# Why Don't More People Warn Me That I'm Going To Hell? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 22, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751 "2009-10-22T16:51:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/41 "2009-10-22T21:10:02Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Ted, you know I like you and all, so please don’t take this as critical… > > How is Skammer’s advice any different from advising someone to study the Quran, and to take its lessons to heart without thinking about them critically? In a way, not different at all- IF the question was “How do I come to belief in Islam?” And I don’t advocate not thinking critically about any religious or philosophical system one is considering adopting. I do advocate serious study of both sides. But thanks, I liked Skammer’s answer for its conciseness but it may need some fine tuning. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/42 "2009-10-22T21:14:02Z")
> [@GregH](#): > > \*\*\*As you can see, my “quote” skills are lacking. It’s not formatting properly. Fixed it for you. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/43 "2009-10-22T21:35:39Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > If you’re serious about “How do I come to belief?” I’ll offer an answer. > > Try to. Pray to God and ask for help believing. Find a church you like and attend, regularly, and get involved. Talk to other believers. Ask them why they have faith and where it comes from. Read the New Testament, not for literary critique but consider that it was written specifically for you and ask yourself what it’s telling you. > > I don’t think you’ll do this, because I don’t think you _want_ to believe. But that’s the way. Start out by being born into a Christian family. Let them baptize you. Let them drag you to church every Sunday. Cry a lot, if you must, but it won’t change things. Believe them when they say you are a sinner, and always will be. Cry some more. Go to Sunday School. Learn the Catechism. Pray before meals, before bed, and whenever you want something. Go to confession, even if you believe you didn’t commit any sins. Confess that you really did commit sins, because being human, you are a sinner. And if you don’t tow the line you will burn in Hell forever. Tell them this doesn’t make sense . . . that none of this makes sense . . . and be prepared to be yelled at or threatened or hit. Try to be like everyone else. It must all be true, because how could all those people be wrong? And whenever your mind conflicts with your faith, shut out reality and tell yourself you’re going to Heaven. Don’t ever admit to having doubts, because nobody can know what’s true, and it’s safer to be on the side that’s goint to Heaven. Shove your beliefs down the throats of your own kids, just like your parents did to you. And on your death bed, when you take your last breath and everything goes black, you finally realize that it was all a lie. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/44 "2009-10-22T21:51:11Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > For what it’s worth, the Catholic church holds very few beliefs about Hell. Basically, it exists, and it’s possible, at least in principle, for a soul to go there, but it’s never proper for any mortal to conclude that anyone in particular is going to Hell or has gone to Hell, since God’s mercy is infinite, and his ways mysterious, so we can never rule out the possibility of anyone being saved. In Catholic teaching, if one is asked if Hitler is in Hell, or Judas Iscariot, or Nero, the correct answer is “We don’t know”. Yes. In fact we are specifically commanded to avoid judging (which telling someone they’re going to Hell undoubtedly is): [Do not judge, or you too will be judged.]([Matthew - The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah - Bible Gateway](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew) 7:1-6) ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/45 "2009-10-22T23:46:18Z")
In my own defense, I absolutely don’t discourage reading the Scriptures with a critical eye. In fact it’s an important part of having a well-informed belief. My point was, though, if you want to believe, you have to do _more_ than that – you actually have to engage the text on a personal level. Using literary criticism is good, but in addition to reading it to _study_ it, you’re reading it to _comtemplate_ it: to ask yourself not just “what is this author saying?” but “through this author, what is God saying _to me_?” ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/46 "2009-10-23T05:42:10Z")
Assumptions 3-4 are incorrect because there are Christian sects that do not believe humans go to hell (only Satan will) though many believe that hell does exist. Check out this article on [Universalism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universalists). As I was raised Universalist myself, I would never tell you that you are going to hell because I don’t believe you _can_ go to hell. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/47 "2009-10-23T07:27:02Z")
> [@](#): > > **panache** : …And on your death bed, when you take your last breath and everything goes black, you finally realize that it was all a lie. And you know this from personal experience? Case studies? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Piranha_Brothers)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/48 "2009-10-23T07:50:04Z")
> [@GregH](#): > > I heard someone say this the other day, and it got me thinking… > > I’m not much of a religion expert, so let me start by making some assumptions: > > 1. All Christians believe in Christ as their saviour > 2. All Christians believe in the existence of Hell > 3. All Christians believe that Hell is the worst possible place to go, and being sent there is the worst possible thing that can happen to a person > 4. All Christians believe that all non-believers will eventually go to Hell > > So, having said that… > > If a person wanders onto the street and into the path of an oncoming truck, 98% of the population would either shout out a warning or run into the street to push that person out of the way. We would do that because getting hit by a truck is a pretty nasty thing to happen to a person. > > So, if going to Hell is infinitely worse than getting hit by a truck, why do most Christians that I meet not care that I am going to Hell? Most, in fact all, of the Christians I meet are nice people who keep their religion to themselves. If so many people profess to be Christians, why aren’t the Christians doing more to proselytize me? Shouldn’t the fact that I’m going to Hell give them nightmares? > > Thanks, > Greg OK, GregH. Maybe the other posters thought something like “Am I my brother’s keeper?” and left you the victim of your own lack of faith. But… I find your lack of faith disturbing. So let me give you one warning. You will go to hell if you don’t open your heart to Jesus. Yes, to hell! Hell, where the air is pungent with the aroma of roasted posteriors. So beware! don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you can identify three quotes from my post you get 25 karma points. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Piranha_Brothers)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/49 "2009-10-23T07:51:05Z")
PS And don’t anyone DARE ask me to cite! (I’ll simply refer you to the bible if you do.) ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/50 "2009-10-23T08:08:35Z")
This issue bothers me too. The OP may be wrong in that all Christians don’t believe in a non-believers-tormented-eteranlly hell, but many do. And it makes me wonder what sort of sick bastards they are. Eternal torment is so horrible as to be completely uncomprehendable by human minds. Every bit of pain ever suffered by humanity - every individual, from torture to disease to being heartbroken or stubbing your toe - all of that pain and anguish added together since the beginning of humanity cannot hold a candle to eternal torment. No one could possibly do anything in their life which could even come close to reasonably justifying that punishment. No one deserves hell - not Hitler, no one, not even close. So it makes me wonder - if your true belief is that most people that have lived will suffer this fate - will suffer incomprehensible pain - if you don’t save them, how could you do anything in your life except try to save people? If I sincerely held that belief, I would spend every waking moment I possibly could trying to save people - I would practically have a nervous breakdown at the thought of all the suffering that would inevitably happen, and all the people I couldn’t save. It would consume my every thought. But the people who hold this belief don’t display this behavior. Could anything they do with their time possibly be worth more than even a remote attempt of preventing someone else from suffering greater pain than has ever been experienced? At best, they’ll occasionally try to reach out to neighbors and loved ones and even strangers and make some effort to prosetylze. But how could you possibly live your life and stay sane with the idea that most people will come under this fate? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/51 "2009-10-23T11:05:45Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > And you know this from personal experience? Case studies? Seriously . . . how do you \*\*\*know \*\*\*that I don’t? ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/52 "2009-10-23T12:04:49Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Seriously . . . how do you \*\*\*know \*\*\*that I don’t? We’re all pretty sure you lack experience or reports back on this- [QUOTE=panache45] And on your death bed, when you take your last breath and everything goes black, you finally realize that it was all a lie. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/53 "2009-10-23T13:26:07Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > I’m dismayed that this has been your experience with Christians, but isn’t it at least possible that you know plenty of Christians who don’t do this, and therefore, you haven’t flagged them as “Christian”? In other words, the obnoxious ones that tell you that you are going to hell are easy to pick out, but you don’t notice all the ones who are just nice to you. > > ETA: I hang out with a lot of Christians – I’m very active in my church – and I’ve never witnessed (pardon the pun) the behavior you describe, at least not since I was in college twenty years ago. That’s probably because they don’t feel the need to save you - you are already one of them. Of course I know lots of Christians who aren’t obnoxious about their beliefs. Its not like we are talking about some obscure sect here, you can’t swing a dead cat anywhere in America without hitting a half dozen Christians. Christian is the default here. Most of the people I meet during any day (like most of my family) are nice friendly people and most of them are going to be Christians because I live in America. What percentage of pushy jerks does a religion need before we can claim they exist? The OP seems to believe that Christians are a quiet lot who rarely mention their beliefs and, when they do, don’t seem to worry about whether non-Christians care or not. From where I’m standing they look like a large, quiet majority who are comfortable in the belief that everyone believes exactly as they do with a substantial percentage of vocal members who see it as their job to aggressive spread the word using whatever scare tactics necessary, including threats of eternal agony, which sounds pretty scary to me. Nothing can make a mild Christian witness as fast as finding out someone around them is an atheist, and they can be pretty aggressive in their shock and fear. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/54 "2009-10-23T13:31:15Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > This issue bothers me too. The OP may be wrong in that all Christians don’t believe in a non-believers-tormented-eteranlly hell, but many do. And it makes me wonder what sort of sick bastards they are. See my post #7 above. It’s quite likely that most Christians realize that warning you that you are on a path to perdition is not an effective method of winning you over. Actually _modelling_ a Christ-filled life, refraining from judging others, and being open to questions about our faith… that usually gets a much better response. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/55 "2009-10-23T15:32:00Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > If you go to a church this Sunday, not everyone who’s a member of that church necessarily believes in God. I’m sure most of them do, but some people are members of the church to keep their families happy, or for the social standing, or because they like the social services the church provides, or they just like the social network. C’est moi. I’m a technical agnostic and practical atheist, but I still go to church because I think First Congregational is a force for good in the world, despite the fact that I think the god my fellow members pray to is, at best, a metaphor. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/56 "2009-10-23T15:48:17Z")
I don’t know that “mild Christians” are all that keen on hassling atheists. Maybe it’s just my experience with my friends, but none of the “mild Christians” I know – and I know and work with all sorts of folk, including one who crosses himself before every meal, which is slightly jarring to see at Wendy’s – hassle their atheist friends about it unless someone else starts making it an issue. They don’t bring up their religion unless asked. They just try to live blamelessly and as good examples, and that in itself is witnessing: “Gosh, Bob doesn’t stress out about his work and he ALSO doesn’t smoke pot! Where does he let off his steam?” If you _ask_, most of us will say something. We just don’t want to be dicks about it because we have all experienced people who shove others away from Christianity by being big festering asses. As far as Hell: I (perhaps a bit naively) don’t think we burn in fiery lakes of torment, but perhaps if we’ve been real dicks we need to do a bit of spadework once we’ve gotten up there. If you actually believe Jesus did it, if you accept His help, he went through all that before you got there and sneaks you in through the side door. Otherwise, you experience all the pain you’ve ever caused in the world that you’ve never made up for and have to finish with that before you pass through. This isn’t anyone’s doctrine except my own, though, so it doesn’t have much chance of being true. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/57 "2009-10-24T03:44:02Z")
Wouldn’t it be funny if there really is a Heaven . . . but only for atheists? ---
**Author:** ![Pulp\_Friction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@Pulp\_Friction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pulp_Friction)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/58 "2009-10-24T12:33:00Z")
Hey Greg - Go to hell. (kidding) ---
**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:** [October 24, 2009, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/59 "2009-10-24T12:46:16Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Wouldn’t it be funny if there really is a Heaven . . . but only for atheists? I’ve heard that used as an occasional comeback to people pushing a version of Pascal’s Wager. “Oh, I should believe in God just in case? Well, what if he only likes skeptical people who use their own judgement and believe what the evidence shows them even if it’s unpopular?” Although my favorite response to Pascal’s Wager would be in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels : > [@](#): > > This is very similar to the suggestion put forward by the Quirmian philosopher Ventre, who said, “Possibly the gods exist, and possibly they do not. So why not believe in them in any case? If it’s all true you’ll go to a lovely place when you die, and if it isn’t then you’ve lost nothing, right?” When he died he woke up in a circle of gods holding nasty-looking sticks and one of them said, “We’re going to show you what we think of Mr Clever Dick in these parts…” ---
**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:** [October 24, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751/60 "2009-10-24T14:49:49Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > We’re all pretty sure you lack experience or reports back on this- What-blind faith in what he says isn’t good enough for you? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-more-people-warn-me-that-im-going-to-hell/514751.md?page=4)