Heaven and Hell is one of the first things that made me doubt Christianity (and other religions that have similar concepts, but Christianity in particular). It just seems so ludicrous and and so clearly stems from human emotions and ideas, it's a great tool for control. It's something an all-knowing, all-powerful benevolent God wouldn't even consider imo.

You have a simplified and flawed view of the Christian concept of heaven (I don't blame you though, as even the Church back in the day had become so corrupt regarding this concept that Luther had to come and reform it in the 16th Century, which eventually also affected the Catholic church for the better).

The key concept in Christianity is that a human can not be saved through his works, but only through God's grace.

The concept of salvation through God's grace allows humans to gain eternal, perfect life despite being piece of shit beings in this life on earth. You just have to become aware of that fact and ask God for mercy.

Now good works are still an ideal and they hopefully come naturally from the change in a person who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, but a born again Christian is still a sinner and dependent on God's grace.

Good works can lead to rewards in Heaven but not to salvation itself.

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 taught (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.

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.

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.

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.

Bolded: I didn't say that. I said that people who are not taught how to act good are considered evil, since evil = lack of good.

Italics: Feel free to call me ignorant, arrogant and unpleasant. At least I know that I don't hate anyone for who they are, and that I sympathize with everyone's actions (as in understand that there is a reason why they are made). Even if I strongly disagree with them.

That is only the belief of the protestants. Catholicism still holds onto the idea of good works, its just abandoned the idea that "anything you do for the Catholic Church is good," (whether it is in fact morally correct), and lost the idea of indulgences

You implied it by mentioning people's risk of ending up in hell and being described as evil. And even how you express it now, is flawed logic. Christianity doesn't condemn the ignorant, it condemns the truly wicked - namely people who despite knowing what is good choose the bad. And that can be a Christian person just as well as a non-Christian.

I don't call you ignorant but I admit that you genereally speaking come off a bit disrespectful in your argumentation and threads (it's not automatically bad though, some of us need to have that role). But most of all I wanted to make you and others (since this is a popular argument) aware of how cliché and unintellectual it is to use the "control tool" argument on religion, and I'd like to imagine you wouldn't want to make that impression around here.

It's not that simple.

One could say that the Catholics have a paradox on this concept - on one hand they acknowledge that salvation is ultimately all up to God's eternal grace, but at the same time they emphasize the "a true faith is not without good works" more than Protestants do (kinda like the paradox of the mystery of the Trinity - that some would describe as a logical inconsistency).

Also remember that Catholics have a very strong emphasis on the confession (which personally I think is a great thing, it's just that scripture doesn't dictate it has to be made in front of a priest), which makes your bad deeds abolished, you just have to confess and admit them regularly.

I see it more like Catholics believe you have to "take up your cross" daily instead of just relying on a one time moment á la Protestants and violá, you're saved for all eternity.