Heaven and Hell

Heaven is a bribe and hell is a punishment. Be good and act a certain way and you will be granted admission to heaven and not be condemned to burn forever. Does it seem fair that entrance to heaven is determined by the location of a baby's birth? If a baby was born into a God fearing Christian society then he would be rewarded with everlasting bliss. If he was unlucky enough to be born into an African tribe or an Asian village than immediately upon death he would head below to burn for an eternity. Believe like me or go to hell? It is beyond belief that some people actually believe this.

Heaven and hell seem to be based on fear. Fear controls people's actions and makes them do things they would not normally do. Fear brings cruelty about. Organized religion and cruelty seem to go hand in hand. Although organized religion has many benefits, I feel that the absolute truth thinking that goes along with many forms of religion including Christianity is wrong.

It seems foolish to think that God has a list of ten things he does not want us to do. If we mess up and do not ask for forgiveness after we break some of these rules, we will be sent to hell to be in misery forever and ever. Believing in hell is simply a mild form of insanity.

Do these Catholic priests that molest young boys go to hell? Or does their position within the church automatically eliminate them from the hell registry?

Jackie Wellman, author of Spiritual Clarity, http://www.hoppy.bravehost.com,http://spiritualclarity.blogspot.com

MORE RESOURCES:

Spirituality, not religion, makes kids happy - MSNBC

The Middle East Conflict is Still a Religion-Fueled One - Huffington Post

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.welt.de/english-news/article2999127/Israel-rejects-U-N-resolution-pounds-Gaza.htmlcid=1289492256ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNHjrK67QYyBg9dCKIp_jdVef8ZQVgimg src=http://nt3.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=_2YmXXftRnoJimgurl=www.welt.de/multimedia/archive/00730/eng_gaza_boom_BM_Ba_730886g.jpg width=80 height=53 alt= border=1brfont size=-2WELT ONLINE/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-0fd=Rurl=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-a-rizvi/the-middle-east-conflict_b_156155.htmlcid=1289492256ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNG9L4p1oUN4w5QEIgPLjaMCF-DA1AThe Middle East Conflict is Still a bReligion/b-Fueled One/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fHuffington Post,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobrJan 8, 2009/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Islam is the third and latest of the Abrahamic breligions/b. Although the Muslims in the conflict are probably the most unabashed and vocal in associating b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-1fd=Rurl=http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DAIa2LPXODMQcid=1289492256ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNEsJZSxkZxEpa_fi24vxscxjdsBVwVideo: UN pushes for Gaza ceasefire/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrRussiaToday/nobr/fontobject width=448 height=356param name=movie value=http://www.youtube.com/v/AIa2LPXODMQ/paramparam name=wmode value=transparent/paramembed src=http://www.youtube.com/v/AIa2LPXODMQtype=application/x-shockwave-flashwmode=transparentwidth=448height=356/embed/objectbr/fontfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-2fd=Rurl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/jan/07/middleeast-israelandthepalestinianscid=1289492256ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNETew_1SAvH3TYrgmiVZi-2bTM3KAHow breligion/b can help the Middle East/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrguardian.co.uk/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-3fd=Rurl=http://www.uwyo.edu/news/showrelease.asp%3Fid%3D27122cid=1289492256ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNFaKBAjjzdCX8w5H41lNcTdflE2EwbReligion/b Today Column for Week of Jan. 11-17/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrUniversity of Wyoming News/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-4fd=Rurl=http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp%3FarticleID%3D154995cid=1289492256ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNHc5HJ5VD4bJgm4UldfBDZOVAA9XQnobrMerinews/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-5fd=Rurl=http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/letters/story.html%3Fid%3D7a727254-2841-427b-ae1a-1fcbc5792f26cid=1289492256ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNG8OI0wmA7Edlb-DMtvFGhz_z_BognobrCalgary Herald/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1289492256hl=ennobrall 38,547 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

150 Years After #39;Origin of the Species#39;, Science and Religion ... - PR Newswire (press release)

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-0fd=Rurl=http://sev.prnewswire.com/publishing-information-services/20090109/DCFNS109012009-1.htmlcid=1291304217ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNG1-iyyIwm4SsesLW_zJbDs03_ltg150 Years After #39;Origin of the Species#39;, Science and bReligion/b b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPR Newswire (press release),nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobr8 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Today, 150 years after the publication of Darwin#39;s book, science and breligion/b remain as conflicted as ever when it comes to the subject of evolution. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-1fd=Rurl=http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/01/09/0109hinotes.htmlcid=1291304217ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNGq8cJzsY7YUTgRw8QxOnW0D7fXngHigher education notes/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrAustin American-Statesman/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1291304217hl=ennobrall 9 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Hernando religion calendar - Tampabay.com

Gustavo Monroy: Religion and suffering combine with artist#39;s own ... - Los Angeles Times

Religion Calendar - Tampabay.com

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-0fd=Rurl=http://www.tampabay.com/SearchForwardServlet.do%3FarticleId%3D964390cid=1291437998ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNGrDogtKIbGyR8e_zWC5zVS0z0bagbReligion/b Calendar/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fTampabay.com,nbsp;FLnbsp;-/font nobr52 minutes ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Please send breligion/b story ideas and breligion/b notes to Michelle Jones at mjones721@tampabay.rr.com or fax to (813) 684-2457 or call (813) 685-2200. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-1fd=Rurl=http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php%3FAID%3D34580%26CHID%3D14cid=1291437998ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNHbwsQzKe41lbGFErDdZRrnjCaePQbReligion/b Calendar/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrHarrisonburg Daily News Record/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1291437998hl=ennobrall 3 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Religion news in brief - The Associated Press

Losing my religion - New Zealand Herald

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/film/film-reviews/twisted-sister-is-heaven-sent/2009/01/09/1231004272101.htmlcid=1290961220ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNGc5GZimMAYp6TAZ7U8abFwEoWzrgimg src=http://nt0.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=EK2-psxQYpYJimgurl=www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2009/01/09/meryl2_090109034222401_wideweb__300x270.jpg width=80 height=72 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Sydney Morning Herald/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-0fd=Rurl=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/movies/news/article.cfm%3Fc_id%3D200%26objectid%3D10551136cid=1290961220ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNGABQaKS3lt9kXKjfkRMsf9-pQGIQLosing my breligion/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fNew Zealand Herald,nbsp;New Zealandnbsp;-/font nobr5 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Meryl Streep says she#39;s happiest when she#39;s involved in a role. Photo / Supplied by Walt Disney Awards season contender Doubt brings an array of screen b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-1fd=Rurl=http://www.gazette.uwo.ca/article.cfm%3Fsection%3DArts%26articleID%3D2036%26month%3D01%26day%3D09%26year%3D2009cid=1290961220ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNGY_eJVxBG7Q6EN-V1jAJ--KIKwHgDoubt seeks truth in unjust world/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Western Gazette/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-2fd=Rurl=http://www.examiner.com/x-1135-LA-Religion--Spirituality-Examiner~y2009m1d6-Having-doubt-about-Doubtcid=1290961220ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNF--iJU02K1U2JynRyh8MCmyuajAwHaving doubt about #39;Doubt#39;/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrExaminer.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1290961220hl=ennobrall 28 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Father Richard John Neuhaus: A Man Animated by His Faith - Wall Street Journal

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.ncregister.com/daily/father_richard_john_neuhaus_1936_2009/cid=1290969506ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNEhDWLl_QqDlitDomcfGYpHpPHjBAimg src=http://nt3.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=416GeVciXlsJimgurl=www.ncregister.com/images/nowBlog/cache/Father_Neuhaus-140x218.jpg width=52 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2National Catholic Register/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-0fd=Rurl=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123146278576166541.html%3Fmod%3Dgooglenews_wsjcid=1290969506ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNFFc-ETf_3yjh7SfXG0RaYEeViH1wFather Richard John Neuhaus: A Man Animated by His Faith/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWall Street Journalnbsp;-/font nobr17 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1In 1984, Pastor Neuhaus (then still a Lutheran) penned his landmark work, quot;The Naked Public Square: bReligion/b and Democracy in America. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-1fd=Rurl=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gi5j_2VUY-BYjkO1yKCjSjtCRr4QD95J56E80cid=1290969506ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNE9xgWUSBpfHakZ8haAw9_7By5KZgNeuhaus, influential Catholic conservative, dies/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Associated Press/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-2fd=Rurl=http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/08/america/09neuhaus.phpcid=1290969506ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNHi3lqJ5RfYTx2T08hCuIJCfsT6ZAFather Neuhaus, iconic US theologian, is dead at 72/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrInternational Herald Tribune/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-3fd=Rurl=http://www.getreligion.org/%3Fp%3D5769cid=1290969506ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNHiAU2DEKgiCaX2b4z--N3kYvy4_QDeath on a Thursday morning/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrGetReligion/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-4fd=Rurl=http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0900091.htmcid=1290969506ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNGvDB3U2G805htMQwhp6hh8Rfd0bgnobrCatholic News Service/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-5fd=Rurl=http://www.earnedmedia.org/sbrown0109.htmcid=1290969506ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNGZ6mV9VYaXWiIiF4v4al0-3hlr8wnobrChristian News Wire (press release)/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1290969506hl=ennobrall 196 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Neuhaus and Liberalism - Atlantic Online

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-0fd=Rurl=http://rossdouthat.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/01/neuhaus_and_liberalism.phpcid=1291442410ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNH-XDSQqEBjSZUihBino2kXdUP7gANeuhaus and Liberalism/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAtlantic Onlinenbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Neuhaus argued that the American constitutional order, and the form of liberalism it embodies, quot;is premised upon moral truths secured by breligion/b,quot; to quote b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-1fd=Rurl=http://culture11.com/blogs/theconfabulum/2009/01/09/on-neuhaus-and-foundationalism/cid=1291442410ei=1s5nSebfHt3EmQe-zfTVDAusg=AFQjCNFCxTJe59qG99Ilp5hEZIiLwoUbJQOn Neuhaus and Foundationalism/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrCulture11/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1291442410hl=ennobrall 2 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Religion - Google News

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