The most we ever give as punishment is life imprisonment (UK) or death penalty (America.) We want criminals to suffer and regret, especially for big crimes such as murder - but does anyone truly, really, deserve an ETERNITY of the worst kind of pain imaginable? Especially once they've seen God?
I'd think once you have known God, you'd repent and realise the morals of the Bible are correct, etc. How can anyone, even the worst of serial killers, deserve an eternity of hell? Or is this not AS bad as all that? Is it a hell of your own making, far from God? Or simply non-existence?
I don't think anyone deserves hell. But then, I am an atheist.
2006-11-21 09:19:52 · 17 answers · asked by lady_s_hazy 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I understand people who are in hell will have done something bad, but I don't think even awful people deserve hell. It's forever. How can you even imagine how terrible that must be? Surely a loving God would be a lot more in favour of Purgatory?
Even humans know that rehabilitation works better than retribution (well, the Swedes know it, at least I think it is the Swedes who have the lowest level of re-offenders from prison...) And if people's morals are changed for the better after rehabilitation, why punish people more than you have to? (I'm not saying NO punishment for criminals, but an eternity is too much.)
2006-11-21 09:28:44 · update #1
The bible says everyone deserves hell.
But understand Hell in the bible is the common grave of mankind.
The punishment for sin is death, not torment.
The reward for faith is life.
2006-11-21 09:25:53 · answer #1 · answered by TeeM 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
And in my beliefs, a loving God will not punish people forever IN a burning hell. Romans 6:23 says the wages sin pays is DEATH, but the gift God gives is EVERLASTING LIFE by Christ Jesus our Lord. Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe a loving heavenly Father would torment sinners forever and ever. The Bible describes God's anger at the burning of children as a sacrifice to the god Bael... why would He do the same to us? Jehovah says we can either live for Him and live forever, or don't and stay dead forever when we die. Hell as we understand it is the grave of mankind.
2006-11-21 09:30:52 · answer #2 · answered by themom 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree with you. Eternal punishment isn't fair or just no matter which way you slice it; it's cruel and unusual. A punishment is supposed to have an end so you have the chance to learn from your mistakes. "Hell" doesn't give you that opportunity; that's why it's unfair. And making someone suffer for an eternity is torture. I don't care what they did while on earth; no crime of ANY magnitude deserves that kind of sentence.
2006-11-21 09:26:56 · answer #3 · answered by . 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It's a choice. No one forces the criminal to commit the crime.
The Bible says that hell will be destroyed and Satan and others will be thrown into the lake of fire. There are several interpretations after this. You either burn forever in the lake of fire or you are destroyed for eternity. Either way, it's not a nice way to go.
2006-11-21 09:24:30 · answer #4 · answered by hillbilly_mama123 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm a Christian, and I share the very same viewpoint. I asked this same question a few months ago, but I think you might find others' responses interesting: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiR8t44nSwV9_3P4mmD0fXrsy6IX?qid=20060630102552AAyzDVM
Basically, after seeing God, I don't see how anyone could turn Him away. It just wouldn't be... possible! I argued in my question that most of the people who commit terrible crimes are probably mentally unhealthy in some way to begin with. With normal reservations, I don't think that *anyone* would commit severe crimes.
2006-11-21 09:29:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hell is a choice we make when we turn away from God. Hell is the lack of God. Heaven is God's presence. If we choose to be away from him, isn't that what we deserve?
And we wonder why people don't expect consequences for their actions. Feed them a lie of no hell, or that God is unfair. We're all victims! Wahhh!
2006-11-21 09:24:09 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Going to hell is a choice. Criminals, murders, etc. can "opt out" by choosing Christ, but many reject Him and bring hell upon themselves; it is not God's will that any should perish in Hell.
2006-11-21 09:29:45 · answer #7 · answered by beattyb 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not for me to decide if anyone is deserving of hell. It's God's. Of me it is required to forgive all men. Having said that, I surprizingly agree with you. Once someone comes to know God, I don't understand why they wouldn't accept it. But PERHAPS by then, it's too late??? I don't know.
2006-11-21 09:27:58 · answer #8 · answered by Tonya in TX - Duck 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Infinite punishment for a non-infinite sin. That is not a god I want to worship.
2006-11-21 09:29:24 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No one deserves to be tortured until the end of time........and whoever was twisted enough to think up that myth needed some therapy and medication.
2006-11-21 09:28:57 · answer #10 · answered by thewolfskoll 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋