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Should teaching eternal hell be a crime?

Should teaching eternal hell be a crime offense?

  • Yes

    Votes: 21 36.2%
  • No

    Votes: 33 56.9%
  • Don't know

    Votes: 4 6.9%

  • Total voters
    58

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.
 

ChristineES

Tiggerism
Premium Member
I was more terrorized at age nine by a horror movie I saw than I ever was over any talk of hell. Talk of hell was just that to me as a child- just talk. My mother didn't believe in hell at the time but I heard it from my friends. But what I heard more was about heaven. So, if I were to go by what would "terrorize" a child (by experience of myself and my kids), I would think talk of hell was way down on the list.
 

waitasec

Veteran Member
I was more terrorized at age nine by a horror movie I saw than I ever was over any talk of hell. Talk of hell was just that to me as a child- just talk. My mother didn't believe in hell at the time but I heard it from my friends. But what I heard more was about heaven. So, if I were to go by what would "terrorize" a child (by experience of myself and my kids), I would think talk of hell was way down on the list.

many others are/were not as lucky as you
 

Penumbra

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I disagree, for the reasons Ive mentioned. I don't really have any new points to add so I guess Ill leave it at that for now.

I don't see how. Slavery is illegal, but it hasn't been removed from the bible. As far as I know the law hasn't required bibles to be edited when the teachings in them become illegal. And the religions themselves certainly havn't been banned.
It's illegal to enslave people, but it's not illegal to talk about it, and I don't even think it's illegal to say that one promotes it. I'm not really sure, though. It's definitely not illegal if they say it in private.

Banning the practice of slavery and banning the teaching of hell are completely different.

And, slavery isn't a fundamental part of those religions, but hell often is.
 

839311

Well-Known Member
But what I heard more was about heaven.

Talking about heaven is pleasant. The appeal there is quite strong. Even though I don't have faith, its nice to be told that I will go to heaven. Its comforting. The exact opposite is true of hell. Its a very unpleasant topic of conversation to have, even between adherents. There aren't many people who enjoy imagining people they love being tormented forever. Those that do are insane. Its a revolting, evil teaching that should be opposed by everyone.
 

839311

Well-Known Member
Are you comparing limiting people's first amendment rights to what you said in the quote?

No. Once again - I am comparing harrassment with the things I quoted. That is what I think threatening others with eternal torment is.

That just might be the lamest slippery slope analogy I've ever seen.

It wasn't meant to be a slippery slope analogy.The changes I listed happened over hundreds of years. And the only thing slippery about it, I think this is worth mentioning, is the part that is covered in blood that was spilled during the civil war so that slavery could be abolished. I don't think it can be said enough times that slavery is supported in the bible.

To say that removing religious immunity from certain laws will lead to a slippery slope effect of oppression against religion is not warranted at all, I think. The idea is to prevent oppression and injustice caused by religious people. People should be protected against religious harrassment through the preaching of eternal torment. Not only is it a form of harrassment, but it is also coercive. "If you don't believe me, your going to hell! But if you do believe, you will go to heaven!" The ol' carrot and stick approach. Its evil and barbaric, and should be opposed by every sensible person.
 
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Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
To say that removing religious immunity from certain laws will lead to a slippery slope effect of oppression against religion is not warranted at all, I think.
I disagree. To accomplish your goals, the 1st Amendment would have to be gutted.
That opens up much opportunity for governmental mischief.

The idea is to prevent oppression and injustice caused by religious people. People should be protected against religious harrassment through the preaching of eternal torment. Not only is it a form of harrassment, but it is also coercive. "If you don't believe me, your going to hell! But if you do believe, you will go to heaven!" The ol' carrot and stick approach. Its evil and barbaric, and should be opposed by every sensible person.
And that is exactly the kind of belief & speech which is protected by the Constitution in the 1st Amendment.
 

ChristineES

Tiggerism
Premium Member
I just don't think teaching about hell by religious people is harassment. Getting into people's faces and saying "You're going to hell!" is harassment, but teaching about it is not. (getting into someone's face and saying "You're going to prison!" would be harassment while saying "If you rob a bank you will go to prison" is not.)
 

LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
I just don't think teaching about hell by religious people is harassment.

And of course it isn't. But it can be a part of parental abuse. It does happen, albeit fortunately not very often (but alas, not too rarely either).

Revoltingest apparently either disagrees with me or fails to understand this distinction.

I just don't understand why the 1st Amendment is being mentioned here. When did it become a protection against crimes of abuse of power?


Getting into people's faces and saying "You're going to hell!" is harassment, but teaching about it is not.

It is when it is taught by parents or other authority figures to children that are sufficiently young, impressionable or isolated and who have not enough of moderate adult references to overcome the traumatic effect of those unfortunate teachings.


(getting into someone's face and saying "You're going to prison!" would be harassment while saying "If you rob a bank you will go to prison" is not.)

It is all in the emphasys and in the opportunity to "take a breather".
 

LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
of course it would, i'm only saying exposing children to violence at a young age is not a very healthy thing to do...

now back to the OP... i wonder if scaring a child into thinking they will go to hell could be considered mental abuse... i am of the opinion that yes it is a form of abuse.

I can give my personal witness that it is indeed the case. Didn't happen to me in quite that form, but I know people who went through it.
 

839311

Well-Known Member
(Getting into someone's face and saying "You're going to prison!" would be harassment while saying "If you rob a bank you will go to prison" is not.)

No, but a person who has robbed a bank would be worried, perhaps in a state of constant anxiety, of going to prison because he has committed the crime already, and would be found guilty in court.

When a preacher tells me I'm going to hell it is already assumed that I'm guilty of these crimes, and that God will undoubtedly punish me for them. Im being told that I'm a guilty criminal who will be punished. Ofcourse, my crimes can easily be wiped out by simply putting blind faith into whatever sect that particular preacher is a part of. You would get plenty of converts among impressionable bank robbers if you told them that all they would have to do to be found not guilty was believe that there really is a judge who punishes bank robbers...

Sometimes, and don't kid yourselves that it is otherwise, the preacher would say, "You should be scared of that. Hell is a real place. Its not a fantasy as you think." Some people might then change the subject, or might leave. But if a preacher has a person's attention, then he can start playing all the other cards that are up his sleeve. He can follow the fear card with the eternal paradise card. Or, if he sees a look of terror on that persons face, then the timing could be right to say, "But wait, my son. My God is a merciful God! He doesn't want you to be among those that will burn in hell forever. He wants you to be saved! Jesus says that all you have to do is believe in him, and you will be saved! Isn't that a wonderful offer!... You also have to be a part of the Roman Catholic church, because that is the only true church."

Can't you see how hideous that is? That it frightens people? That it is manipulative and coercive? It is a crime!
 
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The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Staff member
Premium Member
i didn't see it in the church either...but nonetheless it didn't matter to me where i saw it, i saw it and my imagination ran with it. :sad:



i'm not so sure about that. i think society is insecure as a whole, otherwise why would people act the way they do towards each other or themselves...?
dead beat moms/dads, teen pregnancies, hi divorce rates, over eating, depression... gluttony...anger/rage these are symptoms of insecurity and we spend billions of dollars dealing with our fears....look i'm not attributing that to the teaching of "hell" to young impressionable minds ...but it certainly doesn't help...

I wanted to say that I horror movies exposing could rather be more healthy than "dangerous". It doesn't hurt anybody and it teaches children to know what and what not to do, just in a rather violent way.
 

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Staff member
Premium Member
I voted yes because it is just like saying "If you don't believe in me, I will throw you into a campfire"
 

kai

ragamuffin
not a crime no , i haven't any objection to teach it either as long its told as a belief and not a fact is fine by me
 

St Giordano Bruno

Well-Known Member
Yes indoctrinating young children with it should be a crime as the claims a totally unsubstatiated and causes unnecessary axiety to children.
 

bobhikes

Nondetermined
Premium Member
I see teaching of hell as teaching that if you do wrong you will be punished. All parents try to teach there kids the second. Is it true? No you can do wrong and get away with it and never be punished. Even though you can get away with doing wrong should we teach this to our children.

Had to rethink, Have now had an issue with my ten year old son and Hell. He became very afraid of going to Hell (wife has him in CCD). Actually started acting differently. I am working on fixing the issue but now I'm against teaching kids about eternal punishment.

For them the monster's are very real.
 

Richard J. Charles

Science is wonderful...
My opinion is that it should be illegal to teach children below the age of 12 about the mythical place called Hell or its equivalents. It can cause great emotional torment, and is completely unfounded in evidence and fact, anyway. Why give children something pointless to worry about?
 
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