in other’s lives? If these superficial summaries I presented in the slightest move you or ignite within you the merest morsel of disdain for these humans, imagine witnessing it.

When Tom Tarrants fled the police they opened fire on him and his accomplice, a married school teacher, was shot through the neck and died in his lap. When the FBI had filled his car with so much lead it halted, Tarrants fled on foot but not before he shot a police officer in the chest. Imagine sitting in Tarrants’ car while this occurred.

Picture yourself in the backseat of an automobile and witnessing David Berkowitz extinguish a life with his .44 caliber. Can you envision standing behind Chris Watts as he strangled his wife and smothered his two children? The last thing his daughter said was, “Daddy, no!”

God can, because He was there. He heard the cries. He saw the blood. He witnessed the gurgling and last gasps of these men, women and children. He felt the deaths of not only these but all of those who have died around the world, before and after Christ came.

Whatever Keira Knightley envisioned getting away with, none of it touches the atrocities that occur behind closed doors, in dark basements, in the fields and deserts, or away from cameras.

Why, why does God permit these unfortunate souls in heaven? Because of his unconditional love. Because of his mercy. Because no matter how heinous we are here, He does not want to be separated from us and if we ask His forgiveness and choose to be with him, He will open His arms. Beyond that, He understands there are circumstances which contribute towards our crimes and the righteous, if faced with the same obstacles, could crumble under the onslaught of temptation. God knows the wicked are redeemable.

Tom Tarrants’ conversion in prison was so powerful they freed him after eight years. In fact he not only apologized to the arresting officers for putting their life in danger, he brought several of them to Christ. He went on to receive a masters in divinity, become a pastor and also served as President of the C.S. Lewis institute.

There are those in this world who have never known God’s love or any love. They operate in the dark. They serve Satan. But God’s love has the power to redeem them. It changes hearts. It brings them into the light. God does not wish anyone to die in their sins or to spend one second in hell.

Celebrities Choose Religions Like Diet Plans

With celebrities clinging to new religions for love, success, or curiosity, we can understand why lawmakers find little value or truth in any religion. Lawmakers may deem religion unessential because many see it as a hobby. Who can blame them? Personalities hop from one religion to the next as they might a new diet. Some choose Judaism, others Hinduism or Buddhism, but do practitioners really believe in their chosen religion or do they only appreciate the way of life it offers?

[Full transcript below]

During an episode on the BreakPoint Podcast (I admit, I don’t know what the Break Point Podcast is. But Princeton Professor Robert George, on the podcast suggested why many local officials and lawmakers fail on religious liberty. He said they essentially see (religion) as a hobby… like football, or going to the ballet, or collecting stamps.” He pointed out that these things are, of course, non-essential.

Is religion a hobby to many? Yeah, I think it is. Actually, I’ve always thought people treat religion like a diet plan. Some people prefer the Atkins diet, others Paleo, while some find the Mediterranean diet works best for them. There are dozens of diet plans and every other year, someone makes a killing by offering a new way to mix fruits, vegetables and exercise. When an individual sours on their chosen diet plan, because it is too difficult, they latch onto the next hot plan, purchase a new slew of books and videos, and give that a shot for a while. They continue to hop around until they find one that best suits their lifestyle or produces the gains they wish to achieve.

There’s a lot of religion hopping going on also. I’m not talking about jumping from being a Baptist to a Methodist or a Methodist to an Evangelical. Those are within the Christian faith. I’m talking about converting from Christianity to Buddhism or Judaism to Scientology.

 

When Ivanka Trump married Jared Kushner, she converted to Judaism, which many women appear to do when they marry Jewish men. Here are her thoughts on her conversion. “It’s been such a great life decision for me. I am very modern, but I’m also a very traditional person, and I think that’s an interesting juxtaposition in how I was raised as well. I really find that with Judaism, it creates an amazing blueprint for family connectivity.” Ivanka Trump.

I don’t have any issues with our Jewish brethren, BUT, she says nothing to the affect of whether Judaism is true or false. It just works for her. In reality we know she likely converted to appease her husband but since she is such an alpha female she didn’t want to admit she succumbed to the will of a man, even if it was the man she loved.

 

Jane Fonda who was once married to die-hard atheist, and billionaire, Ted Turner,  announced her Christian conversion in 2001. Wonderful! You are welcome here Jane. Fonda refers to her new Christian faith as her “spiritual home.” “I think it’s partly that I live in Georgia; it’s partly that it’s my culture. …I wasn’t attracted to Buddhism although I really respect it. I wasn’t attracted to Islam although I really respect it. Or Judaism. I’m attracted to Jesus.” I like that she added she was attracted to Jesus but is Christianity true? Many converts, C.S. Lewis perhaps being the most notable, didn’t find Christianity attractive at all but could not deny the truth of it.

Orlando Bloom converted to Buddhism saying, “The philosophy that I’ve embraced isn’t about sitting under a tree and studying my navel, it’s about studying what is going on in my daily life and using that as fuel to go and live a bigger life.” Buddhism is like a diet plan. A blue print not for how you should eat but how you should live. Does it work? Maybe. I concede that. But is it true?

 

Isla Fisher after marrying Sash Baron Cohen, like Ivanka, converted to Judaism:  “I never saw it as a losing or gaining situation, just an embracing situation. I think if one wanted to be buried next to one’s beloved and they were Jewish, then one would have to be Jewish, too.” She converted because she loved her husband and figured, I guess I need to be Jewish too if I want to be buried next to him one day.

Julia Roberts said, “Ever since I developed my liking and fondness for Hinduism, I have been attracted and deeply fascinated by many facets of the multi-dimensional Hinduism… spirituality in it transcends many barriers of mere religion.” Again, there’s that word “attracted”. It looks good. It feels good. This is what I’m going with.

Snoop Dogg has converted religions several times. At various times in his life he was Baptist, Muslim, Mormon and Rastafari. At least that is what I read. Perhaps that isn’t totally accurate. Snoop, if you are watching, comment below. [Insert Snoop clip]

 

Supermodel Karlie Kloss became engaged to Joshua Kushner, most famous for being the brother of Jared Kushner, in July 2018 after six years of dating. Kloss converted to Judaism for the relationship.

And then there’s Kabbalah, a mystical religion trendy in the early oughts and adopted by Madonna…Demi Moore, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton. A Kabbalah practitioner could always be identified by their red string which is said to ward off the evil eye. [Give evil eye] You can still buy one for a mere $26 dollars. Here is how one practitioner described joining the movement, “”I studied a number of different religions, spiritualities, searching for something. And then one day, I saw a CD set called ‘Power of Kabbalah.’ That’s all it took for me was that one series. I haven’t looked back since,”

This man was raised a southern Baptist but because he didn’t find what he was looking for in Christianity, he adopted Kabbalah, which he says has created spiritual and financial miracles for him. Side note, most if not all of the celebrities I mentioned have since abandoned Kabbalah.

People are signing up for religion as a way of life and I’m sure too this occurs with people who convert to Christianity from another religion. Something about Christianity appeals to them.

Maybe followers are looking for a clear path through or around their issues but does freedom from your bindings make your religion true? If you are an alcoholic and you convert to Islam, and you stop drinking as a result of your faith in Islam, does your abstinence prove Allah is real? If converting to Judaism saves your marriage, does this suggest Jesus is not the messiah? Likewise, if going to church and fellowshipping with other Christians, helps you kick your addiction to pornography, does this guarantee Christ was resurrected? I personally believe that God powers people through their pain and suffering, but Mormons…. Buddhists…Muslims…Scientologists, all feel the same way when their faith seemingly solves their issues. Even non-believers are freed from their chains when they find passion in cleaner pursuits whether it be rock climbing, building cars, sailing or even Youtubing.

So if we compare religions to diets, and all of them are in some ways effective, do we engage with the one that works best for us or do we engage with the one that is true, even if it may be difficult?

Look, I’m a Christian not because of what I get out of Christianity. I’m a Christian because Jesus truly did live, was crucified, buried and rose on the third day.  We have evidence for this. No credible historian or scholar denies Jesus’ existence and the majority of New Testament scholars believe in the empty tomb. If Christianity is true, then every other religion, including atheism, is wrong. And if they are all wrong, you don’t leave Christianity to lose a few more pounds with Hinduism, you don’t leave Christianity to put on some muscle with Islam, you don’t leave Christianity because Buddha’s food tastes better. And I’m sorry to say to some of you, you don’t leave Christianity for love.

With all this religion hopping, I’m not surprised that lawmakers don’t take our faiths more seriously. So many have proven that they don’t believe in it enough to stick with it. In some officials’ eyes, religion probably does appear non-essential. That’s why we need to preach the truth and provide evidence, not just anecdotes.

END TIMES – One Event You Need To Look For.

Earthquakes, famines, plagues, wars; these are all mentioned as signs of the end times, but these events occur pretty much all the time. How will we know when the end is really near? I present one event for which you definitely need to be looking. If this occurs, you will know the hour glass is nearly empty.

 

Pastors’ Cringey Responses to Corona

How are Christians responding to the Corona pandemic? As suspected, many are rolling up their sleeves and asking how they can help their communities but a few are ignoring mandates, peddling conspiracy theories about the covid-19 pandemic and spewing bigotry. As a Christian, I am embarrassed by some of these responses.

3 Intellectuals Abandon Atheism

Today we are talking about three men, who as committed atheists, investigated God’s Word with the intent of disproving the Bible and left with the realization that the Christian message is true. I’m focusing on these three men specifically because they had no interest in God or Christianity as opposed to individuals who didn’t believe in God but were still open to His message.

Watch the video below to learn about Josh McDowell, J. Warner Wallace and Lee Strobel’s journey from atheism to Christianity.