What does religious freedom mean to you and how could it be applied to a society or group?
General religious freedom to me simply means to be able to worship however you choose. It's a very important concept that needs to always be upheld...it's worth fighting for regardless of personal religious beliefs or non belief.
Personal religious freedom (if I ever choose a particular religion again) would have to include no belief in hell and absolutely no intolerance toward those who live a different life style than me. But honestly, at this point I don't see myself turning back to any form of organized religion.
If you are leaning towards souls are you leaning towards heaven too? Does this mean you are leaning away from reincarnation or the thought of no afterlife?
I have a very dear friend who is an accomplished psychic. No snickering.
She's been a radio personality here in Eugene with her speciality being after death communication. She claims all of us have lived many, many lives. I am fascinated and enjoy hearing all about her experiences but, I really haven't decided if I believe in reincarnation or not. A few of the sessions she's told me about have almost convinced me though.
As far as heaven, I don't think it exists and I'm fine with that. However, my youngest son Brandon wants to be a Baptist Youth Pastor. :help: He has no idea of my falling away from religion.
Would it be fair to say, than metaphorically speaking that belief in hell made parts of your day-to-day life on earth hellish by adding undue stress? Is the idea that one doesn't get punished in the afterlife and thus there is no divine deterrent ok for you?
Yes, most definitely belief in hell was a huge stress inducer in my former life. And, I didn't even realize that until my belief ended. I started a thread here last year titled, 'How Much Did the Place of Hell Influence Your Conversion to Christianity?'...or something similar. I was quite surprised by the responses. Most Christians said the place of Hell had little or no influence. In other words, they weren't 'scared' into believing. I just found that fact incredulous because it was the opposite experience for me. In general, I think American Christians are obsessed with the place/judgment of hell. I'm very happy to let it all go.
