If life has no purpose for an atheist/agnostic (like a grain of sand) and in the end nothing really matters as some argue.
I don't think atheists and agnostics lack a purpose of their lives. Their concept of a purpose simply doesn't conform to any established ideology. Individually, they make up their own concept.
Not all Christians believe in a prescribed purpose. I don't believe in a prescribed purpose. Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. They became smart enough to think for themselves and make their own choices.
The fundamentalist believes this explains away Christianity, that when people have different ideas about Christianity that it means there is no Christianity. They say that it means you're making Christianity disappear.
I disagree with that view. Because the Bible serves as inspiration for my views, I have a common ground with these Christians. This is my link with other Christians. I drink from the same pool and eat from the same tree. Christianity is not defined by a consensus, but is what projects out from the same source. There is no need for a creed. We agree on the source, just not the product that emerges.
I remember the story of a young Christian man who had chosen to become a Buddhist. One day, he came home to his parents' home to find his 9-year-old sister crying uncontrollably. When he asked her why she was crying, she said it was because their parents had told her that he would never make it to heaven, and she was afraid she would never see him again after he died!
It's a shame there's so much fear in Christianity, especially when (according to my belief system) many reasons for these fears are groundless. (There is no question in my mind that she will meet her 'newly minted' Buddhist brother in the afterlife.)
Is all fear-mongering bad? I experienced that myself as a kid. I was a pretty naughty kid -- both at home and at school. I knew I was a bad kid. They used to say that "Santa Claus knows when you're been good or bad, so be good for goodness sake!"
The trouble with the "if you're not a Christian you're not going to heaven" ideology is that it doesn't make you a better person. If being Christian is about believing that Jesus died for your sins and therefore you are "saved," then that doesn't encourage you to be a better person. It suggests that it's ok to be a bad person. As long as you accept a particular label, you go to heaven!!!
This is not a constructive teaching. It's much better to tell your kids that they won't be getting presents from Santa if they're naughty!!!
People eventually grow out of this stuff anyway. I don't think it's necessarily damaging to a child to promote or maintain fantasies that make them better people or help them overcome difficulties in life. Santa helps little kids to behave and if your child is complaining about imaginary monsters under the bed, I think the fantastic monster spray is a good approach. Denying that there are monsters gives them the idea that mummy isn't the hero the child admires.
There is of course the tough love approach that you silly sausage there's nothing there!!! Grow up!!! Mummy won't be here forever. What if mum dies in a car accident? What will you do then? The monsters will eat you!!
I think the story of Jesus' death and resurrection has been twisted to address guilt that doesn't exist. Yes, we all make mistakes but the story of Jesus' death and resurrection isn't about mistakes or character flaws, but things that actually create grief and sorrow in the form of guilt.
Too many Christians fall for the trap of acting like people confessing to the Community Party.
Leniency will be shown to those who confess, so people make up crimes they never committed in order to show their loyalty to the Communist Party!!!! Get out of my country you Communist Christians! You Red Guards!!! Mao Zedong is not going to spread his socialism here. -- I mean errr, confessionism.
People who are not guilty should not be confessing. Consider the public scrutiny surrounding the cheating scandals of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Clinton. Imagine the emotional trauma of being dragged into the spotlight, being scrutinised. Arnold and Bill, you've been really naughty boys. Repent and be forgiven.
Bill Clinton: I did not have sexual relations with that woman!!!
The shame and embarrassment was real. Bill was red in the face. It would have been a humbling experience. It wasn't about asking God for forgiveness. It was about asking America for forgiveness.
There is no doubt Bill Clinton's denial has been repeated over and over again ad nauseum in comedy shows and Youtube. But it never gets old or boring because we hear the intensity of Bill's voice in the denial -- of a naughty kid caught red handed and being unable to defend himself. Bill was cornered and felt unable to escape.
That is what real guilt is.
Guilt is like a monster that lurks under the bed. You don't use the monster spray unless your kid really believes there is a monster under the bed. Too many people use the monster spray when there's no monster.
"But, Mummy I don't believe in that stuff anymore!!!"
Jesus said, "judge not and you will not be judged." The death and resurrection was a way to cure people of their legalism and judgmentalism. These were the monsters of religion and Jesus was the monster-killing spray.
