And please don't tell me because it says so in the bible. If you are Christian and are answering this, look inside yourself, honestly. I don't care what the man made book says. I honestly want to know how you can feel so "Christian" when you believe there is a place called hell, and you believe that fellow human beings are going there. That little babies are going there because they weren't baptized. That people who have no knowledge of your supposed God are going there. That people who believe in a different God, or Gods are evil. I even read one comment that said all non believers are DEMONS> are you serious! Please, look honestly at your ethical and moral standpoints and use your heart and your brain to answer, not a book written (and re-written whenever the need arose) by men.
Don't you think your God would want you to think for yourself?
2007-01-26 07:43:30 · 18 answers · asked by mq1229 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
First of all the Bible DOES NOT teach there is a burning hell for non-believers or anybody.
Commentary:
*** T-74 pp. 1-3 Hellfire-Is It Part of Divine Justice? ***
Hellfire-Is It Part of Divine Justice?
Have you ever seen someone tortured? We hope not. Deliberate torture is sickening and abhorrent. What, though, of torture inflicted by God? Can you imagine such a thing? Yet, this is exactly what is implied by the teaching of hellfire, an official doctrine in many religions.
Imagine, for a moment, the following horrific scene: A person is being roasted on a hot iron plate. In his agony he screams for mercy, but nobody listens. The torture goes on and on, hour after hour, day after day-without pause!
Whatever crime the victim may have committed, would not your heart go out to him? What of the one who ordered the torture? Could he be a loving person? In no way! Love is merciful and shows pity. A loving father may punish his children, but he would never torture them!
Nevertheless, many religions teach that God tortures sinners in an eternal hellfire. This, it is claimed, is divine justice. If that is true, who created that terrible place of eternal torment? And who is responsible for the excruciating agonies inflicted there? The answers would seem obvious. If such a place really exists, then God would have to be the creator of it, and he would be responsible for what happens there.
Can you accept that? The Bible says: "God is love." (1 John 4:8) Would a God of love inflict torture that even humans with any measure of decency find revolting? Surely not!......
....A Harmful Doctrine
Some maintain that the teaching of hellfire is useful, true or not. Why? They say it serves as a deterrent to wrongdoing. Is that true? Well, is the crime rate in regions where people believe in hellfire lower than in other places? Hardly! In fact, the doctrine of hellfire is very harmful. Will a person who believes that God torments people view torture as something abhorrent? Why should he? Those believing in a cruel god often become cruel like their god.
In whatever way a reasonable person may look at the matter, he cannot accept the existence of a hell of torment. Logic rebels against it. Human nature is repelled by it. More important, God's Word does not say that such a place exists. When a person dies, "he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish."-Psalm 146:4.
---To illustrate how far people who believe in cruel treatment could go-- it has been said that for the more than 400 years of the Spanish Inquisition which was church sponsored, part of the action of the inquisitors burning people alive was influenced greatly by the obscene doctrine of hellfire.
---Secondly --Christ himself was in this so called "hell" Note please:
Acts 2:27-31 (King James Version)
27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Same scripture diff. translation:
New International Version
Acts2:27 You will not leave me in the grave.
You will not let your Holy One rot away.
So if hell is the obscene hellfire that "christians" threaten people with , WHAT in the world was Christ doing there for 3 days. (Christ was simply in the regular grave arrangement that all people who have died experience--he was simply dead , then was raised up by his father, Jehovah God)
- The word hell,(wrongly translated from the Hebr. --she'ol and Grk.-ha'des) means common grave of mankind. Hellfire is no where to be found as a punishment by God for anyone! Good question!
2007-01-26 08:27:10 · answer #1 · answered by THA 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If the Bible was indeed written by men that were not inspired of God, then you're absolutely right, the whole thing is junk. Worse than junk, it would be a fabrication propagated through the ages and a complete waste of time for everyone connected with the smallest facet of Christianity.
Except if it were real.
I don't want to believe that hell exists, the description of it is too terrible for me to even fathom. I don't want to believe in a God that isn't necessarily fair, that chose his own people, Israel, and has chosen his own from before the foundations of the world, leaving the rest to die in their sins, even babies that carry original sin being totally undeserving of Heaven. The whole thing is uncomfortable, unfair, and tells me that I am not only undeserving, I'm not even able on my own to make a decision for Christ. It has to be done for me, I'm that guilty.
However, if this Bible is inspired, and is true, and I believe that it is, then in spite of all its uncomfortable-ness, I can also look at a foreknowing, predestining, if unfair, God as also loving enough to choose someone as guilty as me to receive His Son as my Lord.
And this makes it a system that's not so bad after all. To me, anyway.
2007-01-29 11:52:52 · answer #2 · answered by ccrider 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First off, let me tell you that though the Bible was written by many different people, it was inspired by God. I am a born-again Christian and I can understand your questions. So many people today call themselves christians but live an opposite lifestyle. No wonder people have such a bad image associated with the word. However, I will give you the answer you didn't want. It is written... Did you know that no books in the Bible have ever been disproven and that historians all agree that Jesus did exist? Some will argue that he was just a man and had good morals. But good people with morals still continually fall into sin. Jesus didn't. You asked that I look inside myself. When I do, I saw what i was and what i now am. Jesus came to Earth as God's son because man had sinned and fallen away from God. God is loving, knid , merciful, well, i could write all day about his many traits. But the fact is, he is so good that he cannot be with sin. people are sinful by nature and so we needed a way to help us to God. It has become a bit of a clique but the power of these words are undeniable. " For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." It's God's salvation plan to redeem us to himself, for "He is not willing that any should perish." Jesus died on the cross and rose again in three days. He has power over death because He paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. He was perfect and still is. About the babies, until children and infants reach the age of atonement, where they can understand sin, they go to heaven. Children have no understanding of right and wrong. God won't judge them because they don't know what they are doing. They are still innocent and untainted. As for the statement that unbelievers are demons, that is completely and miserably UNTRUE!!!! God loves all people, believers and unbelievers. It is a believers job to spread the truth and make sure everyone knows what Jesus did for us. This is called the Great Commission. I believe there are forces and powers in this world and i believe there are two sides, good and evil. On the good side we have the host of heaven, meaning angels, God and Jesus. On the other side we have satan, the fallen angel of light, and the other angels who assist him. I am sorry if this offends anyone but to be completely frank, if you are following other religions or delving into witchcraft and sorcery, you are being deceived. The Bible has not been rewritten whenever the need arose. In fact, Jewish scholars, who preserved the Bible, would count the numbers of letters on every page that they copied by hand numerous times to be sure they hadn't left out any single letter of God's word. I pray that the truth of the love and sacrifice of jesus will reach you. Please, I would strongly urge you to go to a pastor or spiritual leader of a church and ask them these questions. They can explain better than i did. BY the way, God gave us all free will and DOES allow us to think for ourselves!
2007-01-26 08:15:23 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Hell... where is Hell... I think we make our own Hell. I would just do what makes YOU happy... it is your life. Don't worry about the small beans. Look around.... we ALL may already be in Hell and we just don't know it. Some Christians are only Christians when they want to be. I usually hang a halloween skeleton on my door all year round to keep them away.
2016-03-29 03:49:08 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all you need to take a look in the Bible and read Galations1:9-12 before you start heckling about the word of God being man made ,sweetheart.
Trust me,its not going to hurt you or make you feel bad about anything but it will help you to have a better understanding if you read that part at least.
Also,as I have stated before in another question that it is not important if one believes that there is a Heaven or a Hell but what is important is whether or not you believe in Jesus Christ for what he has done for you and believe and walk in his teachings that's what really counts.
I have also stated in another question that to let man "or woman" believe what he "or she" wants to believe and let God be the judge over who's right and who's wrong.
I don't dare to judge you over the question that you have asked here but it is simply my honest opinion that you have misunderstood alot of things about christianity and I for one will not condemn you for it because it isn't my place to condemn you nor is it anyone else on this earth's place has that authority to condemn you either.
2007-01-26 08:03:26 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Christianity as all religions are made by humans to make them feel better.the unknown of the death(that causes big anxiety) made them make this story of heaven and hell so they can have the illusion of controlling their destiny(by following a certain type of behavior).This type of behavior(which will ''open them the doors of heaven'')is the way it is because it helped the makers of Christianity to control the credulous people.and what was better ''argument'' than they will go to a good place after dying.I want to clear up that I believe that Jesus existed and the things he said were wonderful.But I also believe that there were additions to what he said and what he did so they could make people believe easier and be controlled easier.I DO NOT THINK THAT ANY OF AS(or the pompous men that written Bible)IS IN POSITION TO KNOW WHO GOD IS AND WHAT HE WANTS.OR THAT OUR RELIGION IS THE BEST.THIS IS EXTREMELY ARROGANT OF OUR PART.Just have love and peace at your heart and you do not need any religion.Religions are the result of our weakness as Freud(and so many psychologists and psychiatrists)said.
2007-01-26 08:25:12 · answer #6 · answered by MS.. 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes we do. It is in the tenets of our faith. Since you obviously do not subscribe those tenets, why should you care about what we believe? It could be that you are worried we are actually onto something since there are so many of us out there in the world.
As for innocent children that are unbaptized; our faith is based on a persons ability to choose for themselves if salvation is something the want in their lives. Since children; especially babies cannot make that decision for themselves they are innocent in God's eyes and welcome in his kingdom. People need to understand that christianity is a choice not a force. But iit is also a kind and loving way to live. I have never read in my "man-made" bible that all other people that believe differently than I do are evil. There faith may by considered evil in some circumstances, but not the people. Christians believe that all men are God's creation and should not judge or hate them. By doing so they are putting themselves above God. We all know where that got Lucifer. My God created me to think for myself, he also created a set of guidelines for me to follow. I am very thankful that he gave me the choice and did not force it upon me. It seems it is only people that try to do that.
2007-01-26 08:10:26 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
1) It's not some system we made up.
2) Babies don't go to hell.
3) People who aren't baptized don't necessarily go to hell.
4) Whoever said all nonbelievers are demons lied.
Hope this helped. And in case you are wondering, yes, I took this seriously and looked inside myself before answering. Every time I do this, I come to the conclusion that God is there w/ me, and that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. Nothing can ever make me deter from His love.
God bless you.
2007-01-26 07:56:09 · answer #8 · answered by ac28 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The whole principal behind Christianity is God wanting people to believe in him. He doesn't want people to go to hell, but if people refuse to believe then that is their choice. And I believe little babies aren't going to go to hell. They're innocent in God's eyes, they haven't sinned. I don't believe people who believe in other Gods are evil. That would be ignorant. I respect them, but believe they're misguided. I'm sorry for some people who claim to be christians and don't act like it. It's not right to call other people demons, because they're not. And the Bible is God's word, whether you choose to believe that or not. God gave us free will, so of course he wants us to think for ourselves, but we use the Bible as a guide. It's what our faith is based off of.
2007-01-26 08:01:06 · answer #9 · answered by Emily 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well if one is a true servant of God (Christian) he/she must believe in His word and nothing else. You do not understand the bible and it speaks simple words. The only way that alot of people will believe is when they see the son of God coming in the clouds and than it will be too late. I believe in my heart in the Bible, when the bible speaks of the heart it means the mind.
The heart is nothing but and orgain in your body that pumps blood. Your mind is what you think with and reason with. Read
the book and pray for understanding. I don't think you wanna go to the lake of Fire.
I read some of the responses here, one cannot have faith in god without reading and hearing his word. Than he must understand it and apply. This is not Joke. In a time to come you will be wishing that you had listend.
2007-01-26 07:55:45 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋