Why does Hell exist?

Question

Why does Hell (as a concept, if nothing else) exist? I thought religion/life was supposed to be about love and acceptance, and growing to be a better person for what it can offer, rather than out of a sense of fear.

Answer 1

Hell exists because God is a just God and there will be a reckoning.
You are correct about love and growing in faith, but that is but a part of the whole.

Answer 2

The only hell that exists is also called sheol or hades. It is the common grave that all humans return to. It is "the six feet under' or whatever burial place there is.

The fiery hot hell where a sinner burns indefinitely does not exist. How can Christ who died and descended into hell (Nicen Creed), be risen from that hot fire. Yes Christ was in hell (the common grave) but not of a fiery hot furnace or fiery place of burning. Think about it...there is going to be a ressurection of all the dead. Does it make sense that a ressurection will occur and yet these people wer burning in hell? No. Hell fire does not exist. All humans will be ressurected t judgement when Christ rule commences. If we live by God, then we will inherit the earth, living here in a restored earth which then will be as the original paradise. As for the dead, they know nothing previous to ressurection. Ecclesiastes 9:5 says –“The dead areonscious of nothing at all.” Job 14:10, 21 enlightens us that :An earthling man expires (dead), and where is he? His sons get honored, but he does not know it.” Psalm 49:10,17,18,19 shades further light. Please read it. Ecclesiastes 9:5,6 adds that “as for the dead……their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they have no portion (nothing to do with the living) anymore to time indefinite in anything that has to be done under the sun.” Psalm 146:3,4 enlightens us as to what we should not do: ---“Do not put your trust in nobles nor ….earthling man,…..His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that day, his thoughts do perish.”

Answer 3

There are three words that have been translated and lumped together as Hell, but each are distinctly different from one another. These mistranslations were the result of "No Spiritual Understanding" on the part of Universal Roman and other translators that believed in being tormented in hell fire when you die. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
So let's set the record straight, and see just exactly what these three words (actually four) really mean.



"Hades" (or "Sheol") is simply the "Grave" or a "Resting place of the physically human dead." "No Torment here!"


Then there is "Tartarus" or "The Pit" which is a place where Satan and his demons can be isolated (no humans). "No Torment here, either!"


Finally, there is "Gehenna" or "The Lake of Fire" which doesn't exist yet, but will exist sometime after the end of the millennium at the time of the "Great White Throne Judgment" and the "Second Death". Again "No Torment!" There is simply no real evidence in Scripture or otherwise that supports that human beings will be tormented forever, but simply burned up permanently (permanently IS forever). In order to be tormented forever, a human being would have to be immortal, and in order to be immortal, a human being would have to be "Saved," and if a human being is "Saved," then that person would not be sent to Hell or Eternal Torment in the first place. There is NO SUCH THING as an IMMORTAL SOUL that exists in MORTAL Man. Yahweh will not give immortality to sinners

Answer 4

I agree totally with your opinion. I have always wondered why humans believe in Hell. Christians say that God is perfect .. beyond human... but then they also say that he will condem those who do wrong. Revenge and pain are human concepts.. and certainly not good or moral. I believe that Hell was created to keep those in power in power .. the minorty in power has to keep the majorty under their influence. .. statistacally this sounds hard.. so they create a fear which can control the majorty to do their bidding. These religous rulers are just in it for themselves they talk about giving to charity yet they have flash cars and gold religous necklaces... There is evidence of religous powers dominating and destroying people throughout history ... e.g Catholic crusades or the burning of witchs ... They burnt witchs to drive fear into communitys just like the concept of Hell ... and it worked as does the concept of hell does today. So if you want to be in control of your own life then do what you can foryourself, for everyone you care about and the world. I know people who are Christian and people that arent and although the Christians attend church it is the normal everyday people who give their time to good causes ect.. You cant just read a bible and expect to change the world.. You have to get out their and make a difference .. whether Christian or not... Best of Luck!!

Answer 5

To satisfy justice.

But it's not Hell you should fear, you should fear God, for "it is a fearful thing to fall in the hands of the living God"(Hebrews 10:31) "the fear of the Lord is clean" (Psalms 19:9) and "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalms 110:10). And I mean this as the same kind of fear you have to fall from a 10 story building, a healthy fear.

And for those who say Jesus was all about love, which it is true that he is, did you know Jesus spoke more about Hell than about Heaven. He definitely believed Hell was real and something we should take note of.

Answer 6

Heaven and Hell are states of mind not places. People make their own heaven and hell each day in their own lives. Collectively, we make the world we live in heaven or hell according to our behaviour. There is so much madness and evil in the world today, much of it in the name of "religion", that we are creating hell on Earth, though often when I look at the blue sky and the white clouds and the green trees, heaven is here too, waiting for us to discover it.

Just as darkness is the absence of light, then hell is just the absence of heaven. Each human being alive today, has the opportunity in every breath they breath, to be in the place where God dwells: that is heaven and all else is hell.

Answer 7

Isn't it amazing how some people (not all - don't mis-hear me), are willing to believe in heaven, and not hell.

Simple answer to your question: Yes, hell does exist to strike fear into people.

People want to live their own lives, everything is ok, as long as it does not hurt anyone else. "Believe what you want, but don't force it on me" they say. People, when will you learn, moral-relativism does not work.

Hell is a real place, because quite frankly, I'm an arrogant bigot because I believe what the Bible says (I don't generally call myself that - it's what I'm called because I'm an absolutist - in reference to the Word of God). (btw - I'm not attacking the person who asked the question - my rant is for those who have answered).

Someone created a straw-man argument earlier by stating that God is all-forgiving. Where did you hear or read that may I ask? The Bible is clear that God is a God of Grace and Mercy, Love and Justice.

He is a God of Grace because he sent Christ to pay for our sins. We have a simple choice, accept Christ's penalty for our sins, ask God to forgive us, and turn to Him.
It's not a cult you're signing up to. It's an act of Worship to the one who created you.

And if you don't, well, then the consequence of hell is on your own hands.

Stop blaming God for hell, when he has given you a way out. Sin must be punished. Full-stop. It's your choice. Make it. But be prepared for the consquence.

In Christ.

-Rat

PS: Can't wait to see how many God-haters will give me thumbs-down...

Answer 8

Yes when one understands that God is Love and in love there must be free will. He allowed us to come to the material world but we are responsible for our actions. If He didn't make these laws the world would be even worse than it is now. so if one does a good action they get a good reaction and a bad action deserves a bad reaction.(Karma) If one has accumulated a lot of bad Karma they go The hellish worlds for some time (not eternally ) If one does a lot o good deeds one goes to the Heavenly worlds for a long time and if one does a combination of both they come to earth. If we want to get out of this cycle of birth and death we have to give up all karmic action and do what God desires. That is Love, its natural - Go to http://www.stephen-knapp.com

Answer 9

Hell exists ONLY as a concept - created by primitive people thousands of years ago.

Answer 10

Hell, just so you are clear, is supposed to be a separation from God. You are sent to hell if you live your life out of accordance with his Commandments. The pain that is often described in hell is how we feel when we are separated from God. By living your life in Sin you are choosing not to be with God in the afterlife, and since you have free will, he will send you to live without him in the after life as well...it is always your choice.

Answer 11

The key words here is love and acceptance. Christ Loves us regardless of what we do but we must accept him and love him also. Hell is for the non believers those who don't believe that God is the creator and that his son Jesus died on the cross for our sins and those who worship satin and thin that it will be fun to live in burning torment forever and ever.