Sigh, Christians, please, just one normal answer is all I ask for?

Question

I asked 2 very simple question:
-Do you, personally, think Hell (burning forever and ever in a lake of fire) is a fair punishment?
-If it were up to you, would you have created Hell, or have chosen a more friendly manner to educate and forgive sinners?

I thought those were very simple questions. And all answers I get are explanations of why God created Hell, what God's reasons are, and why God is such a loving God and that I need to find God really, really fast.

Maybe we talk a different language, but that does NOT answer the question.

I don't want to know if you think God finds Hell a fair idea. I just want to know if you, personally, find Hell a fair idea. Not if you think God finds it fair. Just your personal opinion.

Can you? Please?

So, as a little reminder, before you forget: I'm interested in your personal opinion. Not what you think God's opinion is. Your own opinion.

Please?

Answer 1

Keep on dreaming my friend. You won't get any.

*Hands Markyyy two aspirin pills*

EDIT: LMAO at the first answer...

Answer 2

See, the thing that you don't understand, because you are not yet one of us, is that whatever God thinks, is called TRUTH. As Christians, we don't question truth, because the truth is the truth. Everything else, contrary to truth is a lie. So, we put ourselves into agreement with what God says in His Word. His Word, or the Bible, is the Truth. And God says in His Word, that there is indeed a hell, and it is not His will for anyone to go there, but if you reject the Truth, you will find yourself there be default. It's just that simple. We, as Christians subscribe to the Truth of God's Word, and the fact that there IS a hell, which is why you've found so many people on this question trying to convince you to shun hell TODAY! We don't want to see you go there, any more than we want to go there ourselves. We wouldn't be so adamnat, if we didn't KNOW that hell is a truth.
Let me explain a bit more what I mean by "truth". You may say, "well this over here, is fact, and this over there is fact, and in the end this is my opinion." But the very bottom line my dear one, is that in YOUR end, (and you will indeed have an end) is that your opinion, my opinion, the world's opinion, matters very little. Because only One opinion - or Truth will prevail. And all that there will be left is God's Truth. That truth is, that there IS a hell, and that regardless of whether you find it "fair" or not, it does exist, and if you continue to not believe in Jesus, you will find yourself there. I promise. If it sounds like I'm trying to scare the "hell" out of you. You are right.
In conclusion, pinion will not matter in the end. The only thing that will matter and last is truth.

Answer 3

I am a christian and no I don't think burning forever in a lake of fire is a fair punishment.
I would not create Hell. If I were God I would become human and come down to earth as the son of God. Then I would teach that everyone should treat everyone with love and respect. And they should also take care of the poor and sick. I would make friends with outcasts and get killed by the church leaders for these things. And by doing this I would be paying for the sins of all mankind once for all. And all I would ask is for people to believe that God gave his only son so that whoever believes in him would not perish but would have eternal life.

I think this would be a more friendly way to educate and forgive sinners like myself.

Answer 4

Do I think eternal damnation is fair?? What would be a more fair punishment for a despicable creature that takes thousands of lives by attacking people while the go about their daily lives? For that much evil there should be that much punishment. However, going to hell for making a mistake of personal behavior like going through life holding grudges against others does seem quite steep. I guess I am trying to say that it seems to be such a black or white decision in our shades of gray world. I personally would not have come up with that, because of being abused as a child, I do not care to hand out any kind of punishment. We all sin, or do wrong or whatever you wish to call it. I have always tried to come up with simple and more creative ways to change a person’s direction. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar…..hope his answered the questions.

Answer 5

Hi Markyyy,

Let me TRY and answer your 2 questions (not sure I'll succeed).

1. No, I personally don't think that "burning forever and ever in a lake of fire" is fair punishment for, say, not saying a prayer to Jesus Christ at some point before I die. (If I understand some Christian's definition of eternal punishment correctly).

2. No, if I were God, I wouldn't have created a Lake of Fire in which to burn people forever and ever because they didn't "worship me".

So, that said, I don't think God DID create Hell, not in the way that you're talking about it. I think man created Hell; like most things in most religions, it is man's way of trying to understand a Truth that is beyond personal experience. It is something with no way to personally verify. "Hell" is some people's way of embodying the concept that there is a retributive principle of justice in the universe; and that it carries over beyond death. There MAY be some absolute Truth behind the idea of Hell. But as it stands, Hell is just an idea. Personally, my opinion is that we all go to the same place when we die - into the eternal presence of an infinite divinity. And it is our personal disposition which makes us perceive that place as "heaven" or "hell". Hope that all makes sense; it's a little postmodern-rambling even for me... but you asked.

Peace to you.

Answer 6

As you know, I'm not a Christian, but even when I was a Christian, hell bothered me deeply.

Hell is disproportionate. Even the worst person ever, say Hitler (he's always popular for these things), doesn't deserve to suffer for eternity. Eternity is forever and ever and ever. Eventually, after a few billion years, even the hardest heart would say, "Yeah, that's probably enough". But not God. And a billion years is only a nanosecond of eternity.

I see several viable alternatives to hell, the "worst" one being a temporary hell that punishes people until their crimes have all been handled, and the "best" one being a system that helps them to understand what their victims went through.

Add on top of all this that many murderers we now know to be mentally "broken" and that just deepens the problem - are you at fault if your synapses aren't firing properly?

Answer 7

The first question you pose is incomplete. A "fair punishment" for what? Does Hitler escape punishment? Does Cho, the Virginia Tech shooter, escape punishment by commiting suicide? What then would prevent someone from expressing murderous hatred and then simply escape judgement by taking their own life? The fear of judgement in the afterlife makes people think twice.

The second question, "If it were up to me.....?". That is a sticky one since it is not really up to me. As a hypothetical question then I must imagine myself to be God and Creator of the Universe and Humanity. As such would I offer a choice, to put down your animosity and hatred for others and work towards peace or else suffer an eternity in hell? To escape this firey punishment, all you have to do is love your neighbor as you would your own self. In this senario, your own bitterness and unforgiving nature would be the fuel for the fire of hell. That actually sounds very appealing, gives you something to think about. Anything less would be kind of wimpy, don't you think.

Answer 8

Yes, I personally think that Hell is a fair punishment.
I think that I would have created Hell as well, because I feel people should only have the ability to keep doing what they are doing for so long before being punished for it.

Answer 9

First of all,why do people keep thinking that when you go to hell, you'll BURN there eternally. When you're in hell, you'll be surrounded by a ring of fire and you will live surrounded by fire eternally. There will be no escape. And yes, if I were God, there would be a hell. God gives us many,many chances to change our ways because He loves us so much. But if you are going to continually rebel against him, why shouldn't He put you in hell? Sometimes education and forgiving for some people does not work because they just don't care. They are too far gone.

Answer 10

OK, since you persist and ask so nicely.
No, I do not think that forever burning is fair. And in some sense I am so rebellious that I think that He might burn you bad boys a little bit and then send you to learn about Him and if you want to go to heaven He let you to, but if you do not want to...well, I guess then He will throw you to that lake ; )
He forgives here, free will ends in death.

I think that your agony over this is cute even this is very serious matter.OK, I admit it is not fair to me. But I tell you, we have forgiving God. Just give Him something to work with and He will figure out the way He can save you. He will put right people in your way and stuff like that.

Answer 11

These answers are scaring me.

How could anyone, even the most evil person, be "justly" punished by an ETERNITY of fire?

I mean, I could go with the same amount of suffering the person caused, that would be fair. And in some cases, that might result in punishment longer than their own lifetimes.

But I would think that punishment, coming from an "all powerful" god, would include their rehabilitation.

If I were a god, I would've been just as happy to create a planet of happy people rather than to create a ****** up planet full of problems, knowing it would turn out that way the entire time, then putting the people who didn't believe in my human sacrifice into an eternity of torture.

And, if I felt the need to not let certain people into heaven, I would cause them to not exist before I tortured them.