Originally Posted by rimfire
My main beef with believers is they keep saying "your going to hell" if you don't conform to my belief system. (not all do this by any means)


I used to work with a sweet old Catholic lady who thought I was going to hell because I was a protestant.....ie not a member of the "one true church". I was touched by her compassion for me but not in the least worried about going to hell because I am strong in what I believe which is the Gospel as Christ and the apostles preached.

Seems to me a bonafide atheist should be the same way......so strong in his belief that hell does not exist that it would merely amuse him that someone would say he was going there. Otherwise some doubts perhaps need to be dealt with, which is something both sides of the fence have to do.

Although some sects of Christianity have managed to slice and dice the Bible to the point that they believe in such things as "soul destruction" ie the souls of unbelievers merely cease to exists or are destroyed rather than suffer eternally, or "universal salvation", most believe in the concept that hell is forever. So, when Christians, especially immature ones get bashed by atheists, the fall back position when they lose their temper is to remind them that they are going to hell.

Personally I don't like to do that. I figure they already know, and the gospel is not "you're going to hell", the Gospel is you don't have to.

"Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants". --- William Penn