This post has language in it because it’s Monday and I’m annoyed. (Side note: I am sorry that this blog is turning into my rant space, maybe, but…)
Is there no end to the back-peddling and shuffling around that some people will do to avoid OWNING what they believe? If you want to know what I’m talking about, start talking to conservative Christians about hell.
First, let’s talk about Christian views of hell. For simplicity, I’m squeezing them into two main categories.
1) Hell doesn’t exist – this is becoming more and more mainstream Christianity, and kudos – seriously – to them for that. Some Christians believe that everyone goes to heaven, and some believe that nonbelievers will simply die and not go anywhere. Death is the end for them, while believers go to heaven. Either way, they don’t believe in a literal hell, a place of eternal torture.
2) HELLLLLLL! – you betcha, our all-loving and all-merciful God will send your butt here to be tortured for eternity. But it’s your choice, you see! God doesn’t send you here! You choose to go! And it makes God so vewwy, vewwy sad to have to do that, don’t you know?
View #1? Fine. That doesn’t bother me.
View #2? You believe in and willingly worship an evil being. I’m sorry if you don’t like hearing that. But you do.
“Well, but I don’t know what God will choose to do.” Bullshit. Bull. Shit. I’m not asking what you know. I’m asking what you – pointing my finger at YOU – believe.
“God doesn’t send people to hell. They send themselves.” This is the triple crown of bullshit. I mean, how do you even assert this with a straight face? You think any sane person would choose to be burned alive for eternity because they don’t see enough evidence that your god exists? Like, “I’m looking at this evidence, and all the suffering in the world, and all the world’s religions, and I just don’t see enough to justify belief. So definitely put me down for the eternal barbecue!!!” Don’t even get me started on how you can choose something you don’t even believe is real. REALLY?!
The hesitance to own belief in hell, if nothing else, shows that these people know it’s horrible. They know it’s wrong. They know that the very concept of eternal torture is antithetical to any all-good and all-loving being. So they start the “I don’t know,” “you choose it yourself” shimmy-jiggle.
In a Facebook post today, in response to a jackass saying, essentially, that atheists shouldn’t be trusted to act morally because they don’t believe in hell, I referred to his deity as a “sadistic sky fairy.” And guess what people found offensive – this guy’s statements or my pretty silly irreverence? The timer is set at two seconds. Go!
Do you believe that there is a being that would send human beings to be burned alive for eternity? Yes or no. Not “that’s what the Bible says,” or “I don’t know, I’m not God,” or “They choose it themselves.” Set your namby-pamby bullshit aside for one minute and answer the question. Do you believe this?
If the answer is no, well, you’re either an atheist or a theist who doesn’t believe in hell. Congratulations!
If the answer is yes, here’s the follow-up question: Do you worship and praise this being?
If the answer is no, congratulations! You believe that this being exists, but you recognize its utter depravity and bravely choose not to worship it. I mean, seriously, you are brave. You are, then, actually choosing his damnation because you are a legitimately moral being. (To my knowledge, no one is in this category.)
If the answer is yes, you willingly worship and praise an evil being. I find that depressing and offensive. Have a nice day.
