The reason for this offence :
"Mr Gladwin said he was 'astounded' when he spotted the poster by chance as he was walking home. He said: 'I was just astounded really. We live in the 21st century and they have put that message - that non-Christians will burn in hell - up to try and scare people into joining their mentality.'"
My view?
Hmmm, this seems to me to be the traditional Christian message, so why the fuss? This isn't anything new for 2,000 years of Christianity, namely that humanity is in nature essentially evil or sinful because of the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (original sin) as well as the sins we commit during life, therefore God sent his son to be a blood sacrifice so that anyone who believes in him won't take the punishment for these sins and therefore not go to hell, but heaven. Furthermore Christians are told by their founder to go and convert people. Jesus was a free gift, but you have to accept this free gift it seems, to enter into heaven. This is how every single Christian I know understands the basic nature of their faith and I get Christians see me as a 'hell bound' sinner for not believing their religion & even worse for doing everything I've been able to do, such as putting the counter case to Christianity according to the Bible, as a response to them trying to convert my family members who've encountered this missionary work .
But as for the claims of hell? So what?
The only power such ideas have over me is if I actually believed this idea (which I don't because that would mean many of my dear relatives and friends who have died non Christians were currently being tortured in this Christian 'hell', something which I can't believe a just and good God would permit, but I digress). I personally cannot see the justice in someone entering a heaven simply of the basis of knowing Jesus; you could be an utter prick and evil person, but still get in by that criteria (my brother's words, not mine btw). In Jewish thought, we have a wide variety of views, including reincarnation, but I do behold to an after life and a place of spiritual cleansing before we go to this place, which is referred to as 'Gan Eden'. I also believe that non Jews have a place in the world to come. Not by belief , but by action. This seems more logical or at least just.
"Hear O Israel The L-rd our G-d. The L-rd alone".
