Heaven and hell

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Michael

The overt lack of empathy inherent in the Christian concept of heaven and hell has to be one of the most devilish ideas ever devised.

Most Christians believe there is a place of eternal happiness, and they call it heaven. With all their hearts they believe that is where they will be for eternity once they die. But they also believe in a place of eternal damnation: hell. It may not be a stereotypical, Dante’s Inferno sort of place, but it will bring unending unhappiness. Many people have gone there and many more will, according to Christians.

Now let’s think about this. Christians believe they will go to a place of glory that will give them eternal happiness. Yet they also believe that many people, including those they know and love, will go to just the opposite place. Any decent person would have to admit that the idea of loved ones being eternally damned and eternally unhappy would have an effect on his or her own happiness, even in heaven. But not Christians. They’ve already stipulated – at the very core of their beliefs – that they will be eternally happy. This seems to me to be nothing short of monumental selfishness.

To be okay with such an idea seems nothing less than wicked to me.

Filed under: Religions | Tagged: , | 11 Comments »

Thought of the day

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Michael

Bigots will often argue that homosexuality is a choice. It isn’t, but let’s pretend it is. Then heterosexuality must also be a choice. So what convincing reason do we have to give marital protections to one choice over another? It surely has nothing to do with children. Gay people have kids, too. And besides, we know straight couples over, say, 80 cannot have children, yet no bigots are clamoring to deny them the right to marry. So what other distinctions do we have? Any? Any at all?

Bueller? Bueller?

Filed under: Misc | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »