Afterlife Dilemma.

Question:

I am really struggling with my faith.  I grew up in a Christian home and was raised in the typical way with sound biblical teaching of not only doom but of God’s grace and forgiveness.  But I have a problem.  I can’t believe that God will send someone to hell for not accepting Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.  It isn’t that I don’t accept him, because I do, but I know people who haven’t and are beautiful people.  I also am looking for a real experience not only an experience but also a relationship and well just something real.  I believe that God has given me wisdom and has told me some things that just don’t coincide with some of the teaching of the bible.  My mom has verses that reinforce what I believe God has given me, but there are other verses that seem to contradict what I am coming to believe.  All of my life I have been taught that there are demons out there trying to deceive even the “elect”.  So even though I believe that God has given me peace about what I was shown, there is still a fear that it will lead me astray and I won’t be able to call myself a Christian anymore and that I will go to hell.  I don’t know what to do.  I don’t like to be fearful and I want to have peace in my life.  What should I do? 

 Please help, I don’t know where to turn.  I know what the pastor would say.  That I need to read my bible more and just trust that God knows what he is doing.  I say that we were made in His image and if I can’t imagine sending someone to hell for not accepting him then He won’t either.  And furthermore, I believe you get what you believe.  That to me means if you’re Hindu or Buddhist, or Mormon or wiccan that you get whatever your “religion” said will happen when you die.  So do you see my dilemma? I have always been a person who believed that old saying.  “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.”  But that isn’t enough anymore. Thank you in advance for a response.