Ex-christians, did you ever believe in a literal hell?

Question

If so, did you feel badly about people going there? Did you threaten anyone with it. People on here threaten it a lot as ya know...

Answer 1

In my christian days, I did believe in hell because that's what I was taught for years. I was a southern baptist so I was constantly threatened with it. No matter what you did, you were a sinner going to hell. I did feel bad about people going there because we were told being good wasn't good enough; there were good people in hell. I didn't understand that at all. If you were a good person, why isn't that good enough? Anyway, I never threatened anyone with it, thank goodness. I'm so glad I don't believe that nonsense anymore. I blame my prior belief on impressionable youth.

Answer 2

Actually, the Bible refers to several "levels" of both heaven and hell. The "threat" comes from the Word, not the people who are concerned and remind you of it. If you do not want to believe it, that is your right, and your responsibility for your self. Your decision and consequence.

It is really a faith issue... a sign says an object is hot. Some people see you approaching the object, and tell you the object is hot, being concerned that you could burn yourself. You are faced with a decision; take it on faith that the sign and the people are telling you the truth or touch it to find the truth for your self. If you rely only on your self, you would be burned, and it would be too late, the damage being done.

Did the people feel bad about your being burned? Probably, because they have empathy and compassion. They would probably also think you as being foolish for doing it. Were they threatening you? No, they were warning you. Ex-Christians and unbelievers... you have been warned repeatedly. Don't shoot the messenger just because you want to ignore the message and do not want to hear it.

Answer 3

1. Did you ever believe in a literal hell?..............Yes.
2. Did you feel badly about people going there?......Yes.
3. Did you threaten anyone with it? ......Yes.

"People on here threaten it a lot as ya know..." Yes, I know, and some even send e-mails to me to tell me that I will go to "hell" because I am Wiccan.

The way I see it is this: "I am not a $100.00 Dollars bill, to liked by everone. I am not a 1 Penny coin either, to be tossed and run over by everyone". I the worse scenario I am like a $20.00 Dollars bill: which is not bad to have around.

Answer 4

I have been an ex-christian for a long time now (10 years), so I left Christianity at the age of 11. Back then, unfortunately, I believed it was literal, blazing fires to roast "bad" people. I threatened many people with it when they picked on me, or when I find out they're not Catholic (Imagine). But no more my friend. I'm Deist, I still believe in one Deity, but He is much nicer and merciful than the god in the bible.

Answer 5

I am Jehovah ´Witness we do not believe that God is a sadic,
to tirture people eternally the idea of hell is a misinterpretation of the original word in the bible written in greek, Sheol (Hebrew) or Hades ( greek ) means the grave the condition of no existence from that condition God will bring back people in the resurrection in the other hand Jesus Christ used antoher word Gehhena or lake of fire
No a Symbol of Everlasting Torment. Jesus Christ associated fire with Gehenna (Mt 5:22; 18:9; Mr 9:47, 48), as did the disciple James, the only Biblical writer besides Matthew, Mark, and Luke to use the word. (Jas 3:6) Some commentators endeavor to link such fiery characteristic of Gehenna with the burning of human sacrifices that was carried on prior to Josiah’s reign and, on this basis, hold that Gehenna was used by Jesus as a symbol of everlasting torment. However, since Jehovah God expressed repugnance for such practice, saying that it was “a thing that I had not commanded and that had not come up into my heart” (Jer 7:31; 32:35), it seems most unlikely that God’s Son, in discussing divine judgment, would make such idolatrous practice the basis for the symbolic meaning of Gehenna. It may be noted that God prophetically decreed that the Valley of Hinnom would serve as a place for mass disposal of dead bodies rather than for the torture of live victims. (Jer 7:32, 33; 19:2, 6, 7, 10, 11) Thus, at Jeremiah 31:40 the reference to “the low plain of the carcasses and of the fatty ashes” is generally accepted as designating the Valley of Hinnom, and a gate known as “the Gate of the Ash-heaps” evidently opened out onto the eastern extremity of the valley at its juncture with the ravine of the Kidron. (Ne 3:13, 14) It seems obvious that such “carcasses” and “fatty ashes” are not related to the human sacrifices made there under Ahaz and Manasseh, since any bodies so offered would doubtless be viewed by the idolaters as “sacred” and would not be left lying in the valley.
Therefore, the Biblical evidence concerning Gehenna generally parallels the traditional view presented by rabbinic and other sources. That view is that the Valley of Hinnom was used as a place for the disposal of waste matter from the city of Jerusalem. (At Mt 5:30 Ph renders ge'en•na as “rubbish heap.”) Concerning “Gehinnom,” the Jewish commentator David Kimhi (1160-1235?), in his comment on Psalm 27:13, gives the following historical information: “And it is a place in the land adjoining Jerusalem, and it is a loathsome place, and they throw there unclean things and carcasses. Also there was a continual fire there to burn the unclean things and the bones of the carcasses. Hence, the judgment of the wicked ones is called parabolically Gehinnom.”

Answer 6

Absolutely I did.. I actually had speculations about its location, etc.. it was sad, really.
I ALWAYS felt awful that ANYONE no matter how terrible their deed would go there. I never threatened anyone with it.. it would keep me up at night worrying about people I cared for.
I've seen some horrible posts from alleged christians saying things like "enjoy your time in hell" "you're going to bust hell wide open" et al.. I think it's appalling.

Answer 7

I did believe in hell. I never really felt bad about anyone going, because even when I went to church, I was still labeled as hellbound (since I refused to be baptized.) A family member and I only threaten each other with it in jest. Headed to hell in a handbasket is her favorite saying....

Answer 8

I am more like ex-ex-Christian. I walked away from my childhood faith, but I found my way back. Of course I did not believe in literal hell. It was something I wanted to deny because I thought that if I just said that I do not believe in it, then it is not true.

If you do not believe in hell, do not worry about it. I believe that the Bible is true, and so forth I believe that hell and heaven are physical places. Jesus talks more about hell than He talks about heaven, but He does not want anyone to choose hell. My opinion about it does not change it a bit.

But I would not be surprised if He saved us all after all. Wages of sin was death ( I think that means that since Adam and Eve had a fall in the garden of Eden, we all have to die ), He sent a sacrificial gift for us so that we do not have to die the way that we stay dead. Sin was taken seriously and punished with death, but He offered Jesus to die in our place for forgiveness of our sins and so that we can have eteral life with God. And He asks us to respect that gift.

If you do not respect that gift and you do not want to be with God, it is really your choice and not God's. But maybe maybe, He will give you another change than here. Maybe maybe He will reveal Himself to you and you still ave a change to choose Him...that is not in the Bible, so do not take my words for it because I am not authorized to to change the Word of God. We will have the perfect understnding in heaven, so that would make sense if all the people would be saved after all. It could mean also that we do not miss people who are not there because we understand that they did not want to be with God.

No, I did not threaten anyone with hell. Ony God knows our hearts, so He is the righteous and just God.

Answer 9

Yes, I did. I really hated the idea of it. Its one of the reasons I quit believing. I can't think of anything that would merit an eternity of suffering. I do know that people threaten with it here.

Answer 10

I have never in my life believed in a "literal" hell, although at one time I fully believed in the existence of God. I was very religious as a child, and it was as a child that I chose atheism, but for different reasons.

I guess if you don't acknowledge one, then you don't believe in the other.