Heaven and Hell Unhealthy
Home
Any religion that teaches people to believe that heaven and hell are
more important than life itself, or that non-believers are to be
treated differently to believers should be abolished or amended.
It is inhumane to put one's hopes and fears ahead of the actual lives
of the people around them. Killing in the name of God is inexcusable.
Strength of belief is important here. It makes no difference if a
person's beliefs do not influence their behaviour, because then nothing
occurs in the physical world that is a result of that belief.
Religious believers who put their fear of hell or hope of heaven ahead
of themselves, their families, their communities, their fellow humans
or their planet inadvertently destroy the fabric of their own society. Exclusivity is the largest offence against decency and
human rights.
The hope of eternal bliss, salvation, joy or happiness can be
intoxicating, as much as the fear of eternal damnation, torture, pain,
separation and loneliness be all-consuming.
These beliefs, when firmly held, put the lives of the sufferers at the
mercy of their spiritual leaders' wills. And the leaders' wills
are at the mercy of their leaders'
wills, and so on up the chain to the top where the primary
interpretation of a religion's texts or the tenets of the religion's
beliefs are decided.
Intentionally or not, these beliefs syphon power, human will, money and
possessions into the hands of few people. They are used to divide
believer from non-believer regardless of previous bonds. They justify
animal behaviour and disregard for the future.
A "Once Around" religion is one that describes life as a single shot of
life to be followed by an eternity of afterlife. These need to be
changed if the believers are to be responsible in this life for the
world around them. Maybe the religions should teach reincarnation
of some sort, in order to introduce concern for our present and future
lives, and the common good of all fellow humans.
If religious belief is considered absolutely necessary for
moral direction, perhaps karma and reincarnation would be sufficient
for moral health instead of dire predictions of eternal doom or
salvation.
One day, I hope these beliefs will be regarded by most people as the
selfish pursuits that they are. Maybe the most extreme of these beliefs
should be outlawed as a crime as self-obsessed as violent assault.
Maybe the leaders of these beliefs will be charged with a crime similar
to slavery.
I am aware of people currently being persecuted violently by
governments for their religious beliefs. This article is not
justification for those actions. I don't think anyone should be
persecuted for their beliefs, and I especially don't think people
should persecute others because of the persecutor's beliefs. This piece
is specifically targeting religious beliefs that lead to inhumane
actions, and I believe that these include a strong belief in heaven and
hell. Religious beliefs are not necessary for a person
or community to be generous in spirit. In fact, the prejudice of
excluding-type religious beliefs has the potential to hold the
benefits of generosity from people in need who do not believe.
Belief can control a person's behaviour. Some people fear people
without any religious belief. But religious belief can turn people into
killers, too. Some people fear that a lack of belief in eternal
punishment leaves some people open to be animals. These
same animals would feel free to cut off your head if they were
given religious permission - or beat their children violently, or rape
strangers, or kill doctors, or destroy other people's property, and on
and on and on...