mrstickball said:
Slimebeast said:
IIIIITHE1IIIII said:
Jay520 said:
IIIIITHE1IIIII said:
I'm not really sure what point you are trying to make here.
The Bible clearly states that there is an afterlife which is based on your actions on Earth. |
He is saying that the concept of an afterlife is flawed. God should not say "Do good because it is the way to heaven." God should say, "Do good because it is the right thing to do." With the existence of heaven, people will act good because they want a reward, not necessarily because they are of good character.
which reminds me of a quote someone had in their signature a while back:
"A man who does good because of fear of going to Hell is both a coward and is of weak character. A person who does good because he knows it is the right thing to do. That is the man I want to be" or something like that. |
Well, he is not the first one.
*cough*
People are not only supposed to teach their fellow men to act good towards each other, but it is their duty, as enlightened beings, to spread the (religious) definition of "good". This should mean that those who are never exposed to this knowledge could not possibly know how to act, and therefore should not end up in hell under any circumstances, but for some reason religious people tend to call them evil. They say that their free will put them in that situation when, in fact, their will and opinion is entirely based on what they know and how they are tought (by sensory input, which they have no control over) to use that knowledge.
People always act because they want a reward. Otherwise, acting would be pointless. People also always try reach the greatest amount of rewards, and nothing can change that. They have a will, which is based on previous experiences that are set in stone, and their actions will always be dependant on their will.
The sole purpose of a heaven and hell is to control that will.
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It amazes me how primitive your view is of Christianity, you having been brought up in a Christian home.
First of all, Christianity doesn't say that the people who have never have heard the Gospel automatically go to hell.
Second, this myth about religion being designed as a tool for control is quite ridicilous and doesn't hold up to scrutiny, and is also historically and sociologically a weak theory. I have discovered that typically it's an argument used by ignorant, arrogant and unpleasant individuals.
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It'd be humorous if Christianity was created in order to control people. Worked out pretty bad for Jesus and everyone that followed him for about 300 years.
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Exactly. That's proof right there. This underground cult being able to not just survive, but able to spread all over the known world at the time despite persecution for such a long time. It's a miracle.
