Stygiophobia

[Joanna]

I looked on a phobia list which includes arachnophobia (fear of spiders) and agoraphobia (fear of going out) and stygiophobia (fear of hell) commonly caused by chuch teaching on hell.

What help do churches which teach hell give to those traumatised by hellfire teaching - do they offer pastoral care and prayer, Christian counselling or are they unsympathetic and offer no help?  How have your ministers/pastors/priests reacted when you say that the hell thing really terrifies you?  Chuches offer help and ministry to those scared of spiders or afraid to go out but it seems they offer no help at all if you're scared of hell.

Universal salvation helps people who has been troubled by the teaching of eternal torment and takes their fears seriously.

[Tom]

I wouldn't trust any psychological counseling provided by the same institution that's responsible for the insanity. That's why I say you need to get out of church and into God.

[sheila]

  Our own Roger can testify to the terrible mental/emotional abuse such teachings cause. I remember shulamite on Bill's board.....

  and how sick her son become because of such teachings,also.

   the jw's even though they preach annhilation doctrine..is known in the psycholigical fields for having a greater rate of depression/

suicidal tendicies than normal  population due to their legalistic oppressive religious regime....

   such overcome religious institutions would like to insert themselves between you and your saviour.  Those that seek to

   Lord it over someones faith..like this..do not give freely as they recieved..but make merchandise of people.

    proclaiming freedom to your brothers.........not taking them as your slave because ye share a bit of bread with them

[Tom]

Right, how can sane people who haven't had their consciences cauterized by religious programming easily accept the possibility of their loved ones and themselves being tortured in fire forever by a loving God? It's crazy and can make you crazy if you really think about it, and it doesn't make sense because it's a lie.

[Lazarus Short]

To study the history of Hell, what is is and is not, where it came from, and the absurdity of being sent there, is to make Hell (and the fear of it!) go [poof].

[Tom]

Amen, brother. All you have to do is read church history and how church doctrine came to be. Then get hold of an accurate translation that doesn't have "hell" in it. Scripture then becomes a whole new story that makes sense.

[rosered]

 
I never forgot about
    Andrea yates  whom   drown her 5 children  for fear they would burn in hell  everlasting  ,  she is in prison   now  literally , but was in prison way before  the iron bars surrounded her   .

  I am so saddened and   pray for mercy on that poor woman    being so vexed  , may she find true peace in the  True and living God

   The abuse many are mentally  taken advantage of  is  staggering ..

[Tom]

Amen, sis, that's why I have compassion for our brothers and sisters who are still deceived, but I don't hesitate to expose the lie of church doctrine.

[Searching_For_The_Truth]

I looked on a phobia list which includes arachnophobia (fear of spiders) and agoraphobia (fear of going out) and stygiophobia (fear of hell) commonly caused by chuch teaching on hell.

What help do churches which teach hell give to those traumatised by hellfire teaching - do they offer pastoral care and prayer, Christian counselling or are they unsympathetic and offer no help?  How have your ministers/pastors/priests reacted when you say that the hell thing really terrifies you?  Chuches offer help and ministry to those scared of spiders or afraid to go out but it seems they offer no help at all if you're scared of hell.

Universal salvation helps people who has been troubled by the teaching of eternal torment and takes their fears seriously.

They would make people feel better by preaching the Once Saved Always Saved Notion

[marie glen]

...a whole new story that makes sense.

Many good posts but I just had to comment on this phrase as that's what truly blesses me most.. almost as much as UR.. as I would put it.. (the sense of) a whole story that makes sense.. to me, that's what Truth is. :smile: