Cash Stealer
2004-10-22, 18:08
There is either a God, or there isn't.
Keeping that in mind, Christianity says that there is a God, a Heaven, and a Hell. If you don't do what God says, you will burn in hell for all eternity.
I personally find it hard to belive that a God of such power would create the human race, and send billions of humans to hell and others to heaven. How could a "loving" God stand to torture his own creations for all eternity? I could understand if the sinners had to endure this punishment for their sins for say, 100 years. That, in my mind, could be conceived as fair and just. An eye for an eye, if you sin for 68 years, you face 68 years of hell.
However, to say that you burn in hell forever, is going to far. Nowhere along the line will God allow the people of hell to have their pain ceased.
I find this hard to believe.
Humans are the first known species to be capable of rational thought. Unlike other animals that are driven by instinct and the ultimate goal of "reproduction and carrying on the species," we can think for ourselves. It would be natural for a species capable of rational thought to try to explain their origin.
Its hard to believe that we evolved from something else, so the easiest answer would be that something created us.
Using this fundamental part of human thinking, we can start our own religion.
The ancient Egyptsians had a ruler known as a "pharaoh." Somewhere along the line, an Egyptsian ruler created a story about many gods. He told the people of egypt that these gods controlled everything in the world, and if you did not follow them, you would be killed. The pharaoh was believed to be sent by these gods. Over many years, the people of Egypt began to fear these gods, and because of that they feared the pharaoh. The pharaoh was considered "divine" and he was considered to be a god himself. If you crossed the pharoah, you would pay. The pharaoh had a psychological hold over his people, and his people would do anything he said.
How do you make humans, as a species, capable of thinking for themselves, do what you say? Simple, you have to make them FEAR what will happen if they don't.
Think about it.
What would keep you from robbing a bank tomorrow?
You might be caught and sent to jail.
What keeps you from having unprotected sex with everyone you meet?
You might contract and STD, or get the girl pregnant.
What keeps you from shooting heroin?
You might get addicted, and face severe health consequenses.
Its this FEAR that keeps us from doing what is considered "wrong." Without fear, humans can't be controlled. Life would be one mad raving sex orgy and nobody would give a damn about anything.
Now, lets pretend we are 2,000 years in the past. A few people get together and decide that humans shouldn't be "sinning" so much, but nobody wants to stop. People are getting drunk, having sex, and generally being "evil." This band of people create a new story, a religion. They write it down in a book, and call it the Bible. They say there is a God, a Heaven, and a Hell. If you don't believe in God, and do what he says, you will burn in hell for all eternity.
Religions have been created thousands of times before, why would this new religion be any different?
Because it strikes fear into the people that read about it. The thought of living for all enternity in a place of fire and pain is enough to make anybody do what you say.
Once the religion was created, it spread like wildfire. It was the first religion to have such a severe punishment for people that didn't believe. Because of that, many people decided to convert.
This is exactly like the Pharaoh and Egypt. Instead of the Pharaoh having a psychological hold over the people, this God has taken his place.
There is a possibility that God indeed does exist, but it is also just as possible that he does not. This fear that I have described may be clouding your judgement.
[This message has been edited by Cash Stealer (edited 10-24-2004).]
Keeping that in mind, Christianity says that there is a God, a Heaven, and a Hell. If you don't do what God says, you will burn in hell for all eternity.
I personally find it hard to belive that a God of such power would create the human race, and send billions of humans to hell and others to heaven. How could a "loving" God stand to torture his own creations for all eternity? I could understand if the sinners had to endure this punishment for their sins for say, 100 years. That, in my mind, could be conceived as fair and just. An eye for an eye, if you sin for 68 years, you face 68 years of hell.
However, to say that you burn in hell forever, is going to far. Nowhere along the line will God allow the people of hell to have their pain ceased.
I find this hard to believe.
Humans are the first known species to be capable of rational thought. Unlike other animals that are driven by instinct and the ultimate goal of "reproduction and carrying on the species," we can think for ourselves. It would be natural for a species capable of rational thought to try to explain their origin.
Its hard to believe that we evolved from something else, so the easiest answer would be that something created us.
Using this fundamental part of human thinking, we can start our own religion.
The ancient Egyptsians had a ruler known as a "pharaoh." Somewhere along the line, an Egyptsian ruler created a story about many gods. He told the people of egypt that these gods controlled everything in the world, and if you did not follow them, you would be killed. The pharaoh was believed to be sent by these gods. Over many years, the people of Egypt began to fear these gods, and because of that they feared the pharaoh. The pharaoh was considered "divine" and he was considered to be a god himself. If you crossed the pharoah, you would pay. The pharaoh had a psychological hold over his people, and his people would do anything he said.
How do you make humans, as a species, capable of thinking for themselves, do what you say? Simple, you have to make them FEAR what will happen if they don't.
Think about it.
What would keep you from robbing a bank tomorrow?
You might be caught and sent to jail.
What keeps you from having unprotected sex with everyone you meet?
You might contract and STD, or get the girl pregnant.
What keeps you from shooting heroin?
You might get addicted, and face severe health consequenses.
Its this FEAR that keeps us from doing what is considered "wrong." Without fear, humans can't be controlled. Life would be one mad raving sex orgy and nobody would give a damn about anything.
Now, lets pretend we are 2,000 years in the past. A few people get together and decide that humans shouldn't be "sinning" so much, but nobody wants to stop. People are getting drunk, having sex, and generally being "evil." This band of people create a new story, a religion. They write it down in a book, and call it the Bible. They say there is a God, a Heaven, and a Hell. If you don't believe in God, and do what he says, you will burn in hell for all eternity.
Religions have been created thousands of times before, why would this new religion be any different?
Because it strikes fear into the people that read about it. The thought of living for all enternity in a place of fire and pain is enough to make anybody do what you say.
Once the religion was created, it spread like wildfire. It was the first religion to have such a severe punishment for people that didn't believe. Because of that, many people decided to convert.
This is exactly like the Pharaoh and Egypt. Instead of the Pharaoh having a psychological hold over the people, this God has taken his place.
There is a possibility that God indeed does exist, but it is also just as possible that he does not. This fear that I have described may be clouding your judgement.
[This message has been edited by Cash Stealer (edited 10-24-2004).]