Keep your religious threats away from me!

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I don’t discuss religion on here. This may be the first post that has any religion based content at all.
I think it’s a personal thing, I try not to pass judgment and I dislike being judged on religious issues.

However, last night I was really angered and bothered by something, and it’s my journal and I’m gonna vent.

I was driving, with the radio on, at about 7:30pm. I had the “scan” feature going, and it was flipping stations. It stopped for a few seconds on what was, apparently, a religious broadcast. There was a man doing a sermon, or just preaching or talking into his microphone to his listeners, and what came through my car speakers was this: “I promise you – I know this for a fact – if you do not make right with Jesus Christ, and let Christ into your heart, you WILL spend eternity in hell.”

Okay.

Now, listen. I know a lot of people believe this. Fine. People can believe that, they can believe the opposite of that, they can believe that eating lawn trimmings and root-beer floats will deliver them to valhalla for all I care.

But what if my kids had been in the car?

My daughter is 10, and right now is going through a difficult “I don’t want to die, Dad. I don’t want you guys to die” phase. The question “What comes next?” is big Big BIG in our lives right now, and we’re working to help her understand that it’s a mystery and lots of people have a LOT of different beliefs and faiths. But for her to hear some big scary authoritarian voice on the radio say “I know for a FACT that if you don’t follow Jesus Christ you will spend eternity in hell” would’ve been a VERY difficult thing for her. You know this for a FACT, do you sir?

Really?

A FACT?!

I’m very glad she wasn’t there to hear it. Yes, if she had been I would’ve used it as a springboard for a discussion – something like “Well, he’s using ‘fact’ incorrectly – in truth, no one knows exactly what happens, but some people have such faith and believe so strongly that it feels like fact…” blahblahblah, but it still ticks me off. And I don’t mean to offend anyone who has strong beliefs either way, but while I DO believe that religion is a faith-based entity NOT based on hard fact, I DON’T go around making threatening statements about that. And I don’t claim that things I WANT to be true are actual FACT unless they’ve been PROVEN TO BE FACTUALLY TRUE.

After having my 10-year-old cry in my arms because she’s wrestling with “What happens to Mom and Dad when they die? What happens to ME when they die? What happens to me when I die?”, the idea that some jerk could’ve scared the wits out of her even MORE by presenting his faith as a threatening fact really, really pisses me off.

/end rant

8 thoughts on “Keep your religious threats away from me!”

  1. Yesterday, I was in the grocery and a woman, shorter and older than I, asked if I could reach a can of soup on a higher shelf. I did, and she immediately exploded into ‘God is gonna bless you, I hope you get everything you want, you look really good!’ And I thought, ‘I’ve been relegated to hell any number of times for all sort of reasons, but getting a can of soup down for a stranger gets me blessed’ It was interesting and heart-warming.
    Some people are idiots, but, in spite of everything, I still believe people are good at heart…

    • You’re right, and I agree completely – I do believe that people are good at heart. But sometimes the idiots get to me! I probably shouldn’t let them! 🙂
      Thanks for the reminder!

  2. ahhh…the joys of negative reinforcement:
    do this, or else!
    don’t do this and horrible things await!
    it this exact thing that drove me away from catholicism…
    religious figures need to learn that leading by example, not by threats, will garner a more faithful and prosperous flock. i can’t imagine deserving to go to heaven, valhalla, elysium, or wherever solely because you lived your life in fear of going to hell…i never understood that concept…
    if you want to be with God (or whatever afterlife being you subscribe to, if any) then emulate his beneficence…don’t base your beliefs or what you want others to believe solely on threats.
    Funny, i don’t remember hearing any stories about Jesus threatening anyone while on the cross…
    religion is a good thing…but like everything else, it’s easily warped and most often with the best intentions…
    very saddening…

  4. I like my version.
    I promise you – I know this for a fact – if you do not make right with Jesus Christ, and let Christ into your heart, you will STILL die, and not be able to return to prove any of the stuff I am saying is true.
    Technically, according to the book he prescribes to he is going to Hell, just for passing judgement on the rest of us, isn’t he?

    • Technically, according to the book he prescribes to he is going to Hell, just for passing judgement on the rest of us, isn’t he?
      Hmmmm… maybe? Got me… but I think your reasoning is sound, anonymous commenter!! 🙂

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