Ahh Hell!

[stoneaxe]

I would guess plenty Stoney.   However, no organized religion by itself is a corallary of whether God exists. 

Everyone has a personal choice about whether to believe or not.  The fact that we live in a place and time where we get to choose, change our minds from time to time, or even chose to be agnostic, is pretty damned cool.

I guess I'm more of an agnostic than atheist...maybe heretic would be even better. All organized religions are an invention of man. I'm not non-spiritual..just non-religious. I've come to dislike organized religion.

[Bean]

...I've come to dislike organized religion.

I hear you.  Just out of school, I worked with a guy whose father played the organ at his church for over 40 years, but he never officially converted to that church's "brand".  When he died they would not allow him to be buried in his pre-arranged, cemetery plot.

When I heard this over 30 years ago, I thought it was absurd, surely something could be done.  But as I stand now, as a Lutheran, I’m in a very similar position.  Ironically, my name is on a brass plaque at the entrance of the Catholic church in which I was married and have baptised and confirmed my child.  But, my name can never be on a head stone within the diocese.  I've come too far now to switch brands.

Man’s rules, not God’s…

[stoneaxe]

I was raised Baptist until I was 13...church every Sunday, Bible school after service. But I also loved science and eventually the cognitive dissonance was just too much. When I realized that Christianity is just another mythology I was very disappointed. I've always maintained an interest in religion but purely from an academic standpoint.

The hatred of fellow man because of religious beliefs was a shocker too. My Aunt wouldn't go to my oldest sisters wedding because she was marrying a Catholic....we come from a family of Orangemen. Fortunately my Dad wasn't serious about it all. Later when I was marrying a Catholic we had to go speak to the Priest at the church. Had a great conversation...I said all the right things in response to his lecture on sin and religion anyway because he let us get married there. Two years later when he was caught giving blowjobs at road side rest areas I asked my wife it that meant our marriage was bogus....

I had a discussion/argument recently with a good friend who is very religious (born again). When I told him he was almost as much of an atheist as I am he got pretty animated and started explaining his devotion. I said I didn't question his relation with God just that of all the (tens?..hundreds?) of thousands of Gods that man has created..I believe in one less than he does......

[SUP Leave]

I am pretty agnostic myself. I mean I love Western Civilization and the basis of the culture is Judeo-Christian. So, I really respect religion, but I'm just not into it.

However, I have this vision of Hell that makes me a little scared. It is that I am stuck wandering an Ikea for eternity, never able to find the drawer pulls for a flugtargen dresser set.

[Bean]

That does sound particularly awful, on the other hand, they do have some awsome Swedish meatballs in the cafe', just make sure you get plenty of lingonberries and you're good to go.   

[SlatchJim]

Pope Francis: 'There is no Hell'
3-29-18

This is a guy that's never been to San Bernardino. 

[stoneaxe]

That is a scary vision of hell but I think that could be purgatory.....hell would be Walmart.

[Bean]

I forgot about this place, in Norway: