Over the past eight years I have been told more times than I can count that I am going to hell At first, such proclamations bothered me. I thought, man if I am wrong I will fry in hell f-o-r-e-v-e-r. Since I spent fifty years hearing and preaching sermons about a vengeful God of wrath who sends unbelievers to hell — a place of never-ending pain, suffering, and torment — it should come as no surprise that eternal damnation was deeply imprinted on my mind. It took me several years to totally free myself from stray thoughts about being wrong and ending up in hell. I now view such thoughts as a hangover of sorts. Past Evangelical beliefs can be hard to shake, often hanging on for years after people deconvert. These thoughts are similar to vestigial organs that once served a purpose, but no longer do so. At one time, threats of judgment and hell reminded me of the great price Jesus paid for my salvation. They also reminded me of what happens to those who refuse to believe the gospel and be saved. Threatening people with eternal punishment is effective when attempting to increase church attendance. This is why Evangelical pastors encourage congregants to invite the unsaved to church. Once there, these sinners can hear what “God” thinks of them and their sin. Using a carrot-and-stick approach, pastors promise eternal life to those who will believe, and threaten eternal judgment for those who won’t. Needless to say, this kind of thinking can really fuck with mental wellness.
These days, threats of hell no longer elicit a what if I am wrong response from me. Of course, Evangelical zealots say that the reason for this is because God has given me over to a reprobate mind (Romans 1). I have crossed the line of no return, and my eternal destiny is sealed. I think this is one of the reasons many Evangelicals treat me so poorly. I am beyond help, so there is no need to treat me decently and with respect.
Recently, a person with the name I LOVE MY MESSIAH took it upon himself to let me know what he thought of me and where I should expect to spend eternity. Enjoy!
Text of Email
Name: I LOVE MY MESSIAH
Email: cheweychewey
Comment: Maybe that is why your health is failing sir. You say the Steven Anderson’s of the world are many. I don’t know him personally , but count me in. I was very happy to hear you say they are many. I was beginning to think “YOUR KIND” were many. Whether you believe or not does not make Jesus Our Creator not exist.
Makes no difference what religion or convenience you create to suit your hedonistic lifestyle. He will return and there will be judgement. Makes no difference at all that ignorance make him a fictional character. Well so long you had better hang outdoors allot and get used to the heat. It’s gonna get allot hotter for you folks!
GOOD LUCK !
Time: June 23, 2016 at 9:01 am
IP Address: 159.118.39.226
You are living this lifestyle in Ney? I drive thru there and have never seen any signs of such. You need to advertise.
You know, I see messages like this, and all I can think is…
If he does return, and there is judgement, it’s probably not going to go the way an awful lot of these people seem to think it’s going to go…
Well said Michael.
I agree. And I still count myself as a person of faith, but of what type is open for debate. I’d still rather “laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints; the sinners are much more fun, ’cause only the good die young.” (Billy Joel, “Only the Good Die Young”, 1977)
Such sweet Christian love; makes me want to go back
save me a seat by the bar!!!
I love how they always seem so happy that you (we) are going to burn in Hell/the Lake of Fire. “…You had better hang outdoors allot (sic) and get used to the heat.” The thought of a person being tormented forever should be a sad and sobering one. How could someone who believes in a hell compare 90° heat to a place for eternal fire? It’s because they don’t really believe in Hell. A real Hell is no joke, but the fuzzy idea of a hell can be. The Greeks didn’t think Hades was funny, why should modern Christians?
“GOOD LUCK” I’m not even sure what to do with that. I think the book of First Suppositions ends with that phrase. I could be wrong though.
Oh well, once again a loving Christian shows their true colors.
I find human reasoning so fascinating. So, the good Christian is so concerned and cares about the Atheist’s or Sinner’s eternal soul. But as soon as they do not exhibit the humble, simpering “poor me, take pity on me, Jesus, I am a desperate sinner” – it is “good riddance and good luck”. And “you deserve ill health and a wretched life!” Simply stated, “F U”! How very Christian of them !!!
So your health is failing because you’re a messed up sinner headed for the BBQ down below? Makes total sense. Because christians are all healthy…and their human bodies never die. 🙂
Violet I was always challenged when I read stories of Christian heroes of the faith who suffered through bad health. Just one example was Corrie Ten Boom who spent the last five years of her life bedridden unable to speak. She had many many Christians pray for her to be healed but she only got worse.
After she dies her personal assistant wrote a book about those five years where she in essence argued that ‘God’ used them as a form of ministry for all the folk who visited Corrie during that time.
When I was still preaching I used this story to provide comfort to folk suffering in an aged care home.
Its like the story of famed healer Smith Wrigglesworth who could not heal his own daughter or David Watson another with a healing ministry who died of cancer while reasonably young.
Perhaps the two worst stories I heard were one of a woman whose husband died young and a fellow church member said it was a punishment for sin, and another story of a lady who called the church elders to pray for her sick husband, when he died the elders accused her of having insufficient faith.
It is sad when the blinding of religion stops people having empathy with those who suffer.
That’s too bad,yet not surprising. American Christianity of most denominations are pretty mean spirited. This gleeful meanness is the major reason why people have dropped churches. Even keeping the faith, but not attending church anymore.
Religious bastards and slime balls.