Why I don't fear hell
Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 2:23 pm
http://www.theofrak.com/2012/05/fear-not-hell.html
I have often been asked, "what if you are wrong and you meet God when you die?" The implication, of course, is that I will be punished in hell for refusing to accept what is self-evident to many believers, i.e., God exists.
Bertrand Russell was asked the identical question. His response was "I would ask him 'Why didn't you give us more evidence.'" I find it impossible to believe that God would consign me to hell for questioning his existence based on the complete lack of empirical evidence or compelling argument. Of course, there is even less evidence for hell than there is for God, so that is probably my best reason for not fearing hell.
Another reason that I don't fear hell is that it will be populated with some of my favorite people, who look at the evidence the same way I do.
Mark Twain, Adam Savage, Jamie Hyneman, Keira Knightley, Stephen Hawking, Bill Maher, John Lennon, Ricky Gervais, Julianne Moore, Keanu Reeves, Bill Shatner, Johnny Depp, Janeane Garofalo, James Cameron, Billy Joel, Jack Nicholson, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Richard Branson, Ian McKellan, Albert Einstein, Brad Pitt, Daniel Radcliffe, Jodie Foster, Hugh Laurie, Lance Armstrong, George Carlin, Morgan Freeman, Fred Armisen, Angelina Jolie, Gene Wilder, Penn Jillette, Raymond Joseph Teller, Dylan Moran, Patton Oswalt, Seth Green, Norm MacDonald, Eddie Izzard, Cillian Murphy, Jeremy Clarkson, and George Clooney.
I have often been asked, "what if you are wrong and you meet God when you die?" The implication, of course, is that I will be punished in hell for refusing to accept what is self-evident to many believers, i.e., God exists.
Bertrand Russell was asked the identical question. His response was "I would ask him 'Why didn't you give us more evidence.'" I find it impossible to believe that God would consign me to hell for questioning his existence based on the complete lack of empirical evidence or compelling argument. Of course, there is even less evidence for hell than there is for God, so that is probably my best reason for not fearing hell.
Another reason that I don't fear hell is that it will be populated with some of my favorite people, who look at the evidence the same way I do.
Mark Twain, Adam Savage, Jamie Hyneman, Keira Knightley, Stephen Hawking, Bill Maher, John Lennon, Ricky Gervais, Julianne Moore, Keanu Reeves, Bill Shatner, Johnny Depp, Janeane Garofalo, James Cameron, Billy Joel, Jack Nicholson, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Richard Branson, Ian McKellan, Albert Einstein, Brad Pitt, Daniel Radcliffe, Jodie Foster, Hugh Laurie, Lance Armstrong, George Carlin, Morgan Freeman, Fred Armisen, Angelina Jolie, Gene Wilder, Penn Jillette, Raymond Joseph Teller, Dylan Moran, Patton Oswalt, Seth Green, Norm MacDonald, Eddie Izzard, Cillian Murphy, Jeremy Clarkson, and George Clooney.