For those of you that believe in Heaven and Hell...?

Question

I had a life changing event when I was 17 and up until then I was a devout Roman Catholic (I'm 25 now). I believed in Heaven and Hell. But, nowadays I'm not so sure. I don't much believe in Hell as I used to because I think that God forgives everyone as long as they ask for forgiveness. And as for Hell, Jesus was a Jew and Jews didn't believe in Hell, so why should followers of Christ believe in it either? Besides, many of the symbols that became associated with Satan and Hell were Pagan symbols that the Christian/Catholic Church purposely used to scare people into thinking that if they didn't convert they were going to burn in Hell and Jesus didn't judge anyone. Also, forever seems like an awful long time. Sure, I want to go to Heaven, but being anywhere for ETERNITY seems a little too overwhelming. No one has gone to Heaven and come back and told us what it's like. Anyway, share your thoughts w/ me. Don't bother though if you're just going to attack me.

Answer 1

JESUS is from heaven and He came to dwell with us in flesh for 33 years then He ascended into heaven and seated at the right hand of the Father.

Read John 3:16.

From the biblical point of view: HEAVEN AND HELL exist.

Answer 2

I was saved September 19, 1998. I've grown up in a Christian home most of my life and had heard about heaven and hell, and all that. First of all, the Bilbe (KJV) clearly states in Romans 6: 23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." This is not talking about a physical death. In Matthew 10:28, it says " And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell." So the Bible clearly indicates that there is a hell. God loves everyone and that is why He sent His only Son to save us, but we have to accept His Son. If we don't, there must be a punishment for sin (hell.) As for the Jew thing, yes Jesus was a Jew by birth. In Romans 3:9 it says, " What then? are we better then they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, thath they are all under sin." Let me ask this -- if the Bible is the Word of God (John 1:1), and He is a Jew, why would he write about hell in His Word? Isn't that hypocrisy? I'm a Baptist and my law is the Bible. Yet there are many different types of Baptist who believe different things. But just because some Baptists think it's okay to drink beer, doesn't make it right. (The Bible command us to take care of our bodies- alcohol destroys it). Anyways, I hope this helps you and if you get a chance, visit my home church website at http://www.charitybaptistkilleen.org . I'm not a Bible scholar, just a 19 year old who has experienced God's forgiveness. I'll be praying for you, and God bless.

Answer 3

You are very right to say that many of the symbols that because associated with Satan and Hell were Pagan symbols. Hell, or Gehenna, is an actual place which was located outside of Jerusalem. It was a trash heap. Sometimes the bodies of criminals were tossed in there to burn with the rubbish. It is a picture that Jesus himself uses. Yet it is a metaphor.

God certainly forgives all those who see the need for and desire forgiveness. Hell is separation from God. It does seem strange to think God eternally tortures people. i believe that separation from God is a type of torment that is beyond words to describe. None of us have experienced complete separation from God. i suggest that Jesus uses this picture of eternal fire to describe what it is like for the soul to be separated from God completely. It is not that God torments us, but that in refusing God we are tormented by our own will to separate from the one source of life and love.

Some scholars do believe in annihilation of the lost. Clark Pinnock does a good job of explaining this view in a book called "Four Views of Hell".

Answer 4

You are actually incorrect. Of all the people in the Bible, Jesus talked the most about Hell. There are 162 verses in the New Testament alone concerning Hell and 70 of those were spoken by Jesus himself. Jesus Christ spoke more on hell than any other subject. Just look at how Jesus described hell.

WHAT JESUS CHRIST SAYS ABOUT HELL:
"fire" ----Matt 7:19, 13:40, 25:41
"everlasting fire"---- Matt 18:8, 25:41
"eternal damnation" ----Mark 3:29
"hell fire" Matt 5:22, 18:9, ----Mark 9:47
"damnation" ----Matt 23:14, Mark 12:40, Luke 20:47
"damnation of hell" ----Matt 23:33
"resurrection of damnation" ----John 5:29
"furnace of fire" ----Matt 13:42, 50
"the fire that never shall be quenched" ----Mark 9:43, 45
"the fire is not quenched"---- Mark 9:44, 46, 48
"Where their worm dieth not"---- Mark 9:44, 46, 48
"wailing and gnashing of teeth"---- Matt 13:42, 50
"weeping and gnashing of teeth"---- Matt 8:12, 22:13, 25:30
"torments"---- Luke 16:23
"tormented in this flame"---- Luke 16:24
"place of torment"---- Luke 16:28
"outer darkness"---- Matt 8:12, 22:13
"everlasting punishment"---- Matt 25:46

Here are some other quotes from the Bible about Hell:
fire unquenchable — Luke 3:17
everlasting chains — Jude 1:6
eternal judgment — Hebrews 6:2
eternal fire — Jude 1:7
mist of darkness is reserved for ever — 2 Peter 2:17
the blackness of darkness for ever — Jude 1:13

In Scripture there are three words translated as "hell":

Sheol, occurring in the Old Testament sixty-five times. This word "sheol" is derived from a root-word meaning "to ask," "demand;" hence insatiableness (Prov. 30:15,16). It is translated "grave" thirty-one times (Gen. 37:35; 42:38; 44:29,31; 1 Sam. 2:6, etc.). The Revisers have retained this rendering in the historical books with the original word in the margin, while in the poetical books they have reversed this rule.

In thirty-one cases in the Authorized Version [King James Version] this word is translated "hell," the place of disembodied spirits. The inhabitants of sheol are "the congregation of the dead" (Prov. 21:16). It is...

the abode of the wicked (Num. 16:33; Job 24:19; Ps. 9:17; 31:17, etc.)

of the good (Ps. 16:10; 30:3; 49:15; 86:13, etc.).

Sheol is described as deep (Job 11:8), dark (10:21,22), with bars (17:16). The dead "go down" to it (Num. 16:30,33; Ezek. 31:15,16,17).

The Greek word Hades of the New Testament has the same scope of signification as sheol of the Old Testament. It is a prison (1 Pet. 3:19), with gates and bars and locks (Matt. 16:18; Rev. 1:18), and it is downward (Matt. 11:23; Luke 10:15).

The righteous and the wicked are separated. The blessed dead are in that part of hades called paradise (Luke 23:43). They are also said to be in Abraham's bosom (Luke 16:22).

Gehenna, in most of its occurrences in the Greek New Testament, designates the place of the lost (Matt. 23:33). The fearful nature of their condition there is described in various figurative expressions (Matt. 8:12; 13:42; 22:13; 25:30; Luke 16:24, etc.). (See HINNOM.)

I hope this educates you.

Answer 5

Hello, I am Mehmed Emin YILDIZ from Türkiye.

Yesterday, by the yahoo's question pages, I asked a question or dictated that I can prove existance of Allah giving logical and scientifical examples. And you infromed that you are interested in searcinh for Him.

Firstly I thank you so much because of interests abouth Allah.

Here I will give some very easy examples from the normal life. This is my way to explain His existances giving daily events or example that all we know and see in the life. Here are some...

One of the logical examples: If there is something or movement, there must be a "maker" or "First Mover" of that thing.

First example: We are using computer right now. How did that computer exist? Of course, some engineers studied, calculated, designed and finally programmed that computer,right. If this is the real, logical and scientific way, can anybody say that, that computer was made by causes and effects or by itself? Or, is it possible to say that a computer can be produced "without" any engineer or programmer?

Second example: We are living in a house, flat or in a building, right. Is it possible for our houses or flats to be existed without any civil engineer or architect or workers? We can add more examples like above. As a result, every existeces must have their creator. So, we are looking at the outside, we see that the atoms, nature, world, plants, animals, seas, mountains, air, light, rain, snow, sky, humanbeings, Moon, Sun, planets, galaxies, etc... whole universe exist!. Those are saying by their own language, logically, scientifically: "If there is something, something exists", there must be a "EXISTOR of those thing". As we see, understand and accept that, there have to be only One Creator of everything meaning whole universe from atoms to the galaxies, who is Only One Allah!...

These are logical examples, If there is some non-understandable points, please dondt hesitate to ask. If you need more example, we can talk in yahoo messenger or in msn messenger: [e-mail] , [e-mail].

That is all for now.
Best Regardings.

Answer 6

I certainly believe there is something after death, what it is?... I don't know, but i most certainly do not believe in a hell or the personage who is suppose to run it. I also believe that we will all answer for this life at the hands of the people left behind. How will you be remembered? How do you want to be remembered?

Answer 7

one person's heaven is another person's hell.

i personally have experienced what i think people refer to as heaven and hell as a rise and fall in consciousness. hell was all the things i feared most. heaven was built of all the experiences where i felt love. i think it all depends on the person what either place (or state of consciousness) is like. i certainly wouldn't want to go to, or be scared into believing in, someone else's heaven...or hell. it is as deeply personal as each individual's relationship with god.

"after all, if heaven is just going to involve running into all the same people you avoid here on earth, what would be the point?" --betty bower

Answer 8

Hey there's this thing that might interest you, its called history.
The RC faith is a pretty new one at the moment, but their are past religions, and their will be new ones. In a couple thousand years--if we are still around-- it will be replaced by new believes. Much like the sun gods of ancient Egypt and the owl gods of the natives in North America....
Point being that you believe in a cultural response to the answers of life..... after you understand that you see what religion actually is, a bunch of monkeys misinterpretations of the world around them......

Answer 9

Ha ha... chrs strange!!
Islam is the answer.

Who have more sins than good deeds=HELL!
Who have good deeds than sins=HEAVEN!!
Isn't that logical, right?

So, we muslims are rushing to make some good deeds before the time runs out!!!

Answer 10

Heaven or Hell really shouldn't matter... what should is what you do here and now on this plane of existance.