TEXAS FAITH: Why does a strong belief in heaven and hell motivate people?

Versions of Heaven and Hell

"The majority of people who absolutely believe in Heaven and Hell are always or often motivated by their faith to pursue excellence, which certainly would please most organization owners. This relationship is strongest among those who absolutely believe in Hell." 

Here is one of the 15 responses at Dallas Morning News;
http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/10/texas-faith-why-does-strong-belief-in.html

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

A strong belief in heaven and hell is clearly a motivating factor in one's life. The strength stems from clarity and doubtlessness which powers the individual's mind or heart to take the bold steps with least hesitancy, boosting one's self confidence and productivity in whatever he or she chooses to do.

It is another thing whether the hell and heaven are real tangible things. To many the descriptions in the Bible, Quraan, Torah, Bhagvad Gita, Avesta, Guru Granth Saheb and other holy books are real. For many others it signifies the essence of justice and balance, the idea of heaven and hell are behavior modifiers to some causing one to be a good human to fellow beings.

Yet, to some heaven and hell are what we go through in our solitude as a consequence of our behavior; actions, words and thoughts. Every one ultimately wants freedom, nirvana, Mukti, Moksha, Nijaat and salvation from misery and pain and falls on one of the pathways.

Indeed, the leap of faith is both productive and destructive. It is dangerous when a few in the Middle East teach their children to believe that there is a greater reward for them with God for establishing their version of righteousness causing the 9/11 and other killings. It is dangerous when a few among the right-wingers in the West use the pulpit to teach their congregants that the Mormons, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Hindus and Buddhist are cults and false religions.

Both these extreme groups believe that others have to be wrong for them to be right resulting in crusades, the Holocaust, genocides, massacres and other atrocities. What an irony of belief.

On the other hand, a majority of goodness we see in the world is because of the same strength of belief in hell and heaven that motivates people to do the right thing. They serve and care for fellow beings without distinction.

I believe (non-empirically) that the destructive men are less than 1/10th of 1% of any group of people, be it religious, ethnic, racial or other uniqueness. They are the insecure folks, and it is the duty of society at large to bring them into the fold of co-existence; a living heaven for humanity. These folks need assurance that no one is bent on destroying them.

Most of us are reluctant deciders, and more often than not, we find relief when someone else makes the call. Whether it is a decision about a family member where doctors have given up and make suggestions to go the hospice route, stop feeding or a painful decision to divorce, we are eager to hear a confident assuring voice that the decision is the best given the situation, lifting a huge burden off us.

This is precisely the function of religion that I admire. When we know there is injustice, and lost hope in humanity, a faith in God restores one's ability to hold us together and free us from anxieties and apprehensions.

Fifteen Texas Faith Panelists respond here at Dallas Morning News:

 http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/10/texas-faith-why-does-a-strong.html

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Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and the public. He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Politics, Islam, interfaith, India and Peace. Over a thousand articles have been published on the topics and two of his books are poised to be released on Pluralism and Islam. Mike's work is reflected in 4 website's and 27 Blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/ and you can find all of his current articles at www.TheGhousediary.com  

Is Hell Dead?

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/04/is-hell-dead.html

Hell is not dead, nor will it die but dying it is.

Texas Faith is a weekly column at Dallas Morning News where a dozen religious panelists opine on issues facing the nation. I am blessed to be one sharing a pluralistic perspective on issues of the day. No group has a monopoly on good, bad and ugly things of life, we are equally responsible for creating a cohesive society where you and I can live without apprehension of the other and live the life and let others live theirs.  This weeks question is responded by 14 Panelists in the following link: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/04/texas-faith-is-hell-dead.html

Here is my take

Hell is not dead, nor will it die but dying it is.

Hell is different things to different people; to some it is a real thing where one burns on renewable embers for eternity. At the other end of the spectrum it is pure anguish to some, and yet to some it ain’t there.

But one thing is certain, an increasing number of people believe hell is a thing of the past used as a deterrent to prevent wrong doing.  The latest research from Barna Associates shows that only 32 percent of adults see hell as, "an actual place of torment and suffering where people's souls go after death.”

"I don't think fear, as a tactic, really moves people toward faith these days," Pastor Bill Hybels said. "So, tactically, I think there are better ways to interest the uninterested in the claims of Jesus Christ."  Pope Benedict reiterates, "Jesus came to tell us everyone is wanted in paradise, and that hell, about which little gets said today, exists and is eternal for those who shut their hearts to His love."

People simply don't want to hear about Hell any more, they have enough of it in their own lives to listen to another one.

They are searching for a door to escape momentarily and prefer attending a Church, Mosque, Synagogue, Temple or other place of worship to hear about peace and hope, where no one is apprehensive of the other under the big tent. This phenomenon is part of the people regardless of their religion, some Muslims go to a Mosque at the tail end of a sermon to catch up with the prayers and avoid hearing about hell.

Author Theologian RC Sproul writes, "Many evangelical pastors have bristled at the thought of being labeled a "fire and brimstone" preacher and turned to a kinder, gentler approach.

Joel Osteen has captured that market well; he understands their needs and consistently delivers a message of hope to over 30,000 a week including me.  People are also turning to silent mediation centers to get away from the hell pounding in the sanctuaries.

An empirical research is warranted to determine a correlation between decline in church attendance and the sermons of hell, hate and fear.

The hell is indeed dying, and the individuals are discovering the myths of Santa Claus and the myths of Hell.

Bottom Line:

Here is a possibility you may want to ponder. Every item of the universe, life or matter is created to seek its own balance for survival. Matter is programmed to seek its own balance, where as humans are not, they have the free will to find that elusive balance through a variety of religious, psychological, social or common sense guidance.

In life when someone wrongs you, you cry out loud seeking justice in a variety of formats; it is indeed a balance seeking mechanism. Religions offer the scenario of hell or reincarnations in lower forms as a punishment; it gives hope to the victims of oppression that no one will go scot free and yet God offers an alternative plan; forgiveness. It is Central to the teachings of Jesus and found in every religious and spiritual tradition. In Islam, Quraan Guides one with this thought; the one God loves most is the one who forgives.

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Mike Ghouse, President of America Together foundation is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and the public. He is available to speak at your place of worship, campus, work, seminars and conferences. He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Islam, interfaith, India and Peace. Mike's work is reflected in 4 websites and 27 Blogs at http://www.mikeghouse.net/

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Profiles :http://pluralismspeaker.blogspot.com/