is threatening people with hell the Bible-fundamentalists' way of beautifying God's image to people?

Question

Bible-fundamentalists insist that people should believe the way they do because if not, people (besides them) will be sent by their god to hell.

well, it's either they are painting their god wrong or they are describing exactly what their god is, an egotistic god. so, which one is it?

Answer 1

No. It's their way of trying to intimidate others into converting.

Answer 2

It does not mean God is mean or egotistical. You don't have the missing information. God promises that he will punish the wicked. If God is good, he must be just and punish lawbreakers. So how do you know if you are a lawbreaker? Take yourself through the ten commandments and you will know whether or not it makes sense that there is a hell.

See http://www.thegoodpersontest.com to find out if you're going to heaven or hell.

God will not grade you on a curve. Put yourself in a courtroom, and you're guilty of breaking ten laws. You tell the judge "I did the best I can!" If the judge lets you go, and "grades you on a curve" he is corrupt. According to the bible, "there is none good, no not one" (Psalm 14, 53; Romans 3). The bible says that anyone who is guilty of breaking one part of the law, is guilty of breaking it all (James 2). Just bring yourself through the ten commandments. If a person has lied, "all liars will have their part in the lake of fire." (Revelation 2).

Jesus makes it very clear that hell is forever (Revelation 14). Jesus describes it where the worm doesn't die, and the fire isn't quenched; weeping and gnashing of teeth; outer darkness. Revelation also states, that death and Hades will be cast into the lake of fire as well (Revelation 20).

Now, pertaining to your question specifically, I want to make something very clear. The bible is crystal clear that there is eternal torment. Where Christians disagree is what Hades, Hell, and Lake of Fire is. Here is my view. I believe that when an unsaved person dies, he/she consciously awaits judgement in Hades, the holding place (Luke 16, 2 Peter 2).

The bible also says that true Christians (not every who professes to be a Christian is a Christian... see Matthew 7) go directly to be with Jesus Christ (Phillippians 1).

Then there is the resurrection of the dead, and the people will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgement. There is some disagreement over whether or not Christians will be at that specific throne, but we DO know that anyone who is not found in the book of Life is cast into the Lake of Fire. The bible calls this the "second death" (Revelation 20). Christians will be judged, but not for their sins. They will be judged for their works. I believe that this is what the bible refers to as hell (lake of fire).

Remember that God is just, and he cannot have sin in his presence. But he is also kind and merciful and loving and will save you if you fling yourself on his mercy by repenting and trusting in Jesus Christ (GOD the son) who bore the wrath of God for your sins and my sins. Then he rose from the dead and defeated death! Don't go to God because you're afraid of hell. Go to God because his is so KIND to SAVE you from what you deserve! What we ALL deserve!

-Sarah :)

Answer 3

Well, God has to be loving, so He must be sad to cast the unbelieving sinner into Hell. Which He created. Which makes God schizophrenic.

And it also makes salvation into a roulette wheel, with God somehow knowing who will and won't choose Him, at the same time. Explained as a mystery.

So, egotistical? No. I'd say confused. Which means painting God wrong.

Answer 4

Fundamentalist Christians are simply portraying a situation as they have been taught that it is. Such claims do not mean that they are correct or that god, if a creative deity actually exists, is as they describe him. As an irreverent agnostic, I think that the fundamentalists are deluded, that they have been led astray by their teachers/pastors. In my view, an entity with the intelligence to conceive and incite a Universe would not then be narrow-minded, petty, and vindictive!

Answer 5

The bible nevr mentions a hearth and brimstone hell. in case you rather learn the bible and bypass lower back to the anchients texts the hell refereed to in the bible is the elementary grave. The religous leaders made up the hearth and brimstone thoery to terrify the a lot into conversion. What the bible rather says with regard to the situation of the lifeless is this. Ecclesiastes 9:5 " For the livng are huge wide awake that they are going to die, yet as for the lifeless they are huge wide awake of no longer something in any respect." Ecclesiates 3:19,20 " For there is an eventuality as respects the sons of mankind and an eventuality as respects thebeasts, andthey have an analogous eventuality. As they one dies so too the different dies; and that all of them have yet one spirit, so as that there is not any superiority of the guy over the beast; for each thing is arrogance. All are going to a minimum of one place. they have all finally end up from airborne dirt and mud and that they are all returning to the airborne dirt and mud." era end of tale , no etherworld, or purgatory or hell or in line with threat a heaven for that count number,, airborne dirt and mud we and airborne dirt and mud we will return. yet although that's what the bible rather teaches.

Answer 6

First off, God isn't egotistic. We can't measure Him with the same standards we can mere men. God is perfect, and for that He DESERVES all praise and glory.

To answer your question, people are presenting only half of the truth if they only talk about hell. As a Christian, I believe that if you do not believe in Jesus Christ as your personal saviour you will pay for your sins in hell. However, that's not the whole story.

The Bible says in Romans 2:4 that it is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. To only speak of hell is to scare people into believing what you believe, which is wrong. We should stress the goodness of God.

It's like this: God is perfect and sinless. He created hell as punishment for the angels that rebelled against Him (chief of whom is Satan). Hell was not made for people. But when Adam and Eve sinned, we all fell into imperfection. God cannot have a relationship with a sinful being, nor can a sinful being be allowed into a perfect heaven. Therefore, God sent Jesus to take away our sins and bail us out of this jam. We no longer have to be punished for our sins because Jesus can say "I already paid for that sin". All it takes it to believe.

Answer 7

I do believe that the fear tactic does turn people off. Even though the Bible says That without his mercy God is terrible. He did destroy the earth once and he is going to do it again. God is God and he can do what he wants to when he wants. Right now he is a merciful God, full of Love and paitience. He is coming back for his bride and I do hope that I am ready when he comes. I do not want to know his wrath.

Answer 8

Probably both.

According to early Christian bishop, Tertullian, one of the best things about Heaven was knowing the people in Hell were suffering eternally. Disturbing.

Answer 9

No. It is Satan's way of confusing men about the true religion of God. Convincing them their God would approve of torture like that is one way. Another is instead of one true light of truth, trick people with thousands of false lights glowing to drown out true light. So, you have 10,000+ religions all claiming to be Christian and divisions within each to further mess things up.

Answer 10

I agree with Precious, God is a God of love. He is also a God of justice, and he is the one who will judge what happens to all of us. No human has the right to do that, so anyone who tells you that you will go to hell if you don't listen to them is in effect putting himself in the place of God, which he has no right to do.

Answer 11

That is absolutely wrong, they are painting God the wrong way. God is LOVE. I wish they wouldn't though because if everyone really knew God, they would all fall in love with Him like so many others have. He's...indescribable :)