Hi evangelicalhumanist

----> " So why do so many parents – and their churches – teach children in their millions that God will condemn them to eternal torture for any number of things, including not believing in just the right thing?
Is that not precisely the same sort of cruelty? " <-----

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You are suggesting we are 'teaching' our children this information that if we do a "mortal" sin such as 'Murder" we will go to Hell . However the Religious people who teach this to their children are not 'teaching' them but are 'informing ' them that not God nor Mom and Dad nor the neighbour will make the decisions for you to do the right thing such as do not harm or hurt others as this is what God sends to us in His messages .
God also tells us that God does not send anyone to Hell and only your self can do this but God is saying that the 'Gates to Heaven' are there for anyone just as the 'door to the Pit' of Hell is also available . lt is not up to God to decide your Fate and it is up to you .

If life 'only' continues in the people we leave behind alive then this means something also . When we look at the people who have died , 'everyone ' , we see that the memory of Jesus is quite alive in the millions and millions . We also see Moses and the Disciples as the same . Others such as ones who cared and loved Mankind through their actions are also remembered after they die .

If our life is only a memory to others after we die then some memories are living longer than others . If you did the right things in your life and cared etc and many people felt your love and kindness , they might keep their memories of you alive for months or years and then they fade away and eventually cease to exist just as the Atheist believes that is all there is to life and death ,, life and memories left behind by the ones we affected while alive giving the Atheist a purpose to show their love to people and say what they feel from their ' purity of Intentions" because it is your ' purity of intentions' which will seal your Fate and your life with God , Atheist or not .

God offers many Paths from Atheist to Islam to Jewish etc to get to God and any one will take you there but there is only one route to Hell . It is seen in our behaviour and no one knows what goes on behind closed doors .

mooomooo