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I don't think I have ever noticed how obsessed Christians are with the topic of hell until I came to this site. Those who lick their chops at the thought that their god is coming back to rescue them (because they are special like that), leaving behind all the bad people who failed to grovel before his invisibleness, waiting in anticipation of eternal hellfire, they NEED the concept to live and breathe. Those who realize that it makes that same god aModerator cut: delete monster seem to try to rescue his image to show that he is not such a bad guy after all. I mean, there are about eleventy billion topics on the subject, cloaked in and/or repackaged in all kinds of thread titles. Why do YOU Moderator cut: delete think this is?
Last edited by june 7th; 10-02-2011 at 12:53 PM..
Reason: inappropriate language
Hell is not just a Christian concept, it must be noted. With that being said, it certainly is a focus among many Christians - most notably the fiery sermons of the Southern Baptists. It is a potent means of scaring someone into piety. That should be fairly obvious. The strength of the concept of hell as a place of fire and brimstone, is that it does not always require an authority figure - in otherwords, it's common to go to an average church meeting, have a guest pastor or speaker, hear a sermon on the dangers of hell and have a very powerful affect on the listener. It speaks for itself - in many people's minds. Who can dispute that Hell (if it exists) sounds like a horrible place, and the idea of eternal torture is something to be rejected? Only a fool would think otherwise.
Of course - this assumes the existence of Hell, and it also assumes that Hell is being preached as a place of eternal torment. The concept of Hell has evolved over the years, especially among the Bible itself. From Sheol - a place of nothingness, a common grave - we finally arrive at the Hell or Hades of the Greek New Testament, and the Lake of Fire. The Lake of Fire burns eternally, but it's unclear whether the punishment is. Technically, once someone is cast into it - it is their second death (after the judgement) and that is that. This is one concept I feel the Jehovah Witnesses have seemed to grasp correctly. So, it's easy to confuse the Lake of Fire, Hell, Hades, Sheol, Abbadon, etc all together into one concept.
Enough about origins. I think people join a group and like to feel that they have finally found the secret truth, and everyone else is wrong. These other people need to be taught the truth, and if they refuse the truth then Hell is awaiting them. Whether a Christian enjoys the idea of people being tormented is as good question - there are many older church writings in which one of the exquisite pleasures of Heaven is to be able to view the torments of the damned. Do some people still feel this way? Or do some Christians actually fear for other people's lives - and wish they don't end up there? I think far too many Christians have the attitude that 'bad people deserve what they get'. Ask an average Christian why it was okay to commit genocide on the Canaanites - they will simply tell you that they were given the oppurtunity to worship the one, true God (some imaginary prophet who is never mentioned, one assumes), rejected it and thus opened themselves up to righteous judgement. Women, children, babies - they all deserved it. The Israelites invaded, killed them, took their land, and it was all okay. They were bad. Look at the fundamentalist preachers who declared AIDS was from God, as a punishment. I don't recall seeing them pray for the souls of those poor individuals who ended up dying from it. The idea of Hell (and I think you're right) seems to be a delicious indulgence of many Christians, and brings out the sadistic character of certain aspects of Christianity (especially the ones that are being glossed over in another thread): the glory of self-denial, the rejection of this world, the hope for an afterlife, the desire for vengeance on those who refuse to accept the gospel, a kind of sick satisfaction.
In the end - the subject needs much more clarifying than is usually done by churches. This has been done in most modern churches, finally. They admit that there is probably no such thing as hell, and the idea of eternal torment does not match up with the idea of Justice from God - eye for an eye. Most churches have realized, too, that Original Sin is a late concept that contributes to the idea of eternal punishment, and are willing to approach that in a new light, as well.
In the end - it's usually the fundamentalist and orthodox branches of Christianity that still preach the concept of Hell predominantly. Unfortunately, that gives the rest of Christianity a bad name, like almost everything they do..
Fear can draw many people into "your" church "your religion", "your doctrine"
Fear can keep them locked in a particular religion.
Fear can also be passed down through generations to keep one in a particular "church"..
Fear can draw many people into "your" church "your religion", "your doctrine"
Fear can keep them locked in a particular religion.
Fear can also be passed down through generations to keep one in a particular "church"..
Very true....... very sad........
The last statement about passing it down, is IMO nothing but child abuse, do your chores or you're going to hell...... people are mentally scarred for life by such abuse.
And we know "fear's" constant companion can't be far away... hate
“No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.” Edmund Burke
“Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.” Bertrand Russell
Last edited by Asheville Native; 10-02-2011 at 03:10 PM..
I don't think I have ever noticed how obsessed Christians are with the topic of hell until I came to this site. Those who lick their chops at the thought that their god is coming back to rescue them (because they are special like that), leaving behind all the bad people who failed to grovel before his invisibleness, waiting in anticipation of eternal hellfire, theyNEED the concept to live and breathe. Those who realize that it makes that same god aModerator cut: delete monster seem to try to rescue his image to show that he is not such a bad guy after all. I mean, there are about eleventy billion topics on the subject, cloaked in and/or repackaged in all kinds of thread titles. Why do YOU Moderator cut: delete think this is?
Many people obviously use concepts as tools to justify and inflate themselves ; however, I would think if one truly believes in an actual hell-fire they would be obligated to try and assist others in avoiding it which could come across as a superiority complex and/or nagging; it's hard to win with that belief system.
The person who didn't want anything to do with God will be granted their wish which is hell or being apart from God when they perish from this Earth.
The bile you constantly have in your craw is what makes you such a bitter and lonely voice screaming your ignorance born hatred at any that refuse to swallow the boat load of bunk you spew with great glee and willful ignorance.
Perhaps you should scroll back up the page and take a look at yourself in Miss Blue's post.
Location: planet octupulous is nearing earths atmosphere
13,621 posts, read 12,749,770 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Asheville Native
The bile you constantly have in your craw is what makes you such a bitter and lonely voice screaming your ignorance born hatred at any that refuse to swallow the boat load of bunk you spew with great glee and willful ignorance.
Perhaps you should scroll back up the page and take a look at yourself in Miss Blue's post.
yep miss blue is spot on,, fear can be a passed down trait..
yep miss blue is spot on,, fear can be a passed down trait..
As a Christian one should not fear if the Holy Spirit resides within them, it is the pretend Christian or the one looking from the outside looking in and going through the motions maybe the ones who do but not a true Christian as one that has confidence when one departs from this Earth that one will enter Heaven.
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