Religion is proof that people can be made to love on command while claiming they are doing so happily and of their own free will. It is also proof that people are willing to love those who threaten them with endless torture.
This should not be surprising, however, since it also convinces those same people that their coerced altruism has far less to do with simply their desire to save their soul from hell than it does with genuinely loving their “enemies;” whom they often think deserve to end up in hell far more than they do.
The only reason people "love their enemies" (which they never actually do, but they do a great job of "believing" they do, which makes them feel really good about telling others what to do and think) is not because they really care if those 'enemies' make it to heaven, but because they hope to avoid being thrown into hell for failing to obey such a commandment.
This should not be surprising, however, since it also convinces those same people that their coerced altruism has far less to do with simply their desire to save their soul from hell than it does with genuinely loving their “enemies;” whom they often think deserve to end up in hell far more than they do.
The only reason people "love their enemies" (which they never actually do, but they do a great job of "believing" they do, which makes them feel really good about telling others what to do and think) is not because they really care if those 'enemies' make it to heaven, but because they hope to avoid being thrown into hell for failing to obey such a commandment.
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