MissAlice
Well-Known Member
Well I guess it could also be asked whether or not children are easily moulded by religion since I often find had trouble accepting the concepts of christianity as a child. Usually I assume most people accept their faith blindly because they were raised into it and then there's those who discover faith for themselves.
But here goes my story. As a child growing up in a somewhat chaotic household, I often stayed with my grandparents who were very religious. They were very nice people and would often take us to church. I loved church but even as a child around 7, I use to think what a terrible person god was to send people straight to hell and yet he was also suppose to be an entity who loved ALL his children. Most children I guess do not have the cognitive development yet to understand the complexities of what is deemed good and what is deemed bad so it is a black and white issue. I remember getting goosebumps whenever we were taught about the teachings and actions of Jesus. I thought to myself, what a great man and how it would be great if more people were like him. But in history at school, it seem like people who were followers of christ were far from being christ-like as they persecuted not only those of another faith but those of their own faith. I use to sit and think to myself, how that could be christian or even remotely right in the sense of right and wrong.
I think what puzzled me the most was the concept of hell. Even as a kid I realized there was more than one religion. I'd often ask how anyone could go to hell for being brought up with a different religion or faith. So even then, I rejected the notions of hell and thought surely god is more loving than that? Whenever I brought up that I could hardly concieve the notion of loving god sending his creations to hell, I'd often get the same confusing arguement that there was some moral reason for it.....
I guess what my question is how does one comfortably follow their faith knowing that they'll go to hell for something that might invoke the wrath of god or that innocent people who are full of humility or do what they can to help people without the faith in religion are going to hell? This concept never made sense to me and the good and bad almost always seems to be entwined within human nature. I also wonder if some people are just instinctively more inclined than some to follow the asepcts of faith. I've often been told that faith has much to do with a child's upbringing. Well in my upbringing I was not so keen on the aspects of christianity even though I grew up with it.
What are your thoughts and beliefs of hell?
But here goes my story. As a child growing up in a somewhat chaotic household, I often stayed with my grandparents who were very religious. They were very nice people and would often take us to church. I loved church but even as a child around 7, I use to think what a terrible person god was to send people straight to hell and yet he was also suppose to be an entity who loved ALL his children. Most children I guess do not have the cognitive development yet to understand the complexities of what is deemed good and what is deemed bad so it is a black and white issue. I remember getting goosebumps whenever we were taught about the teachings and actions of Jesus. I thought to myself, what a great man and how it would be great if more people were like him. But in history at school, it seem like people who were followers of christ were far from being christ-like as they persecuted not only those of another faith but those of their own faith. I use to sit and think to myself, how that could be christian or even remotely right in the sense of right and wrong.
I think what puzzled me the most was the concept of hell. Even as a kid I realized there was more than one religion. I'd often ask how anyone could go to hell for being brought up with a different religion or faith. So even then, I rejected the notions of hell and thought surely god is more loving than that? Whenever I brought up that I could hardly concieve the notion of loving god sending his creations to hell, I'd often get the same confusing arguement that there was some moral reason for it.....
I guess what my question is how does one comfortably follow their faith knowing that they'll go to hell for something that might invoke the wrath of god or that innocent people who are full of humility or do what they can to help people without the faith in religion are going to hell? This concept never made sense to me and the good and bad almost always seems to be entwined within human nature. I also wonder if some people are just instinctively more inclined than some to follow the asepcts of faith. I've often been told that faith has much to do with a child's upbringing. Well in my upbringing I was not so keen on the aspects of christianity even though I grew up with it.
What are your thoughts and beliefs of hell?
