The one lie that’s brought more misery to the human race than any other is that the good and faithful go to Heaven and everyone else goes to Hell. Some form of it exists in most religions. Even those which adhere to enlightenment and reincarnation you may come back as a leech or stink bug if you misbehave in this life.
A lie created to force the masses to behave and obey without questioning religious authority became the justification for more crimes than can shake a stick at, such as systematic torture, rape, thievery, murder and genocide. Geniuses like St Thomas Acquinas helped develop the idea of predestination, some souls are destined for Heaven, some for Hell, and so excusing Christian empires which get heavy-handed in conquest and that those with the dark skin are destined for damnation anyway so it’s okay to ignore the 7th commandment - slaves, sugar cane, gold, come on!
Wars have been fought over how we are baptized thus killing to keep us from eternal blazes. The proper way to worship has fractured families and broken communities all in the name of being right. The lie has taken on terrible proportions in mindless religious atrocities which continues the very day.
You would think the religious would be nicer to atheists and feel sorry that we’re heading for Hades in a hand bag – so to speak- to suffer for eternity. But atheists are reviled among fundamentalists, frothing at the mouth for our demise, worse than the dreaded homosexual or Muslim. The lie is the reigning champ of hatred and ignorance.
When I lived briefly in Joplin, Missouri there was a particular corner on the main north-south artery through town where stopping at the light, a man in black suit would scream in your window, “You’re goin’ t’ Hell!”
After recovering from the sudden shock of explosive and unexpected rebuke in my car window, I carefully reflected and chose my response. “I’ll see you there!”
A lie created to force the masses to behave and obey without questioning religious authority became the justification for more crimes than can shake a stick at, such as systematic torture, rape, thievery, murder and genocide. Geniuses like St Thomas Acquinas helped develop the idea of predestination, some souls are destined for Heaven, some for Hell, and so excusing Christian empires which get heavy-handed in conquest and that those with the dark skin are destined for damnation anyway so it’s okay to ignore the 7th commandment - slaves, sugar cane, gold, come on!
Wars have been fought over how we are baptized thus killing to keep us from eternal blazes. The proper way to worship has fractured families and broken communities all in the name of being right. The lie has taken on terrible proportions in mindless religious atrocities which continues the very day.
You would think the religious would be nicer to atheists and feel sorry that we’re heading for Hades in a hand bag – so to speak- to suffer for eternity. But atheists are reviled among fundamentalists, frothing at the mouth for our demise, worse than the dreaded homosexual or Muslim. The lie is the reigning champ of hatred and ignorance.
When I lived briefly in Joplin, Missouri there was a particular corner on the main north-south artery through town where stopping at the light, a man in black suit would scream in your window, “You’re goin’ t’ Hell!”
After recovering from the sudden shock of explosive and unexpected rebuke in my car window, I carefully reflected and chose my response. “I’ll see you there!”