I know infinite means without beginning or end, so what I mean in the question is unending. When your talking about punishment, justice means you have balance regarding the administration of punishment. Meaning the punishment fits the crime. The Bible teaches justice. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Balance. So the scriptures that are used to teach unending sadistic torture are simply not translated well, and are misunderstood.
2007-08-29 04:51:12 · 17 answers · asked by curious_inquisitor 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Christian religions that teach that God tortures people are teaching a lie. Note what the Bible truly says about the condition of the dead and what hell really is.
Ecclesiastes 9:5,10 (The dead are conscious of nothing at all)
Jonah 2:2 (Jonah was said to be in hell when inside the fish. That was not a fiery place, but it would have become his grave.)
Genesis 37:35 ( Jacob had heard that his god-fearing son Joseph had died and he wanted to go to hell. Reason: First of all, a righteous person wouldn't go to a tormenting place and why would Jacob want to go to a fiery place. All Jacob wanted to do is die, because he was so distraught over the death of his son; therefore going to his grave.)
There are many more Bible verses that help us to understand that "hell" is mankind's common grave. The idea of a fiery place came from pagan religions and philosophies adopted by the Christian churches. The idea of tormenting his creation NEVER came up into God's mind. The Bible says God is love at 1st John 4:8. Notice it says "IS love." He doesn't just have love, he personifies love! Christendom has made him out to be a very cruel God, but Jehovah is very loving and wants all to know the truth about Him, his son, Jesus, and especially about the Kingdom which will bring true peace and security soon.
Psalms 83:18
John 17:3
Matthew 24:14
2nd Peter 3:8,9,11-13
2007-08-29 06:10:19 · answer #1 · answered by CURIOUS IN STOCKTON 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think you make a very valid point. if eternal punishment in hell is what you're talking about, i would have to disagree that hell is eternal. our good deeds are rewarded with eternal life in heaven and our bad deeds are punished with eternal life in hell? that in itself is a contradiction. if that were true, even in hell, there would be eternal life which is only promised in heaven. God is too gracious and forgiving to punish a soul forever. if eternal life is a reward (in heaven), how can it also be a punishment (in hell)? i don't know for sure but it seems to me that hell is only a temporary punishment in which the duration, like you say, will fit the crime. meaning, however much you transgressed in this life will amount to the time you spend in hell. hell, like fire, is a purification. once the fire has burned all the sins, the soul will ascend to heaven. i don't believe God would create man and have man tortured in hell for eternity. God loves us all and we will all be in heaven some day. God is the most forgiving.
2007-08-29 05:08:54 · answer #2 · answered by che masai 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Justice implies punishment for a crime. What awaits all of us is not justice but our own choice. So best to make a great choice than to think we are little gods.
2007-08-29 04:59:03 · answer #3 · answered by judysbookshop 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Some people believe that the punishment will not be unending.
But if you think that having any small sin in your life that you willfully decided not to repent of does not demand eternal damnation, think of this. God has told us that we must repent of all our sins. But if we say we will not repent of a certain sin (because we like it, and it is a small thing), we than are calling God a lyer, and have become a rebel fighting against God. That is not a small sin but open treason and will be judged guilty of eternal punishment.
2007-08-29 05:02:44 · answer #4 · answered by tim 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Just as an aside, here is what Jesus said:
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." (Matthew Chap 5)
You have the wrong mental image. I think God forgives honest error but rejecting God is not honest error for most of us. We reject God because we want to be independent of God. We don't want His authority over us.
God tells us that rejecting Him is like a branch rejecting being attached to the tree but we reject Him anyway.
2007-08-29 23:28:39 · answer #5 · answered by Matthew T 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
He doesn't, hellfire is NOT a bible teaching.
At death, you cease to exist, Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10
Death is like sleep, when Lazarus died, Jesus compared it to sleep saying that Lazarus had gone to rest. John 11: 11-43. Lazarus didn't come out raving about heaven, no did he come out horrified of what he saw in hell, it was like he was asleep.
God said to Adam, dust you are and to dust you shall return, before he created him, he was nothing, so when he died he returned to non-existence.
Hellfire is not a bible teaching, Hell is the common grave that all people, whether good or bad go when they die, a symbolic place of inactivity, NOT torment.
2007-08-29 05:07:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anon 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Romans says that the penalty for sin is (eternal) death. It doesn't offer any specific units of measurement for the severity of our sins. The fact of the matter is, dying with one sin on your record that hasn't been covered in the blood of Christ is enough for eternal punishment.
The penalty for sin is death. It's what is due us. It's what we ALL deserve. The second part of that verse says the GIFT of God is salvation to all who believe. Jesus came to die so we wouldn't have to. God doesn't want anybody to go to hell for eternity, that's why Jesus gave Himself up.
The "balance" you're looking for is actually the other way around. All of our sin, a history of evil acts, was covered by one righteous act: Christ dying on our behalf.
2007-08-29 05:01:19 · answer #7 · answered by sonofjesse007 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God will not punish you, you will punish your self by turning away from his plan of salvation. God is doing everything he can within the limits he has set to let us chose to go back and live with him. This is what we are choosing for our selves who it is we want to serve. God who will share everything he has or Lucifer who wants all the power and glory for himself. God has stated only the pure can come and live with him and share all he has, because of the nature of God he cannot allow any thing impure to enter his kingdom. That is why he sent his son to take away all of the sin if we will let him and follow his teachings. The devil has a alternate plan and that is do as you wish on this earth be sinful and serve him, as he will be your God and king and you can be his slave for eternity.
2007-08-29 05:15:52 · answer #8 · answered by saintrose 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Because this person has glorified the finite (the creation) at the expense of the INFINITE (GOD); and anyone doing that deserves to be tortured in infinite hellfire.
Simple as that!
2007-08-29 04:57:47 · answer #9 · answered by Ash'ari Maturidi 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Because you are created by God and given the choice to accept His son or reject Him.
The choice is yours.
2007-08-29 04:59:55 · answer #10 · answered by Devoted1 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋