If Hell is the absence of God, how is it any different from life on Earth?

Answer 1

There is no difference. The here and now can "be" either a heaven, or hell, the seeming absence of good (in a relative sense only)

Answer 2

C.S. Lewis put it this way: "Earth, I think, will not be found by anyone to be a very distinct place. I think earth, if chosen instead of heaven, will turn out to have been, all along, only a region in Hell: and earth, if put second to Heaven, to have been from the beginning a part of Heaven itself."

So, in that sense, you're right, there really isn't any difference other than perspective. I would add though that I take the Orthodox view that there is no place in the universe where God is not present. In fact Hell is but the blinding and undeniable reality of God's presence confronting the hardened heart; whereas Heaven is the open heart embracing the presence of God. It is the attitude of the heart that makes the difference between Heaven or Hell.

Peace to you.

Answer 3

God gave us free will we in our stupidity decided to live like this and that my friend is why it feels like there is no difference people and free will. Imagine if we all of us lived just like it says to in the Bible and follow everything to a t and we were perfect little angels don't you think that God would reward us and give us a better lifestyle on earth but humans since Adam and Eve thought they could do it better than God and now people actually believe there is no God or there is no Heaven and there is no Hell believing we live in Hell now and yes it does feel like we live in Hell but we really arent there yet. Well me for one will never have to experience that because I know God will take me home to be with Him. Imagine tho for just a second if every single last person on earth would just believe in Him and read the bible and live like it says what would our world be like.

God really could make us all do this but why should He do that? He wants us to have our own will and find Him on our own. He didn't create us to be perfect We are not perfect beings nor will we ever be. God could however do that but He never will do that. We have free will so live how you want to but also you can live forever in Hell too if you think this world is bad? Think about how Hell would be. I can't even imagine what it would be like.

Answer 4

Jesus said:

"He (God)causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Matthew 5:45

So these are manifestations of the goodness of God into the lives of even the wicked and rebellious.
Paul says:
"Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?" Romans 2:4

So while there is life there is hope. While you are in the earth the grace of God is still available, if one will humbly repent and believe the Gospel.
When one enters into the realm of the spirit, fixed laws of separation engage, and the wicked are drawn to the wicked while the righteous and holy are gathered to their own kind. Then the corporate synergy of their inner states are amplified and intensified, causing an atmosphere corresponding to their inner state, only increased a thousandfold.
Hence the blessed are greatly blessed, but the wicked will be immersed in their own evil.

Answer 5

because God is on Earth, The absence of God in Hell is what makes it so bad.

Answer 6

Your question is worded in such a way that assumes God does NOT exist.

Do suffering and pain and unnecessary tragedies occur? Yes. Everyday. Do I understand why? No. I struggle with this question all the time.

Can I assert with certainty that God exists? No. But to claim definitively that he does not is arrogant and reflects lazy thinking. If God DOES exist, then it is certainly reaso
nable to assume that he is powerful enough to prevent tragedy.

If he does exist, why then does he simply choose not to assist us in our despair? Well ... I don't know how to answer that. But I'm not so sure that he DOESN'T assist us: I also see remarkable acts of selflessness and kindness and unexplainable miracles in the world--even today.

Now, if he doesn't exist, then there really would be no reasonable reason why we should fear hell.

The problem of suffering is one of my biggest obstacles to faith. But I refuse to let myself sink into a state of resignation that renounces God's existence altogether.

Do we walk away from a math problem because it's too hard, and feels like there is no answer? We must always consider the possibility that there is an alternative explanation. I think it's dangerous to decide there is none simply because we have not yet found it.

One of God's promises are:

'You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13)

If this is true, and these really are words from the mouth of God, then a person seeking truth will indeed find it. If it's just man-made bunk, one will just as likely discover that, as well.

But I see that the passage says "with all your heart." If you can honestly say you are seeking with all your heart, mind and soul, and you over and over again you come up empty, you would have more of a reason to write off even the remotest possibility that God exists.

I believe in free will, and I believe everyone must find their own path without interference from others. But I do hope hope that you think about this passage. About what it really means to "seek with all your heart."

See what you come up with.

Answer 7

God is present on Earth; seek Him. Those who fail to do so, choose Hell where He does not live. Think about this and make a change in your life before He comes again. There is time!

Answer 8

That would depend on what your belief structure is.Some orders believe that your time here on earth is "hell".Actually the word "hell" does not signify a place of torment and/or endless pain. It literally translated from the ancient Greek means "grave".

Answer 9

It's not different for some people... but for others life on Earth is not hell, if you get my drift.

Answer 10

Hell is supposed to be intense suffering. Life on earth without God is bliss.
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