I recently had to re-download Instagram, and I have to keep it for a couple of days. Stupid as I am, I scrolled a bit and stumbled upon a video about a debate/talk show with Christian influencers. The video was from mid-october, which was pretty weird because it just appeared on my Instagram “home feed”, where normally only posts from pages I follow and advertisements are displayed. That alone made me think if that was a "sign". Because the debate was bascially about being queer/christian, and I struggle a lot with fear of hell and I think the main reason is because I'm queer myself.
I made the mistake and went on the profile of one of those influencers. I stumbled upon sentences like “for God, people are either lost or saved. Nothing in between”. In the talk, he also said that being gay is a rebellion against God and you basically cannot be gay and Christian/religious.
I’m having a lot of trouble with such things, and I really don’t know how to handle that. Of course, I’ll stay away from Instagram, but I’m so easily triggered all the time, for example by people preaching on the street or walking with signs like “Repent before it’s too late” etc. I won’t be able to go through life without these triggers. Especially this whole “saved” “born again” topic is really triggering to me, because I’m afraid of the afterlife/hell, or rapture/apocalypse etc. Things like "repent before it's too late" really get to me and cause a very strong panic in me.
BTW, I wasn't raised religiously, and I really don't know why I'm so "obsessed" with these topics...
Maybe someone here had similar difficulties and would like to share some advice
I think the fear of hell is the main reason why these religions are so strong and the main reason why I despise them :-D
Perhaps these will help:
a) The Christian Hell concept is probably bullshit. If you want an analysis of a bible scholar on the subject, check Bart Ehrman's works. There are several videos of him discussing this issue on YouTube and I particularly suggest this one. The topic isn't very difficult to grasp, so I suggest you just listen to his talks while doing something else. I think listening to him will make you feel at ease.
b) I recommend focusing on secular research on the afterlife rather than on religious traditions. I compiled some interesting material in this post. I've never seen one's sexuality being a factor when it comes to these topics.
Good luck, best regards and merry Christmas!
The first thing to do is avoid social media where there are triggers for you. Avoid the triggers as much as reasonably possible, as you do not need to add problems to your life.
As for this:
The way I got over the fear of hell was thoroughly no longer believing in it, believing instead that it is just silly ideas from primitive, superstitious people. I came to that conclusion from examining the idea carefully, and considering the fact that there is no reason to believe the Bible is any more special than other ancient writings, like The Iliad and The Odyssey.
As for hell, there is good reason to believe that it not only does not exist, but is not even possible.
The best scientific evidence indicates that death is the end, that one's mind is a proper subset of the processes of the brain, or the result of those processes. This is why people with brain damage can have changed personalities (like Phineas Gage) and also why when one drinks alcohol, one's mind is altered due to the alcohol in the brain. It also is shown in dementia patients, as their minds slowly are destroyed instead of going suddenly in death. If you want to read about some fascinating cases of brain damage and its affects, you might want to pick up a copy of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks. You can read a bit about that book here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Mistook_His_Wife_for_a_Hat
So, when one's brain stops doing those processes that constitute "you," you will cease to exist. All of the scientific evidence points to that.
Thus, no afterlife, so no hell to worry about. The year 2200 will be just like the year 1800 was for you, nothing at all, because you did not exist in 1800 and will not exist in 2200. So you will have no problems at all ever again once you are dead.
That is why it is silly to believe in hell. The whole promise of Christianity is just a fairy tale, with no basis in fact and does not fit reality.
If you want proof that the god you fear does not exist send me a message. If you realise you can be who you are without fear you will finally be able to live free. 😉
If I have to go to hell away from religious people, it's a blessing for me... Oh, I almost forgot, God is merciful, so he would never send me to hell, because I've never committed a serious crime. What I am and what I do is nothing compared to what cruel people do. And the only thing I'll regret is not having enjoyed life's pleasures even more. Fuck my sins!