There are many tools of persuasion. Think about it: if you want to try and convince someone to follow through on a certain action, you can either appeal to their moral sensibilities (“it is the right thing to do”) or you can provide some form of incentive (“I will give you X if you do Y”). Or, if you are trying to convince someone of your position, you can take the time to collect evidence and compile logical arguments (“if X and Y are true, then we can be fairly certain that Z is true”).

Unfortunately, these methods take time and effort, and there is always the chance that even after all your hard work the person will walk away unconvinced. There is, however, another tool that is more effective and incredibly easy to implement. On its own it requires little effort and thus it is often used by the lazy.

It is the tool of fear.

Fundamentalist Christianity is one institution that is extremely effective in using fear to persuade people to accept various beliefs. It is the fear of Hell that it uses so well. Thinking back to when I was a Christian, I clearly remember two instances when I came across a negative concept of Hell.

The first was when I was in high school. One weekend, our entire church youth group went camping on a farm near Heidelberg in Gauteng. One night, while we all sat around a raging bonfire, our youth leader gave a talk on Hell. He asked us to imagine jumping into the bonfire, and to imagine the torment of our skin peeling off our bodies. We all shivered at the thought. He then added that Hell would be a thousand times worse: we would be encased in small enclosures – alone, cut off from everyone else – and we would burn in agony, for eternity. I remember everyone being numbed at this thought.

The second time was a few years later, at an evangelical rally at a large charismatic church in Johannesburg. A group of us went to the church to see the much talked about play called Heaven’s Gates, Hell’s Flames. The entire play was based on the fear of hell: characters in the story would either be sent to eternal damnation or eternal glory; when a character was sent to hell, the lights would dim, a ruddy glow would envelope the stage, and the sound of screaming would emanate from the speakers. After the play a preacher stood up and for half-an-hour pleaded with us to accept Jesus in order to escape damnation. Many people stood up at the alter call, including one of my friends. I remained seated, feeling angry at the blatent emotional manipulation that was going on.

Why so much gory detail on the terror of hell? Richard Dawkins, in The God Delusion, provides a possible answer:

“ . . . the extreme horribleness of hell, as portrayed by priests and nuns, is inflated to compensate for its implausibility. If hell were plausible, it would only have to be moderately unpleasant in order to deter. Given that it is so unlikely to be true, it has to be advertised as very very scary indeed, to balance its implausibility and retain some deterrence value.” Pg 321

Fear ensures that people remain obedient: it discourages dissent and questioning, it eliminates open dialogue and honest persuasion. A person often resorts to the use of fear when they realise that their position can no longer be defended by logical argument. It is the coward’s method of persuasion; it is a sign of incredible weakness.

It was that night of the play when I decided that I would never again consider any argument that is based primarily on fear. You know, I think I lost my fear of Hell that very night; no longer do words of eternal suffering and damnation hold any power over me.

http://mexc..co.uk/2007/03/using-fear-of-hell.html

mynairatime:
U talk like an american. americans are the people u hav shere life with aliens & adopted strong motivational words that kill their conscieceseness.

mynairatime:
In this new world americans speak the strongest words. words that breakes old bound & create another one are spoken by americans. i americans trust in the cast away angels called aliens than their dollars. if u rape 5 years old child take a book written by an american ur conscience will disappear without regreting what u did so doing such thing will become nomal & no amount of words can reflect in u. however i wish u to go hellven to understand better. congrats

mynairatime:
In this new world americans speak the strongest words. words that breakes old bound & create another one are spoken by americans. i americans trust in the cast away angels called aliens than their dollars. if u rape 5 years old child take a book written by an american ur conscience will disappear without regreting what u did so doing such thing will become nomal & no amount of words can reflect in u. however i wish u to go hellven to understand better. congrats

Hiswordxray:

I think you are more scared of hell than anybody I know.
There is something they call "Denial"- it is refusing to accept or think about something because it cause you anxiety.
You are so scared of hell that your heart can take the dreaded so you denial it.
But I tell you that won't work.
How long will you fight it?

johnydon22:
yeah bro i feel u, The funny part is that there was no mention of hell in the jewish scriptures and the laws.. christianity invented it and used it to keep people in perpetual fear and obedience...the funniest part is that they all have different versions of they own hell self... ... they even accuss one another and sentence themselves to hell lol... protestants will be like "others are heretics and will go to hell" pentecostals will say " catholics practise idolatory and will burn in hell and so it all goes, every church and doctrines accusing one another and sentensing them to hell... smh...

Hiswordxray:

I think you are more scared of hell than anybody I know.
There is something they call "Denial"- it is refusing to accept or think about something because it cause you anxiety.
You are so scared of hell that your heart can take the dreaded so you denial it.
But I tell you that won't work.
How long will you fight it?

frosbel:


Lol.

I have no time for brain washed religious fanatics who use the threat of fear to hold onto their members so that they will keep paying tithes and offerings.

There is no difference between you people and Boko Haram , in fact Boko Haram is better than your own terrorism because it lasts only for a small moment while your terror lasts for world without end, 1 million times worse than Boko Haram or any form of terror in the world.

Pal, go and make sure it is not Satan you are following.....

ifeness:
Without fear no sensible man will serve god. Well,the sensible ones don't anymore.

Hiswordxray:

Yes the ones who are consumed with fear run away from Him and try to deny His existence in order to overcome their fear.
Tell me, how well has denial been working for you?

Hiswordxray:

Paul never mentioned the word "Hell" in any of his letters.
Peter mentioned the word "Hell" once.
James mentioned the word "Hell" once.

The only places where hell was frequently mentioned in the new testament are the books of the gospel. This is before the new covenant was established. Hell was frequently mentioned in the Gospels because during that time it was one of the main teaching. Then, there was a sect of Jewish preachers who constantly preach and announced hell and judgment. These sect lived an isolated life like monks. I guess John the Baptist was once among them in the desert (because that is where some of them stay) and he must had learnt from them. John preach hell and judgment so also did Jesus because it was a time for repentance.

During the time of the new testament, the word hell was hardly ever use when talking to fellow believers. It was mainly use when preach to spiritually dead people because they only respond to fear and they don't recognize love, for God is love. Only those that know love knows God and perfect love cast out fear (1John 4:17-18).

My friend you know very little about Christianity and this is why you stop being a Christian. I could help you. I could teach you to a level where you can now be taught by the Spirit himself.

frosbel:



So your God is now a Mafia boss who uses the threat of HELL to win converts ?

When are you going to join Boko Haram ?

Hiswordxray:

No! you are a sinner who is fighting so hard not to be scared of hell.
Well fear is in your nature and you would continue to fear until you represent.

frosbel:


lol.

It appears that you are the one who has FEAR in your heart because you are serving the God who will cast you into any everlasting torture chamber that will even make Hitler proud. In fact he is watching your every move so that at the slightest mistake or error he will throw you headlong into an eternity of doom.

So be careful bro, be on guard 24/7 just in case you miss road.

I have no fear otherwise I will be like you, holding onto religion because of FEAR. smh

frosbel:


lol.

It appears that you are the one who has FEAR in your heart because you are serving the God who will cast you into any everlasting torture chamber that will even make Hitler proud. In fact he is watching your every move so that at the slightest mistake or error he will throw you headlong into an eternity of doom.

So be careful bro, be on guard 24/7 just in case you miss road.

I have no fear otherwise I will be like you, holding onto religion because of FEAR. smh

Hiswordxray:

Yes the ones who are consumed with fear run away from Him and try to deny His existence in order to overcome their fear.

Tell me, how well has denial been working for you?

Or does this image stop you from sleeping at night?

ifeness:


Negative imaginations can hurt you.

What you do not fear cannot hurt you.

Weah96:
Only ret)arded, or psychotic people, would imagine that eternally roasting someone is a reasonable punishment for one lifetime of offenses.

Idiots. How could a mother enjoy heaven knowing that her children are being roasted by the host of the place?

These stories must be learned in childhood.

Hiswordxray:

Oh! is that what you tell yourself in order to overcome your fear.

frosbel:


Never thought we would ever agree on anything religious, lol.

This false and dangerous doctrine has done more damage than the collective works of Boko Haram put together. It is a prison of the mind, a bondage of sorts and source of misery and the hardness, harshness and evil that emanates from religion.

honourhim:


Why won't you agree with him? Both of you share one thing in common here- the fear of hell fire. Yet your agreement with him hasn't changed him from atheism so what have you achieved? Nothing.

No amount of denial can save you from the torment of the lake of fire, only Jesus can save you bro.