Hell Fire

I saw this image on Facebook, and many more like it smeared across the religious debate pages, seemingly in some attempt to convert the Mormons into "Biblical Christianity" and "Traditional Christianity." I can only guess the intention behind posting such images is fear or the belief that a picture matched with an interpretation of a Bible verse will somehow jolt a Mormon into changing his or her ways.

There is one issue, well....actually two I have with this image. I don't care that Joseph Smith is being defamed and mocked. That kind of stuff is going to happen, but what is the thought process behind the supposedly link between mocking Smith and getting LDS to convert? Do people really think that calling Smith a liar and a fraud and claiming he is in Hell will somehow get Mormons to convert? I wouldn't think of ripping into John Calvin to try and convert Presbyterians (and, yes, I know that Smith was a Prophet and Calvin was just a religious leader, so the semantics can stop before they get started....I'm just drawing a comparison).

Gracing the binary landscape of the immortal time waster of the social networking world brings a lot of name calling. Smith, according to many Christians on the Internet, was a liar, charlatan, sex crazed maniac, megalomaniac, murdered, swindler, liar, and a host of colorful adjectives that will somehow get Mormons to convert to "Biblical Christianity" and "Traditional Christianity." I've just never understood the thought process. Maybe someone can help me.

And, there is another issue I have with the image; namely, the same issue I had attending a Southern Baptist Church for so long:  the seemingly joyful attitude some have with others being punished in Hell. It seems mightily sadistic to hope for such punishment on anyone, let alone pass judgment on those of the past. Hitler's name always comes up with the Hell conversation, and this deep desire of some people to have eternal hell fire eat away at people who they think should be punished.

Personally, I hope nobody goes to Hell. I would hope that everybody finds a way to accept the Fullness of the Gospel and can live in Heaven. Regardless of if the person is Hitler or Stalin or Ted Bundy, everybody deserves Salvation and Jesus died for everyone. Yes, there are many who did some very evil things in this life, but I don't want to just brush them off and revel in the idea that they are suffering. Maybe it is just me, but I don't want to see people suffering and I don't particularly feel glad with the thought that someone is in Hell. I'm no better than anybody else in this world and somehow thinking that I am because I believe in Jesus makes me a terrible person--the complete opposite of humble and charitable.