One thing that I'm always curioius about when it comes to my family and friends who are Christian, is whether or not they truly believe I am going to hell. I have people I love and respect in my life who are Christian, and we either avoid the topic of religion or just tread lightly on it. Part of me always wants to ask them if they really think I'm going to be punished for all eternity for not believing what they do and what that conversation would look like. I mean, to me this is one of the best examples of how ridiculous I think the Chrisitan belief system is. I'm just curious if anyone has has this kind of conversation with a friend or loved one who they have a mutually respectful relationship with.
Nope. They are pretty much all atheists.
The few theists I know probably think so, but no longer bother saying so as they know they cannot win the argument and can only resort toi their "faith" as a defence.
Yes. I get people that tell me all the time that they are praying for me. I’ve honestly run out of fucks to give enough to care anymore.
My sister has already said that heaven won't let me in & Satan will throw me a coal & tell me to go start a place of my own. I told her that was a relief because I could not think of a worse hell than spending eternity with a bunch of self-rightous, holier-than-thou, wanna be sanctimonious martyrs like her. We don't get along.
Yeah. I always say "I'll see you there." Making blatant accusations like that is not what their god would have done, thus violating the fundamental fabric of their belief structure, even if I don't believe in their heaven or hell.
I don't care what they think.
And they know it.?
Not in my face, but they do so behind my back. I have seen too many crooked ministers or pastors, who do not fear God. If they did, they would not do such shady things. Other members of my family don't see such obvious crimes among the clergy or leading members of the laity.
Back when I was a believer, I was an unhappy baptist looking for fullfilment and peace in my life. I thought trying another sect of christainity was the answer. I tried the catholic sect to find these things and for a brief moment I thought I had, until mother found out and implied I was going to hell if I became an catholic. Which just proved to me that there is no god and religion was bs. If my mother thought I was going to hell due an sect change, I should have have told I was gay at same time she found out I was going to the catholic church. I'm thinking about making a post on Facebook and telling the world I'm gay atheist. Hell be damned.
I don't really come from a devout family. We're a bunch of heathens and heretics
Yes, my sister and all her children honestly believe that I am going to burn for eternity. You can see the pain in their hearts when I refuse to join them at church. It’s hurts me to see them hurting and it angers me that they have been brainwashed.
My wife thinks that because I’m an Agnostic Atheist, that is why we have so many problems. This god person hasn’t answered any of our problems in the past! What’s even funnier is our kids (20, 18 and 17) knew before I told them. My daughter said she knew when we were going to church several years ago but my wife is just now finding out ?.
I've never given two shits what people think. I've been an atheist as far back as I can recall.
Most likely my evangelical, now ordained minister brother-in-law. My sister disallows us discussing religion when I stop by. She has tolled him to shut up I've heard it all before, even though she is mainly a believer. Just more quiet about it. A few years ago he did piss me off. He told, my now deceased sister, that her son, a lovely, gently, mentally troubled young man who chose to end his life far too early that he would go to hell. That absolutely devastated my sister. Unfortunately I was away and did not get to see her for about year after my nephew's death. I came prepared with biblical passages and Christian religious thoughts in doctrine that disavow such a thing as a sin. I don't know if I really got through or not.
Christains worldwide (i.e. outside 'Murica) have been playing down Hell for decades. The current go to is sorrow that non-believers will miss out on the joys of eternal life in heaven. So more condescension that hatefullnes, which i guess could be described as some form of progress ?
My family doesn't tell me I'm going to hell, but after a couple decades of atheism they still think I'll come to god in my own time. Apparently they think it's a really long phase. I was also asked by aunts if I think my mother is in heaven. I was honest and said I don't believe in heaven, so no. It did not go over well.
I believe that they think a nonbeliever is literally going to hell. Personally, I haven't "came out" to my family. I've gotten a few lectures about my spirituality. It must be horrible to believe that about people you love. However, I've always been of the mind of offered an eternity of blind celestial servitude and some torture that will end at some point, I'd choose the latter. Neither is a gift worth having but the former lasts eternal.
I've always wondered how people would feel if when we died we found out that in the afterlife we are held to the beliefs we professed to hold while alive, meaning only people who believe in hell could be sent there. Most people i know who claim to be Christians have some pretty loose morals and only become Christians when it's time to lecture somebody. When they'd tell me I was going to hell, I'd respond "Save me a seat if you end up there first." In my case, I'd just be recycled into a new vessel for the universe to experience itself through once again.
When my husband passed, my stepmother asked if he had found God. I love her, she looked so worried. I had to say yes. However...if it is an acquaintance asking...., I really don't give a crap. I tell them so.
LOL, yes, my Mom worries about me! Especially since I'm a lesbian too!
Yea, my mother always tells me that she prays additionally for me. But she is not alone I have other friends and families to feel the same way. I try to be polite the people like my mom or people that are older than me however people that have the same age or younger attend to poke fun at them.