General LOGIC test. Not intended for actual religious contemplation.

[IlarMeilyr]

The devil guards the gates of hell. The angel guards the gates of heaven.

You know (it's a fact) that the devil always lies.

You know (it's a fact) that the angel always tells the truth.

The gates they guard look exactly the same.

The angel and the devil look and sound exactly the same.

When you die you appear before them. You are called upon to decide WHICH gate you select. Whichever gate you select, that's where you will spend the rest of eternity: either in heaven or in hell.

To assist you in your selection, you are permitted to ask ONE or the other of them (and you simply do not know which one is which) one question. One question only.

What question do you ask?

 

[Two Thumbs]

I hang out in the foyer and wait for someone to try and remember how to do that, then pick the right one.

 

[mamooth]

Question-within-a-question it. Go up to a random dude and ask:

"If I asked that other guy if he was guarding the gate to heaven, what would he say?"

If you're talking to the angel, he will answer "yes". That tells you to take that door.

If you're talking to the devil, he will answer "no". That tells you to take the other door.

 

[Alfalfa]

The premise doesn't indicate the angels know each other much less whether they might lie or not.

Fail.

 

[Two Thumbs]

Kick them both really really hard in the nuts.

the one that cusses is the devil, so....

 

[IlarMeilyr]

Question-within-a-question it. Go up to a random dude and ask:

"If I asked that other guy if he was guarding the gate to heaven, what would he say?"

If you're talking to the angel, he will answer "yes". That tells you to take that door.

If you're talking to the devil, he will answer "no". That tells you to take the other door.

Good.

That's the answer I came up with; and I believe it is the generally correct answer.

However, I believe there are other methods of solving the problem (along similar lines).

 

[mamooth]

The premise doesn't indicate the angels know each other much less whether they might lie or not.

Fail.

Fair enough. Here's a way to do it without assuming that one entity knows anything about the other. Ask:
---
If I were to ask you "Is this the gate to heaven?", would you say "Yes."?
---
If it is the gate to heaven, the angel will answer "yes". Take that door.

If it's the gate to hell, the devil will answer "no". Take the other door.

Essentially, the question-within-a-question thing there makes a double negative (false), which multiples to a positive (true). With that question, angel and devil could even be assigned randomly to doors, and you'd still always get the right answer.

 

[PixieStix]

I would ask them if Obama was a good President, and make my choice based on their answer

 

[Wry Catcher]

Imagine yourself in this situation. You are faced with two people. One of them always lies and the other always tells the truth. Also, both understand English, but one refuses to speak it.

You ask the first, "Are you the one who always tells the truth?" He says something unintelligible in a foreign language. The second one volunteers: "He says that he is, but he is lying".

Which is the liar and which is the truth-teller?