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Hell is a pretty big motivator for certain religions so what if there was no threat of eternal suffering. Would people still be good or follow a certain religion ?
The question in your Thread Title and the question in the Opening post are totally different.
The thread title asks would people still believe... I assume you mean in god..... if there was no threat of hell. The answer to that is clearly "yes" given there are a number of religions out there with no Hell concept.
The Opening Post asks the morality question of whether people would still be good without a threat of hell. The number of very moral Atheists also shows the answer to this is "Yes."
The question in your Thread Title and the question in the Opening post are totally different.
The thread title asks would people still believe... I assume you mean in god..... if there was no threat of hell. The answer to that is clearly "yes" given there are a number of religions out there with no Hell concept.
The Opening Post asks the morality question of whether people would still be good without a threat of hell. The number of very moral Atheists also shows the answer to this is "Yes."
Moreover, eternal suffering depends on immortal souls and these did not exist as a concept prior to 2500 BCE while the “concept” of the gods dates from about 40.000 BCE, according to evidence (worshiping objects).
Hell is a pretty big motivator for certain religions so what if there was no threat of eternal suffering. Would people still be good or follow a certain religion ?
Thanks for those comments! What a blasphemous and misanthropic view of humanity to asser that we need such a notice of punishment for doing good? We are not sinners as Abert Ellis notes in " The Myth of Self-Esteem" but beings who do both good and bad but most of us mostly good. Sin means not measuring up to His commands. As He cannot exist, that is bogus! We should try to measure up to objective morality not that wrong simple subjectivism of those miserable, mean-minded misanthropes who just made up that morality out of their own whims and tastes without any real regard for humanity.
I agree. People do indeed espouse religions, cults or pet theories and indeed political causes, sports teams and even fave actors or rock - stars and will stoutly support them, defend them and fight and even risk death (if they can't put down the other bugger first) in the cause. And all without a hellthreat.
It is true that Christians can believe out of love, not fear.
That said, the point of the hellthreat is to persuade people to join when they don't yet have that allegiance or to dissuade them from leaving when they have lost it.
Without the hellthreat - or at least the next best thing, denial of eternal life -threat - there is no means to coerce the unbeliever or coerce the deconverting.
Hell is a pretty big motivator for certain religions so what if there was no threat of eternal suffering. Would people still be good or follow a certain religion ?
Threat! What threat and what coercion? As if this all powerful - all mighty being has to resort to threats...God does not threaten he just does. You want eternal suffering..there is lots here, no need to wait. The idea of threats originate with man and not God.
In my spiritual and religious life- the last thing that enters my mind is some sort of punitive action carried out by God after I am dead- Killing me through time will be enough I am sure- and possible eternal oblivion would be hell..I just don't live that way- I don't like people who threaten me...and I am sure that God is NOT a bully.
"Would people stll be good...if there was no threat of a horrific spanking by GOD? Of course...people do not think that far ahead...most do not believe they are going to die till near the end- Children- teenagers- young adults all think they are eternal.
Any religion that is like a bully saying- You be good or I am going to punch your lights out and stick you with hot pokers for a million years....is not a religion worth being part of.
If you look at the ancient real meaning of hell- It means the burning garbage heap out side of town where you tossed your trash and dead useless animals...in other words hell will and can take place here..and YOU can end up in the trash heap.
Put it this way- remember when you walked hand in had on that sunny day through the meadow with your first love? That was heaven-----------remember seeing that guy with rotting aching teeth laying in the gutter wallowing in his own filth ...hungry - hopeless and dreaming of his next fix or drink- well that is hell...................it is all here. "On earth as it is in heaven" What do you think that really means?
Hell is a pretty big motivator for certain religions so what if there was no threat of eternal suffering. Would people still be good or follow a certain religion ?
If there wasn't a stick, there'd have to be a carrot.
Threat! What threat and what coercion? As if this all powerful - all mighty being has to resort to threats...God does not threaten he just does. You want eternal suffering..there is lots here, no need to wait. The idea of threats originate with man and not God.
Excellent. Then you and the atheists who say that heaven and hell is nonsense are singing from the same hymn-sheet - because denial of heaven is simply the reverse of the dud coin of hellthreat.
Quote:
In my spiritual and religious life- the last thing that enters my mind is some sort of punitive action carried out by God after I am dead- Killing me through time will be enough I am sure- and possible eternal oblivion would be hell..I just don't live that way- I don't like people who threaten me...and I am sure that God is NOT a bully.
"Would people stll be good...if there was no threat of a horrific spanking by GOD? Of course...people do not think that far ahead...most do not believe they are going to die till near the end- Children- teenagers- young adults all think they are eternal.
Any religion that is like a bully saying- You be good or I am going to punch your lights out and stick you with hot pokers for a million years....is not a religion worth being part of.
Couldn't agree more.
Quote:
If you look at the ancient real meaning of hell- It means the burning garbage heap out side of town where you tossed your trash and dead useless animals...in other words hell will and can take place here..and YOU can end up in the trash heap.
Put it this way- remember when you walked hand in had on that sunny day through the meadow with your first love? That was heaven-----------remember seeing that guy with rotting aching teeth laying in the gutter wallowing in his own filth ...hungry - hopeless and dreaming of his next fix or drink- well that is hell...................it is all here. "On earth as it is in heaven" What do you think that really means?
It doesn't mean that the threats of retribution for the unworthy found in the Bible can be passed off as 'this vale of tears'. Christianity as it now is still uses the stick and carrot of heaven -promise and hell - threat.
Excellent. Then you and the atheists who say that heaven and hell is nonsense are singing from the same hymn-sheet - because denial of heaven is simply the reverse of the dud coin of hellthreat.
Couldn't agree more.
It doesn't mean that the threats of retribution for the unworthy found in the Bible can be passed off as 'this vale of tears'. Christianity as it now is still uses the stick and carrot of heaven -promise and hell - threat.
It's pretty common knowledge that, like athiesm, Christianity has various sects.
One has to evaluate the sincerity of another who proclaims sedulous chronological reviews of said subject but has somehow missed this infantile benchmark level of understanding.
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