First I laugh, then I tell them we have god within us. We judge ourselves, and I choose not to go to hell. Yeah, Jesus said we would do greater things than him. He also said to look for the kingdom within. You can't really reason with these people though best to say " interesting point of view" and walk away.

First convince me of the following:

1. It's existence outside of greek mythology or others and it becoming part of the Christian religion by proxy

2. That I can escape it. I have fallen away from the faith and per scripture I've pretty much committed the unpardonable sin. That's why it took a lot to get me away from the faith.

i don't believe in such a place..

hhhhhh you have to see the real threat in the Arabian world

Roll my eyes, shake my head, and walk away mumbling "stupid talking monkeys."

I don’t care enough to respond to them

????????????. I laugh it off.

My standard response has been to tell them they're going to suffer in Tarturus for forsaking Zues and the Olympians.

Interestingly enough, this is what broke me from organized religion.

I was in the desert in Qatar with a couple of Islamic believers. At the time I considered myself a skeptical Southern Baptist (born and raised, don't you know?) and we got into a discussion about religion.

We agreed that both Islam and Christianity had grown from the same (Abrahamic) roots and discussed the fact that in Islam, Jesus is a prophet, etc...

I asked the question "So, as a believer in Islam, what do you think is going to happen to me, a Christian, when I die?"

One of the guys responded with "oh, you know, it's all ok, same religion .. <stuff>"

His friend butted in and said "no, that's not right. You are going to hell".

At that moment, I came to the full realization that I was dead to religion and religion was dead to me.

My response: "Oh, that's too bad"

We drank more tea, enjoyed the night and headed back to Doha just after sunrise.

Hmmm. That's interesting.

It's fine.

Hmmm. Interesting.

Either laugh or shrug.

I tell them it is their religion, their god, their hell, it exists only in their mind and it has nothing to do with me and affects me in no way.

They don't get it. Nothing you say hits them in the brain, the wilder the religious story is the better. It's insane.

Yes what I shared with my son from early on is teaching him that "santa clause" doesn't exist

I tell them to kiss my Agnostic ass...and if there was a hell my fare is all paid for!

I say that if god is all knowing, unlike mankind, god will know the goodness in my heart, that I strive to improve world in my own small way, so I don’t fear god.

Hell might be a good place for some R and R after this life!

I tell them if they don't leave me alone I'll rip their face off, laugh and walk off, this is Waco, this is Texas, if they want to go pray for me, let them.

Disbelief, and an uncontrollable smile

It’s actually difficult to recall when I’ve been ‘threaten’ like that … and it generally came from the craziest of the crazies. One religious nut wearing a sign-board and using a ‘bull horn’ in downtown Portland (Ore) as my young daughters and I waited for a light rail train didn’t like my questioning his rant... It was a good experience for them to witness the base hatred in such people.

The other was after my mother and I stopped to take on the religious crazies picketing an woman’s health clinic, also in Portland. We’d worked them down a side street… and when they finally realized what we’d done, really got pissed! Kept em out of the public’s eye for maybe a half hour We’ve some serious ‘hell time’ if they’ve any pull! But Mom’s always said, ‘she wants to end up wherever Pat Boone isn’t!’

When someone informs me that according to their beliefs I am sinful/immoral/going to burn in hell?

I let them know that as a Taoist, my belief is that they are perfectly doing what they should, and that I believe they should go on believing that if they want to.

I am not that devout a Taoist, but it does take the wind out of a crusading monotheists sails.

Laughter!

Varn: Thanks for the AC/DC!

Hell is quite a nice little town in Norway, and I'm very fond of Jahannam on toast.