Being Saved
The central issue for the version of Christianity I grew up with was whether you would go to heaven or hell after death. The churches I attended all taught that your ultimate destiny depended on whether or not you had been saved.
divine punishment
Was Jesus Born So He Could Die?
In the churches I attended growing up, I was told that Jesus died so my sins could be forgiven. My teachers said that my sins deserved the ultimate penalty. But since Jesus had endured the punishment that I deserved, I could receive God’s forgiveness by accepting what Jesus had done for me.
A Wrathful God
Some people think that if God is described in a particular way in the Bible, the account must be accepted as accurate. But reflective believers tend to say that we should not take literally portrayals that ascribe human imperfections to God.