gnomon
Well-Known Member
Preaching eternal hell has the potential to terribly frighten people. Some of these people are overcome by this fear, and so are terrorized into becoming followers of the cults that preach such evil ideas. Preachers of this evil concept are terrorizing others. They are attacking a person's sense of security. It is one thing to harrass someone in this life with threats of punishment or other forms of mistreatment. But the terror that one could feel if she is confronted by a preacher telling her that she may burn in hell forever can be far worse. Children are particularly vulnerable to such abuse, especially when they are terrorized with this teaching by their parents whom they generally trust.
I think teaching hell should be made a criminal offense. It is a form of harrassment of a very intense kind. People should be protected by law from this type of harrassment. The preachers of this terrifying concept should be prosecuted as criminals.
Having grown up around primarily Baptists I couldn't honestly state that hellfire teachings are really that serious. There was a greater emphasis on the value of a good dressing, green bean casserole and sweet tea.