Is there an ethernal everlasting hell?

Question

I once believed in such a place till I decided to follow the divine compass placed in my heart. This took a lot of strength because before then my ethos was fear based. Not only do I believe perfect love drives out all fear but I believe God is better than many fundamentalist portray the higher power to be. The Apostle Paul once killed Christians because he thought he was doing God a favor. Just goes to show how wrong you can be. I am asking this question not because I do not have my own opinions but because I think the process is important for people to work through themselves. I just hope they don't spout out something they were told but something they have discovered by not only seeing the mirror of the world but also looking deep within themselves.

I liked Bill's answer the best. Though it was all justified via one religious view point, Christianity, I felt it was well supported and had a more compassionate slant than other common "Christian" dogmas. On another note, I would have liked to have seen more in depth view points from other religious and non affiliated persons.

Answer 1

If you understand the true meaning of Hell, then you will know that everyone that death takes, goes to Hell.

Definition: The word “hell” is found in many Bible translations. In the same verses other translations read “the grave,” “the world of the dead,” and so forth. Other Bibles simply transliterate the original-language words that are sometimes rendered “hell”; that is, they express them with the letters of our alphabet but leave the words untranslated. What are those words? The Hebrew she’ohl' and its Greek equivalent hai'des, which refer, not to an individual burial place, but to the common grave of dead mankind; also the Greek ge'en·na, which is used as a symbol of eternal destruction. However, both in Christendom and in many non-Christian religions it is taught that hell is a place inhabited by demons and where the wicked, after death, are punished (and some believe that this is with torment).
Does the Bible indicate whether the dead experience pain?

Eccl. 9:5, 10: “The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all .
Does the Bible indicate that the soul survives the death of the body?

Ezek. 18:4: “The soul* that is sinning—it itself will die.”

What sort of people go to the Bible hell?

Does the Bible say that the wicked go to hell?

Ps. 9:17, KJ: “The wicked shall be turned into hell,* and all the nations that forget God.” (*“Hell,” 9:18 in Dy; “death,” TEV; “the place of death,” Kx; “Sheol,” AS, RS, NE, JB, NW.)
Does the Bible also say that upright people go to hell?

Job 14:13, Dy: “[Job prayed:] Who will grant me this, that thou mayst protect me in hell,* and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a time when thou wilt remember me?” (God himself said that Job was “a man blameless and upright, fearing God and turning aside from bad.”—Job 1:8.) (*“The grave,” KJ; “the world of the dead,” TEV; “Sheol,” AS, RS, NE, JB, NW.)

Acts 2:25-27, KJ: “David speaketh concerning him [Jesus Christ], . . . Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell,* neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (The fact that God did not “leave” Jesus in hell implies that Jesus was in hell, or Hades, at least for a time, does it not?)
Does anyone ever get out of the Bible hell?

Rev. 20:13, 14, KJ: “The sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell* delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.” (So the dead will be delivered from hell. Notice also that hell is not the same as the lake of fire but will be cast into the lake of fire.)

Is eternal torment of the wicked compatible with God’s personality? What would you think of a parent who held his child’s hand over a fire to punish the child for wrongdoing? “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) Would he do what no right-minded human parent would do? Certainly not! Simply put, the word Hell is translated from the Hebrew word Sheol, which means the grave, where everyone goes when they die.

Answer 2

A word of caution - Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked who can know it?

"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." [Proverbs 16:25]

Watch out with this heart stuff man. We do have a map, a guidepost as it were in the Word of God. Our only surety.

I believe that When God said in Revalation 21 that he would create a new heavens and a new earth...the former things will not be remembered nor will they come to mind" answers your question. If there were people burning across the way, that would remind me of something. I also believe that while a few text may give that idea, that more texts in connection with those will show that the wicked will burn up and will not burn forever.

Answer 3

There is no where in the bible did Saul before God renamed in Paul thought he was doing God a favor in killing christians. That is just not true. Paul was a Roman and that was his job to persecute christians. God appeared to him and said, Saul why persecutest thou me.

There is no way you can be a true christian and disbelieve that hell does not exist. The bible is not a buffet where you go and say I will take some of this love, and some of this forgiveness, but I do not want this punishment, I don't feel like any chastisement today, none of that sharing stuff for me it's just nasty, but I will sure take some wealth and fame its to die for. Please read the bible. Jesus mentioned hell, I hope you are not calling Jesus a liar, because then you would not be a christian.

Answer 4

Some people know that there is now, others will find out later. I would rather know now.
You asked us to not "spout out something they were told but something they have discovered by not only seeing the mirror of the world but also looking deep within themselves." I'm interested in hearing your storey on how you did this and how you came to your conclusions (you can e-mail me if you want).
And by the way, you are right when you say how wrong we (huamns) can be. I am not even close to reaching a point in my life where I can say I am never wrong. How about you?

Answer 5

A person's punishment (in the afterlife) will be the just consequence of their life and actions on earth.

If their actions and life merits everlasting punishment, then their punishment will be eternal and everlasting.

If their actions and life merits a non-everlasting punishment, then their punishment will be non-eternal.

The Christian God is just. Any punishment that he hands out (at the judgment) will be proporational to the extent of evil and sin in a person's life.

Cordially,
John
http://www.GodSci.org

Answer 6

I believe it, because God Himself said there is. We can't just take a "little bit" of God, to have faith, we need to trust and believe no matter what.

I do know that He doesn't WANT any one to go there, they choose it. God's Word says Hell expands itself to fit those who choose it.
Even though He knew ALL those in the span of time that would eventually choose it, He still made it expandable, to show just how much He didn't want them there.
He didn't make it real big and say, "Fill'er up Satan".

Answer 7

Why would your feelings be an accurate gauge? You then go on to quote the Bible. This must mean you ascribe some validity to the Bible. If that is the case, then Hell is real, since Jesus believed in Hell. If you do not think the Bible is reliable, then your case cannot be stated, since it was biblical in nature. In short, Hell is real.

Answer 8

HELL IN KJV
One Hebrew word “sheol” is rendered hell. Definition; hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranian retreat), grave, hell, pit. Three Greek words are rendered hell; geenna, hades, and tartaroo. Definition of geenna; a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment: - hell. Definition of hades; properly unseen, that is, “Hades” or the place (state) of departed souls: - grave, hell. Definition of tartaroo; (the deepest abyss of Hades); to incarcerate in eternal torment: - cast down to hell. Tartaroo is used only one place II Pet.2:4.
Christ teaching the Pharisees in Luke 16:19-31 shows us a separation from God is truly what hell is. The “water” is symbolic for God’s Spirit and love. The word “tormented” means distressed in the Greek, not torture. The “fire” is symbolic for the shame and desire not to be separated from God.
So all who die the first death of the flesh return to God Ecc.12:6-7, but on which side of the gulf do they end up?
Hell is not eternal but is done away with in Rev.20:14-15, called both the second death and lake of fire. This second death is non-existence, for death and hell and those not written in the book of life. This second death or lake of fire is like fat drippings that fall into the fire. Just a poof of smoke into non-existence.
Psa.37:20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
In my mind what’s worse yet is no memory of you, no tears will be shed for you like you never existed.
Rev.21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
So hell is a separation from God and is not eternal torture or burning. Eventually hell will be done away with or passed away and also some souls. Like fat drippings in the fire, a poof of smoke into non-existence, the second death.

Answer 9

Yup, hell is real. Read the Bible and the story of mankind.

I know it is true because Jesus said it so.

Answer 10

Great point!
I don't believe in such a thing either.