On what grounds could you argue that Hell cannot exist without freewill?

Question

Not really a question about freewill but why it's necessary for Hell to exist.

Pretty rudimentary question but humor me.

Answer 1

Hell exists only because of free will, because hell is not a physical place in all.

Much of modern theologies believe that hell would be state of mind, and only by having free will can we place ourselves in such a diluted uncomfortable state of mind that we've would in fact exist in hell.

If there were no free will, it is presumable that God would allow us to exist in a perpetual state of happiness, which would be termed Heaven.

Answer 2

To your first question which is a bit of a tricky question for an atheist to answer but I'll try.
You get sent to Hell for taking action that God disagrees with or for not believing or whatever. If you have no freewill you can't do any of these things so can't end up in Hell.

I'm not sure I understand the second question because I don't think it is necessary for Hell to exist because, as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't.
I think it's necessary for pain and unhappiness to exist because otherwise we wouldn't recognise joy and happiness.

Answer 3

Despite rumors to the contrary, hell is still a doctrine in Catholic theology. One who purposely rejects God chooses not to enjoy an eternity of friendship with the Lord. This is the basic notion of hell - cutting oneself off from God.

The existence of hell or separation from God is very real. However, what form hell assumes or in what manner a damned person will suffer, is open to debate. No one has come back to report the temperature in hell. And no human can judge whether another is damned.

Theologians suggest that hell be seen as a state of total rejection of God. Like heaven, it is not a place and is not subject to time.

In grappling with the issue of hell, one needs to remember that it is an issue, which remains in the realm of mystery, a truth not yet entirely revealed.

Peace and every blessing!

Answer 4

Hell can only exist because of free will. God does not force Himself on anyone. If someone chooses to live apart from God they have that option after they die as well as in this life. Hell is a free choice. God not not send anyone there. Hell is a place absence the presence of God. Now lets not get into the whole, but God is everywhere thing. Let's keep this simple for now.

Answer 5

The word 'hell' is found in many Bible translations.In the same verses other translations read 'the grave',the world of the dead' and so forth.Other Bibles simply transliterate the original-language words that are sometimes rendered 'hell' that is,they express them with the letters of our alphabet but leave the words untranslated.The words are,the Hebrew 'Sheohl' and its Greek equivalent 'ha ides',which refer not to a individual burial place but to the common grave of dead mankind;also the Greek 'ge enna',which is used as a symbol of eternal destruction.However,both in Christendom and many non-Christian religions it is taught that hell is a place inhabited by demons,where the wicked,after death are punished (some believe this is with torment).
But this is not a Bible teaching.Eccl.9:5 plainly states:"For the living are conscious that they will die but as for the dead they are conscious of nothing at all".
Ps.146:4:"His spirit goes out,and in that day his thoughts do perish"
Ezek18:4:"The soul that is sinning- it itself will die"
The Bible clearly shows that when we die we go back to the ground from which we came.We do not have a immortal soul that survives death.Nor would a loving God create us to live 60/80 years to only then spend eternity in torment

Answer 6

There is no hell, just like there is no heaven. These concepts were created by humans for the purpose of social control. Religion is the largest business in the world. What a rip off

Answer 7

Hell must exist because we must have a punishment for our sins, which is part of freewill. Everyone has sinned, so nobody is perfect, except God. But that's why God sent his Son to humbly live on Earth. He lived without sinning once, and was crucified on the cross. He did this because He loves us, and he wants to give us a chance to escape Hell, eternal torture, and, instead, go to Heaven, eternal paradise, by believing he did this for us, underdtanding we are not perfect and that we deserve hell, and accepting God's free gift of Salvation, which is part of your free will. But, be warned, Salvation can't be used as fire insurance. if you're getting saved so you don't have to go to hell, and don't change your evil ways, then you haven't really accepted salvation and become a Christian (they are synonymous).

Free will allows us to sin. Therefore, hell is therefore punishment because of our free will to sin. But we can be saved from hell, by accepting the gift of salvation. But, God doesn't force us to accept it, giving us free will.

Answer 8

Hell is the reverse of the dangling carrot.

Take the most awful place you can imagine, and implant that place into the mind of a child. Then tell that child that if they do not believe what you believe they will spend the rest of eternity in that terrible place.

Could it be argued that "hell" is actually a front for child abuse?

Answer 9

Hell exists in Christianity to scare people into following their rules.

Answer 10

When God created humans, among the many marvelous gifts he gave them was free will. The Bible tells us that God created man in his ‘image and likeness,’ and one of the qualities God has is freedom of choice. (Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 7:6) Thus, when he created humans, he gave them that same wonderful quality—the gift of free will.

That is why we prefer freedom rather than enslavement by oppressive rulers. It is why resentment builds up against harsh and stifling rule so that people often revolt to gain freedom.

The desire for freedom is no accident. The Bible gives the underlying reason. It states: “Where the spirit of God is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) So wanting freedom is part of our nature because God created us that way. It is something that he wants us to have because he himself is the God of freedom.—2 Corinthians 3:17.

God also gave us the mental abilities, such as the powers of perception, reason, and judgment, that work in harmony with free will. These enable us to think, weigh matters, make decisions, and distinguish right from wrong. (Hebrews 5:14) We were not created to be like mindless robots that have no will of their own; nor were we created to act primarily out of instinct, as were the animals.

However, was the marvelous gift of free will to be without limits? Well, would you care to drive an automobile in heavy traffic if there were no traffic regulations, where you were free to drive in any lane, in any direction, at any speed? Of course, the results of such unlimited freedom in traffic would be catastrophic.

It is the same in human relations. Unlimited freedom for some would mean no freedom for others. Unrestricted freedom can result in anarchy, which damages everybody’s freedom. There must be limits. Therefore, God’s gift of freedom does not mean that he purposed for humans to behave in any manner without considering the welfare of others.

God’s Word says on this point: “Behave like free men, and never use your freedom as an excuse for wickedness.” (1 Peter 2:16, The Jerusalem Bible) So God wants our free will to be regulated for the common good. He did not purpose for humans to have total freedom, but relative freedom, subject to the rule of law.

Regarding death’s effect on a person’s consciousness, the inspired psalmist wrote: “His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish.”—Psalm 146:4.

The Bible’s statements are authoritative and reasonable. What do you think? Would a loving father make his children suffer because of sinful tendencies that are a part of their nature? (Genesis 8:21) Of course not. So why would our heavenly Father do anything similar? When some in ancient Israel adopted the pagan ritual of burning their children in sacrifice to false gods, Jehovah condemned such a hateful practice, defining it as ‘a thing that he had not commanded and that had not come up into his heart.’—Jeremiah 7:31.

Man’s sins result in death, not torment in an afterlife. “The wages sin pays is death,” according to the Scriptures, and “he who has died has been acquitted from his sin.”—Romans 5:12; 6:7, 23.

The dead are not suffering. Rather, it is as though they were in a deep sleep, without consciousness—pleasurable or otherwise.