These are the questions in the test (one example):
- Have you ever told a lie (even for a good purpose)?
- Have you ever taken something that did not belong to you? Even something small?
- Have you ever looked at someone with lust or desire?
- Have you ever been angry with another person?
- Have you ever used God's name in vain?
After each of these questions, they will say that you are something. If you answer yes to the first question, the person asking the questions will say "by God's standards you are a liar." If yes to the second, they will call you a thief. If yes to the third, an adulterer, fourth a murderer and fifth a blasphemer.
As far as the first four questions go, everyone has done these things. Everyone's told a white lie, everyone's looked lustfully at someone, everyone's gotten mad at someone.
But by this logic, telling a white lie making someone a liar is like microwaving a hot pocket makes someone a chef. If someone lies to go to war, that's lying.
The Kicker
After asking all of these questions, the preacher will then ask "If God were to judge you by his law, would you be guilty or innocent?" (In written versions of the test, "his" is capitalized). Using logic and saying "I've done all of the things above, so I would be guilty." The preacher would agree, and then ask if you would go to heaven or hell.
If you tell him you would still go to heaven, since you haven't killed anyone or wrecked havoc on the world, the preacher will ask "Should God let murderers, thieves and adulterers into heaven? Why should God overlook your sin?"
You insist, and say that you would still go to heaven. The preacher would say "If a judge were to not punish a rapist for his crimes, would you call him a just judge? No, he would be a corrupt judge. God is not corrupt and he will judge your sin." The preacher will then tell you how to save yourself from Hell, by putting your faith in Jesus, repent your sin and so on.
The Test is Biased
Even if you had never done any of the things above, the test is designed in such a way that all go to Hell no matter how deserving of heaven they may be. In the link above, if you've never told a lie, never looked at anyone with lust, never done any of the things, the test will doubt your answer. "Are you sure," the preacher will ask? "I don't believe you." That's the point. All are presumed guilty until proven innocent.
If you answer that you've never done any of the things listed, the preacher will not continue, saying "You don't see yourself as God sees you," and will not continue the test until you are "ready to admit" you are a sinner.
Finally, according to God's law you would be judged innocent right? Wrong. The test goes on to list quotes from the bible about how no men are righteous and "whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10)
So, in summary, all are guilty and all deserve to go to hell no matter how good anyone has attempted to be. No matter how much good has been done, everyone deserves hell because we are not perfect...Unless you convert to this religion.
That's a snake-oil salesman trick of the highest order.
Why this Doesn't Work
Converting people to Christianity is not what is important. It's doing good for your fellow human beings and being a good person. It's not about scolding people for being human, it's about improving humanity.
The test shows how much contempt some Christians have for their fellow humans, much in the same way that the fall in the garden of Eden, a metaphor for separating man from beast, is transformed into an example of how awful humans are. That's the essence of Original Sin, and the beginning of Christianity not as a charitable religion, but as a hateful religion.
Robert O'Connor - I am a professional amateur. Everything I do, I do it out of love, not money. I'm also flat broke.
