(October 12, 2015 at 12:44 pm)Pyrrho Wrote: 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.
You're absolutely right. If there were a hell and if you actually did go there for not following a specific belief system, it would be the highest priority. And for many, this is just so. I see it as a vicious circle though. How will children eventually become good parents who don't inflict this psychological malady on their own children when they themselves are warned in a quite dramatic fashion of the dangers of hell and the hideous tortures that await sinners, idolators, the unbelievers, and others? Naturally, some will come to realize the truth, but plenty of others will venture ahead thinking that they know the truth.
"We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid." ~ Benjamin Franklin
