The number one reason not to follow Christianity

[The Grand Nudger]

He doesn't believe in a biblical hell, OB. He believes in some pop culture "separation from god" business.

[Old Baby]

He doesn't believe in a biblical hell, OB.  He believes in some pop culture "separation from god" business.

O, gotcha.  Hell is a pretty inconvenient dogma to defend these days.  Makes sense to change with the times.

[Angrboda]

He doesn't believe in a biblical hell, OB.  He believes in some pop culture "separation from god" business.

O, gotcha.  Hell is a pretty inconvenient dogma to defend these days.  Makes sense to change with the times.

If he asks you if you want to hear about his dream of hell, just say, "No."

[The Grand Nudger]

He doesn't believe in a biblical hell, OB.  He believes in some pop culture "separation from god" business.

O, gotcha.  Hell is a pretty inconvenient dogma to defend these days.  Makes sense to change with the times.

Indeed, such was most certainly the case with both early and middle christians...who were clearly unsatisfied with the traditional jewish concept of what ever might be termed an afterlife. Theirs was, like their greek counterparts...a place of ash and blandness for all...regardless of ones actions or status in life.  No joy, but no torture either.  All the dead longed for the living world..even the patriarchs.  In truth, the concept of hell that most people have today, and even of the devil, is later european -pagan- syncretism.  In demonizing competing faiths, the demons of christianity began to look, predictably, like the pagan gods and spirits that were demonized.  The idea of hell became, in many ways, a reflection of what non-believers could expect from the people of christ in life.  The dogma began to fit the practice, rather than the other way round.  They would torment you, they would hurt you, they would torture you, they would burn you...and so..too, would their devil, or their god.

Now, perhaps, they won't do any of those things. Just as predictably as before, their demons and devils and gods have stopped doing those things (or even existing to do them). It's -always- been a proxy, a puppet that the holder shoved his arm up the ass end of and made to speak -for him- as god. That's not always a bad thing, granted...but insomuch as any of these tools have had something good to say, it's been a reflection of what we have to say. Our own common self doubt and suspicions of personal inadequacy might lead us to attach a more competent sounding authority to our own positions...rather than rely on the merits of those positions themselves- even when the positions have that merit.

Its probably those same self-degrading feelings that cause a certain segment of us to imagine we've seen hell, been there. We feel that we deserve that for something in our lives, or even something that only we know of. We imagine a punishment that fits whatever crime or slight we feel we've committed...and then call that hell. Maybe it is hell, but I doubt that it has anything to do with a place or a god. Some get that takeaway though, and it leads them to reassess or change their lives, or maybe it drives them mad....or both........and futher still, I imagine, write it off for what it is. A bad trip.