Is it really necessary to mention hell?

Question

Alright, I'm a Christian, and so far, I do believe that hell is very real place. I'm still searching. I don't believe it will be full of lakes of fire and eternal flames, in the literal sense. I think it will/is a place where people are seperated from God and experience grief because of that eternal seperation. Just so you know where I stand. (Note: I'm not condemning you to hell. Who am I to judge?)
So, why do people respond to valid, thought-provoking questions with mention of hell, and how you should be scared of going there?
First, fear of hell should not be a reason to become a Christian. Naturally it will be present, but a desire to be with God because of love and appreciation should be the primary.
Will yelling about hell do anything except make people disenfranchised with Christians?
Here's my dilemma. I don't think it's needed, or even anywhere near constructive. Obviously, others do feel it necessary. What am I missing? Anyone care to share their thoughts on the matter?

I should have been more clear in my title. Yes, we need to discuss hell. My issue is more with using hell to get points across that could be made in a much more positive way. "You're going to burn in hell!" strikes me as a negative way of discussion.

Answer 1

I think it's very important to mention. Firstly, Jesus said more about Hell than He said about Heaven. And if God feels it's important to mention, and to warn the Lost about, then we had jolly well better feel like that as well.

We aren't called to "yell" about it, but we are called to speak the truth in love.

There are some on this forum telling us about their understanding of the origin of the concept of Hell (such as that it was from the garbage dump outside Jerusalem [which was constantly burning]). That's where the name came from, but not the concept of Hell. These people (and the ones quoting the OT (Eccles), suggesting that the dead know nothing), don't understand fully how the Bible works and how revelation from God works. In the Old Testament, a lot of the prophets spoke from a human perspective, and most of them didn't have complete knowledge of how the afterlife worked. The New Testament brought much more light, in fact, complete light, (or, as much as we need), through Jesus and the greater elaboration on the afterlife by the Apostles [as God gave it to them to give to us]).

A large part of telling someone why they need to get right with God is to tell them the consequences of not obeying Him. We are called to call people into obedience to God and His Word (His Gospel). We can't make people listen and obey, only God can do that, but we are called to proclaim the complete message, unadulterated and undiluted.

To leave out Hell because you think it's the loving way to go shows how right God is when He says He knows everything and we know (and understand) almost nothing. God, in His perfect wisdom and understanding, knows that man needs to hear about the consequences of living a foolish life apart from God.

He knows we need to hear about Hell to instill a sense of urgency into our lives and our proclamation of the message as well as instill into unbelievers a sense of urgency about their wretched and hopeless condition before Him without Christ.

If you think you're doing anyone a favor by leaving out Hell, you need to realize that you are hurting them, not helping them, by leaving out this very central aspect of the message.

God always knows better than we do, the right way to do things, including the right message to proclaim.

I'm not saying your approach should be, "Hi, my name's Joe, did you know you're going to Hell"?. . Not saying that at all. But it is a central part of the message.

If people don't know about Hell, they can't be saved, cause they have no idea of what they need to be saved from, and they can't become one of His if they don't make this monumental change (from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light).

Answer 2

I believe Hell is a made up conception. First of all, the idea of hell being a lake of fire originates from a garbage dump called Gehenna where refuse was constantly burning. This was an incinerator garbage dump where many dead bodies were burned.

They used this image of Gehenna to scare people and many say that dead bodies of outcasts (sinners) or those who had no real family were burned in Gehenna. Those who were good people were buried. This is one origin of the idea of hell. The bad go to Gehenna "hell", the good do not.

Whether or not hell exists, it is one of the main reasons I left Christianity. All this hellfire and brimstone talk turned me off and if you're going to believe in a religion, believe it because you want to, not under the threat of burning for eternity.

Answer 3

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" (Revelation 21:8).


Lake of fire and brimstone. There it is.


One more:

"And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death" (Revelation 20:14).

***Ok, now saying "you're going to burn in hell" is no way for anyone to speak. People can read that for themselves if they don't believe, however it is not our place to say where someone's eternal soul will end up.

Answer 4

Here is how I look at it, If you saw someone speeding down the road and you knew that just down the road out of sight the bridge was out and there was a 100 foot drop, would you want to warn the driver? Eternity is a lot worse in hell than someone being severely wounded or killed in a car wreck.

Answer 5

There is more than just one hell, just like there is more then one heaven. The way you live your life depends on which one you go to. I believe in God but I am no longer Catholic because I believe there are other forces at work and other Gods and in the end the powers that be are to decide.

Answer 6

Preaching and teachin hell without first using the Law to bring the knowledge of sin can be very destructive to the cause of the Gospel. as long as the sinnner is decieved into thinking his standard of righteousness is the same as God's he wont understand Hell, it wont make sense to Him. it would be Like a a police officer bursting into your House and yelling (your going away for a long Time)! you would be angry, after all, what have you done to deserve Going away? but if the police officer came into your house and said "we found 3 marijuana plants and lots of stolen weapons in your back yard, and your going to Jail", you would understand, The consequences will now make sense.

so next time you have a wittnessing encounter use the Law (Ten Commandments to bring the knowledge of sin.

For example

have you ever lied?
have you ever stolen something?
ever looked with lust? etc.

Then ask them if they would be innocent or guilty, and inform them that because they have broken the law, God demands Justice, and hell is the Justice God promises for lawbreakers.

here is a website to help you along the way

www.wayofthemaster.com

Answer 7

Webster's Dictionary says the that the English word "hell" is equal to the Hebrew word Sheol and the Greek word Hades. In German Bibles Hoelle is the word used instead of "hell"; I could go on and on the word in different languages! And I have studied this subject very deep. And it all comes down to, that hell is mankind's common grave! It is not a place of fire or torture. For even our Lord Jesus Christ was in Hades, or hell. Are we to believe that God tormented Christ in hell of fire? Of course not! Jesus was simply in his grave. Acts 2:31 Are you surprised?

Answer 8

I think hell and the bible was made up by Catholics to create a society that will conform to there standards. correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't God forgive all sin? so if he forgives all sin no one will be sent to hell for there sins. people who have committed a serious sin like murder or rape would be put in purgatory until they rectified the wrong. that's my take on it.

I believe in God...I believe The Book of Genesis...but anything after that I find hard to believe. there was to much that was left out and miss translated.

Answer 9

One factor you have got to notice is that during Judaism, and Catholicism for that subject, there are ideals that don't seem to be acknowledged in scripture. Not to say, there are matters referred to as "mysteries". Mysteries are matters that we marvel approximately that God has no longer but discovered to mankind. In Catholicism, the "trinity" is a thriller. Nobody is aware of precisely the way it works. We simply recognize that it's produced from God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And that those three beings are the equal being. As some distance as your query is going, there are a couple of angles that I can procedure it with. There is a few proof external of Hebrew scriptures that mentions an higher and a lessen sheol. The righteous souls could pass to higher sheol after loss of life, and the depraved souls could pass to lessen sheol. Neither of those areas have been areas of ache. They have been devised to split the well from the dangerous. With that mentioned, we will be able to say for certain that the depraved don't seem to be instantly destroyed after loss of life, and they retain to exist after demise. One factor that we all know is that none of those souls went to Heaven or Hell till Jesus Christ got here and judged the residing and the lifeless. It used to be at that factor that the souls in higher sheol went to Heaven and the souls in lessen sheol went to hell. So in Old Testament occasions, no person went to hell. Everyone went to Sheol. The doctrine of hell had no longer but been discovered to mankind. Jesus Christ (God) eventually displays the doctrine of hell for the duration of his ministry within the New Testament.

Answer 10

Few people mention or believe in Hell today, because of how disturbing it is.

However, if we cease to discuss it, people will lose awareness of their own sinful nature, & may end up going there.