heaven-and-hell

Heaven & Hell

There are no such things as Heaven and Hell. They are religious inventions to keep people indoctrinated.

You can motivate donkeys to move by dangling a carrot in front of them, or hitting their rump with a stick. Heaven is the ultimate carrot and Hell is the supreme stick.

These ideas allow religious leaders to influence people who reject their teachings, reward those who follow them, and lend the illusion of importance to their teachings. The promise of Heaven and the threat of Hell is how followers are retained. Many religions base morality entirely around acceptance of and entrance to Heaven.

In contrast, secularism prompts people to help others with the goal of reducing suffering.