The Argument of Fear

[Also known as "Pascal's Wager"]
One of these days I had an experience that I have been through before. On request of an atheist guy, I entered a discussion through MSN with another person, who's that kind of fundamentalist religious type. I don't get into that kind of discussion any more, because I know it's for nothing, but since he asked me I obliged. As I already have some experience to detect what the other person really thinks, I went straight to the point. asking: "Do you think I deserve to go to hell simply for not believing in the Christian god?" She answered yes. I then asked, "And if it depended on you, if it were your decision, would you send me to hell?" Again she answered yes. (I must say that at this point she surprised me, people usually try to appease, saying that it isn't up to them, etc, etc.)

I'd like to make a clear point that I have nothing against anybody's beliefs. And I also know very well that there are many ways of believing, I know many people who believe in "something", but who don't condemn anybody else for not thinking like themselves, and they lead their lives without complying to absurd rules out of fear of not deserving "salvation". I have great respect for people like these and I would never think of trying to make such a person change their mind. I just explain what I think if somebody asks, and they usually don't feel threathened by that. So, we get along well.

But the kind of person who can point his finger at me and say that I'm a bad person just because I don't share his belief, puzzles me.The argument is so childish that it surprises me that the person doesn't feel ashamed to use it. I have concluded that these people lack empathy and compassion, they give more importance to a book than to the person beside them. The kind of god that this person believes in I can only describe as 'vain, resentful and revengeful'. Like a judge who will throw me in prison because I didn't suck up to him. This really reminds me of the Greek gods who punished severly those who didn't pay due homage to them. Sounds familiar?

A person should only be judged by his actions, and actions should be judged by their concrete consequences. It shouldn't matter what you believe or think, only what you do. I don't do bad things simply because I care about people and their feelings. Empathy is the key to it all.