Current Events > Organized religion is predicated on fear, change my mind.

(+) Yeah! (+)

To respond to the last few posts, the Bible and the Gospels DO talk about hell very explicitly and the notion that a church wouldn't talk about hell because it would scare off followers says to me that they care about getting followers more than anything else.

This is very appropriate

So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Fathers will. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So dont be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn

a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law
a mans enemies will be the members of his own household. (Referencing Micah 7:6)

Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 10:26-39

I interpret this to mean that Jesus' goal on earth is not to spread a lovey dovey message. Love, forgiveness, etc. are obviously part of Jesus' message, but those things are not his main goal. His main goal is to talk about heaven, hell, the afterlife, and how you should live on earth to prepare for the afterlife.

If you don't want to believe in a creator that will allow eternal suffering that's fine, but if eternal suffering is the way it is then what you believe doesn't matter in the end.

Imagine if God is exactly like God in the Torah. Basically no one follows all of the Torah rules anymore, and if God is really that vengeful then your modern lifestyle would probably exclude you from anything like heaven. Or imagine if some random religion is actually the correct one and the god of that religion hates all non-believers.

I hope that God is at least understanding to people that don't believe in the "correct" religion, but I don't believe that God is understanding to everything. Basically it's not our part to judge, we'll find out when we die.
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