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Less fear of hell?

Slowly coming out of Christianity had got me wondering if my lifelong fear of hell would continue into atheism. But strangely, fear of hell has completely vanished! How about you all?

PeterLash 5 Jan 12
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62 comments

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1

Nobody really believes in a burning Hell....even the Christians who pay lip service. But if there would be a hell then at least you would be alive. After a day or so you would get used to the heat and enjoy life....it seems a better option than being dead.

You are wrong. All fundamentalistic , including most evangelical Christians live with fear of hell

@wordywalt i never did fear it as a 4 square evangelical, because I was saved by the blood of Jesus, and no matter what I did I would be forgiven.

And no, it wasn't fear of hell that brought me into the fold in the first place, but the "love" of god (i.e. the sheer affection I received from those trying to convert me) that attracted me to it.

We can disagree...but secretly they don't believe from my experience with Christianity. @wordywalt

5

From the looks of this illustration I should fear Sauron!

5

Welcome to the asylum. Enjoy your stay.

I don't fear much of anything. Especially that which does not exist.
Hell does not exist. Neither does heaven, or any god.

No need to fear any of those things.
😀

Remember KK that heaven had a great wall around it. Was that to keep enemies out or to keep us in? It might have made sense to someone 2000 years ago.

@DenoPenno LOL doesn't really matter now, does it? It's never been true.
As far as what gullible folks believed 2000 years ago, doesn't matter now either.
I'm certain if I had lived then, I've have been murdered as a heretic.
Or a witch.
LOL

@KKGator Me too.

4

I have been in hell since November 9, 2016. Every AM I wake up and that orange dummy is still there.

4

Well, becuz there ain't one......

I know I don't tell you this often enough, but I think you're just so damned awesome!!!

😀

@KKGator right back atcha, girl!

3

I gave up the fear of Hell at the age of 15, when I became a pagan. As an atheist, I have no fear of Hell. Hell is a religious thing created to control christians.

Created to control many religious types

3

Never knew the entrance to hell would look like a giant sphincter . . . .

Thats for the homophobic ones. 😉

A hairy one at that!

3

At age 13, I told my parents I'm an atheist. I realized the Bible was just stories and fables written by men.

As a young child, I was skeptical. It was obvious the Bible was made up like Grimm's Fairy Tales.

Never believed in heaven, hell nor invisible gods.

3

Why not believe in Valhalla? The imaginary god of the desert created hell. The Æsir created Valhalla. Women on horses come and take you there, for endless feasting and fighting. A much better story than the heaven/hell one. Or, give it up and deal with life as it is.

3

I didn't live with a fear of hell, but of Armageddon. It was used as a devise to control, which I realize now. Having lost family members to unjust incarceration, fatal gun shots and cancer, I know that there are more tangible things to be warily of.

2

I never really had a fear of hell, but I can see that would be a great relief.

2

I fear dying not death. I want to go quick, I have seen enough pain and do not want to cause any for anyone. Besides I finally figured out that we actually go on until the Universe dies. We are nothing but the matter and energy that we are using for life. Upon death these separate into matter which stays on or in earth depending on the ceremony. The energy goes into the Universe and who knows what happens to that. Matter is energy and energy is matter. There is no god, no hell, no heaven, just concepts to get money and power from individuals. Of course I could be wrong, but this is a journey and I am up for it. Upon death I will not longer be conscious and therefore it will not matter what happens. Looking forward to the vacation.

2

There's enough real things to be afraid of ...

2

If you don't believe in God than hell will become obsolete.

2

The Christian view was to instill fear, could actually be where the best parties are

bobwjr Level 10 Jan 12, 2020
2

Yes, one of the strangest side effects of becoming an atheist was how much less frightening some horror movies and stories became.
Ghosts and demon stories now are still enjoyable, but the deep underlaying terror that comes from irrational belief is no longer there.

Horror and occult movies: I don’t find them enjoyable at all. I find them stupid and irritating.

@FlyingGodess Each to their own

2

I'm more scared of sharks tbh

2

I never really had it. Never really believed.

I also think that most people don't really believe in it despite what they say, and I feel sorry for those who truly do believe. What a sad way to live.

2

When I shed my beliefs I felt a great sense of relief in knowing that there is no Hell.

One of the main problems I had with my religion was this belief that a loving god would create such a horrible place where it not only sent bad people, but also good people who didn't believe in it or the right things about it.

2

I was never concerned about hell. I was saved from it by the person who created it to put me there...

2

I stopped believing in hell long before I stopped believing in a God notion.

The concept of Hell turns God into an extortionist.

For God, being all knowing, timeless and ever present, created man with full knowledge he would fall (or your definition fails and God is not all knowing, ever present and timeless).

Hell is thus like a shotgun held to everyone's head. God then says "IF you love me and Obey me, you won't get shot. It is your choice"

BUT

The Same God, created Hell for this fallen man as a predetermined fate.

Like a shotgun Strapped into everyones mouth and rigged to go off UNLESS you love God
and obey God.
And such a God model already knew whose brains would be cherry pie on the wall and whose would not, since before TIME BEGAN.

That makes your idea of salvation actually a violent extortion, if fact THE MOST violent extortion possible as it is eternal.

That would make your proposed God an Evil SOB.

2

Well... if there was a hell (there isn't), I know I would be in good company with all of you. 🙂

1

Sam and Dean seem pretty alright after their stay there. Nothing to fear!

1

Why fear something that doesn't exist? Not sure what the issue is.

1

Well I never had that lingering fear of hell because I was raised that only really bad people go to hell, like really bad bad people like murders and acts rapists and so forth.

1

To me hell doesn’t exist

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