Non-Christians: does it aggravate you when Christians or their pamphlets use fear to try and convert you?

It irritates me also. You also make a great point about saying: "I could tell my kids that if they don't obey and love me then I'm going to burn them with a blow torch, but somehow I think everyone would be screaming about how wrong and evil that is." Fear is not the way to help people understand. Teaching with peace and with a friendly manner would work better.

I like the analogy you made about children.

The "carrot and stick" approach sometimes does work with children, in the short term. But any good parent knows you should be motivating them in ways that develop their consciences and sense of responsibility, not training them to "do what I say and get the carrot, don't and you get the stick." That's no way to turn a child into a decent adult.

Why any religion tries to create this harmful "obedience" in people is beyond me. There are Christians who understand that the point is to get people to consider the impacts of their behaviors, not to yell "I'm a Christian! Please don't burn me!" They aren't the sort of Christians who are sending out pamphlets, though.

(I got one once that told parents that if their children were undisciplined, did badly in school, and were defiant, it was because they'd gone Trick'or'Treating and gotten candy that had been cursed by a witch. Apparently as a message that "Come join our church, and we'll give you an excuse for being a bad parent.")

I am a Christian without pamphlets. And it sounds like you got on some kind of Chick Tract mailing list. Obviously the fear of hell is an argument with no impact on people who do not believe in hell.

I try to "advertise" my faith by the way I live my life and the way I treat other people. I think Christians would do well to realize that is a much more effective persuasion. But it is harder and takes a lot more self-control (something I am still working on.)

Christianity has always used fear as a bludgeon which is why it is a death cult. Fear of dying is the ultimate fear. But, aha, don't be afraid, give everything you own to the church and you'll go to "heaven" where you'll get a Cadillac. That's almost as good as the 72 virgins you get in the other death cult.

Both Christianity and Islam are hell bent on conversion. For 2,000 years they've been devoted to converting Jews and each other by any means available including murder, torture and threats. So consider yourself lucky that it's a pamphlet and not a sword that they use to tempt you and your family.

It does irritate me, but not for the reasons you probably think it does. What irritates me is I have actually studied the bible in its original languages (they DO make study bibles for that, you know, and transliterations abound if you want to cross reference) and know that the lake of fire is for demons, not people. Also, "Hell" does not appear in the bible and is not even a Hebrew thing, "sheol" is the word that is used. Sheol translates to "grave". When people do the whole fire and brimstone thing, they're making their own deity seem petty and evil. If *I* were that deity, I'd definitely be angry at them for making me seem like a douchebag by misrepresenting my words.

I am irritated that I, a Nordic Heathen, am more familiar with the ACTUAL words in their book than the vast majority of those christians. In my tradition of Heathenism, we are expected to study and learn about many faiths before we study our own cultural, traditional faith and make the commitment to live as a Heathen as adults. I have no idea why christians don't require the same thing. It would cut down on the amount of stupid in their faith, that's for sure. At least they should study their own faith in its original languages, just as we do with all the faiths we study, including our own, and then represent it and their deity correctly. (and preferably FIX all those mistranslations they've been slinging about for years....) It takes longer, but it is worth the time to understand your own faith. Isn't it?

If God's own words are be found in the Bible. Why do we need a pamphlet anyway?

God is very weak if it takes a man or organization of men to explain what god believes. He God should be able to blow the socks off all doubters with simple words found in his book.

Since that is not the case, everyone and his brother has an interpretation of what God thinks.

Yes it does irritate me, fear is just a way to control the masses, getting repeatedly told I'm going to hell is not inspiring enough to make me believe in the bible.

I find it amusing. I love how the first fear tactic used against people who DON'T believe in Hell is the threat of Hell fire. Lol, way to make your case.

Great analogy with the kids! Right on, hate this heard it all my life growin up. Check out http://bible-truths.com/ for a very well researched and biblical study of hell and where it came from!

just ask them 'Do you want to know about my beliefs?'

they will run away in horror quick smart!

they are scaring people into their religion so they can get more bums on seats & followers that will give more money for the church

we are not in the dark ages anymore these tactics are not so scary & people are able to make up their own minds!