Does anyone else here fear punishment after death?

Question

I'm no serial killer or anything, but I have to say that I'm afraid that I'll either go to hell or else my next life will be really crappy. Sometimes I like the possibility of there being an afterlife, but other times, I just wonder why we can't just be dead after we've died.

Answer 1

I believe in punishments fitting the crimes. So if I am judged when this is all said and done, I feel I have nothing to fear. I could accept a few years in purgatory, for my early years shoplifting, having sex out of a loving relationship, hateful words that have come out of my mouth, all of the weed I've smoked, and all the times I got hammered and made out with your girlfriend. Yeah I'd be cool with a few years in a waiting room type purgatory. Really though, I've done as much if not more good to feel good about who I am today, so I'm not worried about my life after death, I figure worst case scenario, there's nothing after this, because I'm not going to "hell" guarnteed.

Answer 2

Nope.

After puzzling over the nature of hell, heaven, and human relationships, i concluded that at most 2 of the 3 could exist in a given universe.

As far as i can figure, with the limited data that i have, we'll just be dead after we've died.

And in the unlikely event that there is an afterlife, we have no way of knowing what it's like or what the rules are. You'll get plenty of people who say that they know, and will cite their Bible, Qu'ran, or whatever, but who is right? All i can say is don't sweat it. Do your best to live this life. If there's a just God, It won't judge you by your beliefs; if God is unjust, you wouldn't want to spent time with It anyway; and if there is no afterlife, then your well-spent life will have been its own reward.

Answer 3

I know, right? like just retire and leave me alone!
But that would be a pretty depressing thought to carry with you thru life. Most people (the smart and lucky ones) have a retirement plan, right?
Life is the same way. If you always live in the moment and never look to the future, then when retirement time comes around, you will not be able to rest in the "retirement heaven" that many people have already secured for themselves. and then there will be punishment.....broke-and-working-like-a-horse punishment.
But hey, I'll sell you a retirement package (the big one) right now (so that you don't have to worry anymore)!

There is no way i can hope to go to heaven with all the bad things i've done. so i accepted a free gift from someone who offered to take the punishment for all the wrong things i've done. um.....yeah, that's pretty much it. and now i don't have to worry. If it's that simple why doesn't everyone do it? Some people won't accept that it's so simple, and others think it's a ridiculous system. But it's a much more solid system than any 401k or social security.
All you have to do is ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins, and accept the gift he offered you when he died on the cross to pay for the sins of anyone who would let him pay for them.
I don't know about you, but if someone's willing to pick up that kind of tab....with no strings attached, sign me up!

Answer 4

This is one of the many reasons I don't follow a religion. They use fear to get people to obey and follow the rules. Why not just do what you know is right BECAUSE it's right, not because you fear you'll go to hell or you want to be rewarded? This is what's wrong with how people raise children these days... it's all rewards and punishments instead of teaching what's right and what's wrong and expecting them to do what's right.

Second, do you really want to worship a being who will hold your mistakes against you? You said you're not a serial killer or anything... if you've asked forgiveness from the deity, you should be okay. But have you asked forgiveness from those you've wronged here on earth while you're alive?

Third, afterlife? Use the life you have to do what's right RIGHT NOW... don't worry about what comes next with regard to life and death. Live in the moment, love like it's your last day, and be good to the people you meet.

Answer 5

There is a distinct probability that we are just dead after we die. Don't worry about it. I have more trouble believing that if there was a God they would burn people in a pit for being human the way they made them. Imagine yourself as a parent. Your child makes mistakes. Do you use your vastly superior knowledge and love to gently guide them and show them where they went wrong or do you hide from them and then burn them with an iron and lock them in a closet in the basement?

My advice, live your life to the best of your ability, admit mistakes, fix them if you can, then learn from them and move on. If there is no afterlife, you've minimized your pain in this world. If there is and the Deity is remotely worth worshiping then there is no eternal damnation for those who truly did the best they could.

Answer 6

Sounds like you are fairly human. On the risk of starting a huge theological debate, think of it like this.....IF there is a God, and He/She/It is a parent figure and all loving, then Hell can not exist. No parent will cast their child into a forever burning, dire, sad, no-hope environment no matter WHAT they have done. And if there is no God, and you repeat life, you are here to make mistakes and learn from them. It is expected. Life is like a huge school.....the more time you spend here, the more you learn. Then there is always the possibility that you just really do simply die. Any way that it plays out, you are safe.

Answer 7

i think of many might describe it a loss of life cult in that those religions are extra prepared on an afterlife particularly than their cutting-edge existence. each little thing they do is in coaching for whilst they die. So in actuality a monotheist who believes in an after existence might worry loss of life to boot using fact this is the implications they assume persist with loss of life that they are apprehensive of. loss of life is seen using fact the commencing up of the two the eternal punishment or the heavenly bliss.

Answer 8

I don't fear punishment after death because dead is dead that's it nothing else
(hope that makes you feel better)

Answer 9

Although many of us are reluctant to admit it, we all know deep down that we have each failed at many points to live as we know we ought to live. Even if we aren't religious, we acknowledge at least some validity in a moral code like the ten commandments. Is this God's standard? Do not lie? Do not steal? Do not covet? If I fail to live up to God's standard, will he find me guilty on the day of judgment? Deep down I think we all feel the weight of this.

The message of the Christian faith is that God sent his Son Jesus Christ into the world. He lived his life perfectly according to God's standard. He then died to pay the penalty for all of those who would become willing to accept his payment of suffering for their sins. And so while he did not deserve it, Jesus was condemned as guilty in place of those who would trust in his atoning sacrifice. And although we do deserve it, we can be counted as righteous based on Jesus' obedience to God's law if we trust in him. In other words, he was reckoned guilty in our place in order that we could be counted as righteous based on his sinless life. This is God's mercy and grace towards sinners.

This is true not only of the afterlife, but also of the present life. The very same things that have made us deserving of hell are also the things which keep us from experiencing joy in this life. But the gift of faith in Jesus that I mentioned above is the beginning of a life of freedom from our sins. While we once desired things that could never fulfill us (sex, money, material possessions, drugs, food, etc.), we begin to find our delight in God. This change in our desires leads us to begin to make choices that reflect the reality of God so that his grace and mercy come to be displayed through us. Thus we are saved not only from hell, but also from the sin that enslaved us in this life.

Therefore, I would encourage everyone who is not trusting in Jesus to surrender to him. Stop trying to find your own utopias and delight yourselves in the God who alone is worthy of our devotion and affection.

Blessings,
Steve

Answer 10

Jesus removes that fear because once you know Him and are known by Him...personally...death is no longer an enemy. If you believe in Jesus, you'll never die. Your body might (assuming the Lord tarries)...but, you will continue to exist with Christ. And, ultimately, your body will be resurrected on the last day which will then reunite with your soul...and you'll have a new, incorruptible body and death will be defeated once and for all.

The grave has no victory over Christians. Jesus took the sting out of death by dying for us. All you have to do is realize you cannot save yourself...and lean up against Him and trust Him completely to save you.

He will.