I'll bet you have at least one relative that you know isn't "saved." How can you enjoy an eternity in heaven knowing that Cousin Eddie is screaming in pain in the unquenchable fires of hell, forever and ever and ever, until the end of time ... and beyond? Wouldn't this spoil your eternal bliss? And if it wouldn't, aren't you a pretty hard-hearted person? Just as hard-hearted, I might add, as your God?
And yes, I know the standard answer to this question: "I'll be transformed into a new creature when I get to heaven, and I'll know even as I am known, and I'll no longer see through a glass darkly, so that I'll have peace, no matter what." Tell me, how much "changing" can you undergo before you cease to be yourself? That is, before your personality is altered so much that it isn't even YOU anymore?
2007-04-02 16:54:48 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I'd enjoy eternity in hell if it was me that got to torture cousin Eddie, sniveling little bastard that he is.
2007-04-02 16:58:40 · answer #1 · answered by lcraesharbor 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
You'd have to go back to what you were before you were born and before you were influenced by anyone or anything around you. All the opinions you had would have to be erased. You would no longer be yourself, you would only be some sort of spirit and you wouldn't be aware of other people, including loved ones and you would no longer be aware of the person you once were. If that's the case, we would then all be exactly the same and nothing more than pieces if some giant spiritual mass where we are all 'one'. I don't believe there is such a thing as 'enjoying heaven' since we would no longer be able to have any type of human emotion. If it's supposedly some sort of 'eternal bliss' there would be no way of recognizing that unless you also knew sadness and despair. If you know sadness and despair exists, then you wouldn't be in 'eternal bliss' anymore.
2007-04-03 01:07:33 · answer #2 · answered by Pico 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps after asking the question, you understand a little of why Christians are so interested in seeing others come to know Christ. It disturbs me very much to know that there are friends and relatives who I loved here on earth that may end up separated from God for eternity. I pray for them....I talk with them....but sadly, many of them are just like you. They don't see their need, because they think they've got life pretty well under control. What they don't realize is that it's not this life that they need to worry about. It burdens my soul more than you could understand.
To answer your question, however, the bible says that God will wipe away every tear....meaning the tears shed for those souls that are lost. I don't pretend to understand how, but I trust that God will make it so.
2007-04-03 00:07:13 · answer #3 · answered by Marcus75 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First of all, it is up to Christians to spread the word. Becoming a Christian means that you take on the role to help share the love of the Lord and talk about eternal salvation. It is very difficult - especially with a relative or friend. We need to remember that we don't always have to go overseas to minister to people. There's always someone next door, in the next cubicle, or even in the next room who needs to know about God's love. Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than sitting in the garage will make you a car. You have a job to do and that is to spread God's love and the fact that Jesus was given to us as a sacrifice for our sins.
As far as being "transformed" - I image that I will be the soul that God intended before Eve strayed and ate the apple. There will be no shame, no fear, etc. I'll still be me but I'll be without sin and without need.
2007-04-03 00:06:18 · answer #4 · answered by danceteacher 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are right. You wouldn't enjoy eternity if that's the case and thanks be to God almighty it isn't. Hell with people screaming and roasting is made up by man. Hell simply means the grave. God is a consuming fire. The second death is the death of the soul. The Bible says they are blotted out. The word blot in the Hebrew means erased from time immortal. God will consume the souls of those who don't make it,but it will be painless. There will be no tears in heaven because if you are erased from time immortal you never really did exsist. Think about that for a moment. Also God is fair and will never condem a soul to death until it comes to complete understanding and still rejects Him. And by the level of teaching today most people haven't got a prayer. Hope that helps friend.
2007-04-03 00:26:33 · answer #5 · answered by dispesational7 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
There are some verses (like in Isaiah 26) that indicate that we won't have any memory of lost relatives.
The teachings of hell in the Bible are certainly unpopular. Jesus taught more about hell than anyone else in the Bible (see Luke 16:19+).
Some verses mention "eternal separation from God" or "outer darkness" which seem relatively benign. Others are terrifying, and it seems unbelievable that God would condemn anyone to eternal, conscious torment.
2007-04-04 06:06:15 · answer #6 · answered by lda 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When we are in heaven, we are reunited with God our Father. We will be so happy, so blissful that all we will be able to think about is how great of a God we have. Earthly petty things will not worry us. God is a very forgiving God. He can forgive anyone and anything. How do we really know ANYONE is in hell? God loved us so much that he was willing to let his son die so that ALL would be saved, not just some, so what makes you think we all know someone in hell. I strongly disagree with that statement.
2007-04-03 00:21:59 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
My GOD is a GOOD GOD. So soft hearted that he even lets those exist that refuse to believe in him and gives them every opportunity to become believers. If a person is determined to refuse God The Father-God The Son- God The Holy Spirit then they send their own self to Hell. God does not do this. You do not began to know what i think or how i feel. One person being lost is as sad as any other being lost and going to Hell. GOD lets me be me-it is people who want to make me into a robot-not my GOD. I love GOD just the way he is. It is a sad day when one does not love the one who created them. I guess they don't even like them self.
2007-04-03 00:08:45 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think of the same question too. It scares me to know that some of the people i love might go to hell, or even ME! Well, in my opinion, i don't think anyone will be in hell eternally. God is loving. He will punish some people for their sins for sometime, while others for longer, but will put everyone in heaven eventually.
2007-04-03 00:01:05 · answer #9 · answered by suzy 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
my religion doesn't have an eternal hell
we have a cleansing of the neshama (soul) but that isn't eternal and it's not anything like the Christian version of hell
I have no fear that any relative of mine is going to be eternally punished
the worst that could happen to one of my relatives is that once their neshama (soul) is cleaned of all it's impurities that there is nothing left to send on to the World to Come and they will have to be sent back down to earth reincarnated so that they can live life again and THIS TIME do enough good in the world to earn that place in the World to Come
must suck though, being a Christian....glad I don't have to deal with that kind of guilt
2007-04-03 00:02:18 · answer #10 · answered by Rhymes with Camera 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Why do you think I would rather burn in hell then be without my kin in heaven?
To me being without my loved ones who have passed away would be the ultimate hell. It would and could not be heaven without them there.
I could handle death being the end of everything, like atheists believe. But I couldn't stand the thought of having to live for all eternity without those who I love most.
2007-04-03 00:00:24 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋