Revelations 21:8 makes abundantly clear that God will kill us for not loving him.
Do you know many non-christians who respond well to the threat: "Love me or I throw you in a lake of fire and brimstone"?
And why do so many people believe a god is capable of such a threat? Don't they degrade the definition of "god" by worshipping a 'god' who makes threats like that?
Doesn't a religion that worships a 'god' who says "love me or your dead meat" simply encourage abusive behaviour towards others?
I mean, if 'god' is the example we are to follow, then throwing tantrums (the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah), being sadistic (massacre of the first born in Egypt, the crucifixion of Jesus), and making death threats (Revelation 21:8 amongst many others) are not exactly examples of 'godly' behaviour, are they?
2007-06-15 01:44:58 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Just like the Aztecs and Mayans, the Jewish version of god really should have died out a long time ago. In a way he has, since christians seem to utterly ignore him in favor of his 'son' Jesus. I just wish they would sever all ties and drop the judgment and eternal hell concepts and just focus on being good people who love one another enough not to do harm or be deceitful.
2007-06-15 02:03:07 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
It scared superstitious Peasants, hundreds of years in the past, yet in recent times, i think of the only people who incredibly have faith in Hell are those already switched over, and in undemanding terms then, because of the fact they often had it drummed into them as toddlers. As a gadget for conversion, i do no longer think of the phobia of Hell incredibly cuts it recently. human beings merely don't think it, and it makes the could be Evangeliser look backwards, and makes human beings much extra antagonistic to "the message". concern of Hell, would scare some lapsed Catholics back into the fold, yet usually in undemanding terms whilst on their Deathbeds.
2016-10-17 08:36:10 · answer #2 · answered by wallin 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't quite look at it that way. God has made it possible for us to believe in Him, and if we do that, we WILL come to love Him, because He has made it so EASY! Has He done some things that we look at as evil? Perhaps. However, He NEVER did things without warning. Prophets were sent ahead of time to warn people that they were going the wrong way, and God, like ANY good Father, had no choice but to punish His children.
We are ALL God's children, after all...just some of us make the choice not to call Him our Father.
God doesn't say, "Love Me and worship Me or I'll send you to Hell." He says, "Believe in Me, and ask Me to give you MY wisdom, and you WILL come to love Me and worship Me." God says, "Choose the life I can give you, or choose death. It's up to you."
2007-06-15 01:52:40 · answer #3 · answered by The_Cricket: Thinking Pink! 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Well given how often Pascal's Wager gets posted here, I have to assume that it is one of the more effective arguments that Christians have. So I would say no.
2007-06-15 01:50:36 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
When you own a house, you make the rules in it. You tell your children how they must behave, and you decide the punishment for their misbehavior. You say who enters your house and who does not. You set the boundaries, because it's your house. We are living in God's house. He therefore makes the rules and sets the boundaries of our existence. When the children of disobedience broke His rules, He decided the punishment, just as you do when your children disobey you. He makes the rules, not us. You can choose to make your own rules and pay the consequences, or you can follow Christ. It's your choice.
2007-06-15 01:57:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Hey...fear is a superb motivator. The Catholics raised it to a high art form certainly (read: Inquisition). There is a reason we refer to "Good..God-Fearing Folk". Keeps us "in line". Personally I am immune to that concept...it as much a mystery to me as it is to you my friend...
2007-06-15 01:52:31 · answer #6 · answered by Chaz 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I suppose it is how you chose to look at this. If all you can see is bad in the written word and not see all the good, then maybe you sould not read it
2007-06-15 01:50:40 · answer #7 · answered by ? 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
If I was in a relationship, and she said to me, "LOVE ME OR I'LL MAKE YOU SUFFER FOR A LIFETIME", I'd know it was time to split.
Not to mention enter the witness protection program.
2007-06-15 01:51:06 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 0⤋
Excellent point. Just goes to prove that God is fictional,
2007-06-15 01:47:59 · answer #9 · answered by allears 4 · 2⤊ 3⤋
So you either Beleive or you don't, No one is pulling your ears here. It is your choice to do so, but only if you Beleive in God
2007-06-15 01:47:41 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋