Do they desire the torment? I'm not asking if they desire to be away from God. I'm asking if they desire the physical pain.
2007-03-21 09:24:52 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Lot's of people believe in Hell. I'm not one of them.
2007-03-21 09:29:33 · update #1
1. Wouldn't everyone repent when faced with hell?
2. Would God let out people who repented?
3. Why was Hell created?
One argument against hell is this: No person in his right mind would choose eternal punishment in hell over heaven. Therefore everyone would repent when sent to hell. If God lets the repentant leave, hell will be empty (and therefore can be disregarded). If God doesn't let the repentant leave, God is unjust for continuing to punish them after they've repented.
The trouble with this line of reasoning is that repentance is not simply a matter of one saying, "Okay, I'll say whatever you want me to, just get me out of here!" Repentance involves acknowledging one's guilt, feeling remorse and the desire to change one's behavior, accepting Christ's sacrifice as substitutionary punishment for one's wrongs and agreeing to love and obey God (including Christ as God the Son). This includes by definition acceptance of eternal punishment in hell as just punishment for one's sins; while the skeptic may still object that continued punishment of the repentant is unjust, the repentant will respond that their continued punishment is deserved and could only end through God's mercy.
However, in reality people in hell won't repent, in particular not any skeptic who makes the above argument. If one thinks God is unjust for punishing people in hell, actually going there isn't going to make one suddenly decide that God is just and deserves one's love and worship after all. People are given their entire lives on Earth as an opportunity to repent and accept God; if they refuse each day of their lives to repent and believe they're justified in doing so, it's hardly conceivable that punishment in hell would change their minds.
Since hell is comprised of those who would never repent, the second question, “Would God let out people who repented?” is only a hypothetical one; it could be argued either way. In practice, someone who would repent in hell would be given the opportunity to repent on Earth and would presumably repent before they died, not after.
As for eternal punishment for finite life of sin, the answer is that our sin bears an eternal consequence because it is ultimately against an eternal God. When King David committed the sins of adultery and murder he stated, Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight (Psalm 51:4). David had sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah, how could David claim to have only sinned against God? David understood that all sin is ultimately against God. God is an eternal and infinite Being. As a result, all sin is worthy of an eternal punishment.
An earthly example of this would be comparing attacking your neighbor and attacking the President of the United States. Yes, both are crimes, but attacking the President would result in far greater consequences. How much more does sin against a holy and infinite God warrant a terrible consequence?
In short, hell and heaven were created out of God's love for mankind as a consequence of free will. God could not have created a morally free creature who could not possess the potentiality to choose to sin. God, being perfectly righteous will righteously respect the choices a person makes and grant them the eternal life they sought through the exercise of their own free will. In short, we choose the behavior, and thus we have chosen the consequences.
I have simplified much of the doctrines behind these concepts. I suggest you do some careful study of the attributes of God to digest these hard sayings. Start with some basic introductions to theology, especially the attributes of a perfect being (God) and go from there.
2007-03-21 09:47:27 · answer #1 · answered by Ask Mr. Religion 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Im certain the Marquis de Sade desired the physical pain.... Not that hell exists or anything....
VLR!
2007-03-21 16:28:20 · answer #2 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably not. However, most people are so unknowing about what's really happening in the spiritual realm that they dismiss the concept of hell as something silly. I pray for these people.
2007-03-21 16:39:27 · answer #3 · answered by Evan S 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you really think anyone actually believes in Hell?
2007-03-21 16:28:51 · answer #4 · answered by CHEESUS GROYST 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The idea of being with those annoying Christians for all eternity would be hell.
2007-03-21 16:31:13 · answer #5 · answered by Lynnemarie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, I dont think anyone actually wants to be in Hell.
2007-03-21 16:29:42 · answer #6 · answered by Scully 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nobody wants to be in hell, it's just that those that don't believe in hell don't believe their going to hell, so that's that. Get it?
2007-03-21 16:40:46 · answer #7 · answered by happyfacemommy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe anyone wants to go to hell. But they want to avoid it their own way, and they refuse the knowledge that there is only one way to avoid it--Jesus Christ.
2007-03-21 16:36:39 · answer #8 · answered by beano™ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps that is part of the deception. To use an analogy; Do people want STD's? Are they willing to avoid pre- or extra-marital sex to avoid it?
2007-03-21 16:49:48 · answer #9 · answered by jefferyspringer57@sbcglobal.net 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In my opinion, no.
2007-03-21 16:31:46 · answer #10 · answered by SpiritRoaming 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋