2006-11-15 03:34:21 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Nope... Some mistakenly attempt to use it as such..... but in reality it is an appeasement to believers to strengthen the notion that they are "right" and that those who think differently will be punished for doing so. It exists as a concept because those who believe resent those who don't and want them to suffer for being different.
Its just a natural intolerance of that which is alien to us.... basically.
2006-11-15 03:45:57 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
Motivation to join a religion should include the benefits of the religion. Those who threaten others with hell are not doing thier job correctly. They should be teaching of love and peace rather then pain and punishment. Scare tactics just turn people off and make them defensive.
2006-11-15 11:45:41 · answer #2 · answered by Nep-Tunes 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You should be motivated to join a religion if and when you agree with it's beliefs and doctrines. That includes all of them, even the ones that are not so nice sounding. Oh and hell isn't truly a threat..it's a promise. All are given a choice and all have to make it on their own.
2006-11-15 11:38:03 · answer #3 · answered by mortgagegirl101 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
No, they shouldn't yet many peachers and evangelists make this mistake. By talking HELL HELL BRIMSTONE HAIL THE SIZE OF FISTS!!! They scare the people who need conversion and blank out the loving GOD that watches over us. GOD doesn't want ANYONE to go to hell! Yet, he can only take people that love him there. It's something he must do. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have friends stay at my house than insane murderers who hate me!!
2006-11-15 11:39:44 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christendom uses that to threaten her members and what has been the result? The world is filled with murderers, rapists, terrorists, liars, thieves and people who prefer pleasures rather than worshipping God. Most all of these have been taught that hell is a place of torture forever for those who do such things. So, do these criminals take the hellfire doctrine seriously? Apparenty not or the idea would deter them from committing such acts.
What does the Bible really teach about hell? Is the teaching consistant with a God of love, mercy and justice? Let's examine what the Bible has to say---
Hell is not a place of torture; it is where all souls or people go who die. It is the common grave or place of burial.
Souls do die; they are not immortal--"The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself."--- Ezekiel 18:20
How do we know that hell is the grave? Well, we can read many verses in God's Word that assures us of that fact. Here are but a few:
Psalm 139:8--"If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there." (If hell is a fiery,hot place of torture, would David think God (psalms 83:18) would be there ?
Amos 9:2--"Though they dig into hell, From there My hand shall take them; Though they climb up to heaven, From there I will bring them down." ( Can you dig into fire? No, but you can dig into the earth and God can find you no matter where you try to hide.)
Jonah 2:2--"And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice." ( The belly of the fish would have been Jonah's grave, if God had not rescued him.)
Revelation 1:18--"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." (Why would Jesus need keys to hell? Because the dead do not have to stay in hell forever; they can be resurrected back to life.)
Revelation 20:13-14--"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." (Hell delivers up the dead, meaning a resurrection from the grave), and what happens to death & hell? They are thrown into the lake of fire, meaning total destruction.
Christendoms concept of hell is a pagan teaching. God is love and tortures no one.
It makes Satan and his demons happy when people make God out to be sadistic and cruel. The pagan hellfire doctrine has turned many away from worshipping God-----how sad.
2006-11-15 11:50:19 · answer #5 · answered by Micah 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The fear of hell is what keeps the questions of those who already believe at a minimum, and the concept of that fear, along with threats of hell is what keeps those who don't believe shaking their heads and rolling their eyes.
2006-11-15 11:37:53 · answer #6 · answered by Snark 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Hello, lady. The bible tells us that the wicked will be cast into the lake of fire. It also defines religion as visiting the fatherless and widows and keeping oneself spotless from the world. So, you tell me.
2006-11-15 11:41:57 · answer #7 · answered by Handy man 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
2 choices offered by religion (Christianity in particular):
1) Be one of us.
2) Burn forever in agonizing pain with no hope of oblivion.
2006-11-15 11:37:24 · answer #8 · answered by =_= 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
YES!
GOD told me you will all go to HELL if you don't donate every other paycheck to me at BANKONE acct # 689806124
PS HELL sucks
2006-11-15 11:40:40 · answer #9 · answered by chop 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There is no Hell.
2006-11-15 11:37:28 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋