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My problem with Evangelical Christianity
#1
My problem with Evangelical Christianity
I was traumatised by Evangelical Christians in my early 20s, at my university's Student Union. They told me a friend who died age 20 is going to Hell. And that not believing in their doctrines will lead to conscious eternal torture.

Evangelical Christians told me my atheist friend who died in a car accident age 20 is facing conscious eternal torment for his lack of faith. They showed me very little empathy or compassion in their dogmatic attitudes, especially considering my grief.

I heard that Elaine Pagels left Evangelical Christianity for the exact same reason. A non-Christian friend died (in his case Jewish), and she was told they are in Hell, so she left Evangelicalism. That belief no longer resonated with her, nor seemed reasonable.

I am now an atheist myself. I personally find beliefs like the above and the associated bigotry quite toxic, myself. The notion of conscious eternal torture based on a thought crime is effectively positing and glorifying a cosmic tyrant. It is really horrible and hurtful to clearly be told that a friend of mine who died young is now going to spend eternity in an infinity of pain. No matter how irrational that belief may be.

As an atheist I derive immense comfort from the idea that all pain and suffering ends at death, no matter what morally evil deeds a person committed during their lifetime, or whatever their belief system. This is also a Biblical principle, though: "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

My view is, as Epicurus taught, true salvation is found through abandoning the fear and desire of an afterlife reward and punishment and fear of a wrathful deity, which weighs heavily on the psyche (mind/soul), and embracing a naturalistic worldview, together with following an ideal of life, health and inner peace in which terror of divine judgement and punishment (and the need for afterlife hopes) need have no place.

Thus I cannot accept the fear of Hell as rational, given its lack of empirical grounding combined with obvious use to control, manipulate and emotionally blackmail people, stirring up neurotic fears of Hell which conflict with genuine imperturable inner peace, or ataraxia.

I thus derive comfort from a naturalistic worldview in which the horrifying prospect concerning my friend's proposed infinity of pain, as put forward by Evangelical Christian dogma, is confidently viewed as an improbable hypothesis.

I do consider it quite a mean-spirited idea though, personally, to suppose that a person not following their faith gets conscious eternal torture and this is somehow right and just. In my view, infinite punishment for finite sins (including inherited Original Sin) makes no sense and feels quite evil, is rooted in vengeance and hatred not corrective justice, and would in fact not be justice by any reasonable standard. Not even so much vengeance as some malevolent sadism, for a God to oversee the existence of such a Hell for all non-believers as he sits on his throne - almost like a sadistic kid with an ant farm enjoying roasting his ants live over a fire.

I was deeply wounded by Evangelical Christians, and they did seem to be very heavy on dogma and light on compassion, in my unfortunate experience. Some of them have attempted to shut down dialogue before when I mentioned the issues I raise on this thread, such as my experience with my friend, in a way I felt lacked integrity.

My experience with Evangelicals/Fundamentalists (they called themselves both) definitely left a scar though. I must admit, I am wary of considering myself personal friends with a person who thinks it is right and just that I face conscious eternal torture in Hell. Even if I personally consider that belief to be absurd, the value judgement that me being tortured forever is right, and that of friends too, does feel hateful. It seems quite a source of bigotry.

I am quite confident as an atheist myself now.

I thought I would share my experiences here, to get a different perspective.


Kind regards,

Mequa
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#2
RE: My problem with Evangelical Christianity
I find the concept of eternal punishment inhumane. Why would God create us with the foreknowledge that we would end up in hell forever? I would rather be wiped out from all existence or never been created in the first place then be predestined to hell.
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#3
RE: My problem with Evangelical Christianity
Yeah...as so often happens H. L. Mencken said it best.

Quote: 'The trouble with Communism is the Communists, just as the trouble with Christianity is the Christians.'
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#4
RE: My problem with Evangelical Christianity
Hello welcome, I'm so sorry to hear of your experiences. I find all religion vile and idiotic, but these scare tactics are one of the worst features.

It's really no different from saying to someone, "Do what I say or else!" If something is true, it doesn't need threats to make it convincing.

It's just indoctrination at its core, these people on the whole will have gone through it, making them victims too. When you have been brought up forced to think a certain way and had it reinforced all your life, and conditioned not to question it even a little, it's really hard to break free.

It takes a lot of bravery to decide for yourself that something isn't quite right and to ask those questions. Again, if something is true and just then it should have no fear of questions. Once someone has believed in a religion for many years, it's a big deal to admit that that they have been wrong all this time. (Or that they had no reason to think the things they did other than people telling them to.) It's a lot easier to make up just one more bad argument than it is to evaluate the whole institution. (Watch theist replies on here to prove my point!) I feel pity, not hatred, towards the indoctrinated.

Anyhow, welcome aboard and I'm glad you are free from its clutches now. I hope in time the scars will heal.
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#5
RE: My problem with Evangelical Christianity
Welcome and I am sorry for your experiences also.
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#6
RE: My problem with Evangelical Christianity
Sorry to hear that about your friend. I too have had similar experiences with evangelical christians. However, through much soul searching I realise the following:
1. No one knows who will be in heaven or hell except God himself. God loves surprises and the people you think wont be there will be and vice versa.
2. Spitting in the kings face is a greater crime than spitting in a peasants face. Deny the creator lose your soul. God is the giver of all good things.
3. Murder someone and lose your life in jail or be executed. Murder the creator in your heart and lose your soul. Sad but true.
4. Life itself has punishment and reward. It keeps us motivated to do good. Thats just life. Likewise the threat of hell is gods way of keeping his believers on the straight and narrow. But hey thats looking at the dark side. What about Gods promise of eternal bliss if you follow his command to love. I dont know about you but this world sux. If there is a way out I want it. There has to be a heaven as this place is hell for some. God will bring about justice
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#7
RE: My problem with Evangelical Christianity
Uh, Wiggy, this thread is almost three months old. There's no point in replying to it.
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#8
RE: My problem with Evangelical Christianity
Thread resurrections seem to be happening a lot lately. Is this a sign of the End Times? Demon
It is very important not to mistake hemlock for parsley, but to believe or not believe in God is not important at all. - Denis Diderot

We are the United States of Amnesia, we learn nothing because we remember nothing. - Gore Vidal
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#9
RE: My problem with Evangelical Christianity
Wiggy: we have rules against necroposting. If a thread is over thirty days old, please consider making a new one, rather than posting in the old.
"YOU take the hard look in the mirror. You are everything that is wrong with this world. The only thing important to you, is you." - ronedee

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#10
RE: My problem with Evangelical Christianity
Using the "today's post" button at the top of the screen is helpful finding recently active posts Smile
Feel free to send me a private message.
Please visit my website here! It's got lots of information about atheism/theism and support for new atheists.

Index of useful threads and discussions
Index of my best videos
Quickstart guide to the forum
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