Why does it bother atheist when someone says, You're going to Hell?

Question

Would it bother you if I screamed You're going to Never Never Land because you don't believe in fairies? (not that I would) I just don't get where the anger comes from.

yaabro--condemning you to what? If there is no salvation there is no condemnation -- the words would be meaningless.

that is the point klimlover--I've been told that by atheists before, and i found it amusing--I didn't get angry-just silly.

Fairiewings--there are no lesser persons...........why would you feel that way............oh, my daughter believes in fairies too.

lj 2000-I don't think Christians want you to be tortured...........they're worried about you--you should be flattered--even if you don't believe.

Samuri Jack--I think I'd ignore you. But the point is taken, however I don't think Christians say that gleefully like some infer. Rather, they believe they're 'warning' you--I don't believe in forcing my beliefs on anyone--so I don't. I do its rude, but again-if someone told me I was going to never never land--it would be meaningless to me. And that is why I don't understand your anger.

Kallan-I don't know where you're from but in America no one can force any relgion on you. The only laws that are getting past are ANTI-Christian (and anti constitutional) laws (barring the free exercise there of). While I agree there are some nuts out there trying to force their views on you--there are just as many athiests doing the same. Any wonder why when you question an atheist about what/why they believe what they do--you have 50 answers in 5 minutes?

epidavros--I have done no such thing..........and you're right--I don't know you or anything about your life....but just for the record, I don't think being an atheist is 'evil', but I don't understand it.

Gazoo--no one can make that assumption.........and honestly--are yo bombarded with people telling you you're going to hell all the time--or just when you try and convince them that their beliefs are just as absurd as they find yours?

integre--your opinion doesn't matter to me. If you said I was not going to heaven, I might agree--I am not perfect--so I don't know what is going to happen. I do hope I go there--but that is not my call. I know that--and Christians know that it's not their call to make about your afterlife--

Mrs Tayo--my you're bitter. I never said any atheist is going to hell (that is not MY call). And no, I don't curse your gay friend. Being gay (in my opinion) is none of my business. This is a Q on why it bothers atheists--and you're getting all PO'd? Why? I am trying to understand how you find that offensive when you claim it doesn't exist. Simple Q--no judgment on my part....yours?

Answer 1

Atheist are bothered by that comment because somewhere in the back of their minds they can't deny that there is a God and reminding them only makes them more aware of that reality and ultimately scared.

I guess they probably don't want to consider the fact that they might be wrong.



Grace and Peace!

Answer 2

There is a big problem with Christians. They are forgetting what Jesus taught! Some have let their zealous self-righteousness get in the way of reason and will condemn anyone who does not believe exactly the way they do even within the church, but a different sect (i.e. Lutherans condemn Catholics, Baptists, etc.) sort of like how the Muslims are fighting among themselves. Problem is, Jesus never taught that. He told His disciples to "Preach the Gospel to everyone, and if you go into a town and they don't accept what you have to say, shake the dust from your feet as you leave". In other words, a Christian is not allowed to force-feed their religion on others (unlike Muslims). Once the word is given, either you accept it or you don't. That is your choice. The Christian's work is done and he absolutely has no right to judge you on the spot by saying you are going to hell! Again, they are breaking the rules because Jesus said, "Judge not and you will not be judged". If I were an atheist, I'd be pis*ed too because those so-called-Christians have no clue. After all, once the word is given and the atheist starts thinking, "What if I'm wrong"? That so-called Christian is in big trouble because he has in effect told you that you are going to hell, but doesn't really know that because the atheist might change his/her mind.

P.S. Yes, I'm a Christian but I would never tell someone that they are going to hell. That's not my decision! And by the way, for all of you that think hell is a place where you will burn forever in fire, wrong! Hell is eternal separation from God. Nothing more, nothing less.

Answer 3

It's not the idea of a fictional place that's upsetting, it's the fact that someone thinks that we somehow deserve to be sent somewhere to suffer torture for ALL OF ETERNITY --not because we're bad people, or because we've done anything that's worse than anything THEY'VE ever done, but simply because we don't *believe* the same things they do. It's a very disturbing thought process. And the glee that the people making the declaration always display when telling you this is enough to make one feel that the person is truly sadistic and quite possibly a psychopath.

Answer 4

I wouldn't say it bothers me as such.

I guess in a way, but it's the feeling their expressing, not a fear that they're right.

Never Never Land sounds kinda nice in a lot of ways.

What the person is expressing is a gleeful joy at the thought that I'm going suffer eternal torment.

It's not about the truth of their claim (or lack thereof), but the scary and ugly hatred they're expressing when they say it.

When you think about it, most invective is pretty meaningless, if you look at it literally.

Insults are often more silly.

But they have effect, not because of their literal meaning, but the fact that someone is expressing hatred towards you.

I mean, them fire-and-brimstone types are really ugly and horrible people.

To have their loathsomness on one's face, as it were, is an unahppy experience.

It's all about the fact that they're wishing unimaginable horror on you, and it gives them happiness to imagine that torment.

ugh!

I'm reminded of that bit in To Kill a Mockingbird.

A kid calls Scout a "n-word"-lover and she beats him up.

Later, she asks what it means.

"If you didn't know, why did you fight over it?"

"Well, it was like he'd called me a 'snot-nose' or something. I didn't know what it meant, but I knew it was bad."

Answer 5

It bothers us because the other person is assuming that we are not in control of our own lives by implying we will be going to a make believe after life where we'll burn in hell for eternity. To counter your question, and I'm assuming you do believe in an afterlife, how would you like it if I said 'You won't be going to Heaven?'. It's equally annoying and it's an assumption about -your- beliefs.

Answer 6

We don't believe it obviously. But it is seriously annoying to have some twit tell you that every day. Don't you realize we don't believe it? If you do, why keep saying it over and over?

there's also the glee most say it with. Which makes people hate christians. for such supposedly loving people you exhibit a lot of hatred to anyone who disagrees. saying someone will burn forever in hell while believing it to be true is pretty damned hateful

Answer 7

Fokkerball hit the nail on the head. It's not that they believe they are going to hell because of what they believe, but the intent behind the persons words, that they look at the atheist as a lesser person because of what they believe.

And I believe in Faeries.

**************

I don't think that there are lesser persons, but there are Christan's who do think that of people who don't believe in Christianity. I've seen it time and time again on this forum and real life. Just as there are atheists who think the same thing. Though they aren't all like that.

When someone tells another that they are going to hell, it is the same as telling that person they are a lesser person. I mean, think about this. Lets say you're Christian and a Born Again tells you that you are going to hell because you aren't the same as them, isn't that kind of like them putting themselves on a pedestal, above you, making you a lesser person? And even though you don't believe that you have to be Born Again to go to heaven, wouldn't just the intent behind the persons words irk you even the slightest?

Hell, can also be used as a metaphor for a very bad life experience. And to condemn someone to that, or to even insinuate it, can be disturbing to some.

Think of things in perspective.

Answer 8

As a Christian, I find it completely presumptuos to fortell someone's eternity. I don't know my own. I know several atheists and they're nicer than a lot of 'chrisitans' I know. My feelings are that when they do die and meet with Him-eye to eye, most will repent and be forgiven. Christians can't FORCE their views--it only makes an atheist resentful and dig in their heels.

Answer 9

It is kind of funny because I have heard them go off during my life when someone says this. I might now be the best proponent of my faith but I know there is a God. My greatest terror would be being an atheist my whole life and then waking up at the gates of heaven.

Answer 10

It is condescending on a personal level, it really feeds into how illogical the whole turn or burn teaching is for me, as all studies show religion is based on little more than culture, where you are born largely dictates what you believe. I don't often get mad at many types of ignorance, but this is across the line.

Answer 11

Good question, some atheists probably aren't 100 percent sure whether they are right or wrong, so some of them get bothered probably because they are afraid there is a chance that they are wrong. Even though some atheists made up their mind completely that there is no God, some probably aren't so sure. I hope the fear of hell convinces them to accept the Lord before they die. Personally, I can't say they are going to hell, its because nobody knows if they will accept God or not, just the atheist and God himself.