(October 12, 2015 at 12:44 pm)Pyrrho Wrote:(October 12, 2015 at 11:27 am)Strider Wrote: ... Imaginary hellfire is a much more serious matter than the physical, psychological, and societal consequences of drug usage to her I suppose.
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That is because she believes hellfire is real. If it were real, it would be a more serious matter. So the relative value she places on the two ideas is correct. The error is in believing that the imaginary one is real.
I have read several posts in which an atheist states that Christians should not frighten children with stories of hell. The thing is, if hell were real, it would be the most important thing parents could possibly teach their children to avoid. So as long as parents believe in hell, they are going to be telling their children about it, because that is what a good parent does. Good parents try to teach their children about the most serious dangers to avoid. The only way to stop good parents from teaching their children about hell is to convince the parents that hell is not real.
Precisely, Pyrrho! It's hard for people who were never brainwashed into Xtianity as children to comprehend, but a lot of Xtians (well, the protestant varieties anyway) believe absolutely that hell is a VERY VERY REAL PLACE. My mother certainly did: she described proselytizing as "running into a burning building to save someone from burning to death". She was somewhat of an extreme example - anyone who would brand their children's legs with the tip of her clothes iron to give them a forever warning of what will happen to you if you sin is, well, a bit nuts - but it shows non-believers how deep her belief goes.
"The family that prays together...is brainwashing their children."- Albert Einstein
