Their bible is practically the same as mine. I am a baptist. So I don't understand why they dont believe in Hell?
2006-09-23 09:44:24 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The word "hell" is found in many Bible translations. In the same verses you have other translations that read "the grave", the world of the dead and etc. Still other Bibles render "hell" by expressing it with letters of our alphabet but leave it untranslated. For example the Hebrew word she'ohl and its Greek equivalent hai'des refers to the common grave of mankind rather than individual burials. However many in Christendom misintepret it to mean an eternal hellfire. Does the Bible "really" teach this?
First of all the Bible says that the dead are conscious of nothing at all._Ecc. 9:5,10. If they are not conscious of anything they obviously don't feel pain. Also if you read Ezek. 18:4 you would know that the soul doesn't suvive death.
Reflecting on the account of Job we know that he himself prayed to go to hell or sheol. Now why would a righteous and blameless man in God's eyes want to be burned forever. Rather Job was aware sheol was a resting place from his suffering. Why would he want to go to a place of more suffering?
What about the eternal torment mentioned in Revelation?_Rev. 14:9-11;20:10. It's notworthy at Revelation 11:10(KJ) that reference is made to the 'prophets that torment those on the earth.' Again at Revelations 14:9-11(KJ) it mentions that the worshipers of the symbolic "beast and its image" are said to be "tormented" with fire and brimestone. Since the Bible doesn't contradict itself by first earlier saying the dead are not conscious of anything what causes them torment when still alive is by the proclamation of God's servants that they will experience the second death which is represented by "the lake of fire."_ Revelation 21:8 which would include ones without faith, muderers, fornicators, etc. When Revelation 20:10 says the Devil is to experience torment forever it means that there will be no relief for him or will be held under restraint forever, like an eternal death. The use of the word "torment" from the Greek word ba'sa-nos which reminds us of its use in Matthew 18:34, with the same Greek word applied to a jailer.
Again this would go against what Jehovah God stands for which is love._1 John 4:8. A loving parent would never put their child's hands over the fire to punish the kid for their wrongdoing so likewise God would not torment us forever._Jer. 7:31.
The confusion of hell has been caused by the early translators of the Bible. The hellfire doctrine really has orgins in Babylonian and Assyrian beliefs who were pagans. Such dishonoring doctrine goes against God's nature! That is why Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in "hell." For more info look on the following link. http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2002/7/15/article_02.htm
2006-09-23 12:10:31 · answer #1 · answered by Joseph U 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If by "hell" you mean a place where the souls of the wicked go upon death, and where they are tormented forever in the lake of burning fire, there are other Christians who also believe that such a place does not exist. I am not a JW.
Reasons:
1. The Bible does not teach that such a place exists. It does say that at the end of the millennium, the Devil, his angels, and the wicked will be totally annihilated.
2. The wicked does not have or get eternal life, (which is what they will have if they suffer in hell forever).
3. This concept is totally against the character of God.
4. Upon death, no soul leaves the body as a spirit being because the breath plus the body IS the soul. The dead knows nothing : they are in a dreamless sleep, awaiting the first resurrection unto life (for the saved) or the second resurrection unto death (for the lost).
If you have the inclination to pursue this matter further, you can access and view the following video:
http://www.prophecycode.com/meeting-list.asp
then choose "The Lake of Fire"
2006-09-23 10:06:26 · answer #2 · answered by flandargo 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The way I understand it Jehovah witnesses do believe that there will BE a Hell, but not until all the souls are Judged. Until then all souls sleep, there is no dieing and going straight to Heaven or Hell for them.
2006-09-23 09:50:02 · answer #3 · answered by roamin70 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The reason that they don't believe in hell is they believe that a loving God wouldn't punish you. They believe that you can live anyway and do anything, even murder, and never be punished for it. They teach that the hell in their bible is the grave and that a person who never receives Jesus as their Savior has no eternal life. So, to sum it up, if that is the case then Jesus would have died in vain, and we could live our lives doing anything we want to do. Personally, to me it is a false doctrine.
2006-09-23 09:59:39 · answer #4 · answered by scorpion 2 · 1⤊ 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.
2006-09-23 10:14:12 · answer #5 · answered by BJ 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It's non-scriptural. Ain't in the Bible.
2006-09-23 09:48:06 · answer #6 · answered by AuroraDawn 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should ask a Jehovah's Witness. They might know the answer better than any of the yahoos (sorry, Yahoo!) that frequent this site.
2006-09-23 09:48:10 · answer #7 · answered by godlessinaz 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Its impossible to not believe in Hell if you already believe in Heaven. Simple reason tells you if there is God then there has to be a devil.
2006-09-23 09:49:23 · answer #8 · answered by Josh B 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Because earth is hell. There is literally no place you go to and burn forever and live with satan. no earth is hell. we are all in hell and will continue to live in hell till we stop coming back in our after lives. I have no clue when the end of that is.
2006-09-23 09:48:22 · answer #9 · answered by Mo 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Maybe it's because they understand that an all good god would never create such a place.
2006-09-23 09:46:53 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋