Hell is Really a Terrible Place... Change Your Ways!

[ThirtyThree]

I continue to run into a specific type of "Christian" in my chat room. You know, the type which begins a generic discussion, asks your religion and if you are not their version of "Christian", they then inform you about the horrors of Hell? To these types, I respond with the following:

Are you saying I should worship your deity because I am afraid of Hell? I should worship your deity out of fear, not love? What about merely because of the reward of Heaven? No. I will not worship any deity based on fear. Besides, I do not love your deity and I do not desire a relationship with him.

Their response has always been that they do not desire me to worship their deity just out of fear. Yet, they keep expressing to me the horrors of Hell if I do not turn away from my current religion. Again, is this the only way they can gain converts? Fear? Even the Annihilationist Christians often peach to me this way. They preach that one should worship their deity because otherwise one is annihilated. That is less frightening than eternal conscious torment but these people are still preaching based on fear. How about they share the unconditional love their deity supposedly has for humanity? How about they preach love instead of hate and fear?

Preaching Hell is preaching that their deity hates, which I believe he does. However, preaching Hell is a terrible way to gain converts?

 

[Desert Snake]

If Hell is real, why is it a terrible thing to preach.

 

[Desert Snake]

How exactly does your non=Hell, theory, work, anyway.

 

[ThirtyThree]

How exactly does your non=Hell, theory, work, anyway.

First, I DO believe in Hell.

Second, how about show those who are not part of your religion the love you claim your deity has for all humanity? Why do you preach of Hell, which only gains converts because people are afraid of eternal conscious torment? Is this truly the type of deity you worship? A deity who threatens people that if they do not obey him, they will be tortured forever and ever?

By the way, the "you" refers to any "Christian" who peaches to non Christians using the horrors of Hell.

 

[Desert Snake]

First, I DO believe in Hell.

Great...how does that work, then.

Second, how about show those who are not part of your religion the love you claim your deity has for all humanity?

First off, I never claimed that. You are now presenting fictional arguments. Aside from that, that idea is contextual.

Why do you preach of Hell, which only gains converts because people are afraid of eternal conscious torment?

I preach Hell/s/, because I believe in it.

Is this truly the type of deity you worship? A deity who threatens people that if they do not obey him, they will be tortured forever and ever?

Another fictional argument. And contextual.

 

[ThirtyThree]

Great...how does that work, then.

Clarify?

First off, I never claimed that. You are now presenting fictional arguments. Aside from that, that idea is contextual.

I preach Hell/s/, because I believe in it.

Another fictional argument. And contextual.

I believe in Hell also. What I do not understand is why you preach of it to those which are not part of your religion, often exclusively to get those people to convert to your religion?

Also, the concept of an all loving deity is what many of the "Christians" I refer to believe in. I did not lump you in with them, hence my original post edit clarifying the "you" was not directed to just you.

 

[ThirtyThree]

I never said that that was the reason to get people to convert to my religion. Freudian slip? Perhaps you realize that it is important, as a teaching?

For Christians, yes it is important. For the purpose of causing non Christians to convert, not at all. Unless, again, your deity desires worship out of fear, rather than love?

 

[ThirtyThree]

If you adhere to the idea of a/ Hell, /of some sort/, why do you have a problem, with my preaching about it?

Preaching Hell to non Christians often just causes most to see your deity as evil?

 

[Sultan Of Swing]

I continue to run into a specific type of "Christian" in my chat room. You know, the type which begins a generic discussion, asks your religion and if you are not their version of "Christian", they then inform you about the horrors of Hell? To these types, I respond with the following:

Are you saying I should worship your deity because I am afraid of Hell? I should worship your deity out of fear, not love? What about merely because of the reward of Heaven? No. I will not worship any deity based on fear. Besides, I do not love your deity and I do not desire a relationship with him.

Their response has always been that they do not desire me to worship their deity just out of fear. Yet, they keep expressing to me the horrors of Hell if I do not turn away from my current religion. Again, is this the only way they can gain converts? Fear? Even the Annihilationist Christians often peach to me this way. They preach that one should worship their deity because otherwise one is annihilated. That is less frightening than eternal conscious torment but these people are still preaching based on fear. How about they share the unconditional love their deity supposedly has for humanity? How about they preach love instead of hate and fear?

Preaching Hell is preaching that their deity hates, which I believe he does. However, preaching Hell is a terrible way to gain converts?

If we never talked about Hell, what would be the need for a Saviour? Talking about the state of humanity and the righteous judgment of God, and indeed how we deserve Hell, should really serve to emphasise the lovingkindness of God, that He would give His Son to endure that punishment we deserved to save us. If we didn't talk about Hell, then the Cross becomes pointless, what was Jesus even enduring, and why did He need to? While conversion shouldn't be out of fear, Hell is of course a scary prospect, but we have a loving God that has mercy on us and desires to save us from what we deserve, and that is a great truth to be proclaimed.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Fear of hell just might convince me to find religion if I was soft in the head.

 

[Kori]

It's best not to squabble with a zealot. Debating is fine but squabble no.

 

[Desert Snake]

Preaching Hell to non Christians often just causes most to see your deity as evil?

That isn't my problem. What are you trying to argue, that I should not state my own beliefs?

 

[ThirtyThree]

If we never talked about Hell, what would be the need for a Saviour? Talking about the state of humanity and the righteous judgment of God, and indeed how we deserve Hell, should really serve to emphasise the lovingkindness of God, that He would give His Son to endure that punishment we deserved to save us.

Still, preaching the horrors of Hell to non Christians really just seems to say, "worship my deity because if you do not, very bad and unimaginably terrible things will happen after you die!". In other other words, you are teaching people to worship your deity out of fear rather than love?

If we didn't talk about Hell, then the Cross becomes pointless, what was Jesus even enduring, and why did He need to? While conversion shouldn't be out of fear, Hell is of course a scary prospect, but we have a loving God that has mercy on us and desires to save us from what we deserve, and that is a great truth to be proclaimed.

Why preach it to the non Christians? It is basically, " convert to my loving religion or suffer forever!" Seems overly violent?

 

[ThirtyThree]

That isn't my problem. What are you trying to argue, that I should not state my own beliefs?

I am arguing that it is not really a respectable thing for someone to worship a deity just because they are scared of going to Hell.

 

[Sultan Of Swing]

Still, preaching the horrors of Hell to non Christians really just seems to say, "worship my deity because if you do not, very bad and unimaginably terrible things will happen after you die!". In other other words, you are teaching people to worship your deity out of fear rather than love?




Why preach it to the non Christians? It is basically, " convert to my loving religion or suffer forever!" Seems overly violent?

If it is true, then should you be quiet about it? Surely it is something we want to tell others about? Telling people God is loving is great and all, but why is He loving? The greatest act of love is when God saved us from the punishment we deserved, and so that is a central element when we preach to people.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

I continue to run into a specific type of "Christian" in my chat room. You know, the type which begins a generic discussion, asks your religion and if you are not their version of "Christian", they then inform you about the horrors of Hell? To these types, I respond with the following:

Are you saying I should worship your deity because I am afraid of Hell? I should worship your deity out of fear, not love? What about merely because of the reward of Heaven? No. I will not worship any deity based on fear. Besides, I do not love your deity and I do not desire a relationship with him.

Their response has always been that they do not desire me to worship their deity just out of fear. Yet, they keep expressing to me the horrors of Hell if I do not turn away from my current religion. Again, is this the only way they can gain converts? Fear? Even the Annihilationist Christians often peach to me this way. They preach that one should worship their deity because otherwise one is annihilated. That is less frightening than eternal conscious torment but these people are still preaching based on fear. How about they share the unconditional love their deity supposedly has for humanity? How about they preach love instead of hate and fear?

Preaching Hell is preaching that their deity hates, which I believe he does. However, preaching Hell is a terrible way to gain converts?

It sure is, isn't it?! According to the Bible, though, the patriarch Jacob said he was going 'there' when he died --Genesis 42:38 (She'ol = Hades = hell), Jesus went 'there' when He died (although He wasn't "left" there, He was resurrected --Psalms 16:10; compare Acts of the Apostles 2:27), etc., etc.

"Hell" simply means "the grave of mankind", where most people go at death. -- Ecclesiastes 9:5 and Ecclesiastes 9:10.

Interesting how the Bible's real meaning has been twisted! God's own Word changed, to repel thinking people. Almost like there's been an enemy of it, working behind the scenes!

 

[BilliardsBall]

I continue to run into a specific type of "Christian" in my chat room. You know, the type which begins a generic discussion, asks your religion and if you are not their version of "Christian", they then inform you about the horrors of Hell? To these types, I respond with the following:

Are you saying I should worship your deity because I am afraid of Hell? I should worship your deity out of fear, not love? What about merely because of the reward of Heaven? No. I will not worship any deity based on fear. Besides, I do not love your deity and I do not desire a relationship with him.

Their response has always been that they do not desire me to worship their deity just out of fear. Yet, they keep expressing to me the horrors of Hell if I do not turn away from my current religion. Again, is this the only way they can gain converts? Fear? Even the Annihilationist Christians often peach to me this way. They preach that one should worship their deity because otherwise one is annihilated. That is less frightening than eternal conscious torment but these people are still preaching based on fear. How about they share the unconditional love their deity supposedly has for humanity? How about they preach love instead of hate and fear?

Preaching Hell is preaching that their deity hates, which I believe he does. However, preaching Hell is a terrible way to gain converts?

Jesus Christ said to not fear man but also to fear Him, since He can destroy us body and soul by casting us to Hell. That would be an example of Jesus's strong words about the judgment of Hell. What is your source for saying Jesus hates when preachers preach Hell?

 

[Hockeycowboy]

If we never talked about Hell, what would be the need for a Saviour? Talking about the state of humanity and the righteous judgment of God, and indeed how we deserve Hell, should really serve to emphasise the lovingkindness of God, that He would give His Son to endure that punishment we deserved to save us. If we didn't talk about Hell, then the Cross becomes pointless, what was Jesus even enduring, and why did He need to? While conversion shouldn't be out of fear, Hell is of course a scary prospect, but we have a loving God that has mercy on us and desires to save us from what we deserve, and that is a great truth to be proclaimed.

Everyone needs the Savior, not to escape 'torment'! We need Jesus' sacrifice, so that we may escape "death"!! -- Romans 6:23. The punishment for sin is DEATH, not eternal 'torment'.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Interesting how the Bible's real meaning has been twisted! God's own Word changed, to repel thinking people. Almost like there's been an enemy of it, working behind the scenes!

And you, of course, having coerced "God's own Word" into a Christian mold are privy to the "Bible's real meaning"?

I suspect that this is another tiresome case of the pot calling the kettle black. ​

 

[Hockeycowboy]

And you, of course, having coerced "God's own Word" into a Christian mold are privy to the "Bible's real meaning"?

I suspect that this is another tiresome case of the pot calling the kettle black. ​

I've used the Scriptures, nothing else, to reason on. To explain it. Do you really think Jacob, a righteous man, thought he was going to a place of 'torment? Or simply to the grave? What about Jesus, the most righteous man who ever lived?? Yet, the Bible says He was in Hell! What do you think?