Do It or Else!

I know of a gentleman who claims that he doesn't believe in eternal punishments because he doesn't believe in hell as an eternal place of torture. However, if someone isn't obedient to God's Law, he says that they will just die and won't get to enjoy heaven. I guess it's some sort of partial annhiliationism, but he claims that it isn't a punishment.

When I grew up, and even as an adult, there have been plenty of times I have been threatened with the punishment of having something withheld from me. It is always given as some sort of incentive to perform the way someone else wants me to. The Christian twist on this is that ONLY those who are REALLY Christians will do the right things. ONLY THEY will treat others with the right attitude and respect, as evidence of their love for God. So, if you want to be a REAL® Christian, you should/need/have to do the right things! Which is always what I...err, I mean, Jesus says you should do.

The issue I have is that his message is no different from any other religious message. Messages that say that you have to do this in order to gain this reward. The implications of which, whether stated at any other time or not, are that not doing this results in a punishment (i.e. sin/disobedience brings punishment/absence of reward). The punishment could be as simple as no longer existing to as difficult a concept as eternal torture. The message is still the same, it remains a threat to coerce obedience "in the name of love".

Previous Comments:

Gosh Harry
Alwas easy to find differing opions on anything.
One guy thinks this the other thinks something else. To tiring for this resting person to care about--really.
Luv Yuh

Posted by: pharga at August 23, 2003 05:04 PM

Not sure what you are meaning, pharga, other than resting.

Posted by: HarryTick at August 24, 2003 01:00 AM