A friendly Christian sent me a message

[Whateverist]

But so many people believe in this hell. How could so many people believe in it if it's completely false?

You only have to answer for yourself. Why?

[SteelCurtain]

But if I'm wrong I'll go to hell...

This is why you formulate your own opinion. If you do the searching and find out that you believe in god, fine--continue on. If you do the searching and genuinely find no good reasons to believe in god, then by proxy you'll find no reason to believe in hell. Or heaven. Or any of it.

I don't worry about being wrong. There is nothing in this world that I've found so far that points to god(s) or anything supernatural. If there was some demonstrable evidence, guess what train I'd be on? There just isn't. Intellectual honesty led to that worldview. And take it from me: I'm not sad about it, my life is wonderful, I don't have a lot but what I have I cherish, and I try to make every moment count. This life isn't a test drive for the afterlife, it's the only one I have. I don't want to waste a minute on something that has no basis in reality.

[TaraJo]

You are an uneducated, credulous, delusional twit.

Again I'd just like to remind that the first post isn't my words.

As I read more and more of your posts, that certainly isn't how I feel. I think you're just confused and conflicted because you've never experienced anyone questioning Christianity like this before.

You can figure things out. Just think it over.

[Alex K]

There are an infinite number of hells you could be headed to right now as a result of you being a christian, you know. I mean, if we're accepting things as possible without evidence, then any hell you care to imagine, that drags you down to it for any reason, is a potential worry. There could be a hell for you that's there because you're worried about hell.

The odds are the same, whether you're christian or not.

But so many people believe in this hell. How could so many people believe in it if it's completely false? And please don't just say "Muslims or Hindus would be wrong in that case, what about them?". I guess I wonder that too. How are so many people convinced of something that's apparently wrong? How could it become such a strong force?

well Duh, So? Around here almost noone believes in hell. At all. I know maybe two people personally in the whole country who do. Maybe you should do a bit of travelling once you're independent enough to get some perspective... Being immersed in only one culture can really fuck with your mind.

[Esquilax]

But so many people believe in this hell. How could so many people believe in it if it's completely false? And please don't just say "Muslims or Hindus would be wrong in that case, what about them?". I guess I wonder that too. How are so many people convinced of something that's apparently wrong? How could it become such a strong force?

Well, that's a big question, with a bigger answer. Christianity is a very well formed fantasy, in how it resists being questioned or examined, and strongarms you into belief. But lots of people have been wrong about lots of things in the past, regardless of how fervently they believed them to be true.

It's really up to you: would you prefer to believe something because everyone else is, or because it's true?

[JesusLover1]

I have to go for the time being, but I'm definantly gonna put some thought into what I've been told in this thread.

[Chas]

You are an uneducated, credulous, delusional twit.

Again I'd just like to remind that the first post isn't my words.

My apologies, but that was not obvious.

[Cyberman]

Y'know it's not outright just my parents. I mean like everyone I know is a Christian. If I wasn't a Christian, I'd be saying close to 95% of the people in the area I live in are wrong. Heck, the city I want to live in (the only large one here, by large I mean like over 100,000 people) has a 3.9% non-religious population from the stats I've seen.

Yet you have no problem with painting 1.1 billion Hindus as wrong with a single sweeping statement. I realise you're spinning your wheels on all this, assuming you're not the poe some here suspect, but you really need to sort out these contradictory special pleading rationalisations if you want to get anywhere. To carry the analogy a little further, you've got one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake.

I have to go for the time being, but I'm definantly gonna put some thought into what I've been told in this thread.

That's good. You've taken your first step into a larger world.

[LastPoet]

But from what I've heard though atheists are one of the most hated groups of people out there.

[Zen Badger]

But if I'm wrong I'll go to hell...

Think about this for a moment, in Christian theology a person can repent and accept Jesus at anytime in their life. Even just before they die. And they can get into heaven.
And there have been numerous conversions by mass murders just before they hanged.

Now here is the interesting part to ponder...... A person could be a complete bastard their entire life, murdering raping, robbing etc,etc. and right at the last moment they can accept Jc and whammo, straight into heaven.

Yet someone can live a good, virtuous life and yet go to hell for not accepting your god.

Think on that.....take all the time you need.