(July 21, 2012 at 9:48 am)RaphielDrake Wrote:(July 21, 2012 at 9:38 am)catfish Wrote: I came from a religious family too, but even when I was 4 years old, I NEVER fell for any of that bullshit.
Hell's not real, in fact, the Bible predicts the introduction of myths. And the next passage contains a reference to Hades (hell) which we all know is a myth.
Did you at one time believe in "hell"?
Yeah I did and I once believed in a heaven and a God. Until I looked at it properly. Do you know what the best way to control people is? Shock and awe. Make them feel fear, make them feel wonder, make them feel anything to prevent them from questioning and from thinking.
Can you think of anything, anything quite so frightening as burning forever? Or anything quite so wonderful as the promise of eternal paradise? I can't. But you can't question it. No. Can't present evidence for it either. Got to believe as hard as you can or you might not see your loved ones again. I think thats what stops most theists in their tracks you know. They need to believe it isn't the end, that they can resolve everything they left undone in the next life. They fear death with every ounce of themselves if they think for one second that might not be true.
What better means to control someone with than that?
But its not the truth, no-ones ever proved it is. All we've got is a smile and a promise. Thats all. And what if it isn't true? What then? Do you waste your life pursuing it? Under the control of the bastards who would use your loved ones memories against you like they were tools to be used?
Wouldn't it be better to live free as you like? As moral as you like? As happy as you like? To live this life, the only one we can be certain that we have and use the memories of the dead as inspiration for us to live and one we can hand down to our children? Isn't that, in a way a form of eternal life? One we can prove is real?
Make no mistake, religions weapons of choice are shock and awe. If you deny them that, you're free.
I can deny the religionist's shock and awe campaign with their own weapon (the Bible).
My problem is that even the "non-believers" fall for the same lies the religious spew forth.
2 Timothy 4:3-5
New International Version (NIV)
3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
