Christians do not care if others
damned
If you worry that bad things will happen, this is inconsistent with
the notion of an all-good God who is in control of all things. If
there is no God, anxiety is useless. If there is a God, it is also
useless. And there is the additional problem of doubting that he is
really taking control in a helpful way. That idea adds to the
problems as if anxiety isn't irrational enough! Perhaps if God lets
something bad happen to us for a good reason, it does not mean we
have to be happy about it. Perhaps being worried if we get sick does
not mean we lack faith in God. Christians say that if you are
seriously ill, you can be glad that your suffering is not worse and
you can be upset that you suffer and there is nothing wrong with
that.
It is baffling how Christians who believe that their loved ones and
friends will go to Hell unless they repent can be happy. The only
possible answer they have is, "I refuse to worry about those others.
I will worry about myself. It is up to God to decide if they will go
to Hell not me." If a parent let a toddler wander about on a dual
carriageway unsupervised, would you expect them to say, "I refuse to
worry about the child. I will worry about myself. It is up to God to
decide if she will be okay not me." You would consider the parent to
be a psychopath for not worrying. No sane person who truly believes
people can suffer terribly for all eternity in Hell will avoid
worrying. Worrying is useless but that is not the point. To say you
will not worry because it is up to God to judge is one hell of a
strange argument. The problem is that God will judge at least some
of them or perhaps all of them. It being up to God to judge is a
reason to worry not a reason not to worry. Even if worry is
irrational, one thing is for sure, if Hell exists then it would be
irrational NOT to worry about it. Worry is rational if something so
horrific can really happen to a person. If you really believe in
Hell you will worry more in case somebody will go to it than you
will worry about them getting sick or dying. The letter of James
says that if faith does not match actions it is not really faith.
Human nature makes people say lots of things they do not mean. If
Christians really believed in Hell and it was not just their wishful
thinking that it should exist, they would be in the throes of
despair and fear if not for themselves then for others. Those who do
believe only care only for themselves.
Paul in the Bible claims to be greatly tormented at the thought of
how Israel rejected Christ and said if possible he would be happy to
be condemned in its place. This clearly shows there is Biblical
warrant for being torn apart with worry and sorrow. Please read
Romans 9. He did not condone happy clappy Christians who are smug in
their own salvation while anticipating Hell or the risk of Hell for
their friends and family.