Hell isn't scary

[Gemini]

...the unborn and toddlers that would be the majority of heaven...

*shudder*

The horror...

[Lek]

Hell isn't scary? Maybe not to some people but to children in particular it can be horrific .
The thought that they, their mom and dad or their grandma and grandpa could spend eternity burning in excruciating pain is very scary.
That is what christians are teaching their kids in catechism and sunday school.
How do I know? Because I lived it. I spent my childhood in fear of committing a mortal sin.
Of going to hell because I had a bad thought or because I fought with my brothers or because I told my parents a fib etc etc etc etc.
Oh no. Hell wasn't only scary, it was a real thing as I grew up.
To some kids hell is hell.

I don't believe one's time in hell is eternal, which is a little less scary. Anyway, there are many scary things in the world which we tell our kids about, like death and such. I attended a catholic school for my first eight years and we got fed hell regularly and we were all just regular kids. Didn't worry much about it; just tried to be good and went about our business of playing like all he other kids. If you've been traumatized get a pep talk from Dyresand. He can't wait to go to hell and take his punishment like a man.

[KevinM1]

No, I said god invented sin.  Unbelief is an example of sin, but isn't the entirety of sin, correct?  Sin would also include violating the commandments, and other things, such as premarital sex, engaging in homosexuality, etc.

Wrong, Unbelief IS sin, the acts that you mentioned are ATTRIBUTES of sin, in other words, by committing those acts, it shows that you don't believe.

For example, say there is a door, and I tell you not to open it because there is a dangerous animal on the other side. If you proceed to open it anyway, you obviously didn't believe me. Therefore it was your unbelief that caused you to commit the act of opening the door.

You're the only person I've ever seen claim that unbelief is the only sin.

Regardless, the idea that your god both needs people to believe in him despite a dearth of evidence and must eternally torture those that don't is idiotic.  It's inefficient. It's wasteful.  And I dare say unnecessary.  

Surely an almighty being can come up with a better system than creating people, watching what they do during their lifetimes, then deciding whether they're worthy to join him in the pleasant afterlife (where the skills and lessons learned in life here are utterly useless) or should be tortured for eternity.  Why not simply cut out their middle man and create people in heaven?  Or, just completely obliterate those who don't make the cut rather than torture them?

That people actually not only believe that tripe, but think it's absolutely great is frightening.  It's socially normalized sociopathy.

[madog]

I don't believe one's time in hell is eternal, which is a little less scary. 

LOL ... its the supernatural supermarket .... Ask any Christian or other religious person what they believe in and they give you their version from the particular product their sect peddles and it doesn't just end there as each individual from that sect then goes on to choose or create there own brand of their sects product.

You don't need atheists to debunk the bible or religious beliefs you just need to stitch together all the bits and pieces all the believers discard and you are left with a blueprint far more compelling than anything most atheists could think up ....

I think the only thing you all agree on is that there is a "God/s" but as to what that "God/s" is, is as varied as the stars in your heaven

Dog.

[dyresand]

I say hell is eternal that was the belief of hell i grew up with because well....
Baptists christians believe in some really fucked up shit.... they are like
well... one more crazy evil view away from being Catholics just saying.

[Huggy Bear]

Wrong, Unbelief IS sin, the acts that you mentioned are ATTRIBUTES of sin, in other words, by committing those acts, it shows that you don't believe.

For example, say there is a door, and I tell you not to open it because there is a dangerous animal on the other side. If you proceed to open it anyway, you obviously didn't believe me. Therefore it was your unbelief that caused you to commit the act of opening the door.

What a crap example   

If I was in a burning building and your imagination made you tell me there was a dangerous animal on the other side of the door I would try to validate or debunk you claim. The evidence I required would be dependent on how much I needed to go through the door for survival.

But even if my need to go through that door was trivial, I would probably still go through the door if the warning came from a known fantasist like yourself that believed his/her imaginary friend invented a fairy tale that a dangerous animal was on the other side of the door.....

*emphasis mine*

Look dummy, you're saying the exact same thing I said, you just made it more convoluted.

If you have to validate or debunk something I said, then you don't believe me... right?

[madog]

Wrong, Unbelief IS sin, the acts that you mentioned are ATTRIBUTES of sin, in other words, by committing those acts, it shows that you don't believe.

For example, say there is a door, and I tell you not to open it because there is a dangerous animal on the other side. If you proceed to open it anyway, you obviously didn't believe me. Therefore it was your unbelief that caused you to commit the act of opening the door.

If you believe "Unbelief Is sin"  .... I still think your example was crap ... do you believe "Unbelief Is sin" ? .... if not I apologize ... 

Your example, basically states not believing is the sin and opening the door is evidence of the sin .... I can't see how my example leads to the same conclusion you made? 

Dog.

[KevinM1]

The analogy fails not because of the door, but the animal. I live in New Hampshire. I've had black bears on my back porch (in fact, one paid us a visit about 10 days ago). So, Huggy informing me of a dangerous animal lurking outside my door wouldn't be anything out of place because I've encountered dangerous animals at my home before. The existence of them being there is supported by empirical evidence from previous visits - security camera footage (yes, we have a home security system), bird feeders that have been pulled down, claw marks on the porch, etc. So, Huggy's mundane scenario requires no faith on my part.

Now, if he said a dragon was on the other side of the door, I wouldn't believe him. Why? Because there's no evidence that dragons actually exist. If he could provide concrete evidence of the dragon, I'd then be able to believe him.

[Drich]

The idea of getting punished for eternity isn't that scary whats more scary is being in paradise for eternity 
but with that it comes with a price of eternal worshiping god. Then also this place would be perfect that itself is terrible
were people we don't like perfect at all so to put it like so we would all be the same in some sort of hive mind of worshipers. I haven't even touched the worst part we don't get to do the things we do on earth in heaven like eat drink or even sleep and not to mention we will have no free will in heaven. Then what about.. the unborn and toddlers that would be the majority of heaven. Also in heaven you get a good view of people getting tortured in hell and since you have no free will you would be happy that is sadism on a epic level. So yeah a eternity of worship and singing songs watching people getting punished and being happy about it.. forever.. Hell it is much more of a pleasant place than heaven.

Good luck with that..

[Huggy Bear]

The analogy fails not because of the door, but the animal.  I live in New Hampshire.  I've had black bears on my back porch (in fact, one paid us a visit about 10 days ago).  So, Huggy informing me of a dangerous animal lurking outside my door wouldn't be anything out of place because I've encountered dangerous animals at my home before.  The existence of them being there is supported by empirical evidence from previous visits - security camera footage (yes, we have a home security system), bird feeders that have been pulled down, claw marks on the porch, etc.  So, Huggy's mundane scenario requires no faith on my part.

Now, if he said a dragon was on the other side of the door, I wouldn't believe him.  Why?  Because there's no evidence that dragons actually exist.  If he could provide concrete evidence of the dragon, I'd then be able to believe him.

You do realize that little illustration wasn't to be taken literally right? It was mean to show why unbelief is sin as opposed to an act. What is on the other side of the door isn't important, it's how you act according to the information I give you. And your actions prove whether or not you believe me, so YOUR analogy isn't saying anything different either.


Leave it to you guys to struggle with the simplest of concepts.