Good without Heaven or Hell...

Yeah

who needs heaven when you get the reward of seeing someone happy due to your good deeds

Luke 17:20-21

Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is *among you.”

* Also translated as "within you." Makes you think that maybe Heaven isn't a literal place, but rather a state of mind, doesn't it?

yup

People who think Christians do good JUST to go to heaven can go to hell. People are people. Some are douches and others are nice regardless of religion

you know wishing someone to go to hell is a sin

Cool story bro, but I’m not Christian

You've missed the point...

No, I’ve understood the point quite well

Well, you dont do it to go to heaven. All you need to do to go to heaven is TRY not to sin and believe in the Trinity. Good Christians do good deeds for others not for heaven.

James 2:14-26

"14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

Words from *your* book - the words of Jesus. And yes, I know there are verses that contradict this... don't bother to quote them, because the fact that they contradict only serves to prove my point.

You missed the point entirely. The man does should not give them things so that he may enter heaven, he does it so they will be better off. If you do stuff to get into heaven, you won't. If you do good things to help people because Jesus told you to, you will.

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Listen, I get that religion is nuanced... The fact that it is nuanced should have given you pause enough to question. Your first comment was basically black and white. When I challenged it, you had to clarify. Why didn't you make yourself clear in the first place?

I suspect because you're regurgitating what you've been taught. Think for yourself and question authority - don't accept it blindly just because they stand behind a pulpit. And don't reject someone's criticism out of hand just because they don't wear a cross. You can learn from people of all philosophies and religions - not just those who believe the same as you do.

The point I'm making is that some Christians have a tendency to devalue the good deeds and good intentions of those who don't believe exactly like them. Meanwhile, they posture, declare their own righteousness, and flaunt their good deeds as proof that they're going to heaven. How many times have I heard that atheists can't be moral because they don't believe in God? How many times have we seen some preacher or minister be exposed for child molestation or hiring prostitutes? And how many times have these individuals been "forgiven" by their flock? Yet atheists are the amoral ones... give me a break.

Morality isn't based on religion, it's based on what you do and who benefits from what you do. Heaven and Hell as motivation to be a good person undermines the so-called moral superiority of the Christian religion and Christians in general. IT IS a carrot and stick, even if your theology tells you it isn't. If you need the promise of Heaven and the threat of Hell to convince you to have faith, then your faith is hollow.

Okay. You do things to be better than others, you do them to help the others. You shouldn't do it to be congratulated but there's nothing wrong with being congratulated. If you do deeds for the general betterment of others, while believing in God, you will enter His Kingdom. If you do deeds for the sole purpose of getting in to Heaven, you will not.

Sorry the first part was meant to be "you don't do things to be better than others,"