Hellfire and Damnation

It's Sunday and I'm curious. There is a discussion board called Internet Infidels that I frequent. The discussions are broad-ranging though I tend to stick to the evolution and science threads. Recently (well, actually it happens all the time), someone came on, linked to another site and challenged us to 'be crushed by the Lord'. Perhaps those exact words were not used, but that was the gist of the challenge. So, like a beetle being drug to the dung pile, I followed. That site is another wacko Christianity run amok website.
Now, I was raised in a Christian home. My father and mother were lay missionaries in Colombia. We lived in Bogota and worked in the poorer barrios for nearly 3 years. At no time was I ever told by my parents or the many devout people who worked with the mission that it was our way or hell. Yet, this far-right leaning website and others always trot out the 'You're going to die and start gnashing your teeth if you don't follow our view of Christianity. To which I would reply, "Who the hell wants to follow you?". I read things like this:

Whether you believe in God or not when you die "jmeert", you will bow your knees to Him on judgment day, and if you have not taken Christ as your Savior, you will IN FACT go where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

You see putting all your faith in the seen things of life is no excuse, because God has revealed Himself to you with what He has created. Even His eternal Godhead is seen in nature.

The problem with the science you use is this, you cannot study the realm of the unseen, and if there is a Higher Power in this realm and you die. What excuse could you give that He would justify you by?

To which I would (sarcastically) reply..What if I lose my teeth before I die? Will I still be able to gnash them? If I am able to gnash them, isn't that better than not being able to gnash at all? Anyway, it seems to me that the only reason to make such a threat is that the individual lacks the self-control to live a normal lifestyle without the threat of revenge by a god who would rather see you burn forever. Then again, that's just me.

Cheers

Joe Meert