Do you think...?

Question

That some people hold onto a literal heaven and hell so strongly because they don't believe that the world we live in is fair? There are good people all over the world from various religions or of no belief in all, who treat people kindly and with love and respect. However, sadly there are also those who murder and commit violence from various religions or none. I accept this as a sad fact of life. What are some of your thoughts?

IMHO, they do. The first Christians didn't believe in a literal heaven and hell, they were Gnostics and sought knowledge and heaven and hell were from within. I'd be curious to know when such a literal vs. a spiritual interpretation began. Probably with the early Catholic church to the best of my knowledge.

To the first poster, there are many Christians who disagree with you. Non-literalist Christians, old Church of God, Jehovah witnesses, etc. of course you'll say that they aren't "real" Christians and they are cults but that is a typical response for those that think they have a corner on the only "truth"

Answer 1

Ooh, Robert...do your homework. Protestantism (which is what non-Catholic Christians are called) came from the Catholics, and the Catholic church is a good, what, 700 years older? No Protestants until Martin Luther. Please, I'm tired of knowing more about Christianity than most Christians, which I am not. (Just possessor of a degree in church history, that's all.)

To answer the actual question, that makes a lot of sense. All those "well, just wait until Judgement Day" and "I hope you like burning" comments make sense. On the other hand, older Western religions also had concepts of heaven and hell-type things, from the Egyptians where your soul was devoured if you lived an evil life, to the Greeks, where pretty much everyone but priests and poets went to Hades.

ETA: OK, let me break it down like this: The phrase "Christians and Catholics" is like saying "vegetables and broccoli". Catholics *are* Christians. Do you know what Protestants are? Because it sounds like you are one.

Answer 2

your statement that the first Christians did not believe in heaven could not be accurate. Jesus himself referred to heaven as a real place several times. As to hell, the proper term from Jehovah Witnesses being hell is the common grave makes more sense. the underworld and all that comes from Babylon and its mythology. The issue of Good vs Evil is not accurate either. The issue of the the bible is God's right to rule over his creation. The Bible says the whole world is lying under the influence of the Devil or Satan ( paraphrasing ). This includes all of the false religions, governments etc.... In the 3rd century the Catholic Priests did determine for themselves that there would be a trinity and other doctrines that are not in the bible. Including if you were to look at older King James Bibles, Jehovah is in them. However the new NIB Bibles of the King James Jehovah has been removed to add to the confusion that there is only one true God.
In your statement of literal vs a spiritual interpretation began in the 3rd century and has been modified ever since according to what world power has been in place.

Answer 3

I believe in heaven and hell because I have read about them in the bible. Aside from that I suppose it could have started as a way to assess checks and balances of good people and bad people. It is an interesting theory anyway. None of really knows if either exists as no one has gone to either and given a full detailed report on the conditions in either place. However, faith is what motivates most Christians to believe that yes there is someone up there with a huge scale to weigh the good against the bad and come up with a fair judgement as to who deserves happiness in the after life and who does not. But as I said before, all I have is my faith and I am steadfast in it and will go to my grave holding onto it.

Answer 4

There has always been a literal heaven and hell...your gnostic garbage is unfounded trash. There is a literal heaven and hell in the bible that is Christianity. You are confusing Christianity with Catholicism they are unfortunately two different things. The first Christians were the disciples of Christ that taught a literal heaven and hell... they were not the hippy truth seekers you describe
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The Old church? you called jehovahs witnesses the old chuch? they were founded by a crackpot gambler in the early 1800s trying to escape his debts!! Christianity is and always will be personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Christianity means Christ in me. And everything god wants you to know is located within the bible that discusses a literal heaven and hell, his disciples that were the first to undertake the great commission taught literal heaven and hell, that's Christianity. your theory is false.
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angk:
what in the world are you talking about i never even mentioned protistantism and neither does the question...if your going to just ramble off facts and dates atleast stay on track....
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angk:
Your knowledeg is lacking one thing dear you hace lots of facts dates and terms. Do you really expect to understand christianity whithout being one? I assume you are reffering to me as a protetsnt because according to secular historians the only christian church up until martin luther was catholcism or maybe greek orthodox which isnt all that different. The problem is that the idea behind catholocism is false(ie peter and the pope and all that nonsense) and there were christians before that. Jesus said when two or more people gather in my name there i am in the midst of them. Christianity is older than cathlocism and certainly older than protetantism. all martin luther was take a public stand agaist the blasphemous existence of the papacy.

Answer 5

The bottom line is that religion tends to close people's minds....Ignorance......