Will I Go to Hell If I Am Not Christian?

In July there was a Christian summer camp, Challenge 2006 for kids here at Purdue. One day while I was not my way to the library, some students asked me if I would like to give an interview. I jumped right in and the questions began. At first they asked be about my religion and what I believe in and then the “holier than thou” statements followed. Their questions were screaming out (implied) “if I don’t believe in Jesus I will go to hell”. Here is the “interview”

Them: Do you know god? Have you heard about him?

Me: Yes I have.

Them: Do you have personal relationship with god?

Me: Yes

Them: How can you have personal relationship with god?

Me: By being honest to myself, not hurting anyone, just being nice.

Them: So you don’t have personal relationship with Jesus..?

Me: Jesus? No. I am a Hindu.

Them: So you not accepted Jesus?

Me: No. I am a Hindu.

Them: How do you think you were created?

Me: Evolution. I was some chemical millions of year back then after series of evolution I became a human.

Them: You don’t believe god created you.

Me: No.

Them: Please tell me about evolution. I haven’t heard about it.

Me 🙁 Explain about evolution. They refuse to believe, saying that God created everything. And if one does not believe in Jesus they will not go to heaven).

I say I believe in what I believe. They ask me if I want Bible, I decline and they leave.

As a Hindu who believes that people should have freedom to practice their religion, I was infuriated when they said that my religion is not the way to god. If they have the right to believe in whatever the Bible says, why can’t I believe in what my religion says? How can Christianity claim that they are the superior religion? Who gave them the right to wage a campaign to belittle other culture and religions..? Where is the evidence that suggests that Christianity is better than all other religions in the world..?

In Nepal , there were lot of Muslims in my neighborhood. Until I watched a TV show on Islam when I was about 14, I never knew what a Muslim is and how they are different from Hindus. For me we were all the same. No Muslims ever came to me saying I have to be a Muslims to experience salvation and go to heaven. How come the Muslims don’t have to go around preaching the people about their religion the way Christians have to? I have Jewish friends and trust me I don’t know how the Torah looks like. They practice their religion and let me be myself. I haven’t heard someone say if you are not Jewish you will go to hell. Why then Christianity feels the need to advertise itself? Is it because of some fear or a sense of insecurity?

The day I wrote about the interview with the summer camp kids in my blog I got have very interesting replies. Someone said, “Those Evangelical “Christians” who feel the need to make everyone believe as they do, often act out of their own lack of faith and their own sense of confusion. They call themselves Christians and claim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, all while they live lives that contradict what Jesus taught.”

Will I go to hell if I am not a Christian? No, that is what Jesus would say.