If Jesus was such a nice chap, why did he promise eternal agonising torture for non-believers?

Question

Isn't that just a little over the top? I mean, why would a god be so upset about people not believing in him anyway?

Perhaps he'd already created a zillion universes and they'd all gone wrong, and he was getting a little annoyed - "If they don't believe in me *this* time, then I'm going to get REALLY angry!!" :-)

Redeemed: I hope you're joking... :-/

malak: How is eternal torture a fair response to an honest lack of belief?

Preys Jesus: Now it all makes sense

;-)

Answer 1

Reward of heaven if you do what the priests says, and threat of hell if you don't ....toss in a few magic tricks... That was all you needed to control simple people back then...and today. How else were they going to get people to join.

Answer 2

You know I used to ask the same question. And in fact you may find it hard to believe since most of the Christian world doesnt .. anymore ... that this is not the case. Id say 90% of the texts that talk about the punishment of hell talk about the wicked getting the fair wages of sin.. which is DEATH. Not eternal life in hell... The other 10% may seem to say another thing but only when taken out of context.

m sure everyone has heard John 3:16 For God soo loved the world that He gave His only begotton Son, that whoever believes in Him should not ---perish-- but have everlasting life.

There is the choice. Choose Christ = have life eternal.
Reject Christ = Perish (not eternal life in the fire)

In response to the last part of your question, why would God be so upset about people not believing in Him. Well its kind of like this.

If you chop your head off you will no longer live. Cause and effect there, thats a no brainer (pardon the pun) The same goes with unbelief, its not that God is upset with people and thats the reason they have to burn, its actually quite the opposite, God longs to have all peoples turn to Him, but the choice they make takes them away from Him and to the "cause and effect" of thier choice. The effect of sin = death, every single time.

Jesus is the One that breaks the cause and effect, He took our effect on Him so we dont have to, but only if we accept Him. Get it?

I hope so. about hell www.helltruth.com

Answer 3

Au contraire, you're hearing Jesus through the eyes of the all too fear-mongering Holy Catholic Church!

There are many noncanonical descriptions of Jesus's life and doctrine in which he denies eternal punishment, and instead adopts a much more karmic form of punishment, in which all evildoers are punished only equally to the deeds they've done.

I suggest you pick up a copy of the Gnostic Gospels, or perhaps the Dead Sea Scrolls. Better yet, try the Apostolic Fathers writings. They should be very enlightening regarding the truly large array of Christian literature not found in the New Testament.

Answer 4

He didn't. The idea of an eternally burning Hell doesn't come from the Bible, but from ancient Greek and Roman paganism. The Catholics borrowed it from them, and handed it down to the Protestants.
The Bible says that Hellfire does not currently exist, but will exist at the end of the Millennium, and the people will not be "tortured forever", but will be immediately consumed, never to exist again.
Some people like to quote a verse in the Bible that speaks of "eternal fire", but they take it out of context. Remember, we must always compare Scripture with Scripture to find out what the Bible is really saying about a certain subject. We can go to the Genesis story about Sodom and Gomorrah; another book in the Bible refers to S&G, too. There it says that S&G will be burnt with an "eternal fire". Are S&G still burning today? Of course not. In fact, I've seen a video of an exploration of the original site of S&G in the Holy Land - the place is burnt to a crisp. The ash layer goes down several inches below the surface, and the entire area is pelted with ashy stones. It is definitely not "still burning". So we can know that when "eternal fire" is mentioned in the Bible, they are talking about the EFFECTS of the fire, which ARE eternal. The two cities will never rise again. Likewise, those who are burnt in the "eternal fire" of Hell will never live again. They will be snuffed out of existence. To believe that people are still alive and conscious in Hell is to believe that sin is more powerful than God! Also, the Bible says that "God alone hath immortality", which means that people don't - dead or alive. The only time people will have a chance at immortality is when Christ returns, and then only those who are saved. The lost will never receive immortality, in Hell or otherwise.

Answer 5

I agree ... if it was only about not beleiving, but there is more. Jesus doesn't promise to send people to hell, he warns them.

You want God to be just and pure? Then you can say nothing about it. If I steal a cookie, I get my hand smacked. If I steal a car, I go to jail. If I steal military secrets, I get put to death ... If I steal or commit any other act against the eternal rule or morality (that only a Moral God could provide), then I must exhaust my mortal blood eternally. or ... i can take the easy way out and accept the free gift that Jesus gave when he spilled his Immortal blood for our eternal sins.

Answer 6

Okay, let's review. God is loving but he is also Holy. He will not admit sin into his presence. We are all sinful but God provided a way out through the blood of Jesus. If we are covered in the blood we are forgiven. To not believe is to be without resource.
Hell is a place where God is not present. I believe that the reason hell exists must be because our souls are immortal. If we cannot be with God, we must be somewhere.

Answer 7

Hell is a misconception. There is no Hell.
God has a set of 10 rules for us to follow and if we don't follow these rules, we will go to a special place for sinners, where we will eternally burn, suffer and be tortured. But He loves us.......... in other words, if God forgives, then logically hell can't exist.

Answer 8

Simple - He sent His only Son to die in your place. People mocked Him, spat on Him, ridiculed Him, beat Him into a bloody mess, and rejoiced over His death including many who were the religious leaders of His day.

Since then there have been millions who have mocked Him, spat on Him - ridiculed Him - and crucified Him over and over
through their wicked lives, and rejoiced over His death and would gladly rejoice over the death of those who love and serve Him including many religious leaders of this day and age.

These people would feel very uncomfortable in Heaven where
everyone loves God and one another so God created a place
where they could continue to live just as they did on earth with
the same hatred and etc. The extra benefit of fire and pain and mental and spiritual anguish that Christ would have gladly
suffered for them is just part of the package.

There is a way to avoid it, and I am sure the asker of this question and many who come in here for fun and games already know what it is. But just in case there is someone
who doesn't it goes like this: Repent of your sin, trust the blood of Christ shed on Calvary was shed for you and is sufficient for your forgiveness, and love and serve God after He delivers you out of spiritual ignorance.

P. S. He can answer your questions for you after that either through His word, through His Holy Spirit, or even through another human.

Answer 9

I am not Christian but I have read some of the new testament and I don't actually recall Jesus himself declaring sinners will be eternally tortured. I may be wrong though like I said I am no expert.

Answer 10

Basically your saying I want everything but I want to give nothing. This does not happen anywhere, not in this life or the next. People who think they are all that and then some have a serious problem. It is a mental disease called narcissism.

Answer 11

This question has been over played as well as Pascals wager.

Please don't blame Jesus for the sins of man. He was just sent by God to save you.