life, would you be more likely to come to Jesus?
2006-09-25 10:39:50 · 16 answers · asked by Love Shepherd 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No - why, are you contemplating changing your scare tactics for conversion?
Truth is, without the fear of eternal damnation, the rest of the story is moot and unnecessary. I have my own mind to tell me what is moral and what is not, and I know how to live by the golden rule, so a saviour is not necessary...
2006-09-25 10:48:34 · answer #1 · answered by YDoncha_Blowme 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I was raised a Christian, the fact that almost every Christian I knew told me that without the threat of Hell, you would be an idiot to be a Christian, is a key reason why I no longer am one. Attempts by the roving fundies at convincing me to join their particular church and give money to support their clergy have never focused on anything but threats of Hell if I don't. The only morality they preach is blind obedience, do this 'cause if you don't you'll go to Hell. The only viewpoint they acknowledge is their own, if you disagree you'll go to Hell. Christianity teaches that mankind was given a mind to keep closed, eyes to keep shut, ears to keep plugged, and a mouth to parrot the straight party line, with all of it backed up by the threat of Hell. If I had ever met a community of people who left out the threats, bigotry, closed mindedness, jugementalism, and condemnation of others, choosing instead to actually practice the compassion, love, and respect for others that Jesus taught, leading by deed and example, and not by threats of Hell and a non-stop stream of "Do as I say, not as I do", as He did, I would almost certainly have stayed with them. If I met such people now I would certainly want them for friends or neighbors for they would be the best of both. Jesus, after all, never wanted to be worshipped, he wanted to be emulated, "Love one another as I have loved you." Sadly, there is not, never has been, and probably never will be such a comunity, the people who use Jesus as tool for the accumulation of wealth and power are firmly in charge.
2006-09-25 18:14:02 · answer #2 · answered by rich k 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you were to offer up Jesus as a good person whose example should be followed, I would agree that there is much attributed to him in the Christian scriptures that is worth emulating, but not everything. I would still reject the unbelievable supernatural parts of the story--son of God, walking on water, loaves and fishes, resurrecting the dead. And I would argue that some of the doctrines attributed to him are actually immoral.
I enjoy my life just fine without god-belief or Jesus-belief.
2006-09-25 17:51:32 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Huh?
There is no hell and no, I will not come to jesus.
My life is already quite wonderful.
I also know many Christians with very dissatisfied lives. You do not have a monopoly on happiness, whether you want to believe that or not.
2006-09-25 17:45:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Nope, it has nothing to do with Heaven and Hell.
It's about personal direction and beliefs. Letting go of belief is not a bad thing. Belief creates people that are closed minded and hostile when their beliefs are challenged.
The perfect religion is still a religion.
FP
2006-09-25 17:43:11 · answer #5 · answered by F. Perdurabo 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am perfectly happy to have Jesus in my life, just as He is. And there most assuredly is a place called hades, hell, eternal damnation, whatever. But I am depending on my faith in Jesus and the Grace of God to keep me from there.
2006-09-25 17:49:56 · answer #6 · answered by stullerrl 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Probably not. It's hard enough to get people to want to be a Christan, by warning them about Hell; I doubt they would want to come just to be some guy's friend. (No disrespect to God intended.)
2006-09-25 17:44:31 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, because you are still trying to make me believe in the man in the sky, or at least the man in the sky's son.
If I showed you, oh I don't know, countless science books proving.... oh, wait, that stuff is for real !!!
2006-09-25 17:44:29 · answer #8 · answered by C P R 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If I offered you a chance to meet Santa Claus, at the North Pole, what would be your response?
I'm not saying that to be sarcastic, either. That's exactly how I view your question.
2006-09-25 17:46:22 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
There is no hell and I'm asked that often. So no.
2006-09-25 17:45:16 · answer #10 · answered by The Resurrectionist 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋