tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post116997294168452094..comments2024-03-25T17:35:02.238-04:00Comments on Debunking Christianity: Alternatives To A Fiery HellUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-73035505284449586062010-03-24T02:12:19.794-04:002010-03-24T02:12:19.794-04:00I think there is an element of truth in the belief...I think there is an element of truth in the belief that sinners would go to hell, a fiery inferno, where the fire never subside! What it really says is that unenlightened souls, or souls that do not achieve spiritual liberation in this lifetime, would reincarnate again and again in this world. This world is the fiery hell!<br /><br />Einstein postulated that matter and energy are interchangeable. More accurately, matter and energy are one and the same thing! The equation E=mC^2 expresses that idea. So, what we experience as the material, physical world is actually a sea of energy, a fiery hell!<br /><br />According to Indian philosophy, this world is a sea of consciousness, a sea of 'knowing'. "Tapas" is the process of world creation. "Tapas" means heating in addition to other meanings such as mediation, contemplation etc.Kurianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10670709430399612229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-85063777384024436102007-04-09T14:56:00.000-04:002007-04-09T14:56:00.000-04:00So, what you're saying, Anonymous is that god crea...So, what you're saying, Anonymous is that god created man, gave him "free will" despite withholding the concept of good and evil from him. He then tricked him (and his descendants) into a lifetime of slavery by sending the serpent into the garden to trick Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. After a few thousand years (according to your misguided timeline), he felt bad, so he sent down his son to be tortured and hung from a cross so that we could be saved from the mess he created in the first place? <BR/>Wouldn't it have made more sense to just get rid of hell and the concept of "sin"? <BR/><BR/>Seriously, do you even believe this wackiness or are you just posting because you have nothing else to do?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18120667008441889262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-78064004950058075122007-04-02T07:39:00.000-04:002007-04-02T07:39:00.000-04:00God is not only merciful, he is also holy. God bei...God is not only merciful, he is also holy. God being merciful often can confuse people into believing; god would never create a hell and send his children there. Well, I am here to tell you that HELL is real and god does not send you their, your sins do. When you sin, you are transgressing an infinite God. If you do not accept the free gift of forgiveness by an infinite God, you must serve an infinite punishment. You do not get into heaven by not sinning; only Jesus Christ ever lived a sinless life. Anyone, including you, can reap a free ticket in heaven. According to John 3:16 “For Gold so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him, shall not perish but have everlasting life”. That means know matter how much you screwed up your life, you can still go to heaven and avoid a literal hell. Just because you say to yourself, “Well I do not believe in that” will not save you. People thought they could choose to quit smoking at anytime when they started were wrong. Please accept Gods free gift by praying this prayer with me. “Jesus, I know I have sinned and lived a sinful life, and screwed it up. Please come into my life and make me free from sin. Please forgive me god, I need you.” If you have sincerely just prayed that, you are now my brother or sister in Christ. Welcome to my family. God bless youAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-6045718408404861122007-02-02T23:20:00.000-05:002007-02-02T23:20:00.000-05:00Paul: Someone once said, "I'd rather rule in Hell ...Paul: Someone once said, "I'd rather rule in Hell than serve in Heaven."<br /><br />What's also very interesting is "who decides who goes where? On what criteria?" If the Pope, James Dobson, Falwell, Robertson, and other right-wing theo-megalomaniacs go to Heaven, then I would much rather go to Hell.<br /><br />The concepts of Heaven and Hell from thereon in become very, very messy, and the fascists and intolerants are thus revealed through their futile attempts to disguise their wishes while talking about Heaven and Hell in public.<br /><br />I'm still not sure about Landover Baptists: The site did look like a half-assed tabloid magazine (akin to Sun and National Enquirer), but the forums were off-putting.<br /><br />The Hell House concept, unfortunately, is very real. This past Halloween there was a story on a Hell House on MSNBC.com.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-8481384200462533082007-02-02T09:56:00.000-05:002007-02-02T09:56:00.000-05:00Good article Joe.
It got me to thinking how death...Good article Joe.<br /><br />It got me to thinking how death wipes out lots of notions about God, like love, mercy, gentleness. But it also kills the idea of free will (Calvinists don't read this). I guess free will also becomes a thing of the past once you die because of course most of us would change our minds if we could, given the new input. C.S.Lewis seems to grapple with the whole hell thing in "The Great Divorce." He can never quite bring himself to describe hell in biblical terms, and poses the question at the end of his story of whether hell is eternal. He seems to maintain that freewill exists after death and people still choose hell even when there.paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04437206493901034134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-1170318609309971442007-02-01T03:30:00.000-05:002007-02-01T03:30:00.000-05:00Landover Baptist is indeed some good satire.The He...Landover Baptist is indeed some good satire.<BR/><BR/>The <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell_house" REL="nofollow">Hell House</A> projects are unfortunately dead serious. See Richard Dawkins' documentaries: <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Root_of_All_Evil%3F" REL="nofollow">The Root of All Evil?</A>, for a better look.openlyatheisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03799132607816184980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-1170308229221554322007-02-01T00:37:00.000-05:002007-02-01T00:37:00.000-05:00I think its real: I looked at the forums and news,...I think its real: I looked at the forums and news, though some of it appears to be fake, the forums are especially convincing. I do wish it were fake...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-1170307656033645362007-02-01T00:27:00.000-05:002007-02-01T00:27:00.000-05:00EJ: I really dont know if "unrepentent souls" are ...EJ: I really dont know if "unrepentent souls" are assaulted, but why have medical waiver forms if they arent? It is scary I know. I can imagine this becoming real (a real torture house with real prisoners and real observers) if they gain totalitarian power. I am afraid: Not of Hell, but what the psychological, political, and social consequences that the Hell House entails. Have you ever heard of a homsexual raping a chicken? I know a few and none of them are into bestiality. The power of lies is truly distressing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-1170296412941872802007-01-31T21:20:00.000-05:002007-01-31T21:20:00.000-05:00Landover Baptist is a satirical attack on Christia...Landover Baptist is a satirical attack on Christianity. It is not real, but do yourself a favor and read over past articles of the site for a good belly-laugh! It's unbeatable! Sadly, there are a few churches that ARE like that!<BR/><BR/>(JH)Joe E. Holmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10273702675019012966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-1170267177033688372007-01-31T13:12:00.000-05:002007-01-31T13:12:00.000-05:00Eric that Hell House article cannot possibly be re...Eric that Hell House article cannot possibly be real can it? They can't possibly beat people for not going along?<BR/><BR/>Am I missong the joke?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-1170121853001214572007-01-29T20:50:00.000-05:002007-01-29T20:50:00.000-05:00That link to the Sacred Text Archive ishttp://www....That link to the Sacred Text Archive is<BR/>http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm<BR/><BR/>It isn't just a collection of 'holy books' but a vast variety of commentaries of all sorts. (Even the complete works of Shakespeare, a fascinating comparison of the treatment of LGBT people in various religions, a collection of sources for Tolkein, a series of pieces on UFOs, and, since we mostly discuss Christianity here, collections of Gnostic texts, the CONFESSIONS of St. Augustine, writings of early Church Fathers, Luther, Milton, and even William Miller, John Nelson Darby (who invented the idea of the 'Rapture), Mother White, etc.<BR/>Definitely something worth knowing and supporting (see the note at the front, and since my budget doesn't permit me to contribute this is my way of helping this valuable resource stick around).<BR/>Prup (aka Jim Benton)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-1170121203578145662007-01-29T20:40:00.000-05:002007-01-29T20:40:00.000-05:00I find it interesting to compare the concepts of h...I find it interesting to compare the concepts of hell in Christianity and in the supposedly more primitive Zoroastrianism -- which seems to be where Christianity got the idea, as they did their idea of Satan, since neither is similar to Old Testament teachings.<BR/>To quote the best collection of Zoroastrian materials on the web:<BR/>"Hell is a temporary place of suffering for sinners after death. When evil is finally defeated (at Frashegird), the souls of sinners will be released from hell, and will be purified by the ordeal of molten metal. They will then join the congregation of God and the saints."<BR/><BR/>This is from http://www.avesta.org/zfaq.html<BR/><BR/>More material on Zoroastrianism can be found at the Internet Sacred Texts Archive -- I'd link to it, but two links in one post can set off comment spamming protections. I'll post that link in another quick post.<BR/>Prup (aka Jim Benton)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-1170084079094621182007-01-29T10:21:00.000-05:002007-01-29T10:21:00.000-05:00They can't escape it, much like they cant escape t...They can't escape it, much like they cant escape their history. How much longer do we have until they feel shame and regret over taking the Bible seriously?<BR/><BR/>I'm glad they feel regret and shame for this belief, though it wont fix 1500 years of tyrany (spiritual and political). I think hell would be most effective if it were simply Room 101 in Nineteen-Eighty-Four.<BR/><BR/>Here is the object of hell: To provide believers with a feeling of superiority, as well as a silly attempt to scare the crap out of non-Christians and snare them.<BR/><BR/>Ever hear of Hell House? Here it is, straight from the horse's mouth: <BR/><BR/>http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news1099/hellhouse.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-1170045122294292392007-01-28T23:32:00.000-05:002007-01-28T23:32:00.000-05:00"Separation from God"...sounds so eloquent and non..."Separation from God"...sounds so eloquent and non offensive, doesn't it?<BR/><BR/>This way they don't have to face the really ugly issues their opposition puts forth!Joe E. Holmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10273702675019012966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-1170043376045936402007-01-28T23:02:00.000-05:002007-01-28T23:02:00.000-05:00> ... evangelicals are stuck with some sort of ete...<I>> ... evangelicals are stuck with some sort of eternal torture and they are getting less and less comfortable with it.</I><BR/><BR/>That's true. They obscure it with phrases like "separation from God." In this, they prove that (1) they really don't believe in the traditional hell, or (2) they do believe it and show themselves the most uncaring of people by veiling it in euphemism. After all, what if a killer tsunami were ready to destroy a coastal town but the people who knew about it merely dropped ambiguous warnings (e.g., "separation from dryness"). That would be a terrible omission.<BR/><BR/>Christians should either proclaim it with the plainness of Dr. Edwards or denounce the idea altogether. (I urge the latter.)Hacksaw Duckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08779494116778446650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-1170039033753364392007-01-28T21:50:00.000-05:002007-01-28T21:50:00.000-05:00Praise the Lord for his infinite knowledge and des...Praise the Lord for his infinite knowledge and desire to beat the shit out of the evil ones! This stuff just makes my head spin I swear. I have a friend who says that he is free to "do whatever he wants." Referring to Paul's statement that "all things are lawful, but not all are beneficial." No matter how hard I try to get it through to him that he actually does not have the free will to do whatever he wants without the risk of eternal damnation, he persists. Whether the early church believed in a literal hell or not, as you pointed out, evangelicals are stuck with some sort of eternal torture and they are getting less and less comfortable with it. The way I see it, believing that others will go to hell in order to be able to believe you will go to heaven is the most selfish thing a person can do. The fact that they accept this doctrine in effect validates it, at least in their own minds; thus creating a literal hell in a sense. Christians need to boycot this vindictive god, they need to see him for what he is; a tyrant.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-1170002854157477622007-01-28T11:47:00.000-05:002007-01-28T11:47:00.000-05:00Plenty here I agree with. For what it's worth, the...Plenty here I agree with. <BR/><BR/>For what it's worth, the New Testament is not at all consistent in portraying Gehenna (hell) as a place of perpetual suffering. Many more texts teach either annihilation or universalism than teach "never-ending torment." And the Greek, Platonic notion of an innately immortal soul is at odds with about 99.5 percent of the New Testament. <BR/><BR/>The first-century idea of Gehenna took varied forms in the Jewish thought-world. Some saw it as temporary, others as endless. Plenty of Christians in the early centuries dissented from the "endless" perspective, including Origen, Clement of Alexandria and Gregory of Nyssa. These men, whose native tongue was the same as the original New Testament, maintained that all would eventually be redeemed by Christ. Even Augustine, himself a staunch believer in an eternal hell, admitted that many Christians in his day rejected such a view while "not denying the Scriptures."<BR/><BR/>As an eschatological prophet, Jesus' message was full of warnings about the impending doom of Jerusalem and the temple. For a long time, I've suspected that many of the "hellfire" texts (actually, there aren't that many in the NT) were references to the conflagration about to be kindled by the Roman war-machine -- not references to an ongoing, post-mortem punishment.<BR/><BR/>Still, the majority opinion in Christendom is the one you criticize in this essay. So Christendom and its preachers probably deserve what you're dishing out here.Hacksaw Duckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08779494116778446650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-1169992553948816622007-01-28T08:55:00.000-05:002007-01-28T08:55:00.000-05:00"I wonder why respectable, knowledgeable Christian..."I wonder why respectable, knowledgeable Christians don’t see this problem? "<BR/><BR/>Simple: they are blinded by their faith! Truth, logic, reason, and evidence can never go againt faith. In fact they re-inforce the faith, and the more improbable a faith is, the more virtuous! How perfect is that?<BR/><BR/>Excellent essay by the way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-1169991251160190102007-01-28T08:34:00.000-05:002007-01-28T08:34:00.000-05:00For Christians who say they are not motivated to o...For Christians who say they are not motivated to obey God because of the threat of hell and who claim instead they obey God simply because it's the right thing to do, here's a question:<BR/><BR/>If God said you should murder and rape and steal or he would send you to hell, would you do what he commanded, or not?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-1169985289346182622007-01-28T06:54:00.000-05:002007-01-28T06:54:00.000-05:00I am just thankful that I didn't have a religious ...I am just thankful that I didn't have a religious upbringing where I was threatened with torture in order to make me obey the will of either a god, or my parents.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com