Thread: Scare Tactics

I posted this in another thread, but figured I'd start a different thread over it.

I think the threat of going to hell if you don't believe is a scare tactic, made up by humans as means to create a following. Through fear. Are you people saying that all the other religious people who do not follow christianity are going to hell, because even though they might not even KNOW about Jesus in the first place, then they are going to burn in hopelessness for eternity? This doesn't seem like the all-loving and forgivng God I hear about.

Conservative said if you accept Jesus sacrificing himself for our sins, then you are "cleansed". If you do not believe, then by not believeing you choose to reject Jesus dying for your sins and thus cannot be "cleansed". You can't really choose to reject or accept something if you don't know about it in the first place. What if you grew up your whole life not knowing about Jesus, then have someone tell you about how Jesus died and came back to life, and if you don't accept it you will go to a place of fire, despair, and no hope of redemption? Do you see how this story about what happens to non-believers after they die looks ALOT like scare tactics?

when the judgement day comes, God will ask the prophets 'did you bring the message to the people.' If the message was not brought to the people, then the people cannot be held accountable for violating the message.

Originally Posted by davisjr1990

I posted this in another thread, but figured I'd start a different thread over it.

I think the threat of going to hell if you don't believe is a scare tactic, made up by humans as means to create a following. Through fear. Are you people saying that all the other religious people who do not follow christianity are going to hell, because even though they might not even KNOW about Jesus in the first place, then they are going to burn in hopelessness for eternity? This doesn't seem like the all-loving and forgivng God I hear about.

Conservative said if you accept Jesus sacrificing himself for our sins, then you are "cleansed". If you do not believe, then by not believeing you choose to reject Jesus dying for your sins and thus cannot be "cleansed". You can't really choose to reject or accept something if you don't know about it in the first place. What if you grew up your whole life not knowing about Jesus, then have someone tell you about how Jesus died and came back to life, and if you don't accept it you will go to a place of fire, despair, and no hope of redemption? Do you see how this story about what happens to non-believers after they die looks ALOT like scare tactics?

Everyone is judged based on where they are (figuratively). The person who was raised in another religion and has only seen the testimony of the night sky is in a much different postion that the Jewish Rabbi who has read the scriptures everday.

But all hypothetical issues aside. You can ask yourself: have you heard the message and have you rejected it or accepted it.

Originally Posted by lakeman

Everyone is judged based on where they are (figuratively). The person who was raised in another religion and has only seen the testimony of the night sky is in a much different postion that the Jewish Rabbi who has read the scriptures everday.

But all hypothetical issues aside. You can ask yourself: have you heard the message and have you rejected it or accepted it.

I have neither accepted nor rejected the idea. Does that mean I am going to hell?

But really, if you had not heard of God your whole life, and then heard the story, would you believe it? Of course not, we're HUMAN after all. We look for physical proof in to believe things, that is our nature, and ultimately how God made us, right? So why would he put us in this predicament? And then have the consequence of rational thought be eternity in hell? Nobody has answered this question: If God is all-loving, why would he send his creations to place because of how he made them? It doesn't make sense. What does make sense is that people constructed this to instill fear and create a following through that fear. And when you instill fear, you gain power. Which is why I think organized religion began in the first place. We are sinful creatures after all, so one can't rule this out as a possibility.

Now here is where people will probably come to the conlusion that I do not believe in a God. This is not true. I simply do not believe in organized religion, because in order to follow a religion, you have to put your faith in what humans say. And the bible itself says humans are deceitful, selfish, sinful, etc. So why would I trust what a human says is the word of God? Seems a bit naive to me.

Originally Posted by davisjr1990

I have neither accepted nor rejected the idea. Does that mean I am going to hell?

But really, if you had not heard of God your whole life, and then heard the story, would you believe it? Of course not, we're HUMAN after all. We look for physical proof in to believe things, that is our nature, and ultimately how God made us, right? So why would he put us in this predicament? And then have the consequence of rational thought be eternity in hell? Nobody has answered this question: If God is all-loving, why would he send his creations to place because of how he made them? It doesn't make sense. What does make sense is that people constructed this to instill fear and create a following through that fear. And when you instill fear, you gain power. Which is why I think organized religion began in the first place. We are sinful creatures after all, so one can't rule this out as a possibility.

Now here is where people will probably come to the conlusion that I do not believe in a God. This is not true. I simply do not believe in organized religion, because in order to follow a religion, you have to put your faith in what humans say. And the bible itself says humans are deceitful, selfish, sinful, etc. So why would I trust what a human says is the word of God? Seems a bit naive to me.

I beleive all organised religion is bad. Too much power to a few people. I beleive if you want to serve God, should he exist, you should improve the bad qualities about you for the extraditing of the process of doing good, like giving money to poor, caring for sick and elderley,keeping the peace etc. Obviously if God created the Earth and Humans, he doesnt want us to destroy what he made, so anything that involves maintaining his creations, such as what I listed above, is serving God.

Originally Posted by davisjr1990

I have neither accepted nor rejected the idea. Does that mean I am going to hell?

But really, if you had not heard of God your whole life, and then heard the story, would you believe it? Of course not, we're HUMAN after all. We look for physical proof in to believe things, that is our nature, and ultimately how God made us, right? So why would he put us in this predicament? And then have the consequence of rational thought be eternity in hell? Nobody has answered this question: If God is all-loving, why would he send his creations to place because of how he made them? It doesn't make sense. What does make sense is that people constructed this to instill fear and create a following through that fear. And when you instill fear, you gain power. Which is why I think organized religion began in the first place. We are sinful creatures after all, so one can't rule this out as a possibility.

Now here is where people will probably come to the conlusion that I do not believe in a God. This is not true. I simply do not believe in organized religion, because in order to follow a religion, you have to put your faith in what humans say. And the bible itself says humans are deceitful, selfish, sinful, etc. So why would I trust what a human says is the word of God? Seems a bit naive to me.

"When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." (John 16:13)
The Holy Spirit tugs on our hearts and minds, asking us to repent and turn to God for forgiveness and a new life.

Originally Posted by freecell

"When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." (John 16:13)
The Holy Spirit tugs on our hearts and minds, asking us to repent and turn to God for forgiveness and a new life.

I'm not following you here.

Despite the truth about hell, if it is real or not, if you go to hell or not, it is a scare tactic.

And why would God use scare tactics?

Originally Posted by freecell

"When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." (John 16:13)
The Holy Spirit tugs on our hearts and minds, asking us to repent and turn to God for forgiveness and a new life.

Then why does he send us to Hell for not beleiving in him? He loves us right? Is he not forgiving?