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Jay520 said:
You've been associating A & B all along when there is no association. YOU are the one that establish the premise that people practice religion because they think it'll get them into heaven. I've been challenging that premise. I've been saying that people practice religion not because of fearing hell. YOU are the one saying people practice religion to avoid hell. When I asked you to explain your reasoning, you said it was the only thing that made sense.
I am also the one saying that they do so for nothing (well, except self-pleasuring), even if they think that they do. Also, they don't mainly do it to avoid punishments, but to be rewarded, as mentioned time after time.
Just because it doesn't increase your chances of getting into heaven, doesn't mean it doesn't please God. For example, going out of your way to teach a child how to read won't necessarily decide if you get into heaven, but it will surely be an act that God likes. Same goes for religious practicing (praying, worshipping, studying the bible). These things won't necessarily decide you chances of getting into heaven, but God certainly appreciates the act. And in a lot of cases, people enjoy doing it too. Because they enjoy pleasing God & they may just enjoy doing the act in and of itself. With this in mind, people don't practice religion to avoid Hell. They do it because they want heaven.
Still, you do share one point with the OP, which is the underlined. One may question the value of pleasing God through religious practicing though if it won't have any positive effects at all (for the millionth time; other than mental pleasure). Which leaves the OP's point that one may leave the whole worshipping part altogether (by destroying all evidence of religion).
A TRUE Christian, Jew, Muslim practices religion because they want to, and NOT because they feel it's a necessity to get them into heaven.
Still, they do want to get into heaven, am I right? It wouldn't make sense to be a Christian and don't care about where you will end up once you die.
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