The fundamental concept of Christianity is that there is an afterlife where we are rewarded if God approves of us and punished if God doesn't.
This is utterly incorrect.
The message Jesus preached would say
We have been given a life, with free choice. You have the choice to define right and wrong your way calling God a liar or you can live according to God's definition of right and wrong and in relationship with Him. For your life and for the way you interact with God and others.
When you take matters into your own hands you'll inevitably break relationships both vertically (God) and horizontally (neighbor) from the way God intended. This is sin.
The standard for entrance to God's presence after death is a sinless life. If you sin once, you've fallen outside of this standard and thus do not get to enter God's presence after death (Hell).
Jesus' sinless life, death (sacrifice), and resurrection provided an opportunity. If you acknowledge your place as a sinner before God, repent of your sins past and future, and submit to God's ultimate authority over your life, you're "saved". Saved from an eternity outside of God's presence and a few things happen. At death, when judged, Christ's righteousness (call it his empty list of sins) covers your unrighteousness (your and mine hefty list of sins), thus entrance to Heaven.
However, there's a few other pertinent things. Upon this acknowledgement, repentance, and submission, there's an actual event which takes place.
The Holy Spirit changes your desires from that of the flesh (sinful nature) to that of the Spirit (The Law of God). This results in a newfound desire to do things you didn't want to before and to no longer do the things you used to.
God delights in faithful acts of worship. But it's not required and God judges the motives of those who claim to follow Him. You don't do good things because you are looking for God's favor. You've been granted eternal life in his presence. The ultimate, undeserved gift. What possibly could we still need? The only other thing would be to guarantee salvation of those we care about. But we're called to care for all children of God and there's that pesky free will thing. Let's people do all sorts of terrible things to one another. But it also gives us the chance to choose a relationship with the God who created everything. To walk with King Jesus. It's absurd. Who are we?
Christians do these God defined good things because we now desire to do them. The same way I desire to do the other "normal" things people claim to "love doing". God calls us by increasing this desire in a specific area for someone. But it's still up to them to take action. Often in faith. You can only do that in a deep personal relationship. And this results in what often others call "becoming a good person ". The problem is we're not. We are covered by Christ's righteousness, but will sin until death.
The Bible describes the actions and behaviors that result from someone with a "heart of stone" (desires things of the sinful nature) and someone with a heart transformed by the Spirit (desires God's definition of what's best for their life and right/wrong). God cares not for the images we love to project.
A person with a sinful nature (regardless of what they claim to be) will produce 'bad fruits' in themselves and destroy relationships as God had intended them to be.
Some bad fruits include: sexual immorality, idolatry, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, and envy.
A person with a heart (desire, Greek word definition helps) transformed by the Spirit will produce 'good fruits' in themselves and heal and create new healthy relationships as God has intended them to be.
Some good fruits include: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control.
When we die as followers of Jesus, and then when Christ resurrects us we will have a new body. The symbolism of baptism. You die in your sins with Christ and come back in Christ. Jesus never said when a believer dies they get zapped off to Heaven. He taught we are resurrected, judged, and then he will make all things new. on this Earth. And we will live and reign with Him, as was the initial design in the Garden of Eden. We with be with God and we will be His people.
For those who are not followers of Christ, they are cast out of God's presence upon death and judgment. The result of a choice to acknowledge God as sole definer of right and wrong and the one meant to lead you in life (Lord) and be granted eternity in His presence even though we don't deserve it (savior). Punishment isn't fair as a description for Hell. I would argue given Hell is a real place, but in a separate reality that's, per the Bible's claim, outside of full human understanding or description. The passages describing it are using metaphor. However, it's not designed by God to be punishment, it is punishment because of God's absence. If God is the source and standard for all things truly good, then what is a space like that's utterly void of all of that? What would it feel like to be utterly devoid of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control?
We desire to good once saved, but still are confined to a body of flesh and it's sinful nature. This is consistent with the personal experience over the last two years I've had. Ive watched as this new and deepening relationship with Jesus transformed the relationships I have with my wife, sons, and others around me. Ive seen transformation areas I've struggled with my whole life and within the direction of my life, which make no worldly sense. I have also been experiencing a peace and fufillment in life I previously had not thought possible. Even in the middle of some serious pressure, anxieties, and ongoing struggles. I can jot down a summary of the Gospel. Show you the verses. That's awesome. Perhaps could target the focus of your arguments against Jesus following Christians at the very least. I simply know one thing to be true. I was one way and now am completely different.
This provides a much different picture than the assertion above. I'm happy to provide sets of verses for each contention to show the consistent message and meaning. There would be far too many for the character limit if I were to include the text of the verses. I also did not want to just drop a long list of verses you'd be forced to go look up if you wanted to read them.
So...you agree with CON?
Abrahamic*
It's everywhere. The Abrahamoc religions have a narcissistic God depocted as the sole arbiter of 'true justice' with several sections telling us mortals that we are noone to judge, only he can.
Given i don't know your particular position of what evidence you'd have to support this, may I either inquire where your position? Could either be handled in comments to set the stage or as my first round to keep it in the debate. Your call. But I don't really see where this is in the Bible so would simply be forced to otherwise start by setting a few general examples of a counter point, which may miss your position all together.
I'm just hoping to know where you stand rather than assume.