well yu laugh now abot these things like its a joke god is not a joke n yu will c what happens to yu !!
This was a comment made on one of my posts about a Bible story some time ago. I welcome comments on my blogs, even negative ones. This just struck me in a strange way, especially in light of a conversation I had with a friend on the subject of some Christians who love the concept of hell.
If there is a hell, and if everything I've heard about Christianity all my life is true, then I'm going there (hell) when I die. I accept that. Just like I accept that if I dig in the back yard, I'll eventually get to China. Or if someone scares me when I cross my eyes, I'll be stuck that way.
I'm not going to carry on about this too long, because I've blogged on hell a couple of times before. As David Bazan says it's "the poison in the well". For any Christian to revel and actually threaten someone else with hell is a concept that I don't understand (although I have a couple of theories on why some like to bask in the glory of another person going to hell), but it's not foreign to me at all. First off....judgemental much? If you are telling someone else they are going to hell, well, who died on the cross on made you judge and jury? And if Jesus is about love and forgiveness, why does he love talking about hell so much? And why even create a hell? Satan didn't create hell to torture souls in, God did.
The hell thing was constantly on my mind all through my childhood and it lasted clear on up until the very moment that the inner voice said to me "What are you scared of? There is no Bible god." It's as if a huge burden was lifted. I can live my life, not harming others, taking care of my responsibilities and go about my business. I don't have to carry that concrete block. It's stupid. It kept me awake at night as a child.....so you can bet your collective asses that I do not speak to my children about hell, nor will anyone else.
Here is a link to the blog about hell I wrote a year and a half ago. I still consider it one of my more heartfelt and real posts.
All that aside, if you are a Christian and it makes you feel better or somehow superior that you get to tell others that they will burn in hell, or even if you harbor that in your heart and mind, you should really re-evaluate what has drawn you to Christianity. I'm positive that some of you have probably read something I've written and said to yourself "Well, how hard will you laugh when you are in hell!!!??". Just like the person who wrote that message to me did. The threat of hell shouldn't cause a person to worship a god, love and need are better reasons. Just like going to prison shouldn't deter any of us from killing, and stealing or whatever. If you are a Christian because you fear hell, you are doing it wrong. How's that for a judgement?
Just a quick little anecdote and I'll get out of your hair with my bitching. When I was about 20, the brother of a friend of mine (who I also considered a friend) was killed in an accident that involved alcohol. A relative of mine, who is a fundamentalist Christian, told me, immediately after I had gotten the news during a phone call, that my friend was in hell now. Thanks for that support, love, and judgement. That has stuck with me for 20+ years. I can't think of anything more disgusting and hurtful that's ever been said to me. I say to you, if the only thing that really keeps you chained to Bible god is hell, maybe you oughta look into dropping it and living your life like this is the only one you get. No getting to say your sorry, to tell someone you love them, to give your kids a hug, or to hold grandma's hand in heaven.......you are taking an awful big chance putting off the love you can share now, because you think you will get to see them again in heaven. And you are putting an awfully big burden on your mind being scared that you might go to a hell that likely doesn't exist.
Here is the difference between Dante, Milton, and me. They wrote about hell and never saw the place. I wrote about Chicago after looking the town over for years and years.
Carl Sundberg
Mark Twain said it best: "When I consider the miserable sons of bitches who are smugly satisfied they are destined for Heaven, then I like to consider the alternative."
ReplyDeleteFreddy, you have NO idea how many of them anticipate it eagerly. I'm convinced it's the primary draw for the vast majority. One of the core teachings of Calvinism (which, as I'm sure you know, is one of the two primary influences within the evangelical subculture, the other being Dominionism) is that the large part of their "heavenly reward" will consist of watching the suffering of the damned.
ReplyDeleteIt's a form of psychopathy.
Cipher, thanks for the comments. Yes, indeed, you are correct. The self-righteous and the zealots revel in that sort of false power they believe they have now....having god on their side. The wield it around as if it's real clout. I also agree that there is mental illness involved. It's delusional. I always feel sorry for the Christian I hear running on about someone burning in hell instead of using love, understanding, and peace to promote their religion. Fear is a short term emotion, and I say drives people away from Christianity more than it keeps them involved.
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