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From: gnome@oliven.UUCP (Gary)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: Re: Hell (Actually extortion)
Message-ID: <1134@oliven.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 11-Sep-86 21:51:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: oliven.1134
Posted: Thu Sep 11 21:51:50 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 15-Sep-86 05:24:26 EDT
References: <288@isieng.UUCP>
Organization: Olivetti ATC; Cupertino, Ca
Lines: 74
Keywords: Heaven, Hell, and Revelations
Summary: Why is there scary parts in the Bible?

-- Why?  To intimidate.  It's a form of extortion...

> God
> is definitely a powerful and just God, and I think it is important to recognize
> that fact.
       ^^^^
> The Bible is instruction for man. 
 -- So is the Book of Ubizmo.
> There are many things to learn that are difficult, painful, and often downright
> scary.  Being a Christian doesn't change that.  But being a Christian
> guarantees that we will not suffer eternally.
  ^^^^^^^^^^
Actually, the Bible _promises_ that.  There are no guarantees.
Of course I'm sure you could argue that, but it would mean using logic and
philosophical thinking and as we all know, both are tools of the Devil...
What is implies, however, is that if you aren't Christian, you may end
up burning in Hell forever (or is that "tied to a rock" forever?).

> The same book, Revelations, that scares the
> "7 year olds" also provides a beautiful description of what heaven ...
  -- More typed-in Bibletext --
> 
> I do not look forward to
> the prospect of dying, but I do look forward to death itself.  It will be a 
                             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> glorious release.  It will be the fulfillment of everything I have ever longed
> for.  The Scriptures says, 'In Thy presence is fullness of joy.  At Thy right
> hand there are pleasures evermore' (Ps. 16:11)."

Heaven/Hell definitions aside, the concept that there are a large group
of people that /look forward/ to death, Armageddon, etc is very important.
I would hate to think that it could become a self-fulfilling prophesy.
Imagine that point of view being taken by -

    - High ranking military leaders.
    - Industrialists (why not cut down the forests, or dump in the ocean?
                      After all, the whole thing will come to an end soon
                      and God will destroy the "bad guys" and we'll live
                      in Heaven (or heaven on earth) forever, Amen.)
    - People in charge of environmental controls.  See above.
    - People in charge of energy systems. (Nuclear waste, acid rain?
                      No problem!  We won't be around when it could get
                      to be a problem...)

Also, the idea of "joy", the fulfillment of "everything I have ever longed
for", only is true if your longings are for a beatifically-mindless
and lobotomized paradise.   Yes, the Bibble does describe someone's
idea of heaven (not mine).

Wait!  Don't say it!  I heard this from a bunch of BACs (Born-Again-Christians)
outside of a talk given by a local witch.  After unsuccessfully trying to
disrupt her talk, and causing the local police to waste tons of money,
a bunch of them were relaxing at an ice cream stand when I heard the following
sentiment -

	Fundie 1 - "Well, it doesn't matter.  She's already dead!"
            ...giggle... snicker...
	Fundie 2 & 3 - "I hear ya, brother.  Amen!"
            ...snicker...

-- I guess it makes their little minds feel more important...

So, with that in mind, it isn't worth everyone's time typing-in and
reading all of The Bible's Greatist Hits.   In the long run, it ends
up coming down to a conceited form of elitism - black&white logic for
binary minds...


Gary
"I see your lips quiver with antici...
...pation!"

HHHHHHHASA
  Max Headroom's favorite box!