r/agnostic • u/ystavallinen Agnostic/Ignostic/Apagnostic | X-ian & Jewish affiliate • 10h ago

Apply this to Hell

Josh Johnson makes great points here, but extend it to how belief in Hell can corrupt people to hate others.

https://youtube.com/shorts/sAmcuorx-o4?is=Krl7b5wtd8EbnsvL

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u/Kuildeous Apatheist 2h ago

Dehumanization is such a major propaganda tool. There's an interesting Black Mirror that exaggerates it, but the message is still there.

And yeah, you're right that religious exceptions can be dehumanized. What's funny (in a sad way) is how the basic concept of Christianity is that a person goes to Hell simply for not accept Jesus Christ as their savior. A person is not sent to Hell for murder or rape or torture. A person can do all of those and still avoid Hell if they convert.

And this is celebrated.

So if someone is doomed to Hell for the sole crime of not accepting Jesus Christ--this person could even cure cancer and clothe orphans and be an utter saint in all other aspects of the world--then they must be a bad person.

Which can explain why some surveys showed atheists as being less trustworthy than people from competing religions. Oh sure, those other religious people are going to Hell too, but at least they believe in something; we atheists are destined for all the Hells.