Christianity Is Only Popular Because Of Its Idle Threats

[Clara Tea]

CHRISTIANITY IS ONLY POPULAR BECAUSE OF ITS IDLE THREATS.

Seriously. If there wasn't a threat of eternal damnation for those who reject Jesus then Christianity wouldn't be nearly as popular as it is today.

Take it from an ex-Christian, the Christian religion is built on fear mongering principles and is systematically designed to instill that fear into those that don't believe in it, so that the unbeliever will be coerced into thinking twice about what happens next after death as that dreadful panic sets in him about possibly ending up burning for eternity. All because Christianity takes a gamble on the "unknown" meaning "the next."

And so the question will be forced upon you which is "do you as an unbeliever want to take a gamble on the unknown and possibly be wrong about what comes next?" So you might as well play it safe and "be a Christian." Yes, this is the psychologicall tactic Christianity will play on you and is designed to do so. But I suspect Islam is constructed very similarly to do the same as well. It's just that Christianity has more followers still and perhaps because it does a much better job at doing that to people.

Fear of the unknown. Who ever came back from hell to tell us what it is about? According to the bible, two Satanic demons from hell (Dragon and son Beast) will rule the most powerful nation in the world (Revelation 17:18) which will defeat and corrupt Iraq and that nation is know as the Whore of Babylon. Therefore, President Bush and son W. Bush are two demons who came out of hell, so they could tell us what hell is like.

Maybe the fact that they are Satanic demons explains the murder of 1,000,000 Iraqis, torture camps, apathy toward hurricane Katrina victims, homelessness, pollution, logging, fracking, drilling offshore, denying Global Warming, disease, etc? In other words, elect a Satanic demon and the world will get messed up.

Many of the threats of Christianity were not idle.

1. Missions were built by fearmongering Native Americans, so that they would be slaves, tortured, beaten, and killed to build California missions for "Saint" Junipero Serra.

2. A scientist was tortured until he recanted that meteorites come from God's perfect heavens.

3. In Salem, those accused of witchcraft were killed if they were or were not found to be witches (the tests were not accurate.. . but they were horribly murdered either way, so it didn't really matter). The tortures and deaths were at the hands of a very pious branch of Christians, called Puritans, who felt that anyone who was having any kind of fun (song, dance, art, literature) was EEEEvil. Something tells me that those who see evil everywhere are, themselves, evil, because they are driven to do evil things to fight the faux evil that they perceive.

4. The Dark Ages were kept dark and ignorant by fear mongering priests who built great palace churches from the vast amounts of mammon that they collected from the scared and intimidated. The Mafia, too, was enriched by similar tactics.

 

[Wildswanderer]

Seriously. If there wasn't a threat of eternal damnation for those who reject Jesus then Christianity wouldn't be nearly as popular as it is today.

Take it from an ex-Christian, the Christian religion is built on fear mongering principles and is systematically designed to instill that fear into those that don't believe in it, so that the unbeliever will be coerced into thinking twice about what happens next after death as that dreadful panic sets in him about possibly ending up burning for eternity. All because Christianity takes a gamble on the "unknown" meaning "the next."

And so the question will be forced upon you which is "do you as an unbeliever want to take a gamble on the unknown and possibly be wrong about what comes next?" So you might as well play it safe and "be a Christian." Yes, this is the psychologicall tactic Christianity will play on you and is designed to do so. But I suspect Islam is constructed very similarly to do the same as well. It's just that Christianity has more followers still and perhaps because it does a much better job at doing that to people.

Lol, seriously? It's been the dominant religion though out history because it offers hope, not because of hell. Eliminate hell and replace it with annihilation, if you want. Both can be derived from scripture. It'll still be the most popular because it's a religion that offers healing and hope to the hopeless.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

I don't get why people do that because the Bible is clearly not a "mix-n-match" on what you follow, especially and particularly when it comes worshiping the God of Abraham. "I am thy Lord thy God." According to some Jews that is the First Commandment, with "thou shalt have no other gods before me" being the second. Anyway you count it the message is very clear. To worship Jehovah (or whatever other name) you must renounce and forsake all other gods. His son is very strict when it comes to associating himself with the God of Abraham and enforcing the Law, up to stating he has NOT come to do away with or lessen any part of the Laws and Prophets.

I forgot to mention the pastor who called me a cursed soul and told me that God hated me. He also told me that I had suffered abuse as a child because God was punishing me for the sins of my biological parents. And then there was the time a Baptist preacher talked about how my Indian blood was dirty and referred to me as a half-breed within earshot of me. He also said aloud that I was destined for hell if I didn't forsake my Indian blood and that the entire worth of Indians could be found at the bottom of a whiskey bottle.

 

[idea]

Proof?

Example article, there is quite a lot out there in fact.. "sacrament " is the perfect way to induce spiritual experiences.

Religion as a Product of Psychotropic Drug Use

 

[idea]

In a universe of mathematics religion is concerned with the master mathematician, the scientist and spiritual reality.

If everyone agreed on the same spiritual beliefs, and if "the creation" was just and merciful, but the laws of nature are not loving. Best not to anthromorphize an author of unloving laws - the author of the "natural man" as you say

 

[Rival]

Example article, there is quite a lot out there in fact.. "sacrament " is the perfect way to induce spiritual experiences.

Religion as a Product of Psychotropic Drug Use

I was following it until it went bizarro at the end with Jesus not existing and being a mushroom. Certainly drugs have been and are used in religious practices; to say this is the origin of religion I think is much less solid.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

That’s not my God; it may be the one you rejected, and for good reason, but please be aware that whatever those Southern Baptists might have told you, for many Christians, Christ’s message is a message of love.

Jesus talking about God: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28). That doesn't sound like a message of love to me, unless Jesus was mistaken or lying.

 

[Subduction Zone]

In your head, maybe.

No, it is very rare for believers in the more rational versions of Christianity to try to shove their version down the throats of others. They tend to be too polite to do that. Are they televangelists? Are they street preachers? Do they protest at the funerals of others?

 

[Psalm23]

There are churches that use fear tactics and manipulation. It could be well intended. They may not think there is any wrong in this; however, the damage from such can take years of undoing and relearning. I know the anguish of religious fear. The times of trying to prove myself. The too many times to count I've prayed a salvation prayer. The fear over taking communion wrongly. I could go on.

On the flip side, I've known the comforts from the Scripture, bible teachers/pastors , and music. I have tasted of God's love and grace in Christ. I am still learning.

There are churches that are healthier that teach God's love and grace and are teaching the Bible. If one wants to go to a church, I believe it is important to be discerning of what is being taught, if it is true to the Bible, if it teaches the grace of God as a gift, and is in a loving atmosphere.

 

[Psalm23]

I forgot to mention the pastor who called me a cursed soul and told me that God hated me. He also told me that I had suffered abuse as a child because God was punishing me for the sins of my biological parents. And then there was the time a Baptist preacher talked about how my Indian blood was dirty and referred to me as a half-breed within earshot of me. He also said aloud that I was destined for hell if I didn't forsake my Indian blood and that the entire worth of Indians could be found at the bottom of a whiskey bottle.

They told you disgusting lies.

 

[idea]

I was following it until it went bizarro at the end with Jesus not existing and being a mushroom. Certainly drugs have been and are used in religious practices; to say this is the origin of religion I think is much less solid.

For anyone so inclined,

 

[74x12]

Seriously. If there wasn't a threat of eternal damnation for those who reject Jesus then Christianity wouldn't be nearly as popular as it is today.

Take it from an ex-Christian, the Christian religion is built on fear mongering principles and is systematically designed to instill that fear into those that don't believe in it, so that the unbeliever will be coerced into thinking twice about what happens next after death as that dreadful panic sets in him about possibly ending up burning for eternity. All because Christianity takes a gamble on the "unknown" meaning "the next."

And so the question will be forced upon you which is "do you as an unbeliever want to take a gamble on the unknown and possibly be wrong about what comes next?" So you might as well play it safe and "be a Christian." Yes, this is the psychologicall tactic Christianity will play on you and is designed to do so. But I suspect Islam is constructed very similarly to do the same as well. It's just that Christianity has more followers still and perhaps because it does a much better job at doing that to people.

On the contrary that is definitely the most unpopular teaching of Christianity. In fact many who name themselves Christian these days do not believe in damnation. Many who have left Christianity site this very teaching(eternal damnation) as a primary reason for hating their former faith.

Yet, as Christians many of us must insist that it's true; because we care.

 

[Muffled]

Seriously. If there wasn't a threat of eternal damnation for those who reject Jesus then Christianity wouldn't be nearly as popular as it is today.

Take it from an ex-Christian, the Christian religion is built on fear mongering principles and is systematically designed to instill that fear into those that don't believe in it, so that the unbeliever will be coerced into thinking twice about what happens next after death as that dreadful panic sets in him about possibly ending up burning for eternity. All because Christianity takes a gamble on the "unknown" meaning "the next."

And so the question will be forced upon you which is "do you as an unbeliever want to take a gamble on the unknown and possibly be wrong about what comes next?" So you might as well play it safe and "be a Christian." Yes, this is the psychologicall tactic Christianity will play on you and is designed to do so. But I suspect Islam is constructed very similarly to do the same as well. It's just that Christianity has more followers still and perhaps because it does a much better job at doing that to people.

I believe most Christians are looking forward to eternal life. For me the greatest benefit is to be free of sin. I suppose we can accept the ones who would rather not burn in fire but would hope they would develop better motivations.

 

[Subduction Zone]

On the contrary that is definitely the most unpopular teaching of Christianity. In fact many who name themselves Christian these days do not believe in damnation. Many who have left Christianity site this very teaching(eternal damnation) as a primary reason for hating their former faith.

Yet, as Christians many of us must insist that it's true; because we care.

Can you tell me why you believe in an immoral God?

 

[Muffled]

On the contrary that is definitely the most unpopular teaching of Christianity. In fact many who name themselves Christian these days do not believe in damnation. Many who have left Christianity site this very teaching(eternal damnation) as a primary reason for hating their former faith.

Yet, as Christians many of us must insist that it's true; because we care.

I believe it is unlikely that people like the idea of burning in fire. I think they just would rather stick their heads in the sand and pretend that it is a myth.

 

[Muffled]

Can you tell me why you believe in an immoral God?

I can tell you why i believe in a moral God and I am sure I know why you think differently and are wrong.

 

[Subduction Zone]

I can tell you why i believe in a moral God and I am sure I know why you think differently and are wrong.

You cannot both have a hell where people are endlessly punished and a moral God. The two concepts contradict each other.

 

[Wildswanderer]

I forgot to mention the pastor who called me a cursed soul and told me that God hated me. He also told me that I had suffered abuse as a child because God was punishing me for the sins of my biological parents. And then there was the time a Baptist preacher talked about how my Indian blood was dirty and referred to me as a half-breed within earshot of me. He also said aloud that I was destined for hell if I didn't forsake my Indian blood and that the entire worth of Indians could be found at the bottom of a whiskey bottle.

Bad people don't equal a bad Jesus. I too have heard some hateful preaching but it doesn't reflect the cross, so I am free to ignore it.

 

[Psalm23]

On the contrary that is definitely the most unpopular teaching of Christianity. In fact many who name themselves Christian these days do not believe in damnation. Many who have left Christianity site this very teaching(eternal damnation) as a primary reason for hating their former faith.

Yet, as Christians many of us must insist that it's true; because we care.

This doctrine of hell is in the Bible. I take issue where it is taught in such a way there is manipulation used and fear tactics. I once went to a church Halloween event. It was a scare house where people jump out and scare you. I don't remember everything though .

 

[ppp]

That's not any sort of Christianity I'm familiar with.

It's the Christianity that permeates American society.