Aimee Walker
A retired priest says ‘Hell was invented by the Church to control people’.
Bishop John Shelby Spong, who lives in the US, has an unusual view on the afterlife considering what his former profession was.
Opening up about it, he said: “I happen to believe in life after death. But I don’t think it’s got a thing to do with religion or punishment.
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“Religion is always in the control business. And that’s something people don’t really understand. It’s a guilt-producing control business.
In a 2006 interview with NBC, he said Heaven is used as a reward while Hell is a punishment, with both helping to control the population.
Discussing his concept, the bishop explained: “They create this fiery place which has quite literally scared the hell out of a lot of people throughout Christian history.
“The Church doesn’t like for people to grow up, because you can’t control grown-ups.”
He added: “People don’t need to be born again. They need to grow up. They need to accept their responsibility for themselves and the world.”
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