# Is fear of hell a legitimate reason to believe in God? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 23, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470 "2008-03-23T22:07:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/1 "2008-03-23T22:07:25Z")
Furthermore, will said fear alone get one into heaven? Can God be fooled into thinking one loves him? (Assuming said person has fooled him/herself) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/2 "2008-03-23T22:30:16Z")
[QUOTE=SHAKES] Can God be fooled into thinking one loves him? [/QUOTE] Sure. God’s a rube. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2008, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/3 "2008-03-23T22:39:44Z")
[QUOTE=SHAKES] Furthermore, will said fear alone get one into heaven? Can God be fooled into thinking one loves him? (Assuming said person has fooled him/herself) [/QUOTE] No, it’s only the fool who believes in a burning hell, where a [presumably] loving God tortures the wicked _for eternity_ for a few decades of evil. _That_ hell, is a fabrication and product of literature, superstition and error. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2008, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/4 "2008-03-23T22:41:57Z")
Are you asking if someone who didn’t believe in God, but did believe in hell, should pretend to believe in God to avoid hell? Because there’s a lot in that question that confuses me. The Catholic Act of Contrition has fear of hell right in the text: O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen. If you believe in hell you’re allowed, even expected to fear it. The question is, how many people fear hell without believing in God? I’ll bet the reverse is a lot more common. ---
**Author:** ![vison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e47774/32.png) [@vison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vison)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/5 "2008-03-23T22:54:10Z")
\*I swear there ain’t no heaven and I pray there ain’t no hell . . \* . I don’t know who wrote the song, but I recall Blood, Sweat, and Tears’ recording of it. So there may be such persons, yes. What a pickle to be in, eh? ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2008, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/6 "2008-03-23T23:36:20Z")
[QUOTE=SHAKES] Furthermore, will said fear alone get one into heaven? [/QUOTE] According to the catholic churh, yes it does. If you’re motivated by fear of hell, rather than be sincere repentance, you won’t be sent to the fiery pits. However, the church makes a distinction between the two situations, but I can’t remember at all what this distinction implies (if anything). ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2008, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/7 "2008-03-23T23:44:57Z")
Can’t speak for anyone else, but I would have said that fear of hell only has any hold if you _already_ believe that it’s possible. And by possible, I mean possible with the lack of belief or incompatible belief; the notion of fear of hell in causing belief in a hell-creating God I would imagine is pretty much unmoving to me or **the raindog** , to give two examples. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/8 "2008-03-23T23:45:39Z")
[QUOTE=vison] \*I swear there ain’t no heaven and I pray there ain’t no hell . . \* . I don’t know who wrote the song, but I recall Blood, Sweat, and Tears’ recording of it. [/QUOTE] [Laura Nyro.](http://www.elyrics.net/read/l/laura-nyro-lyrics/and-when-i-die-lyrics.html) ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/9 "2008-03-24T01:23:10Z")
As far as hell goes, I long ago made the determination that if I wind up there, I shall be well pleased, for it means that there is someone judging us by the content of our character, and that there is a heaven some may wind up in. If I do not wind up in it, I will be saddened, but as reasonably content as it is possible one in eternal torture may be. Better than nothingness, after all. That I will not be one rewarded, well… hey, someone else made the rules. I just guessed at them. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/10 "2008-03-24T02:05:12Z")
[QUOTE=E-Sabbath] If I do not wind up in it, I will be saddened, but as reasonably content as it is possible one in eternal torture may be. Better than nothingness, after all. [/QUOTE] Are you serious ? You’d rather burn forever than just cease to exist ? And if you do feel that way, how long do you think you’d have that opinion after you started your eternal burning ? ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/11 "2008-03-24T03:45:09Z")
[QUOTE=SHAKES] Is fear of hell a legitimate reason to believe in God? [/QUOTE] [Pascal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal's_Wager) thought so. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/12 "2008-03-24T03:48:04Z")
Oh, about ten seconds, I suppose. I’m pretty fire-retardant. But it’s not about me being in hell that will make me happy. It’s the fact that there _is_ a Heaven for people who deserve it. Say, Fred Rogers. Edit: Yes, I suppose the presence of a Hell does not mandate there is a Heaven, but it does strongly imply it. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/13 "2008-03-24T04:09:39Z")
[QUOTE=KRM] [Pascal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal's_Wager) thought so. [/QUOTE] Who is this “Pascal”, why hasn’t anyone ever brought him up before? ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/14 "2008-03-24T04:34:15Z")
[QUOTE=Czarcasm] Who is this “Pascal”, why hasn’t anyone ever brought him up before? [/QUOTE] Bob Pascal. His office is two doors down from mine. Who else could it be? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/15 "2008-03-24T04:56:03Z")
Not sure who else it could be but I’ll give you five-to-one it ain’t this “Bob” character… ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/16 "2008-03-24T05:12:03Z")
[QUOTE=SHAKES] Furthermore, will said fear alone get one into heaven? Can God be fooled into thinking one loves him? (Assuming said person has fooled him/herself) [/QUOTE] In order to fear Hell, you must believe in God. So it seems belief in God can give reason to fear Hell, but not vice versa. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/17 "2008-03-24T06:04:52Z")
I honestly think many people believe in god, JUST IN CASE!:eek: Believing in god because of fear of hell is one thing. But worshipping god because of fear of hell is “free will” in the same sense that it’s “free will” to worship me because I put a loaded gun to your head. What kind of sick f\*\*k needs to be “worshipped”, anyway? [QUOTE=the raindog] No, it’s only the fool who believes in a burning hell, where a [presumably] loving God tortures the wicked _for eternity_ for a few decades of evil.. [/QUOTE] If there is an eternity, why does god only give us [120 years](http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Gen/Gen006.html) to get our shit together? Why not 1000 years? Or a million? or a quadrillion? And except some [old bag](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_people) in France, nobody is getting that 120 years anyway. If god is eternal, if he has always been (sigh :rolleyes: ) what was he doing before he made Earth? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/18 "2008-03-24T06:57:41Z")
To answer the question, “Is fear of hell a legitimate reason to believe in God ?” Nope. Is fear of the Nazgul a legitimate reason to believe in Sauron ? Is fear of CORE men a legitimate reason to believe in orgone ? Is fear of the bogeyman a legitimate reason to believe that covering your head with your blankets will make him go away ? Fear of one bit of fiction is not a legitimate reason to believe in another piece of fiction. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/19 "2008-03-24T07:10:26Z")
[QUOTE=the raindog] _That_ hell, is a fabrication and product of literature, superstition and error. [/QUOTE] I’d quibble that all hells are similar in that regard. If an individual acts morally because they are afraid of punishment they aren’t moral. They are a self-serving dick. If god did exist, he’d be a fucking imbecile to accept followers of that sort. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470/20 "2008-03-24T07:18:24Z")
What Rascal are you guys referring to? He must be quite a rascal for you to call him Rascal with a capital “R”! In other news, for the last 6 months or so my computer monitor has been getting really blurry on the sides. It’s getting really hard to read stuff. I’d wager its time to replace this big old CRT with an LCD. If I were a wagering rascal, that is. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fear-of-hell-a-legitimate-reason-to-believe-in-god/442470.md?page=2)