*muses* funnily enough a belief in hell isn't confined to christianity. Almost everybody seems to have a hell, even if their religion didn't see fit to provide them with a heaven.
A belief in Hell predates Christianity by quite a while in fact. Most people seem to have had a very clear idea in whose company they want to spend their eternity.
Hell in some religions is being re-birthed as a slug. but yeah theirs always a consequence to bad life choices in religion.
If memory serves, in some religions involving reincarnation the absolute rock-bottom was being reincarnated as, well, a rock. This meant that you were well and proper screwed, without any chance of fixing the mess you've made in your past life. Took some serious work to get to that level though.
Everything pre-dates Christianity. Which begs the question why do Christian's think their input is so important? Seriously there is absolutely nothing unique or innovative about Christianity. At no point has it ever offered anything new to the world.
Religion is just like Santa Claus when you're a child. You don't know whether he's real or not, but you're made to feel bad if you don't believe in him so you do. He's used as a form of control for parents to force their children into behaving for fear of getting coal (like the fires of Hell ooooo) in their stocking. If they behave according to the rules as outlined by their parents, they're rewarded with gifts. Oh, and you NEVER see him or have any proof of his existence outside of word-of-mouth, but you're expected to "just believe he exists". Just the same, when you realize there is no Santa, you can finally relax.
The all-too-common human ailment known as egocentrism? You can probably say the same about anything after the Epic of Gilgamesh. At any rate, "new" and "valuable" aren't exactly synonyms. Though I don't particularly feel like arguing for the value of Christianity right now; I'm invoking "the eye of the beholder" clause, i. e. don't like it then best of luck to you.
As Mark Twain said: “I don't like to commit myself about heaven and hell - you see, I have friends in both places”
I'd be afraid of a "Scientists bread mice" too. an evil mix of genius plus carbohydrate plus cuteness. evil...