How do I deal with the belief that maybe... Just maybe... God exists and I'm...

[Jehanne]

Pretty sure 3:16 was about believing in Jesus, not believing that there's one God.

Just to be absolutely clear, I did specify intellectual belief because this is a case of semantic ambiguity. Kind of like faith, in theology, is generally understood to imply some level of trust.

Just believe:

[Simon Moon]

Just maybe... God exists and I'm going to hell?

I'm convinced he doesn't exist but I was wondering what you all have to say about this weird guilt of mine of thinking that maybe, just maybe, God exists and I'll end up in hell when I die.

I ask honestly because I wanna get rid of these superstitious bullshit in my brain.

Many people go through this. Most get over it, some don't, even though they know it is completely irrational. Childhood indoctrination can be a bitch.

How much time do you spend worrying that Allah exists and you'll be going to Jahannam to be tortured for eternity; or worrying that the Hindu hell, Naraka, exists, and you will have your sins burned away only to be reincarnated as a snail; or that Duzakh, the Zoroastrian hell exists and you will be sent there?

When you figure out why you don't worry about the punishments from all those other gods, maybe it will help you get over the fear you have for the Christian god.

[Orbit]

OP: There is a forum specifically for ex-Christians that might give you the support you're after. I don't think I can post a link (rules), but you could PM me for more info.

[Angrboda]

Pretty sure 3:16 was about believing in Jesus, not believing that there's one God.

Just to be absolutely clear, I did specify intellectual belief because this is a case of semantic ambiguity. Kind of like faith, in theology, is generally understood to imply some level of trust.

Jesus didn't make that distinction so this is just pointless pettifoggery.

[Neo-Scholastic]

Just to be absolutely clear, I did specify intellectual belief because this is a case of semantic ambiguity. Kind of like faith, in theology, is generally understood to imply some level of trust.

Jesus didn't make that distinction so this is just pointless pettifoggery.

You don't know that! Perhaps Jesus did make His intentions very precise. The real point is WE don't know if He made that distinction, right? I say, when pondering the meaning of the English word "belief" translated from an apparent Greek transciption of an Aramaic speaker...it makes sense to consider all the possible connotations of the word as potentially valid. From there, one considers those connotations to themes of the overall narrative. IMHO the correct undertanding of "Whosever believeth in Me..." is that to believe in Him means to trust what He says.

Besides, you also know that I personally do not have a very rigid approach to biblical hermenutics. I expect and delight in those ambiguities. And for that reason I truly have no interest in proof-texting (And apparently neither do you since you reference the words of Jesus...but not which ones.)

To the OP: you would also have to consider that there are competing understandings of the afterlife within Christianity. Annihilation and Universalism are both plausible interpretations of the text. Personally, I find the arguments interesting but at the same time I don't think it really matters. IMHO its not about the validity of the belief as much as the confidence you have in that belief. I condisider having intellectual beliefs pretty weak sauce. Having the right opinions doesn't make you a good person, because if it did every car with a fish or "coexist" bumper sticker would drive like saints...which they don't. So its how you act on those beliefs that matter.

[Jehanne]

Just to be absolutely clear, I did specify intellectual belief because this is a case of semantic ambiguity. Kind of like faith, in theology, is generally understood to imply some level of trust.

Jesus didn't make that distinction so this is just pointless pettifoggery.

The Jesus Seminar released their The Five Gospels in 1993 with the Gospel of John colored entirely in black, indicating, in the judgment of the Fellows, that not a single phrase in that Gospel was spoken by the historical Jesus.

[Ranjr]

Red Jesus is no different from black Jesus.

[Simon Moon]

Just maybe... God exists and I'm going to hell?

I'm convinced he doesn't exist but I was wondering what you all have to say about this weird guilt of mine of thinking that maybe, just maybe, God exists and I'll end up in hell when I die.

I ask honestly because I wanna get rid of these superstitious bullshit in my brain.

I can't believe I missed mentioning this great resource!

Recovering from Religion

Recovering From Religion

They have live chat, and free call in numbers for dealing with issues similar to the OP's.

[Neo-Scholastic]

Just to be absolutely clear, I did specify intellectual belief because this is a case of semantic ambiguity. Kind of like faith, in theology, is generally understood to imply some level of trust.

Jesus didn't make that distinction so this is just pointless pettifoggery.

John 7:5 - "For not even His brothers were believing in Him."

According to your rigid interpretation of the words "believing in" Jesus's own brothers thought he did not exist? Thre are many more examples where the clear and plain meaning of belief entails a degree of trust. Thankfully the Word protects its spiritual sense from being profained by disingenous interpretation.

[Foxaèr]

So even his brothers believed he belonged in a straight jacket. No surprise there.