Civil Discussion About Religion

[Beemnseven]

Originally Posted by 724Skinsfan

Straight up, Ghetto. Choosing to be a christian just to have an assurance that you'll enjoy a good afterlife is a hypocritical perspective. You should live your life as a christian would because that in itself is the right thing to do not because of some reward system.

A question I ask myself from time to time is "If I knew that there was no afterlife, would I continue being a decent person who tries to be selfless, generous and helpful?" I'm pleased to know that I would. The "good" is within me and is my choice to act on.

But that's how the believers have to sell it. If there was no "reward" in the afterlife, what could they possibly do to convince people to believe?

It's the very oldest trick in the book - selling fear. And what has been Mankind's biggest fear since we've had the capability to think?

That's right -- 'what happens when we die?'

Some very clever-minded, entreprenurial person came up with the grandest reward for following some simple rules (along with some money, of course ) -- and oh, by the way ... if you don't, you'll burn in hell!

I think it was Voltaire who said, "The first priest was the first rogue, who encountered the first fool."