This is a quote from iano in the thread The Barbarity of Christianity:
quote:
When Jesus-influenced Christians say "join or die" they are telling you, not what they will do if you don't but what God will do if you don't. Not that they mean God will kill you and not the Christians. Everyone will die. But by "dying" we mean that you will be separated from God forever. And its not that God does this to you but that you are already that way and chose to remain your whole life that way and if you die that way then you will enter eternity that way. You will simply continue in eternity as you wanted to in life "Thy will be done" says God in effect.
The Christian viewpoint is that all are born on a highway to hell. All. When we shout "repent" (turn away from your path) at you, they are shouting from a position of having been rescued by God from their sure destination and telling you that you, like them, can be rescued from that same sure destination too.
Their cry isn't one of force - it is one of desperation and anguish. They want you to "join" not for their sakes (primarily) but for YOUR sake.
I'd like to discuss this for a minute.
Why should any non-Christian give a damn about being separated from a god they do not acknowledge?
I've heard enough about the Christian viewpoint. I'm sick of being told that "we think we're all going to hell, so we want to save you too!" It's pure arrogance to assume that everyone WANTS to be close to your god in particular in the afterlife, if one indeed exists.
It's your opinion that everyone is going to hell. It's your belief that hell even exists. It's your faith that says being separated from your god is a bad thing. Why, if someone believes in a different god, should they care about that if their faith says something completely different? What gives you the right to foist your arrogant assumption on them about how bad eternity will be without a god they don't acknowledge?
Straight up, no screwing around for once - I don't want to be "saved", and I don't think I'm alone in that respect. As Crashfrog has said in the other thread - all we know about your god is what you tell us, or what's in your holy book. I've taken a long, hard look at it all - and I made my choice. I don't want anything to do with him in this or any other life.
I would think that a lot of people here feel the same way - we want our choices respected. So point and laugh at us if you must, chuckle or wince at how we're doomed to damnation - just stop talking to us about it.
{ok, rant mode off... I feel better now...}
The Rock Hound
™ Version 4.2