Rewards for good behaviour and punishments for wrongdoing are a human invention. In reality there are no punishments or rewards, only consequences.
When a Bible-bashing preacher threatens people with Gawd's wrath it's just another way of saying, 'Your father's going to give you such a hiding when he gets home!'. But your father isn't coming home--your 'Father in heaven' that is. You're on your own.
^It can also argued that the actions which we take leading, to the consequences that arise therefrom is our punishment...self imposed.
Although I love to find freedom from unnecessary punishment but still- if we erase the notion of hell or heaven entirely, there will be nothing-ness, a total shut down (vanish) or a limbo after life (when good and bad souls crowding a single place) whatever it is..I afraid there will be no justice.
All monotheism gods are crazy sociopaths but the good thing about them that they are biased, one sided, having black and white mentality. They are very into favoritism, sentimental and quite revengeful. Now speaking of wrongdoers- when I was still living with religion, I just 'carefree' thinking that gawd will punish whoever did me wrong.
If there is no gawd- then there will be no consequences because everything seems appear without purpose, therefore we rely on "luck." If there is no gawd, not ALL bad guys will be punished, not all crimes will be persecuted because some people are "luckier" than others.
What Im thinking..if there is no gawd then the universe is without purpose- like a giant computer machine throwing random numbers and variable across the physical world 'seems legit to me, but I still have something bother me inside my mind: that I still dont understand the notion of suffering. Why some people/creatures inside our world are suffering while not the others?
To suffer is identical with unequally and also punishment. If we suffer of something- either emotional/physical (trauma,abuse,sickness) without anything predates to wrongdoing (mistake/ sin, etc) Doesn't it feel strange?
Does it make us think/ask..."what did I do to deserve this?"
Who choose to earn cancer? To born under poverty? To born under abusive family? Am I punished?- a querent might ask.
Or am I just unlucky?
Why a vile-scummy neighbor happen to be rich, powerful and healthy and Im not?
^
for: example
If there is no gawd- we're living based on luck- based on our cosmic lottery number.
We all started from a cell..
~You could be low life creature such as slug, snails, worm, plankton,plants..with either good or bad life because you dont have any intelligence to describe yourself.
~ You could be a smart creature but low in food chain like being an octopus nearby shore of South Korea (prepare for gruesome death)
~You could be vertebrae animal;
good if you're a lion
bad if you're a hyena and happen to male (weaker) may you live well, well feed, not under starvation and hopefully you never cussing the lions
or this could happen in your bad day:
still being an animal;
~You could be a cute pomeranian- picked by rich owner and having luxurious life- better than those starving-desease ridden 'africaans in 3rd world countries. You're pampered, well nourished and die old peacefully.
~ You could be a dog too but unlucky to born in China- nearby a dog eater village. In your doomsday- you caught by residents and cooked alive.
~ You could be an elephant born in conservatory park-zoo, nothing interesting in your life but nothing too scary either.
~ You could be a chicken born in battery cage farming system- with all the horror
~ You are born a cow- but your lucky cousin is happen to born in India- you die soon before you can see him die in old age while he also being worshiped ^^
Now what if you born as a human?
First: "Congratulations!"

You are on top of food chain- a ruler of the world!
We all should be GRATEFUL if we are born human!

But being a human also need steps:
~ you just being born but inherited fatal and rare birth defect- doctor killed you after being alive only for 3 days
~ you are a human- female, caucasian..you have the best childhood ever until someone kidnap and selling you to the highest bidder in Saudi Arabia.
~you are a human male in Syria- you lose your limbs when a bomb exploded nearby your house, forever paralyzed.
~you are a human male-caucasian around 70's. When nothing seems wrong in your life- you met a young and deadly Jeffrey Dahmer.
~ you could be born in any background but happen to obese and diabetic.
~ you born with HIV
If you weren't experience any of those steps ^ proceed to whatever decision and outcome which happening in your life.
* well..I could go on-and-on...we have billions/trillions of possibilities could happen- but my point is..
to become what we are right now: sane- healthy- well nourished and aspiring- we actually already overcome many MANY MUCH!- bad possibilities..in this very UNFAIR world.
So, be grateful!!- I really want to emphasize that to everyone.
But why some people suffer/unfortunate and the other aren't? Still...not ring a bell to me

although Im dying to know the answer.
However for me right now: Live well and always aware of my luck- dont be that stupid hyena who killed on the street, or simply: dont get caught by misery.
ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN...
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