Fundamentalist preachers tell their flocks that living a "good" life has little or nothing to do with whether an individual will gain heavenly ascendance. Doing good deeds, thinking pure thoughts, being humble, being honest, being kind, working hard, being smart, being responsible, being productive, count for little or nothing. The only relatively sure way to get beyond the Pearly Gates is to consciously and, I presume, sincerely become "reborn" in acceptance of Jesus as your lord and saviour.
What this says, then is that say, Saddam Hussein, even his sons, Uday and Qusay, those zany, fun loving guys, could be enjoying the pleasures of eternal paradise had any or all of them come to Jesus prior to swinging in the breeze or being riddled with bullets respectively. That's a pretty good deal, if you think about it. That given, there is no particular reason to "be good" in this life. One could rape and pillage, be a pedophile, cheat, lie, steal, commit mass murder, actually like Rob Schneider movies, any such heinous things and more, but just in the nick of time get right with the "J" man, and it's all okee dookie. A ticket for the Bliss Express will be waiting for you at the "will call" window. Isn't that just a tad too easy? It obviates the need for being good or pious. It all comes down to the Big Guy's ego, doesn't it? As long as you acknowledge His supremacy and humble yourself before it, you are, according to your local evangelist, in like Flint. It's okay to be a despicable asshole in this life as far as the Lord of Lords is concerned.
What a load of shit! We lowly humans usually demand more of someone than a hastily blurted out "Hey, I love you, man." for even relatively small rewards, let alone the ultimate enchilada, eternal life in paradise. Would anyone "love" someone who would demand such fealty for whatever rewards? You might feign some kind of love or adoration to survive, to maintain a better life. But love? I think not. At your core, you'd hate the son of a bitch, wouldn't you? Supposed love for God is, at best, forced out of fear of losing that ultimate reward. ("Yes, sir. No, sir. Right you are, sir. Ha, ha, that's really funny, sir. Whatever you say, sir. You're the best, sir. I love you, sir, I truly do and, hey, I really mean that.")
What is it they say? Sincerity. If you can fake that, you've got it made. Maybe all the way to heaven.
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1 comment:
Amen, brutha.
I've always thought being a "good" person based on the fear of hell was such a bad reason, anyway.
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