[banshee72]

I was just wondering ,If a mentally ill person kills someone is that person still going to go to heaven? People can't help being mentally ill. At the rapture will the criminally insane go to heaven? When I was a kid I was raised Christian (I'm not anymore) and what my parents believed is that God doesn't judge you based on your beliefs or the horrible things you did in the past or whether your are homosexual or not. As long as your innocent or have a good heart or treat people/the earth with respect, ect..you will go to heaven in the rapture. That's what I was raised to believe. But if you think about it the criminally insane are really innocent because they have no control over their illness. If they were not criminally insane then who's to say that they wouldn't be a good person? Would God not let the criminally insane into heaven? God created everything, right? So did he create mental illness as well? What are your views?

A very interesting point to debate, Rachel!

According to the basic tenets of Christianity, David Berkowitz - the serial killer better known as "Son of Sam" - will find a place in Heaven while Mahatma Gandhi burns in Hell...

Berkowitz murdered six people and wounded several others in the course of eight shootings in New York between 1976 and 1977. He has been imprisoned for these crimes since 1977. Berkowitz subsequently claimed that he was commanded to kill by a demon who possessed his neighbor's dog. Although he was raised in a Jewish family he became a "born-again Christian" after his conviction, and, now "saved", will go to Heaven (if it exists.)

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi employed non-violent civil disobedience to lead India to independence, and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. But he was a Hindu, and so was not "saved." He desperately struggled to bring a halt to the carnage of sectarian violence that broke out between Hindus and Muslims and for his troubles was assassinated on 30 January 1948 by Nathuram Godse. He was then - according to Christianity - cast into the fires of Hell.

I note that you have asked this question on a few other forums. I didn't bother to read the answers that others provided, instead I shall just offer my opinion: if the person was otherwise a "saved" Christian, then acts committed by them against their conscious, sane will should not stand as a barrier between them and Heaven. Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34) and also said to the repentant criminal "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43) - proof, surely, that the criminally insane need not fear the fires of Hell.

I don't believe in Heaven or Christianity, by the way. And the thought of sharing Heaven with Jeffrey Dahmer (serial killer, sex offender, rapist, necrophile and cannibal - and born again Christian) is enough to put me off applying for membership, anyway...

[matthew321]

With that kind of mindset of Christianity, I would not get anywhere near it either.

First of all the bible teaches that you need to believe in the son of god to go to heaven. Because we sin so much that we cannot stop.  Now to my interpretation: we cannot be good people if we constantly mess up. So we need to try and be less bad people (double negative). The serial killer not believing in the son of god would not go to heaven despite being a "good person".

(This is from what I perceive as a more accurate christian perspective)

Now then the rapture, no where in the bible does it say there will be a rapture. There is a hint, but that could be interpreted differently. Then the argument of before, during or after a really bad day occurs (tribulation).
The whole rapture doctrine started being taught 200 years ago or so. It is a rather "recent" addition to Christianity.

The point is that I feel Christianity does not represent itself anymore. It is kind of saying things and using the bible to back it up less. But from what the bible says, the serial killer would be forgiven and "saved" if he followed the son of man. (Saved as in go to heaven, but no rapture is being promoted here)

[jordyn]

The bible...blah, blah,blah.  Through many religions and many times it always comes down to the heart and what drives it. Add the complexity of what exactly heaven is and it comes down to personal belief. If the crazy person has a good heart and were truly clueless as to what they did, then it would depend on their god and his/her expectations of a follower. I do agree most established christianity is way off mark.