About the fear of hell. I guess I was lucky enough to grow up in a more laid back church. My preacher was concerned more about the positive side, and doing good things because Jesus is love, instead of saying "Follow these rules, or you'l burn in hell!". It probably also helped that when it comes to hell, christians shouldn't fear it. Jesus said if you break the least of these laws, you'll be considered least in heaven. Meaning you're still going to be in heaven. Hell, to me, was a place that bad people went. there was supposed to be a lake of fire, but that's for the really wicked people. Good kids like me that obeyed their parents, ate their vegetables, and went to church functions multiple times a week, didn't have to worry about hell.
I'm not sure how you can cure yourself of the brainwashing, except to figure that if hell is real, and there's free will in heaven, then everyone's going t get kicked into hell eventually. There's no way you could stay in heaven, without being lobotomized, given how petty and vindictive Yahweh is. It just doesn't work. It's not realistic enough to even believe in.
Existential stuff. The way I figure, the only person who can give my life meaning is me. Not my parents, or a god, or anyone else. I have to be the one to decide "What makes this life worth living", and find a way to enjoy myself. Everyone grapples with this. Inserting a magic man in the sky just gives people a false sense of security.
Fear of dying is another thing everyone deals with. Sometimes by telling themselves that there's a pleasant afterlife waiting for them. Whatever your reason is, go out there and find it.
I'm not sure how you can cure yourself of the brainwashing, except to figure that if hell is real, and there's free will in heaven, then everyone's going t get kicked into hell eventually. There's no way you could stay in heaven, without being lobotomized, given how petty and vindictive Yahweh is. It just doesn't work. It's not realistic enough to even believe in.
Existential stuff. The way I figure, the only person who can give my life meaning is me. Not my parents, or a god, or anyone else. I have to be the one to decide "What makes this life worth living", and find a way to enjoy myself. Everyone grapples with this. Inserting a magic man in the sky just gives people a false sense of security.
Fear of dying is another thing everyone deals with. Sometimes by telling themselves that there's a pleasant afterlife waiting for them. Whatever your reason is, go out there and find it.
Poe's Law: "Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is impossible to create a parody of Fundamentalism that SOMEONE won't mistake for the real thing."
10 Christ-like figures that predate Jesus. Link shortened to Chris ate Jesus for some reason...
http://listverse.com/2009/04/13/10-chris...ate-jesus/
Good video to watch, if you want to know how common the Jesus story really is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88GTUXvp-50
A list of biblical contradictions from the infallible word of Yahweh.
http://infidels.org/library/modern/jim_m...tions.html
10 Christ-like figures that predate Jesus. Link shortened to Chris ate Jesus for some reason...
http://listverse.com/2009/04/13/10-chris...ate-jesus/
Good video to watch, if you want to know how common the Jesus story really is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88GTUXvp-50
A list of biblical contradictions from the infallible word of Yahweh.
http://infidels.org/library/modern/jim_m...tions.html
