Is hell real?

Jubilee · Not So Newbie Joined: 28 Nov 2003 Posts: 9

I have talked to Christians who believe in hell and those that belive hell is not an eternity of suffering just an absence of G-d, which would be hell for them....

I don't understand how a just and loving G-d can send his creations to suffer for an eternity?

I believe there is more to life than science but I don't believe the bible in infalluble, it is after all only written, and translated, by man.

I live my life from a place of questions, and i am on a spiritual journey (not believing there is a final destination, besides maybe enlightenment). I grew up Christian and my mother is a very devoted Christian.

I am not concerned about going to helll, because any intelligent being responsible for my being here simpy could not inflict an etenity of suffering on creatures (us) who did not ask to be here, especially when he gave us inquiring minds, and no true scientific evidence in the bible. So what do you guys think of hell? Who goes there? What is is?

RevJP · Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2003 7:48 am Post subject:

Jubilee · Not So Newbie Joined: 28 Nov 2003 Posts: 9

I was simply asking what your beliefs about hell are? Weither they are found in the bible or not.. If you believe there is a hell, truely you must have thought of what it would be like? Who goes there? Why such an unjust punishment exists?

RevJP · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2003 12:11 am Post subject:

First I would ask why you feel it is an unjust punishment?

Second, I am currently of the thinking that hell is eternal seperation from God. To live an eternity seperated from the glory of the Almighty would truly be punishment.

As one raised as a Southern Baptist I was taught hellfire and damnation, I believe these to be metaphorical for the most part.

Who goes there? The unsaved...

admin · Beloved Admin Joined: 28 Sep 2000 Posts: 88

Um....I didn't see any possible answers that I agreed with....a bit loaded of a question

shepreach · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2003 9:12 am Post subject:

i had the same problem our beloved admin did -- nothing in the poll to agree with.

as to hell, yes i believe in it. i don't know what form it will take but i'm glad Christ can keep me out of it.

Nobby · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2003 10:29 am Post subject: Is Hell Real?

Hi Jubilee,
I 'm like the rest, the way you have it typed & couldn't truthly vote on any of your choices. But I will try to answer you as best as I can.

MoJo · Big Guppy Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 48 Location: Canada

RevJP · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2003 5:31 pm Post subject:

I should qualify myself and my leanings. I tend to think that eternal seperation from God is torment enough, beyond that I do not know nor believe it is important, burning in a lake of fire is nothing at that point.
Wink

Jubilee · Not So Newbie Joined: 28 Nov 2003 Posts: 9

First of all to answer why hell is unjust?
Have you truly thought of what an eternity is. Even if Hitler relived every moment of pain he inflicted (and echoes in further generations) of every single person a MILLION times over that would not be even a drop in the Ocean of eternity. And although I will not be shedding any tears for him I do think of the people who have lead good lives and done no harm to another soul. And than I look at the pedophiles and murders and rapists and see that as long as they repent before they die they get to escape the fate of hell. Karma seems to make more sense justice wise.
This does not sound like forgiveness to me. There is nobody on this planet whom I hate, and a few of them have done some awful things to me. I have forgiven them. Does this make me a more merciful person than G-d?
He also appears a fair bit egotistical (well hey if we are made in his image). He brings souls to this planet, without consulting them, gives us the power to think and choose offers no proof in this life time and then as soon as we die and then MAYBE finally see the truth he laughs in our faces and sends us to an eternity.
Every person on this planet has unique life experiences that lead them to believe in G-d (which ever one that maybe) so why is it that just because Christians were luck enough to have those experiences in their lifetime they get to go to heaven.
I am not living my life as if there is a heaven or a hell, I AM LIVING!! But if when the time comes, I die and realize my Sunday school lessons were true, and there is Jesus, a "man" I honestly loved as a child before the church corrupted it than I would be happy to spend eternity with him, but WHOOPS it’s too late.

PLEASE EXPLAIN!!!

shoshin · Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2003 10:51 pm Post subject:

I have often wondered about this too.
I was a very devoted christian until this very though caught my eye.
What could make someone deserve an eternity in torment? Or not even in torment - maybe an eternity in boredom.
Think about sitting alone for a year.
Now think about sitting alone for 5 years.
10 years.... 100.... 500.... 1,000,000 years.
Now think that this is not even a second in your lifetime left to live... it will NEVER EVER EVER end... EVER!
Now think about this - I have friends who are christian - they tell me to believe, or I'm going to hell.
I have friends who are catholic, who tell me I have to be catholic, or I'm going to hell.
Same thing for my protestant friends.
Then enter the completely different religions.
Now which am I supposed to believe in?
Am I supposed to roll a twenty-sided die to determine my eternal fate?
That seems the only way, as there is no evidence either way.
I would very much like Jesus or Allah, or SOMEONE to appear and say "Hey guys, I'm the saviour. Just a heads up, dont want you all burning in hell!"
Is that asking to much considering there is NO evidence and we are talking about an ETERNITY here.
But yet... nothing.
From this being that I'm supposed to believe is merciful?
I'm confused.

MoJo · Big Guppy Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 48 Location: Canada

None of us know exactly what everlasting torment is. It is therefore unprofitable to focus your atention on a question that can't be answered by man. You should give your attention to learning God's word and how to avoid this bad end whatever it may be. Learning does not come all at once, but in steps as you grow in knowledge of God. Anyone who tells you they know everything is a liar.

The only sure way to gain this learning is to pray and study the bible and decide for yourself what is the truth. Your salvation relies on understanding these things yourself with the help of God. A person's religious denomination is unimportant and these people cannot buy your salvation for you. That instruction can only be found in the bible, God's word. It is therefore of vast importance that you study it yourself and not put your faith in what men say. Very Happy

Jubilee · Not So Newbie Joined: 28 Nov 2003 Posts: 9

I quick question on the bible
How do you know it is true? I mean it is written by man, I realize G-d worked through man but what was to stop crazy man from down the street putting in his two sense. Or what was to stop every clergy and royalty man who translated the bible to take out parts he didn't agree with (this actually did happen, hence the KING James version).
If G-d does not enterfere with other of our worldy affairs he does not stop wars, torture, rape, so why would he intervene if someone changed his word.
One of my friends is a Rabi and has informed me there is a verbal set of teachings as well, and Christians do not have these, and so do not understand many of the context in which the old testament was meant.

shoshin · Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2003 3:57 pm Post subject:

"A person's religious denomination is unimportant and these people cannot buy your salvation for you"
Pot, meet tea kettle.
Tea kettle, meet pot.
You dont think that EVERY SINGLE MONO-THEISTIC RELIGION on the PLANET is saying the same thing?
The point is - every single mono-theistic religion on the planet believes there is one god (hence the mono-theism). And every single one believes (afaik) that their god is the only one, and all the other religious persuasions are misinformed.
Enter the peril of the agnostic/athiest - who, if any, do I choose?
Not a SINGLE ONE of them has ANY PROOF whatsoever...
Yet most of them threaten everlasting torture of some sort...
And the only way out is to believe in a certain deity...

I once read a humorous essay by a student from a high school chemistry class who was posed the question "Is hell exothermic or endothermic."
He started this essay with the following:
"Since there is more than one religion on the planet that believes that belief in their god is inclusive to not ending up in hell, we can assume that everyone who dies ends up in hell."

This is the problem with religion, IMHO - no proof, no mercy...

Here is what I see, if your god is real -
He forces me to exist. I have no say in the manner. He plops me down, gives me an everlasting soul.
Then, he writes a rule saying "believe in me or you will suffer for eternity" in a book that has so much other useless junk in it (old testament or not, its still in there, and christians, at one point or another, defended it with fatality)that I dont know where to turn. Next - take out any possible hope of any proof, logic, or reason, and then throw in countless other people (who are all mutually exclusive) with the same lack of any backing or logic who are also threatening me with eternal damnation. What do I do?

Oh.. wait... I dont need to ask that..
I know what you're going to say.. let me consult my magic eight ball...
"Believe us! Believe in God!"
Hmm....
Why?
For those of us who need proof to believe in something in spite of all the other proofless religions, WHY do we not get SOMETHING to help us believe in something that will save us from the ETERNAL TORMENT that is our inevitable fate?
WHY?!

admin · Beloved Admin Joined: 28 Sep 2000 Posts: 88

There is no hell and there is no seperation from God.

*ducking*