Is the doctrine hell unfair?

Question

Is it just for unbelievers to go to hell?
Or even for someone who has done evil things in their life--is torture with no hope of an end just?

Why or why not?

oops I mean "The doctrine of hell"

tracy211968:
Somehow I just KNEW someone was going to say that. The 'ole 'turn or burn' argument. Real nice and just.

Answer 1

that's a tough question. never actually thought of that.

Answer 2

I believe that it's the very fact that the concept of hell DOES represent fairness that makes so many people want to believe that it doesn't exist or just isn't real. God laid it out very simply, there is heaven and there is hell. The only way to get into heaven is to accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior. Period. Anything short of that makes you bound for hell.

Those are just the rules regarding hell. Some religions have modified that a bit - the Jews do not apparently have a hell or a devil. The catholics have added pergatory, and have a whole different view of what accepting Christ as savior means, than some other 'protestant' faiths.

Doesn't matter what interpretation you go by, however, there is heaven and there is hell, and fair is fair.

Answer 3

It's really a matter of perspective (paradigm). From a human, finite perspective, it CANNOT possibly be fair, because how can an finite life be sufficient time to warrant infinite punishment? If Christ is the only way to avoid this place, in what way is it fair that people who never heard of Him have to go there? It is anagolous to withholding the knowledge of train schedules to Vermont, and then punishing me because I didn't catch the train on time. "Gee, if I had of known the schedule, MAYBE I would have caught the train"

Well, I know that you have heard many arguments for and against the doctrine of eternal punishment. Let me only add this one:

It isn't fair from our human perspective, but our worldview on the matter is insufficent. In fact, the real issue is not what we think or feel is fair, but rather what God thinks is fair. We may state it in the form of an argument like such:

p1. God is absolutely Holy and Just and must deal with sin.
p2. God is eternal (He lives forever)
p3. All sin is offensive to God's Holiness and Justice
p4. All people are born inherently in a state of sin
p5. Only faith in Christ can remove the state of sin
p6. Those who do not recieve the removal of their sin remain offensive tro God
p7. Since God lives forever, He remains offended by the sin of those who did not recieve the removal of their sin
p8. Since God remains offended by their sin forever, His wrath and Punishment must remain forvever on those individuals
p9. Since God's wrath and punishment remains forever on those individuals, those individuals must remain forever
p10. Since those individuals must remain forever, the place of thier seperation and punishment must remain forever

c. Therefore, Hell must be a real, eternal place that those who do not receive Christ will be punished forever.

Since it is the Grace of God that saves us (Ephesians 2:8-9), none of us deserve, or can earn forgivness of sins. God DOES NOT OWE ANYBODY salvation. The fact that ANYBODY IS SAVED AT ALL is the absolute grace of God towards those people. So God could have sent His Son Christ and everything, and STILL left us all condemed to Hell, and been perfectly justified in doing so. He loves and didn't do that, but He could have. James Dobson or Lee Strobel didn't deserve to hear the Gospel anymore than some savage on some island or some jungle does. If they don't heare it, we should stop blaming God, and start blaming Christians, because WE were the ones He told to go preach.

Of course, you will say that I'm Begging the Question on some of those premeses.

Answer 4

The Hell doctrine of eternal torment is not logical when it comes to justice.

Throughout the Bible, God's perfect justice is manifest through his laws, and eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, life for life, perfect Jesus for Perfect Adam (the ransom).

The Eternal torment in Hell doctrine violates this concept. The worst thing a person could do to another person is take their life, therefore the worst punishment a person could receive is death.

A mortal being cannot eternally torment another person therefore can never commit a crime that warrants eternal torment in return.

Answer 5

No This teaching is absurd. Why would a God who is the epitome of love allow people to be tortured? What Does hell,
She'ohl, Hades and Gehenna really mean?


The Bible says "the dead are conscious of nothing"
Then would it be logical they would experience torture and pain?
NO!
Ecclesiastes 9:5 "For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten"

Ezekiel 18:4,"The Soul that is sinning, it itself will die"

Jesus was in hell before he was restored to heaven by his father. And Jesus was perfect. Therfore Hell refers to the Common grave of all of mankind, where both the righteous and unrighteous go when they die, completely unconcsious of anything.

Answer 6

The doctrin of Hell Is very fair, let me explain why.

The Bible says there will be a great day of Judgement, Every evil and every wickedness will be Judged. The BIble also says that we wil be Judged on every thought word and deed. Nothing is Hid from His Holy eyes. The ten Commandments will be God's perfect standard, so lets look at a few to see how you wil do on Judgement day.

Have you ever lied (even once--fibs, white lies, etc.)? Ever stolen (anything--the value is irrelevant)? Jesus said, "Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery already with her in his heart." Have you ever looked with lust? If you have said "Yes" to these three questions, by your own admission, you are a lying, thieving, adulterer at heart; and we’ve only looked at three of the Ten Commandments.
What a shock! Nothing you’ve ever done is hid from His holy eyes. Will you be innocent or guilty on the Day of Judgment? Listen to your conscience. You know that you will be guilty, and the Bible says If God Judges you according to your sins and your guilty, you could end up in Hell. That’s not God’s will. He provided a way for you and I to be forgiven.
He sent His Son to take our punishment: "God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." He was bruised for our iniquities. Jesus then rose from the dead and defeated death.
Your own so-called “goodness” can’t get you into heaven any more than mine could. Jesus is the only way to Heaven. He is the "Door," the only "mediator." There is salvation in no other name, so pray something like this: "Dear God, I repent of all of my sins (confess them). This day I put my trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Please forgive me and grant me your gift of everlasting life. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen."

you see, we deserve Hell because we havent just made a little boo boo, we have sinned and angered a Holy and Righteous God who demands perfection in Thought word and deed. The Good news is that Jesus Christ did die for us so that we may be forgiven and granted eternal life in heaven. Please, repent and trust Jesus Today.

Answer 7

first of all..whether you're a christian or non-christian. once you dont live according to God's commandements, you will go to hell.
hell is made of people who follow the devil and also who rebels against God. hell is a real place. always remember no sin goes unpunishable. hell is a place of eternal torture for the wicked, for gays and lesbians..false doctrine preachers and the list goes on and on. so is heaven an eternal place of peace and love..no war for persons who obey God's commandments.

Answer 8

The Christian religion seriously MALIGNS 'God' - maligns 'God' by teaching that 'God' is a heinously cruel and unjust deity who condemns people to eternal suffering.

Judaism DOES NOT believe in a place of eternal punishment. Christians do because Christianity was founded as a political entity which sought absolute control over its members. Hell is a lie, but worse than that, it's a lie that insults 'God'.

Answer 9

Jesus said no one comes to the father except through me, so only believers can go to heaven even though its hard to understand, but im not sure what hell would be like

Answer 10

It is just because our sins have offended a holy and eternal God. Hell is eternal because we are eternally unrepetant without the saving grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Answer 11

Well I guess to a unsaved person noo it aint fair, but Jesus gave a way of escape. All you have to do is call on Him and ye shall be saved. Follow Him and serve Him the rest of your days.