I was shopping the other day when a man with a microphone told me that if I did not do what he told me to do, I would be tortured in hell by being repeatedly burnt alive. It occurred to me that this is a pretty unpleasant thing to say to someone.
When a preacher of any denomination tells a child that they will go to hell and be tortured for eternity if they deny the holy spirit or commit some other sin, is this any more acceptable than an atheist telling a child that they will be beaten if they do not do as they are told?
Assuming the child believes what they are told, is it acceptable to frighten them to the extent that they suffer psychological trauma?
The answer seems obvious to me (so yes the questions are loaded), but every religious group I have ever encountered uses threats of torture aimed at children to either convert by fear, or retain loyalty by fear. I'm having a hard time understanding how this can be justified.
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