Here on Earth, punishment serves three basic purposes: rehabilitation (to convince criminals never to commit crimes again), deterrent (to scare other people away from misbehavior), or retribution (to pay society back for the harm caused). But what is the purpose of God torturing people in Hell?
It can't be for rehabilitation -- Hell is supposed to be eternal; so even if you eventually learn your lesson, you're still stuck there forever.
It can't be deterrent -- there's no credible evidence to suggest hell is a real place (according to surveys, even half of CHRISTIANS think that good people of different or NO faith will still go to heaven); and most Christians will assert that they'll be incapable of sinning once they reach heaven, so there's no point to threatening them with Hell.
And it can't be for retribution -- central to the concept of crime is the HARM done; and by definition God CANNOT be harmed -- certainly not by us.
So I ask you: What's the point?
2007-06-22 08:39:26 · 25 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Point taken regarding incapacitation, but again -- if residents of heaven are incapable of sinning or being harmed, who are you keeping the people in Hell away from?
And as far as deterrent goes, if that's the only reason they're being good -- to get the reward of heaven or to avoid hell -- they're not being genuinely good, they're just sucking up; and won't make it into heaven in the first place!
2007-06-22 08:50:39 · update #1
And how can you say it isn't God punishing them? Are you saying that an all-powerful God's hand was FORCED?!?! That he couldn't choose to simply forgive and forget, and just NOT CREATE HELL IN THE FIRST PLACE?!?!
2007-06-22 08:52:01 · update #2
your're forgetting incapacitation (removing criminals from society inorder to prevent them from committing more crimes)
2007-06-22 08:43:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 5⤋
What is the point of Hell? I think that is your question, am I right?
The important thing to remember is that God loves us all. He loved us from the beginning and always will. when we do or say things that fall short of righteous, it displeases Him. Naturally, our own parents would feel the same way if they truly loved us. Well, since He loves us He cares and gives us forgiveness when we ask for it with a true heart.
If we are deliberately ignorant or disobedient to Him, naturally it will displease Him, just as it would our parents (whether they loved us or not). If we were to continue a life of ignorance and disobedience, what else could we possibly expect as our eternal gift? Could we really believe that on the judgment day, we could convince the Lord that we were just having fun or kidding around?
If you live without God in your life, you won't need Him in the afterlife. If you think that Hell isn't a deterrant toward disobedience and lack of faith, and that there is no threat of a real hell, then don't worry. Keep you present attitude and see how many, and what level, of positive friends that you collect in this world.
As long as you don't believe in hell or heaven, you won't understand the point of why eternity in hell is both a deterrant and a punishment.
2007-06-22 08:58:08 · answer #2 · answered by joe_on_drums 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The pain of getting crucified is only finite, so it's not comparable to being burned alive for an eternity. Nobody could make a mistake so bad, they would deserve such a barbaric punishment. The concept of hell make God look mean. It's the main reason I'm no longer a Catholic. I can't worship a guy that tortures people. A merciful god wouldn't need to have his son crucified or burn people to deal with anger at sin anyway.
Edit: Godshew's linked story about Albert Einstein is an urban legend.
2007-06-22 09:00:54 · answer #3 · answered by razzthedestroyer 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sending someone to an eternity of suffering for a <100-year lifetime of both good and bad. Yes, of course. Justice.
Some Christians say Hell is part of Satan's illusions. He makes God out to be the bad guy by convincing everyone that they will burn in Hell with him if they do not do this or that. However, these Christians believe that, based on the original texts, Hell is just non-existence. Supposedly, the people who see God after the first life and don't believe are only capable of hurting themselves and others, so it is loving to destroy them.
Not sure how I feel about that one. Kind of makes non-believers out to be tools for the believers' salvation.
So: I'm not a Christian.
2007-06-22 08:56:08 · answer #4 · answered by Skye 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The point is having a good threat to give people who might want to stop going to church. In case the reward of heaven doesn't keep someone in line, the threat of eternal fire and pain might. I don't see how someone could see such a thing as just or holy, regardless if someone used their free will incorrectly or made mistakes. When my pet makes a mess on the carpet, I do not feel the need to torture it for an eternity. Hell is the most effective system of control for any religion. By the way, nonexistence also is a form of incapacitation, and it's more humane than torture.
2007-06-22 08:45:53 · answer #5 · answered by Graciela, RIRS 6 · 4⤊ 2⤋
You're forgetting you're arguing with little kids who will always do one better than you. god can do anything remember. they use him in human terms when they want and then take him away when it suits. There doesn't have to be a point to anything. What is the point of a supreme being putting us here then conducting an experiment to see if we care about him, for example. None of it makes sense because it is absolute nonsense. You know this already.
2007-06-22 10:13:12 · answer #6 · answered by Prophet Of Truth 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no real point (even if it did exist) But don't rule out the deterrent factor so quickly. So very many here will tell you that's like the main reason to believe, so you won't go to hell. They think it's real and that's enough to scare them into following.
2007-06-22 08:44:28 · answer #7 · answered by t_rex_is_mad 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
exciting rejoinder on Christ finding out to purchase sins for basically a rapid time as a replace of constantly. A mini-charge for specific. there is not any justice torture that lasts constantly. that is appalling that spectacular human beings might certainly settle for such an thought as justice. with the help of ways, atheists do no longer hate God. They the two do no longer hate Zeus, Minerva, Chronos, and each of something.
2016-10-18 09:32:48 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
a priest once told me that hell was the complete absence of god's presence.
with that thought in mind, say you die and you meet god. and only god truly knows what is in your heart and only he can judge you. only he can decide if you get to go to heaven or hell.
if hell is the absence of god and you never believed in him in the first place.... i guess you won't be missing much. just wandering about for all eternity without being in god's presence.....
you sure are asking some tough questions today!
2007-06-22 09:19:03 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Have you bothered to check for yourself the origin of the word hell? Definitely, it exists and is not eternal. Bud dist view about hell coincides with the original meaning of it. Otherwise, like what you have pointed out - what's the point.
2007-06-22 08:56:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
well see here you missed the point it is for deterrent because even though there is no prof of God some still believe in him the same thing with hell it probably makes believers think twice before committing a sin getting to spend eternity in fire isn't what i call a happy ending
2007-06-22 08:48:01 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋