why do people who say christianity does not scare people into believing still say they are "saved"? doesn't the word saved imply that you are being saved from something that is bad? nobody would claim to be saving me from eternal pleasure. or not even pleasure. let's just say it'd be comfortable for all eternity. no pleasure, no pain. would i need to be saved from that? no. saving implies danger. doesn't it?
2007-08-05 12:54:41 · 16 answers · asked by just curious (A.A.A.A.) 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
cj, so it is using fear?
2007-08-05 12:58:33 · update #1
That would be the logical conclusion, yes. Unfortunately, very few religious people are interested in what is logical. It appears that in many cases carefully edited religion is used to hide behind when logic tells them what they do not want to hear.
2007-08-05 12:57:47 · answer #1 · answered by Enigma®Ragnarökin' 7 · 3⤊ 3⤋
Yes, it teaches fear of eternal seperation from God. However, if you do not believe, there's nothing to fear, so you're wrong to assume that we scare people into believing. Obviously, you aren't going to be afraid of something like the Boogey Man if you don't believe he exists. If you walk up to someone on the street and tell them that they're going to Hell if they don't believe, they'll have to choose to believe your religion before they'll have any fear of Hell. So, no, we don't scare people into believing; they freely choose to believe, thus creating the fear themselves.
If you do believe, yes, you should fear Hell. Why wouldn't you fear something like that if you honestly believe it exists? Therefore, "saved" does mean that there's something bad to be saved from. Once again, as I've already stated, there is nothing bad to fear unless you choose to believe, thus creating the fear yourself.
2007-08-05 13:12:34 · answer #2 · answered by cantstop929 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Christianity teaches fear in the sense that if you do something good, you're going to be rewarded with something good - such as Heaven. However, if you do something bad, you're going to be punished and sent straight to Hell for going against God and his teachings. Hell is a very, very desolate, lonely, and painful place - this scares you because nobody wants to go to a lonely, desolate world filled with pain, because it's scary. So we're scared into doing good.
Once you lose that fear you either become a. an ignorant Christian who feels that no matter what they choose to do, God will always love them and protect them, saving them from damnation (which to me, sounds like the crappiest excuse to go against your own beliefs) or b. an atheist who realizes the whole concept of religion is pretty bogus, and you shouldn't have to be scared of going to Hell to do good things, you should just do good things because they're that - good.
2007-08-05 13:00:28 · answer #3 · answered by Alley S. 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Yes there is a little fear tactic used but it is only the fear of hell which is not an unresonable fear as Jesus himself said how hell is not a place where you would want to be. But you would have nothing to fear if you are a good person.
2007-08-05 13:01:10 · answer #4 · answered by Animal Girl 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Their whole philosophy of preaching to the world to gain converts is fear-based. If you do not believe in THEIR way, then you are doomed to spend eternity in hell. Period.
Yes. They imply danger. But who, Curious, is really in danger here??
2007-08-05 12:59:32 · answer #5 · answered by Shihan 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
What is the function that a clergyman performs in the world?
Answer: he gets his living by assuring idiots that he can save them from an imaginary hell.
-- H L Mencken
2007-08-05 13:00:09 · answer #6 · answered by Ward 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Just, God tells the world to fear Him, but when Jesus comes He says Do not fear! Accept Jesus, not your knowledge. Jimmy.
2007-08-05 13:16:32 · answer #7 · answered by Jimmy 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Of course, it is.
What antonym of saved could be considered a non-frightening state?
2007-08-05 13:01:39 · answer #8 · answered by novangelis 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think being 'saved' is primarily referring to 'saved from a life of sin'. We reap what we sow in this life and if we trust Jesus and follow His teachings we will reap a happier, more productive life. Jesus had much more to say about this life than the next. He said He came to give us life and to give it to us "abundantly". Yes there is danger in this life. The freeway is real. I put my trust in Jesus to get off the freeway and save myself from a lot of pain and unhappiness.
2007-08-05 13:03:22 · answer #9 · answered by Prof Fruitcake 6 · 1⤊ 4⤋
Well, once you are "saved" from Hell. That's it. You don't need to worry about it anymore. Because you have believed on Jesus Christ for the payment of your sins and have passed from death to life. (Romans 6:4)
Most people don't become Christians due to a fear of Hell. They become Christians because of a deep conviction of their sinfulness before a Holy God. And when they believe on Jesus Christ to forgive their sins, knowing He died on the cross and shed His blood for THEIR sins, they're forgiven and restored to God.
2007-08-05 13:02:41 · answer #10 · answered by Alien Brain 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋