2007-02-09 08:05:11 · 13 answers · asked by keri_gray 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Hell (sheol; hades) can be underground, but it is where all who die are buried. Hell is only the common grave. No one is tortured or burned alive, for the Bible specifally says that the dead are incapable of seeing, thinking, hearing or feeling anything. They are conscious of nothing at all.
Ecclesiastes 9:5--"For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing"
Ecclesiastes 9"10--"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest."
Isaiah 38:18--"For the grave cannot praise Thee, death can not celebrate Thee; they that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth."
2007-02-09 08:44:40 · answer #1 · answered by Micah 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The "fire" part I explained in some detail here:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiY7SJ2xJTBgBMEGAiQQlzvsy6IX?qid=20070127083437AA8fV5x&show=7#profile-info-AA10828990
The underground part probably comes from a few different things:
1. If the goodly/Godly realm, "Heaven" is in the sky, then the opposite evil realm must be under the earth - both are separate from the earth, as we know that they don't exist here ON the planet
2. Religions contemporary with formative Judaism said that the sacred realm (of the Mother Goddess) was "in the womb of the Earth" (underground), and since Judaism was both struggling to establish itself (and thus, trying to be different from other religions) and male-dominated, it's the predictable thing for them to demonize what is holy in other religions.
3. Previous ideas about the realm of the dead had it located underground - Hades, etc.
2007-02-13 03:43:28 · answer #2 · answered by Praise Singer 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the association with underground comes from being "down." Like angles floating around in the sky because of "up." Fire comes from lava that is common to the creation of the earth.
2007-02-09 08:12:06 · answer #3 · answered by Broadsword 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Mostly becuase of the book Dantes Inferno. Also the greeks believed in Hades, below the Earth, since they knew that the core of the earth was hot with molten lava. They lived in a very active volcano ridden area....
These things were in our minds when we read of The Lake of Fire in Revealation. Hell is not in the earth, though, its in another dimension.
2007-02-09 08:07:30 · answer #4 · answered by all in on the flop 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It is the Greek underground land of the dead, found similarly in many Pagan cultures, and adopted and modified to suit Christianity.
2007-02-09 08:27:28 · answer #5 · answered by ED SNOW 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If not from any specific Biblical imagery, then from Dante's Inferno and just a general, cultural understanding of the nature of hell.
2007-02-09 08:09:00 · answer #6 · answered by DonSoze 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because the core of the Earth is molten rock.
2007-02-09 08:08:56 · answer #7 · answered by AK 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
as its made up anyway.
It comes from when people die and buried so it negative and hell is also negative so its associated as being underground.
2007-02-09 08:09:33 · answer #8 · answered by MuZZy5000 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That's how it's always portrayed(sp?) so that's automatically what you think of when you hear "hell"-what do you think of when you hear the word "Jesus"? You think of a long haired guy with a robe and sandals on his feet.
2007-02-09 08:11:35 · answer #9 · answered by happyfacemommy 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because there are rivers of melted marsh mellows flowing beneath our feet.
2007-02-09 08:15:34 · answer #10 · answered by Ignorant is i. 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋