Understanding the mentality and world view of the Christian Fundamentalist

Basically, the Evangelical Christian has two powerful things controlling his/her mind and emotions – the fear of eternal punishment in hell and the reward of eternal paradise in heaven. Those are essentially the two most powerful things that can control someone’s mind, period. They are the ultimate brainwashing tools ever designed. No question about it.Now keep in mind that heaven and hell are not some abstract concept or theory to them. No, they are absolute LITERAL FACTUAL truths! No less true than the fact that falling off a cliff is harmful or the fact that your body needs food and water to live. Therefore, they take them VERY seriously indeed. It’s no joke to them at all, especially when the eternal destiny of the soul is at stake. And that’s why they are so adamant that you become saved too, because in their minds, it is like watching you driving toward the edge of a cliff, and since they care about you, they want to warn you of the reality of the situation. That’s what it boils down to.. It’s not about disrespect for your rights, , freedom, or choices. It’s really about their 1) genuine concern for the eternal judgment of your soul, and their 2)sense of duty to God, after being given eternal life and being saved, to do his will to to preach God’s message of Salvation to you,which is the least they could do for being given immortality.

Now think of the implications of this. Remember that this is all literal factual truth to them. Here’s what that means to someone who genuinely believes these things.It means that these are ETERNAL consequences in their minds. What that means technically is that an eternal heaven means a bliss and paradise for them that is never-ending without end, where billions of years or trillions of years have no measurement at all. After all, that’s what infinity means. On the other hand, an eternal hell also means a state of suffering and pain forever and ever. This means that even if one was suffering, tormented,, and in extreme pain in hell for a billion years or a trillion years, it would still not stop because eternity means that time does not exist. It would go on and on and on.It NEVER ends, EVER! Think of that for a moment, not as some abstract theory that’s “out there” but as a literal fact that could ACTUALLY happen to you! If you seriously see that as a realistic possibility, you can understand why it is a VERY VERY VERY SCARY concept indeed! Much more infinitely terrible than you can possibly imagine. Heck, not even Adolf Hitler would deserve such a predicament,and especially not average people, and all just because the original humans ate a fruit off the wrong tree at the beginning of creation? Come on now…....

Now perhaps you can understand and sympathize with the Evangelicals’ inclination to try to convert you and “save” you. After all, if you believed your loved ones, friends,, or acquaintances were heading toward eternal torment, you would also be greatly concerned about their souls as well, wouldn’t you? I remember how agonized I was about my unsaved parents who wouldn’t believe.I had many sleepless nights squirming over their future predicament (in my mind of course),), of being eternally tormented in hell with no end and no way out, and regretting that they didn’t listen to my warning. I loved them and didn’t want that to happen to them, but I was powerless to do anything about it because they wouldn’t accept Jesus as Savior. I didn’t think it was fair of course, but that’s what God’s word said. It was very nerve-wracking. Hopefully, this should help you understand why they take their beliefs so seriously,so that you won’t be too hard on them for it. Here’s some verses that illustrate this: Matthew 13:41-42 "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend,and them which do iniquity; and shall castthem into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 25:46 "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but but the righteous into life eternal." Matthew 25:41 "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 "Them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord,and from the glory of His power." Revelation 14:11, "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image,and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." Revelation 20:15 warns "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."You see how scary this can get if you take it literally?