If no one went to Hell then the people who go to Heaven won't feel special and that's what Christianity is all about.
2007-04-17 15:08:46 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Christians do not believe those in hell are there undeservedly. Behavior has consequences. We choose the behavior, we choose the consequences.
As for the doctrine of hell consider the following:
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. In other words, the gates of hell are actually locked from the inside.
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.
2007-04-25 11:02:45 · answer #1 · answered by Ask Mr. Religion 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
IF you are turning nasty & stop caring, then you need to question your salvation or what is going on with you that has made you that way. If you have Jesus in you, then your heart should be changed. Your views should be changed. Your attitude towards others should be changed. Anyone can go to church- whether they are a believer or not. You could go to church every time it's open, but if it is not a real Bible believing church that preaches the true word of God then you're wasting your time. Church isn't about joining a club. It's about studying the Bible. You're supposed to live like the Savior. Jesus practiced & preached compassion, caring, obedience, etc. If you're not following his teachings then you're not walking with him. Noone can answer your question regarding whether or not you're going to hell if you give up on God, it has to be answered by you. Did you truly follow the plan of salvation (if you don't know what I'm talking about then find a Bible)? If you truly followed the plan of salvation & got saved, then nothing can take away your salvation. However, the Devil is always waiting for the Christian to slip & loose faith. It's easier to be mean, angry, vile than it is to draw from within yourself & be a better person. The world is full of nastiness. It's not God's fault, it's the price of sin in the world. You need to have a relationship & guidance. Seek another Christian out not to bash God but to find why they have a peace that you don't seem to have. Being a Christian doesn't mean that trials & tribulations won't come. These are tests of will & faith. We're never left to deal with them alone as Christians, but sometimes we give in to anger, etc., and forget what Jesus endured for each & every one of us. I wish you luck on your search. Don't give up. I appreciate your honesty, but you really need to search your heart because if you're feeling this way then you need to draw closer to Jesus for your answer.
2016-05-17 22:01:51 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, let's all love the people who think the people we love and many of those responsible for making the world a better place diserve to be tortured slowly longer than anyone's life could ever last...
Honestly, if an atheist proposed that on someone else's authority that all Christians should be tortured for the remainders of their lives, it would be diabolical and disgusting, but when a Christian claims all non-christians will be tortured for an infinite ammount of lifetimes, it's perfectly reasonable...
2007-04-17 15:13:22 · answer #3 · answered by yelxeH 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Christians are not taught that ONLY Christians go to heaven - everybody else heads for the deep south. God decides who goes to heaven. Some Christians will go to hell, some pagans will go to heaven. Be good to your neighbor, try to help him, avoid conflict and love God. Do this, you'll have it made. And don't hate Christians - don't hate anyone. God love you.
2007-04-17 15:16:02 · answer #4 · answered by Pete W 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What do you want: that we start loving Christians for believing that nasty people should go to Heaven?
Heaven isn't designed for people to feel "special".
It is supposed to be a reward given by God who determines that one has lived as lived as close to His teachings (as passed to us by his prophets) as possible. I can't seem to find the words nice or nasty in any religious text.
2007-04-24 16:33:02 · answer #5 · answered by tamarindwalk 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Knowledge is so lacking here!!! ***
Non-sensical remarks are useless. I don't know of any Christians.., and I know MANY that believe what you think we believe. We don't feel 'special' over others. We feel blessed and grateful to have found the way to heaven!
God doesn't send anyone anywhere. He made the pathway to come be where He is and He made it plain and fair and gave us all free-will choice..., so choose! And quit complaining and blaming the people who chose life and blessings! If you want to choose death and curses, it is YOUR CHOICE!
2007-04-25 13:37:44 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
i don't hate christians, i believe hell is us having to live here, and when we pass away, we all go to heaven. but i can't talk to much about that with christians, they are to closed mind and do not respect my way of thinking and start preaching. it really sucks, but they are the haters.
2007-04-24 22:38:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They must have forgotten to invite me to the secret meeting where they decided this one. Or maybe that page fell out of my Bible, or something.
I have never believed that nice people are tortured for an eternity.
Was I supposed to? I am a Christian.....
2007-04-17 15:22:09 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do not hate Christians, however I do feel that they are misguided. What they believe, does not change the reality of God or what will happen either during life or during death.
Our ancestors common believe that the earth was a flat plate, and that did not change the reality or the roundness of our globe.
What we believe is individuals, is irrelevant in the celestial wonder of God.
2007-04-24 23:13:05 · answer #9 · answered by Boston Bluefish 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Christianity has turned into garbage.
Its just a word attached to brainwashing.
The truth is we are all sinners and need the free gift of Jesus and the gift is for all who
will ask Jesus as the living god.
2007-04-25 14:29:29 · answer #10 · answered by PENMAN 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes
2007-04-24 06:10:26 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋