See...this is why I left paganism.

If I believed in a heaven, I don't think I could believe it's only for some.

This is a comment in response to someone else's hope that anyone killed in the Israel/Lebanon conflict, including terrorists is escorted straight to "paradise" by flights of angels.

See, this is where the touchy-feely nature of paganism/neo-hippie-liberalism/diversity theory/everyone-is-good-and-no-one-is-ever-bad-and-we-should-all-just-get-along crowd loses me. No, everyone is not good, and no, heaven isn't just some speakeasy gin joint where you go when you've got nothing else to do.

If you break the rules, or you refuse to acknowledge the things that God requires from adherents to Chrisitianity, then...um...right. You and I probably aren't going to be hanging out at the same shows in the afterlife. I mean, I'm NOT saying that you're going straight to Hell, do not pass "Go," do no collect $200, but I am saying that you and I probably won't have the same IP address, okay?

I mean, seriously, why is it that anyone should be allowed to get into the Christian Heaven? I'm not asking to bebop on over to the Sumerlands, or take the three-day-tour of Tir nan Og, or to go hang out at the Hindu after-hours party. But for some reason, Heaven's just supposed to be open to all comers, regardless of whether or not they're actually Christian.

How does that work again? Heaven's not a charity event, tickets to be purchased at the door if you forgot to get them at the office.

Seriously.

I used to think, when I was neo-pagan, that if I were wrong about the whole paganism thang, and I died and ended up in front of God, He'd look at me, tell me I wasn't a bad kid, pat me on the head and let me on in, but I was wrong. I might not be a bad person, but that's not the litmus test of whether or not you get into heaven. It's not whether or not you kicked puppies or stole candy from babies. I mean, God's not thrilled when you do that kind of stuff, but you could probably do all that and still make it in (although I swear you'd better be sitting in the nosebleed section at the Garth Brooks concert in the afterlife) but there's one important thing you have to do.

You have to profess a belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of the Living God, and all that other nifty stuff in the Nicene Creed. You know the one I'm talking about. If you need, I can hum a few bars.

Seriously, it goes something like this:

I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages.

Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not created, of one essence with the Father through Whom all things were made.

Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man.

He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried.

And He rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

And He will come again with glory to judge the living and dead. His kingdom shall have no end.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Creator of life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke through the prophets.

In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come. Amen.

That's part of the whole deal. You gotta hang with us on this whole belife in Christ thing. If not, you're not a Christian, and you don't get to sneak past the velvet rope to get in to hang with who we think are the cool kids. Your party is next door. BTW, that's some pretty kickin' music. Can we borrow your DJ?

I guess it's not inclusive enough to make some people happy, but hey...them's the breaks.

(The exact quote is: I pray that the children, and civilians, and soldiers, and even terrorists that die in this conflict are taken straight to paradise and welcomed by flights of angels.

My comment to the OP was that this was where we parted ways.)