You don't believe that God exists. Now stop worrying about what others believe and enjoy your life.

@ pearljammer.
The original reason why they came up with the idea of Hell and an eternity of fire and brimstone and torture if you even stray slightly from Christianity, is to keep the people they have indoctrinated coughing up the cash.

I know nobody will ever admit that they, god forbid, go to a church that could be so sneaky. And they might very well be correct in their assumptions.

Christianity is as far removed from rainbows and lollipops as you can get, and those involved have permanent rose colored glasses on.

@ some guy earlier, people who don't beleive in god are not unhappy with their lives, they just don't have imaginary friends.

God is like Santa Claus on crack. Some kids stop believing in Santa when they are 5, others when they are 12. Just like some people stop believing in god when they are in their teens/early 20's/middle aged/elderly and others, take these notions of a better life after this one they wasted, to their deathbed.

I don't know about you, but i would rather not feel like I have someone breathing down my neck 24/7, promising to torture me for eternity of I do something that he stipulated against 2000 or more years ago. That is just stupid.

Well a few countries in Europe still levy a tax on anybody who claims to be a member of certain religions, read this Wiki article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_tax

Which is something the government is doing.

Not the actual religion.

It's a good reason for religion to not be socialized.

That's my problem with the christian god. A god that would put people in infinite hell is no god of mine. If I met god and they verified the plan where we all go to either hell/heaven for all eternity, I'd rather go to hell and be buddies with satan than worship a god who would create hell in the first place. Also, George Carlin will be there and I want to hear his jokes about burning forever.

But of course I don't think a good god would do that, I think heaven may exist in the concept of the highest spiritual plane, but I do not think hell is the only other alternative. I also don't think anyone on this earth deserves infinite hell, not even Hitler. Hitler only deserves to receive the same amount of suffering he inflicted upon the world, nothing more, nothing less.

I think if there is an afterlife, a divine and intelligent creator would make the afterlife some kind of personal journey for each person, you know, as you sow, so shall you reap...

How is it fair that believing a ressurection in a book that undecernable from fiction, having faith, are god's requirement for getting into his special afterlife called heaven? That's not fair, it doesn't make sense. Even when I was a christian I though belief was bullshit, I thought atheists who were good people received equal rewards and punishment for the rights and wrongs commited in this life. I didn't think god was a cunt, I thought the bible was highly altered and had many evil mens wills pushed upon it. I still think the bible is highly altered but the difference now is I don't think it's from a divine source.

The bible makes no sense...

How does Jesus dying on the cross make up for a believers sin? I do not consider that balance. I consider it injustice. Even if I accepted Jesus, how would it be fair for me not to receive the exact same amount of suffering or harm I inflicted upon the world? I think if there is an fair and just afterlife from a good god, everyone pays for all harm they inflicted, and gets rewarded for all good deeds.

The problem is I don't know if the afterlife is fair or if god is good. God could be a cunt like the bible shows, but what's the use of believing in that? I'm an optimist not a pessimist, and the message from the christian bible isn't exactly optimistic, fair, or logical.

Burning infinite hell for finite suffering caused? How's that fair?

Blissful infinite Jubilation in heaven for people who simply repent and put faith in a book, or put faith in the concept of a man who rose from the dead? How's that fair?

I think being a good hearted, happy, and logical person is what matters most in life most. IF there is an afterlife, it's based on those factors, not faith or your religious denomination, because faith and religion are culturally instilled nonsense. If there is a god they understand people with religion views, and maybe said god tries to reach people through their religion? I don't know. Some religious people seem connected to a divine source, some seem bat shit crazy.

I don't see anything wrong with the ad campaign (I thought this was a really old thread, and didn't realize it had come to Canada until I finally clicked on it).

It uses the word "probably," it doesn't attack religion, and it tells people to stop worrying and enjoy life, which is a positive message. It's much better than a bus ad that says "There is probably a god, so start worrying and stop enjoying your life."

Also, I just don't care what's on a bus. I haven't had an atheist knock on my door to tell me there isn't a G-d. As long as they're not knocking on my door, asking for my money, or telling me I'm going to be punished for eternity, I don't care what people put on a bus.

I'm shocked that Europe does this. No wonder Christianity is dying so quickly there. We've never done this in America, to my knowledge. And I agree with you, Kasz...This is a bad thing for religion, and the people involved.

But it does come down to the fact that the church isn't the one forcing this, only the government that's trying to destory the churches.

Teehee. The government would stop the taxation if the churches asked for it, the churches haven't as its an easy source of income. I love the conspiracy that its the government trying to destroy the churches through giving them money though, fantastic.

Well, I really don't see the point of this ad. If you don't believe in god, then wth do you need to advertise that belief to others? Just live your life and do the best you can. On the otherhand, if you do believe in god, then you'll probably be obligated to tell others about it (at least in most of the large religions).

Still, freedom of speech allows for both of these as long as they aren't overly offensive or intrusive.

And I agree that the churches can, and should, demand the government stop taxing people claiming a specific faith. It saddens me that European 'Christians' (I wonder if I can call them that, even) would allow such a thing to happen.

I'm not saying it's a government conspiracy to secretly destroy the churches. But that still doesn't change the fact that the European church is so far removed from a right relationship with God, and so given into greed, that it is a self-destructive cycle...No wonder Europe is far more atheist - their churches push them to that, by forcing people to give not of a cheerful heart (as the Bible says), but a demand from government, backed by the church.