If Not Hell then what?

[pocaracas]

That's hilarious. "Free Will" is an absurd joke ...
While holding an innocent tourist at gunpoint, an armed man offers the tourist a choice: Sir, you have two options. You may either join me in my various causes against the villainous society we live or you may choose to be separated from me. By the way, if you choose neither I will choose for you and worse yet, 'separation' also means that I'm going to separate your head from your body. ....... but hey, it's your choice buddy.

Do you know how painfully stupid you have to be not to see this glaring absurdity? (Don't bother answering ... we already know.)

Well put. There is not another more compelling thought experiment that illustrates the absolute ignominious claims of christianity. Its insulting to modern intelligence. I don't know how any self-respecting adult can swallow this God pill without vomiting.

They swallow, taste and savor it because they've been brainwashed to do so... by their parents, educators, peers, friends, colleagues, etc...
And, since they're in the good side of the matter, they don't care about the bad one too much.
When the whole world tells you that X is good, you can't say X is bad, unless there's something very wrong with you.

[The Reality Salesman01]

It's that whole "good" part that gets them huh? That, along with the threats and the promises of abstract heavenly rewards. When u believe in Santa Clause, and you behave to get presents, at some point you realize there's no real criteria for present getting and that just being you, and having family that participate in Xmas, presents seem to come, whether or not you're acting under the impression that your being judged (which obviously is a more respectable behavior, considering the motive) and once this is realized, The idea of Santa can be let go quite easily. The same rationalization can be made towards God...but...?

[downbeatplumb]

Wow... Do you really need me to explain this to you? Since you were so gracious to me when by your reasoning You thought i was the slow one, I will spell it all out for you as you tried to do for me.

Yes, I know hell is not a substitute for hell, but appearently everyone who suggested oblivion did not understand that hell would eventually lead to oblivion, even though it has been explained at least a dozen times in this thread. That said, understand I am not asking my question to replace Hell for Hell. I am asking so that those who can't seem to fathom a hell outside of the inferno Dante has painted for them, has a better understanding of what the NT describes as Hell.

I have hoped in vain that just one of you would come to the understanding that oblivion is the final destination of everyone on the path to Hell will come to. Thus forcing just one of you to give me an chance to explore something other than what God has slated for the condemned. However all anyone seems to want is heaven or the very same hell God has prepared for satan and his angels..

This is all very interesting. I am completely surprised. Understand I am not saying all of you are doomed to hell, but at least one or two of you who answered 'oblivion' are. I strikes me that we even in our rebellion of God still only wants what God has only ever offered.

A man and his friend are taken by a primitive tribe and asked "death or Snoo Snoo".

The mans friend said Snoo Snoo whereby the whole tribe set about abusing him sexually in every way imaginable leaving him bruised damaged and crying on the floor.

They then approached the man and said "death or Snoo Snoo".

"Death" the man replied.

At which point the tribal leader said.

"DEATH BY SNOO SNOO"

I don't know why I thought of this joke.

No wait yes I do.....

[The Grand Nudger]

How many kids actually improve their behavior based on the santa myths, I wonder? I'm guessing about as many as who manage to improve their behavior based on the christ myths.

On the other hand, the santa camp may have a massive inbuilt handicap - in that the focal point of that mythology doesn't hobble ones efforts to be a decent person.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

How many kids actually improve their behavior based on the santa myths, I wonder? I'm guessing about as many as who manage to improve their behavior based on the christ myths.

On the other hand, the santa camp may have a massive inbuilt handicap - in that the focal point of that mythology doesn't hobble ones efforts to be a decent person.

Can you imagine a Santa myth where he rewards you if you're good but horribly murders you if you're bad?

Oh...wait...

[pocaracas]

It's that whole "good" part that gets them huh? That, along with the threats and the promises of abstract heavenly rewards. When u believe in Santa Clause, and you behave to get presents, at some point you realize there's no real criteria for present getting and that just being you, and having family that participate in Xmas, presents seem to come, whether or not you're acting under the impression that your being judged (which obviously is a more respectable behavior, considering the motive) and once this is realized, The idea of Santa can be let go quite easily. The same rationalization can be made towards God...but...?

... but you only get the reward after you're dead, whereas the santa myth gives you a yearly verifiable reward.... while you're still alive!

The thing is, eventually, you realize that your parents are santa... and you become a parent and santa itself.

[Faith No More]

How many kids actually improve their behavior based on the santa myths, I wonder?

Well, it does make for a handy disciplinary tool. Threatening a kid with no presents on Christmas does seem to get their attention rather quickly, if not stop them from doing what they're doing altogether.

I've often wondered how easy parenting would be if every time my kid started acting up I could just say, "What do you think Jesus thinks of what you're doing right now?"

[smax]

Well put. There is not another more compelling thought experiment that illustrates the absolute ignominious claims of christianity. Its insulting to modern intelligence. I don't know how any self-respecting adult can swallow this God pill without vomiting.

They swallow, taste and savor it because they've been brainwashed to do so... by their parents, educators, peers, friends, colleagues, etc...

Richard Dawkins provides a great explanation for the fairly common belief people have in god. Just about everywhere you go, people believe in some kind of god. But it's a different god depending on where you go and what the culture in that area is.

The reason for this is very simple: when we are very young, are minds are still very much in a basic developmental state. At that point, we are almost entirely vulnerable and prepared to believe anything we are taught. This is a necessary state of mind during the intitial development because, without it, we'd likely struggle to effectively learn important things like walking, talking, and basic behavior.

Unfortunately, during this stage of development, when we are willing to accept anything we are taught, many parents or close relatives teach their children to believe in a specific higher power, usually the one most socially acceptable for that particular region.

This explains a lot if you really think about it.

The belief in a higher power is so deeply rooted that many people have sacrificed their lives to preserve and uphold it.

Muslims and Christians have killed each other by the millions, both believing whole heartedly that they were doing so to uphold the values of "The one true god."

Neither side has ever even stopped to think about the irony in all of that.

[Drich]

Wow... Do you really need me to explain this to you? Since you were so gracious to me when by your reasoning You thought i was the slow one, I will spell it all out for you as you tried to do for me.

Yes, I know hell is not a substitute for hell, but appearently everyone who suggested oblivion did not understand that hell would eventually lead to oblivion, even though it has been explained at least a dozen times in this thread. That said, understand I am not asking my question to replace Hell for Hell. I am asking so that those who can't seem to fathom a hell outside of the inferno Dante has painted for them, has a better understanding of what the NT describes as Hell.

I have hoped in vain that just one of you would come to the understanding that oblivion is the final destination of everyone on the path to Hell will come to. Thus forcing just one of you to give me an chance to explore something other than what God has slated for the condemned. However all anyone seems to want is heaven or the very same hell God has prepared for satan and his angels..

This is all very interesting. I am completely surprised. Understand I am not saying all of you are doomed to hell, but at least one or two of you who answered 'oblivion' are. I strikes me that we even in our rebellion of God still only wants what God has only ever offered.

A man and his friend are taken by a primitive tribe and asked "death or Snoo Snoo".

The mans friend said Snoo Snoo whereby the whole tribe set about abusing him sexually in every way imaginable leaving him bruised damaged and crying on the floor.

They then approached the man and said "death or Snoo Snoo".

"Death" the man replied.

At which point the tribal leader said.

"DEATH BY SNOO SNOO"

I don't know why I thought of this joke.

No wait yes I do.....

Were your watching an old Futurerama episode?

[The Reality Salesman01]

Around Christmas this past year, I put a stuffed reindeer on the mantle of the fireplace during dinner time and convinced my son he was a spy for Santa (he's 4). I told him that if he didn't eat his vegetables, the reindeer would report the news to Santa, and he wouldn't be pleased. Every couple of bites, my son would turn around and make sure the reindeer was watching, and would clean his plate everytime. It would be nice to have a year-round dose of bullshit to use like that, but look at Godschild! I don't want to risk the same side effects on my son! I guess its okay if used sparingly, but too much will make a kid into a raving loon!