Cello Man
Graduate Poster
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2006
- Messages
- 1,035
I haven't posted in R&P in a while, just thought I should stir the pot a little.
The concept of eternal torment makes no sense, since there is nothing to be gained from it unless you're a dyed in the wool torturer.
Let's take a look at the reasons for punishments and rewards as it applies to parenting.
Sane parents treat their kids and let them do fun things. But kids don't always act on their best behavior. If your children do something bad, they are usually punished in some form. Depending on the offense, you might give them a stern talking to, take away a favorite toy for a while, or swat them on the behind.
Whatever form the punishment takes, the whole point is to make your child aware that what they did was bad. That way they can mature and make a better decision later in life. It sucks having to be "that guy" for a short time, but the kid's got to learn somehow. And since you love them, you want them to have good moral judgment when they grow up.
So, the punishment is temporary, but it serves a purpose.
Now, according to the Big 3 monotheistic religions, the equation for punishment and reward changes on the divine scale. Suddenly eternal punishment is on the table. The Big 3 say we're all God's children and he loves us. But supposedly an infinite being has his limits(!)
To the parents out there: Can you imagine your child doing something so horrible that you not only feel the need to punish them, but condemn them to an eternity of suffering? Of course not.
The reason is: If punishment is eternal, then it cannot serve a purpose.
Those who are punished eternally cannot change for the better, even if a lesson is learned. Since they're trapped in Hell, they can't make good based on what they've learned from their punishment.
To me, the very concept of Hell just illustrates how sadistic and evil the men were who first imagined it. It's one thing to hate your fellow man and want to see him suffer, but believing that he deserves eternal Hell is infinitely disproportionate punishment. Even holding open the possibility that your own child could ever deserve Hell raises fears in my mind regarding how this belief gets projected onto the real life parent/child relationship.
Now some people I've talked to in real life take what I call the moderate "hands off" view of Hell:
So, the conclusion. The mere belief in Hell makes you a more evil person. I say this because even if you don't actually hate someone, subconsciously this belief requires a sociopathic indifference towards the suffering of others, while you believe you'll enjoy all the pleasures of Heaven with nothing but the clearest conscience.
The concept of eternal torment makes no sense, since there is nothing to be gained from it unless you're a dyed in the wool torturer.
Let's take a look at the reasons for punishments and rewards as it applies to parenting.
Sane parents treat their kids and let them do fun things. But kids don't always act on their best behavior. If your children do something bad, they are usually punished in some form. Depending on the offense, you might give them a stern talking to, take away a favorite toy for a while, or swat them on the behind.
Whatever form the punishment takes, the whole point is to make your child aware that what they did was bad. That way they can mature and make a better decision later in life. It sucks having to be "that guy" for a short time, but the kid's got to learn somehow. And since you love them, you want them to have good moral judgment when they grow up.
So, the punishment is temporary, but it serves a purpose.
Now, according to the Big 3 monotheistic religions, the equation for punishment and reward changes on the divine scale. Suddenly eternal punishment is on the table. The Big 3 say we're all God's children and he loves us. But supposedly an infinite being has his limits(!)
To the parents out there: Can you imagine your child doing something so horrible that you not only feel the need to punish them, but condemn them to an eternity of suffering? Of course not.
The reason is: If punishment is eternal, then it cannot serve a purpose.
Those who are punished eternally cannot change for the better, even if a lesson is learned. Since they're trapped in Hell, they can't make good based on what they've learned from their punishment.
To me, the very concept of Hell just illustrates how sadistic and evil the men were who first imagined it. It's one thing to hate your fellow man and want to see him suffer, but believing that he deserves eternal Hell is infinitely disproportionate punishment. Even holding open the possibility that your own child could ever deserve Hell raises fears in my mind regarding how this belief gets projected onto the real life parent/child relationship.
Now some people I've talked to in real life take what I call the moderate "hands off" view of Hell:
This view still posits the existence of the infinitely cruel and fickle punisher God, which they show deference to for fear of their own soul. While the religious moderate indeed may not actively hate me, they still believe on some fundamental level that I honestly deserve to go to Hell for the mere act of doubting God's existence. This must require a certain compartmentalization of hatred and paranoia of outsiders that I simply do not possess.
So, the conclusion. The mere belief in Hell makes you a more evil person. I say this because even if you don't actually hate someone, subconsciously this belief requires a sociopathic indifference towards the suffering of others, while you believe you'll enjoy all the pleasures of Heaven with nothing but the clearest conscience.
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