is religion a form of emotional blackmail?

Question

its saying if you don't do such such, you will go to hell forever, even there is no proof but you just have to have faith...

Answer 1

Yes, that's one way it operates, but just one. Religion uses any kind of emotional manipulation that it can to get people to convert and stay converted.

1) It generally claims vague rewards, like Heaven or spiritual awakening or other nonsense.
2) It generally claims vague threats, like Hell.
3) It portrays the convert as feeble, corrupt, "Earthly", and other disparaging adjectives in order to make the convert feel a need for the religion.
4) It usually has some central figure, like Jesus or Mohammed. The convert is made to feel shame for the supposed injury the convert did to him.
5) The religion has some sort of Santa Claus figure that's always watching, keeping track of what the person does right or wrong according to the tenets.
6) The religion generally has many rites and rituals that it uses to keep the religion in the convert's mind.
7) The religion generally indoctrinates children from a young age, so that it becomes ingrained in their psyche.
8) The religion will try to leverage government to enforce its point of view.
9) The religion will generally describe those in the group as chosen or saved or somehow better. At the same time, it will describe outsiders and corrupt and evil. This enhanced in-group bonding.
10) The religion will discourage converts from discussing philosophy with outsiders, except if there is a chance of conversion. It warns them to ignore what anybody else says, calling it herasy or blasphemy or such.
11) If a person cannot be converted, the converts are instructed to shut out the outsiders or deal with them as little as possible. They'll be told to "not throw pearls before swine" or "be unequally yoked" (to use Christian examples).
12) Religions will also use chants, songs, and outright hysteria to generate emotions during the service in order to attach emotion directly to the religion. They'll make use of any trick of the mind to do this.
13) They'll espouse the virtue of just believing. They'll try to convince their converts that faith is another way of getting information, instead of just blind belief. And they'll hold it up as being superior to actually reasoning about a subject.

And there are other ways that emotion is used to get and keep converts. The whole idea is control and manipulation. They don't want converts to think there is any other option. And they'll employ armies of apologists to rationalize away any annoying contradictions that might cause their converts to start reasoning more than feeling.

Answer 2

That's a catchy phrase to describe it. Well done! "Emotional blackmail"! I'll have to remember that for when I have religious discussions with my friends. It's sad that people so often rely on the threat of Hell to prove religious points to other people. As in, when people state that they will pray for someone so that they will no be cast into Hell for eternity. It's irritating. How about people talk about religion/God in a nice light and leave the B.S. "consequences" to be discussed in Southern Baptist churches.

Answer 3

yes

Answer 4

Yes, religion can be that way. However, Salvation through Jesus Christ is not a religion, but a choice.

Answer 5

Many make it seem like just that.

Answer 6

Yes, it is... for our own benefit. It is also brainwashing... it washes our brain from all the garbage accumulated for billions of years and lifetimes. Thanks it is available !