God is loving and forgiving, so why do some people need to be sentenced to eternal damnation? Sure, it keeps us on earth striving for goodness, but that's a heck of a sacrifice for the people who are sent there. Why is that trade-off worth it?
2007-07-26 09:23:44 · 31 answers · asked by Adam S 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It is the place best suited for those who wish to have nothing to do with the true God.
If they were in heaven, their agony would be increased a hundredfold.
If you are really interested, I would recommend an online book written by one who God graced to visit both heaven and hell:
http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=moa;idno=AFZ0722.0001.001
2007-07-26 09:29:41 · answer #1 · answered by wefmeister 7 · 2⤊ 4⤋
I have good news for you. There is no such place - at least, not any more.
First of all, the Tanakh doesn't mention "Hell", nor is that word in the Christian version of the Old Testament. Not in the original.
It's Gehenna or Sheol, not "Hell".
The word Gehenna traces to Greek, ultimately from Hebrew: ××(×)-××× ×× Gêhinnôm (also Guy ben-Hinnom (Hebrew: ××× ×× ××× ××)) meaning the Valley of Hinnom. The valley forms the southern border of ancient Jerusalem and stretches from the foot of Mt. Zion, eastward, to the Kidron Valley. It is first mentioned in Joshua 15:8. Originally it referred to a garbage dump in a deep narrow valley right outside the walls of Jerusalem (in modern-day Israel) where fires were kept burning to consume the refuse and keep down the stench. It is also the location where bodies of executed criminals, or other individuals denied a proper burial, would be dumped.
Like Sheol, Gehenna is sometimes translated as "Hell", which is fine...but the IDEA of Gehenna, in the process of translation and interpretation took on an UNintended meaning, a wrong meaning..
Why would a garbage dump be considered a place of torment? Well, the only immortality that people have (in Jewish tradition) is in being remembered by others. The traditional Yahrzeit (the ceremony to mark the annual anniversary of the death of a person) is one way in which the memory of a deceased Jew is kept alive. The yahrzeit is observed by lighting a twenty-four hour candle the evening before the day of the yahrzeit, and most people recite the Kaddish and take a few moments of introspection and thought. Most congregations recite the name of the deceased whose yahrzeit is being observed during the Shabbat services closest to the date.
Naming one's children after a deceased relative is another way to keep alive the memory of the dead.
So....in summary, the whole idea of "Hell" as a place of eternal torment is a misinterpretation of the Jewish idea that being lost to memory is the worst thing that can happen to someone. Having one's body thrown onto the trash heap rather then being buried in sanctified ground with a commemorative headstone, and not being remembered through ritual, prayer, or having one's name passed along to future generations - THAT is the original horror that has been changed into the idea of the soul in eternal torment in the flames of "Hell".
2007-07-26 19:38:41 · answer #2 · answered by Raven's Voice 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God is love.
Love cannot exist without freedom of choice. Hell exists because God gives people the freedom to choose to be in relationship with Him (heaven, eternal life) or to choose not to be in relationship with Him (hell, eternal death).
God is the only source of life. If a person isn't connected to that source of life, the alternative is spiritual death. Hell is the absence of God. People in hell will also be disconnected from all relationships with other people. It will be the eternal torment of total aloneness.
The way to have assurance of heaven is not to continually strive to live a good life, because no human being can reach the perfection a completely holy God requires, but rather to enter into relationship with Jesus.
Personally accepting Jesus is the only way to receive God's forgiveness. Jesus, part of the Godhead (one God who is a trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit), lived as a man without sin and then died on the cross to take upon Himself all of God's wrath upon sinners. Jesus was resurrected and is alive, as all of God is alive.
Anyone who accepts that he or she is a sinner deserving of eternal death, and accepts God's provision of payment through the substitution of Jesus in our place, enters into relationship with God, who is Eternal Life.
A book for further reading about this is "How You Can Be Sure That You Will Spend Eternity with God" by Erwin Lutzer.
A movie you might check out is "The Perfect Stranger" (2005)
Starring: Pamela Brumley & Jefferson Moore; Directors: Jefferson Moore & Shane Sooter.
May God bless you as you seek to know Him! He loves you very much.
2007-07-26 16:45:14 · answer #3 · answered by Rella 6 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Hell exists only for christians. They are the ones who invented it. For others it's reincarnation. Others just say it is oblivion. Those who came back from the other side like Dionysus, Jesus etc. just did not tell us. Bottom line it's anybodies guess.
2007-07-26 16:33:17 · answer #4 · answered by Ray T 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It started in the early church.
One of the deacons came to Peter and said, "Ok we built it now how the Hell will we get people to come in here and pay tithes?"
Peter said, "Your a genius!"
Oh come on!
It's just a joke.
Seriously if Hell is separation from God then we've had enough Hell already.
â¥Blessed Beâ¥
â¥=â
2007-07-26 16:31:56 · answer #5 · answered by ♥Gnostic♥ 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Hell was not created for humans. It was created for Satan and his fallen angels. But, since man sinned, and through sin, brought death into the world, then we are all born in sin. Lest we repent, and turn from our sins, and accept Jesus Christ into our hearts, we will be sent into eternal punishment for our sins. We have a CHOICE. God doesn't put us there, we put ourselves there. He gives us plenty of time, and warnings. He doesn't wish for us to perish, but to have eternal life with Him. That's why He SENT HIS SON TO DIE FOR OUR SINS, SO THAT WE MAY BE RECONCILLED WITH THE FATHER, AND BE ABLE TO GO TO HEAVEN, NOT HELL. So, you see, God is a GRACIOUS GOD, and gives us a way out of Hell. It is OUR CHOICE whether we accept it or not, because of free will, given by God.
2007-07-26 16:33:56 · answer #6 · answered by byHisgrace 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Because it is a scare tactic. If you don't do good, you'll be damned to hell forever! No one knows for sure if there is a heaven or a hell, for all we know, our lives are like a computer, one flick of a switch, and it's over. So, enjoy each day, and don't clutter your mind with all the hub bub!
2007-07-26 16:29:59 · answer #7 · answered by momof3anglz 3 · 3⤊ 2⤋
First we'd need to understand what hell is before we could figure out a reason for it's existence. If you believe that hell is simply separation from God, then it becomes very clear why hell exists - to provide a place for those who choose to reject God to be apart from Him after this life.
2007-07-26 16:28:59 · answer #8 · answered by sharky 4 · 3⤊ 2⤋
because christianity needed a way to scare people into believing thier religion and attracting converts.
thats also why it is one of the few (only one I know of, but I'm sure there are others) that doesn't embrace the idea of "living a good life" and bieng a good person even if you are of another faith.
in christianity, good or bad, you go to heaven so long as you accept jesus. so basically hitler would go to heaven and ghandi would go to hell.
stupid isn't it?
2007-07-26 16:31:39 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
There isn't a hell. If you've ever been to the funeral of someone bad...really bad..the preacher will still speak as if that person is going to heaven, even though we all know that if there were a hell this person would burn in it. C'mon...it's not realistic!
2007-07-26 16:27:39 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Well... Do you know what hell is? It's absolute separation from God, just like complete darkness is absolute separation from light. In this life we have a choice - to love God and want him in our lives, or to reject him and keep him out of our lives. Whatever we decide carries into eternity. If you wanted to reject God and his word and keep him out of your life, then in eternity you will get your wish and be forever separated from him.
Do you know who God is? He is everything good, everything right, and everything loving. So it makes sense that the absence of God is just the opposite. The absence of God is everything evil, everything wrong, and everything non-loving. A complete absence of everything good. Or in other words, hell.
God doesn't want anyone to go to hell. He went out of his way to provide salvation for us. But he also gives us a choice.
God doesn't send people to hell.. People send themselves there. =/
2007-07-26 16:31:57 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 2⤋