How does god justify the existence of this place of "eternal suffering for eternity" known as Hell?

Question

How could he justify its existance?

I know the biblical God does not exist because no truely "good" god would EVER allow a place where billions of people suffer for eternity to exist. EVER. period. no exeptions, no "its their fault", there is no excuse is there?

Hey Ray,

nothing said was very coherent, but i think your implying that they dont deserve heaven, so the ONLY other possible option is Hell. Is that what your saying?

Eric?

dude, this isnt about gas prices, this is about an all powerful being sending people to a place where they suffer an eternity of torture and pain. What your saying is only true if God is unjust, Extremely Unjust in fact, because no one deserves Hell. not even close, no one deserves that. UNLESS you can justify it. so again, can you?

Answer 1

You're right, it's just a transparently human attempt to coerce people into following the religion - all part of the carrot and stick approach to marketing.

Answer 2

Why does something holy, have to explain any thing to the same rebellion that reins in the heart of unbelief? A biblical God does exist and the very place you live and breath is proof of it!! Remember people and i mean ALL people have a choice on where they choose to live eternity...sorry that's not getting thrown back on the Father he clearly states how not to end up there and sent the one who gave us that freedom. So the way i see it, its time to stop whining blaming others or God and come to a place of accountability..this is real stuff here people not some fable or bull . genuinely seek the truth and keep that open mind you all have for something else and all the focus people have to fight it and stop and really seek. A lot of people here on this site are asking serious questions and when a serious believer gives the answer...keep in mind its not for my gratification or pride...its a act of love, no way i want to see anyone go to hell, been there and dude not a good thing.

Answer 3

You sure seem to be stuck on the horns of this dilemma. You know the eternal hellfire idea is not scriptural, I assume. What is scriptural is Sheol, the old Jewish idea of a desolate, non life place. Job declared that he would go down to Sheol and when God wanted to talk to him, he wouldn't answer him !!! Job was so wroth with God by that time, that's what he stated. Very few, know this little nugget of Truth.

And Jesus didn't say too much about it. He talked about a 'dry' place, no water, and 'unclean' spirits who roam about aimlessly (seeking rest and finding none)...NOW, that to me, sounds like a hell I don't want to go to.

C.S. Lewis talked about a place of extremes - Cold and Heat; and I think he was on the mark with that idea. Some of the people who've messed with the occult report 'fire and ice' places. As do some schizophrenics.

So, if you want to reject God on 'your notion' that He is going to send billions into a fiery furnace; then, do it. I certainly won't be able to talk you out of it.

But I will say that you are overly emotional about this issue and not thinking or seeing it straight; and it doesn't appear that you are willing to do the 'work' of maturing and evolving enough to comprehend some of the greater mysteries. Then, again, you may be.

Maranantha

Answer 4

So, ummmmm, you think that when you choose to do wrong all your life, there should be no punishment?? Placed before everybody is a choice. You make that choice every day my friend. If somebody told you that if you jumped off the bridge down the road that it would break every bone in your legs and it would hurt all your life, would you jump off anyway. Even if you didn't "believe" that it would and you did it, would it make the pain any less? Would you be able to blame your pain on anybody else but yourself? The answer is a big NO!!! Maybe the need for this place called Hell is to have a punishment soooo bad that nobody would want to go there. The sad truth is that by the choices people make every day to do "whatever they want", and as bad as the Bible describes this place called Hell, these same people choose to go there.

Go figure!!!
G-d Bless

Answer 5

Well this question really boils down to the laws of this universe. God made it so that nothing but perfection can be in heaven. We made ourselves imperfect by denying god. If a Christian has ever tried fearing you into heaven then I apologize. The only way your getting there is if your heart gets softened and you bow down to the idea that this universe was not created to your liking. I mean, who are you to talk back to god? I love how just because people don’t agree to the laws of God they don’t believe in him. I don’t agree that the max speed on 5 freeway should be 65. Does that change anything? NOPE, tonight when I drive home. Guess what the speed is going to be... 65! When are you peopling going to realize that the only explanation of God that you will ever be happy with is the one that is molded and shifted to your comfort? "Oh I don’t want to fear the lord. Oh I don’t want to admit to fault. Oh God shouldn’t do that. Oh that doesn’t seem fair." Get over yourselves. "Men do not step into the light for fear that their deeds would be revealed." P.S. stop using yahoo answers as a forum to try and prove yourself right. Get a blog. This is a Q&A. Q is for question. Questions that seek answers... not confrontation.

Answer 6

Actually the "Biblical" God does exist, but He is also the Vedic God, the Qur'anic God, because there is only one God.

The idea that Hell is a physical place where people are sent for all eternity is a childish misinterpretation of the Bible. Hell is a symbol used to convey remoteness from God. It is a state, not an eternal place of damnation. Heaven is nearness to Go.

Answer 7

Supposedly before the universe was created, it was just God and the angels. His favorite archangel, Lucifer, the archangel of light got jealous of God's power and tried to take it from him. Anyway, there were some wars and ****, and eventually Lucifer got banished to Hell, which existed prior to Lucifer's rebelion. Whether or not you believe it is your choice. It's an interesting story to read about either way.

Although bananaboatx3 was horrifically aggressive with her answer, she's basically got the right idea. Hell was meant only for Satan (formerly known as Lucifer), but he tricked humans into "sinning"

Don't listen to her though. If you live a good and compassionate life, it won't matter what you believe in.

ACTUALLY, hell is not the only other option than heaven. Supposedly, there's purgatory where rightous non-believers go (depending on your beliefs. Some say they go to Limbo which is unescapable) to be "clensed" and eventually let into heaven.

I suggest reading Dante's Inferno. It's a great read.

Answer 8

"Same" question, "same" answer. God is the One, True, God and doesn't have to justify *anything*! People reject what John 3:16 says and the fact that Christ died a cruel death on the Cross for their sins! People have free will and can choose to accept what Jesus did for them or they can choose to reject Him. If they choose to reject such a tremendous salvation, thus rejecting God, they are choosing eternal separation from God, or Hell. If they accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, they are choosing to spend eternity in God's Holy Presence, or Heaven!

Answer 9

Life itself is suffering. People tend to attach/cling themselves toward physical world, it can be material goods, joy, or even love, all this will cause pain, for example,
material goods can cause greediness, ill-hearted, jealousy, joy when it ends and it will end will follow by unhappiness, boredoom, etc ....
In the end all these things will bring pain, thereof, suffering.
"hell" or "heaven" does not have meaning nor it is a "place", it's simply a state of mind reflecting our emotion, suffering-hell, happiness-heaven. It's a symbolic purpose, at least that's what I believe.

Answer 10

Ummm.....there is no such thing in Judaism as a place of eternal suffering for all eternity known as Hell.

Jews find this concept to be a slap in the face to God who would never create such a place.

It's another example in Christianity that doesn't come from Judiasm, and DON'T believe their "translations" in the "Old Testament" that they use to "prove" their sado-masochistic concept.

There is no concept in Judaism of such a horrible thing, and there never has been. That means they didn't get it from us, and indeed they didn't, they got it from Zoroastrianism along with a few other ancient pagan religions.

Same thing with the virgin human sacrifice for sin thing, the going down to hell for 3 days and then rising back up, resurrecting, etc. ALL of that comes from ancient paganism. Judaism doesn't have a concept of a Messiah who is a sacrifice for ANYONE'S sins, in fact if he dies then he was NOT the Messiah.

Etc. etc. etc. just about every foundation in Christianity comes from ancient paganism. Except Original Sin. I haven't yet figured out where they got that one, since Judaism doesn't have it, that isn't what the story means in Judaism and never has. So I think maybe the Church fathers (non-Jews) just plain thought that one up on the fly. I haven't found it in any ancient pagan religions around at that time.

Answer 11

Your question could be. "Did God creat us in order that there became a distant possibility thateven in simple terms one human beings could choose Him. be attentive to the invaluability of in simple terms one soul." He died so so you might stay.. Get it. Oh and btw Hell isn't eternal.. fairly everyone desires to apply their concordances and seem up eternal for each verse that that's used. Hell is meant for devil and HIS angels. no longer for people.. we are meant to be heirs in heavnen with Jesus. enable us to commence appearing extra like it. the genuine discomfort interior the fires of hell should not be the burning.. DOES absolutely everyone comprehend THIS.. the genuine discomfort IN HELL IS eternal SEPERATION FROM GOD.. understanding which you denied him. Why did Jesus die before the thieves on the circulate.. no longer by way of torture.. The torture became meant to postpone death.. He died by way of weight of sin.. And felt the seperation from God that. Sin reasons.. Pls remember "he grew to grow to be sin that knew no sin". How selfish we are whilst we seem at him.. we do not have a properly suited to utter a single word against him based on the disgusting vile nature of our corrupt hearts.