Comments on: 5 Ways to Say “Go to Hell” http://coffeeghost.net/2009/06/07/5-ways-to-say-go-to-hell/ Al Sweigart's blog. Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:50:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: ualberta student http://coffeeghost.net/2009/06/07/5-ways-to-say-go-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-136770 ualberta student Thu, 08 Mar 2012 01:38:02 +0000 http://coffeeghost.net/?p=168#comment-136770 For those on the fence or agnostics, listen to Pascal's wager. "Since the existence of God cannot be proved or disproved through reason, and there is much to be gained from wagering that God exists and little to be gained from wagering that God doesn’t exist, a rational person should simply wager that God exists and live accordingly. If you live accordingly and God doesn't exist, you've made the world a better place. If you live according and God does exist, you'll get into heaven. If you don't live accordingly and God doesn't exist, there is no loss to you. If you don't live accordingly and God does exist, you'll enter hell. I know this is infringing on the fear subject you all are talking about, but whether God exists or not, believing in Him is the SMARTER choice. For those on the fence or agnostics, listen to Pascal’s wager. “Since the existence of God cannot be proved or disproved through reason, and there is much to be gained from wagering that God exists and little to be gained from wagering that God doesn’t exist, a rational person should simply wager that God exists and live accordingly.

If you live accordingly and God doesn’t exist, you’ve made the world a better place. If you live according and God does exist, you’ll get into heaven.

If you don’t live accordingly and God doesn’t exist, there is no loss to you. If you don’t live accordingly and God does exist, you’ll enter hell.

I know this is infringing on the fear subject you all are talking about, but whether God exists or not, believing in Him is the SMARTER choice.

]]> By: ualberta student http://coffeeghost.net/2009/06/07/5-ways-to-say-go-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-136769 ualberta student Thu, 08 Mar 2012 01:34:20 +0000 http://coffeeghost.net/?p=168#comment-136769 Hey Al, Great books you've published. They've been a real help to me and others in class. Now as for the discussion, I respect your beliefs as an atheist. God-given or not, we all have free will to do and believe what we want. Atheists believe there is no God and live their lives accountable only to secular law and their relations. Religious people believe there is a God and try to conduct their lives according to what God wants. In short, it's all beliefs. I think we should live and let live. Atheists, respect Christians and their beliefs. After all, your thinking that there is no God is also a belief. Since religious tolerance is in, have the decency to tolerate their spreading of the Gospel. It is in accordance with what they believe in their hearts and to not do so would label them hypocrites. Christians, respect atheists and their beliefs. According to God, all are equal in His eyes and he loves everyone regardless of their belief system. Most of them already know about God and the Bible and knowingly reject religious teaching and so, there is nothing you can do but incite their hate or disdain if you try and actively preach to them. Oh, and one more thing, Al. It is very contemptuous of you that you would use the words in Luke 12:4 to pervert the message of the Bible. Christians believe there is an afterlife. As a believer, one should fear the Lord because of what He can do, not what He will do. A psychotic murderer can kill you indeed, but then the pain is gone forever. The Lord's punishment or grace is eternal. Use your "science" to disprove the Bible. Don't use the fallacy of ad hominen to disprove it. Hey Al,
Great books you’ve published. They’ve been a real help to me and others in class.

Now as for the discussion, I respect your beliefs as an atheist. God-given or not, we all have free will to do and believe what we want. Atheists believe there is no God and live their lives accountable only to secular law and their relations. Religious people believe there is a God and try to conduct their lives according to what God wants. In short, it’s all beliefs.

I think we should live and let live. Atheists, respect Christians and their beliefs. After all, your thinking that there is no God is also a belief. Since religious tolerance is in, have the decency to tolerate their spreading of the Gospel. It is in accordance with what they believe in their hearts and to not do so would label them hypocrites.

Christians, respect atheists and their beliefs. According to God, all are equal in His eyes and he loves everyone regardless of their belief system. Most of them already know about God and the Bible and knowingly reject religious teaching and so, there is nothing you can do but incite their hate or disdain if you try and actively preach to them.

Oh, and one more thing, Al. It is very contemptuous of you that you would use the words in Luke 12:4 to pervert the message of the Bible. Christians believe there is an afterlife. As a believer, one should fear the Lord because of what He can do, not what He will do. A psychotic murderer can kill you indeed, but then the pain is gone forever. The Lord’s punishment or grace is eternal. Use your “science” to disprove the Bible. Don’t use the fallacy of ad hominen to disprove it.

]]> By: cameron http://coffeeghost.net/2009/06/07/5-ways-to-say-go-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-135813 cameron Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:28:55 +0000 http://coffeeghost.net/?p=168#comment-135813 wow if you could only open ur eyes and see how great god is!! he is all powerful and can do ANYTHING!!!! AND if u dont listen to me, then find i tryed to help u but when u stand before Gods throne when u die and He askes you why you should be in heaven, then ur going to get a 1 way ticket of entrinity to HELL. but please listen to me and learn about our all grateful god!!!! GOd Bless!! wow if you could only open ur eyes and see how great god is!! he is all powerful and can do ANYTHING!!!! AND if u dont listen to me, then find i tryed to help u but when u stand before Gods throne when u die and He askes you why you should be in heaven, then ur going to get a 1 way ticket of entrinity to HELL. but please listen to me and learn about our all grateful god!!!! GOd Bless!!

]]> By: renato http://coffeeghost.net/2009/06/07/5-ways-to-say-go-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-134030 renato Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:56:25 +0000 http://coffeeghost.net/?p=168#comment-134030 don't you find it sarcastic that you start your atheist self-proclamation by saying "I believe"? :) cheers don’t you find it sarcastic that you start your atheist self-proclamation by saying “I believe”? :)

cheers

]]> By: 1RockHardPlace http://coffeeghost.net/2009/06/07/5-ways-to-say-go-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-133929 1RockHardPlace Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:34:43 +0000 http://coffeeghost.net/?p=168#comment-133929 It's mutual. You can be sure that God doesn't believe in you either. He knows all about you and the countless like you, but it's not his problem. You think you're something of a rare intellect, have a genuinely responsible grip on the reality situation, are an actual smart person and not just quick to learn a new academic trick for a bone... yawn... You believe you're a true realist who can switch from subjectivity to objectivity and back at will for the most part and not so easily fooled as the sheepish masses hypnotized by their own weak, pathetic need to believe in something greater in order to push their fears of insignificance or whatever out of their... YAWN... cuz the foolz need purpose and meaning without which they would just break down into a quivering puddle of tears. It always amazes me how the same pathetic rutted out circle gets plotted out in these discussions. The people who have actual experience and knowledge when it comes to supernatural revelation are never caught in that circle, because you have to believe to see first of all which makes no sense to smart folks like yourself and once they are "experienced" it becomes clear that trying to convey such "experience" is akin to describing a rainbow to a person who has been blind from birth... actually that is not even a good analogy which is perfect for the vanity of it all. But me I'm not too smart and so I'm willing to be completely honest with you. You can't say you haven't been warned. YOU ARE SO WRONG! I would love to see your face... oh never mind. LOL. Yeah just keep believing in nothing... that's the smart thing to do. I wish I could give you just one of countless experiences which are part of one continuous experience. If not for God humans wouldn't last a minute. There are things out there... things you should thank the God you don't believe in for holding back this long... It’s mutual. You can be sure that God doesn’t believe in you either. He knows all about you and the countless like you, but it’s not his problem.
You think you’re something of a rare intellect, have a genuinely responsible grip on the reality situation, are an actual smart person and not just quick to learn a new academic trick for a bone… yawn… You believe you’re a true realist who can switch from subjectivity to objectivity and back at will for the most part and not so easily fooled as the sheepish masses hypnotized by their own weak, pathetic need to believe in something greater in order to push their fears of insignificance or whatever out of their… YAWN… cuz the foolz need purpose and meaning without which they would just break down into a quivering puddle of tears.
It always amazes me how the same pathetic rutted out circle gets plotted out in these discussions. The people who have actual experience and knowledge when it comes to supernatural revelation are never caught in that circle, because you have to believe to see first of all which makes no sense to smart folks like yourself and once they are “experienced” it becomes clear that trying to convey such “experience” is akin to describing a rainbow to a person who has been blind from birth… actually that is not even a good analogy which is perfect for the vanity of it all. But me I’m not too smart and so I’m willing to be completely honest with you. You can’t say you haven’t been warned. YOU ARE SO WRONG! I would love to see your face… oh never mind. LOL. Yeah just keep believing in nothing… that’s the smart thing to do. I wish I could give you just one of countless experiences which are part of one continuous experience. If not for God humans wouldn’t last a minute. There are things out there… things you should thank the God you don’t believe in for holding back this long…

]]> By: Believer's advice http://coffeeghost.net/2009/06/07/5-ways-to-say-go-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-133386 Believer's advice Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:29:03 +0000 http://coffeeghost.net/?p=168#comment-133386 Well, I am a believer in GOD and JESUS. It is everybodies own responsibility about the decisions they make in life. All GOD expects from "Christians" is to go tell the world about HIM and try to teach them HIS ways(deciple them). Not to bash you over the head with the BIBLE. Jesus said in: Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. That unfortunately for some is the truth ! Believe it or not ! Wheater you believe in something doesn't make it true ! But at the same time not believing in something also doesn't make it not true. So, Some things are true wheater you believe it or not. Well, I am a believer in GOD and JESUS.
It is everybodies own responsibility about the decisions they make in life.
All GOD expects from “Christians” is to go tell the world about HIM and try to teach them HIS ways(deciple them).
Not to bash you over the head with the BIBLE.
Jesus said in:
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

That unfortunately for some is the truth !
Believe it or not !

Wheater you believe in something doesn’t make it true !
But at the same time not believing in something also doesn’t make it not true.

So, Some things are true wheater you believe it or not.

]]> By: Socrates Johnson http://coffeeghost.net/2009/06/07/5-ways-to-say-go-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-132911 Socrates Johnson Wed, 29 Sep 2010 19:43:58 +0000 http://coffeeghost.net/?p=168#comment-132911 I'm back. Just curious if this is an attack on religion, or some sort of pro-atheist argument. It does work as the first, as the second it's not so great. Bad ideas and people within a religion do not actually provide evidence that some sort of divine being cannot exist. That would be akin to saying that all the problems with Newtonian physics provide evidence that there are no laws of nature. Or that since a psychic told me that the number of particles in the universe is even, that couldn't be the case. However, I'm sure you know the difference between mocking stupid people/beliefs and asserting a positive metaphysical claim based on irrelevant factors (you allude to the mirror move often made by Christians). Just making sure everyone here gets introduced to that distinction. I’m back.

Just curious if this is an attack on religion, or some sort of pro-atheist argument. It does work as the first, as the second it’s not so great.

Bad ideas and people within a religion do not actually provide evidence that some sort of divine being cannot exist. That would be akin to saying that all the problems with Newtonian physics provide evidence that there are no laws of nature. Or that since a psychic told me that the number of particles in the universe is even, that couldn’t be the case.

However, I’m sure you know the difference between mocking stupid people/beliefs and asserting a positive metaphysical claim based on irrelevant factors (you allude to the mirror move often made by Christians). Just making sure everyone here gets introduced to that distinction.

]]> By: Wijo http://coffeeghost.net/2009/06/07/5-ways-to-say-go-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-132761 Wijo Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:43:46 +0000 http://coffeeghost.net/?p=168#comment-132761 I'd like to say that people who flame someone's website are intolerable. I found what Al said humorous and true. After all, I live in an apartment complex, I can't go a week without another pair of Jehovah's Witnesses asking me about Jesus and Moses and radda radda. Regardless. People like this Melissa lass irritate me. If you don't like what you're seeing or reading on the internet, then close the window and go back to talking about your chihuahua's new pink sweater on Twitter. Seriously. I’d like to say that people who flame someone’s website are intolerable.
I found what Al said humorous and true. After all, I live in an apartment complex, I can’t go a week without another pair of Jehovah’s Witnesses asking me about Jesus and Moses and radda radda.
Regardless. People like this Melissa lass irritate me. If you don’t like what you’re seeing or reading on the internet, then close the window and go back to talking about your chihuahua’s new pink sweater on Twitter.
Seriously.

]]> By: Human on earth http://coffeeghost.net/2009/06/07/5-ways-to-say-go-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-132549 Human on earth Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:28:20 +0000 http://coffeeghost.net/?p=168#comment-132549 Hi Man, I am just human, forced to stay on earth x days and go as I was before I born. I apologize I can not be smarter than you to believe that all this so wonderful world aroud us came by itself and there no supreme power controlling what we see and what we don't see "at present". Man, you're a programmer like me, open your eyes and use your logic instead to play with words. Before 100 years what you were? and after 100 years what you'll be? Visit NASA website and discover what we represent among creatures. Read, watch, lesson man and stop to be stupid. Hi Man,
I am just human, forced to stay on earth x days and go as I was before I born. I apologize I can not be smarter than you to believe that all this so wonderful world aroud us came by itself and there no supreme power controlling what we see and what we don’t see “at present”. Man, you’re a programmer like me, open your eyes and use your logic instead to play with words. Before 100 years what you were? and after 100 years what you’ll be? Visit NASA website and discover what we represent among creatures.
Read, watch, lesson man and stop to be stupid.

]]> By: melissa http://coffeeghost.net/2009/06/07/5-ways-to-say-go-to-hell/comment-page-1/#comment-131032 melissa Tue, 29 Jun 2010 04:38:58 +0000 http://coffeeghost.net/?p=168#comment-131032 I'm not religious or anything but I think all five ways to say, "Go to Hell," are all fucking gay... no offense, but you're not clever. I’m not religious or anything but I think all five ways to say, “Go to Hell,” are all fucking gay… no offense, but you’re not clever.

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