The definition I'm referring to is short of the "burning in lakes of fire for all eternity". It is the one that defines hell as an eternal separation from God. If in the same breath, one says God is omnipresent, does that not conflict with the above definition of hell? How can one be separated from a God who is everywhere at all times? Sounds inescapable. They cannot both be true.
Please note. I would ask people not to quote scripture as or in their answers. I am familiar with the scriptures and I know what they say in this matter, I know what they mean, and I know what people THINK they mean. You have nothing to teach me on that score. I want to know what YOU think, not see how well you navigate scripture. If you champion the notion of free-will, here's your chance to demonstrate its veracity and think of your reply without looking it up in the bible or koran.
2007-10-27 16:44:05 · 15 answers · asked by coralsnayk 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Molly S. Thanks for your prompt reply. Therein, however, did not lie an answer.
I didn't want bible citations because it's not what I consider evidence. Repeating someone else's assertion in scripture to match your own assertion does not constitute evidence.
2007-10-27 16:52:57 · update #1
And here was BrotherMichael below, explaining to us what an all-powerful God can or cannot do, can or cannot tolerate.
2007-10-27 17:16:52 · update #2
i have no problem with it
i don't believe it exists so why should i care how it's written to be
2007-10-27 16:50:51 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 5⤋
Since it is a fiction of the Church, created in order to keep the faithful in line...
The "biblical" description of Hell entered the Bible centuries after the scholars "finalised" the contents of the Bible (since a bible that included all scripture would have been about 4-5 times the size).
If you need proof...read Dante's descriptions of Hell. They are more in lines with what the Jews and Early Christians believed existed.
Now, as to the Omnipresent issue...much the same as when someone is Shunned in certain sects. No one acknoledges their existance. No one speaks to them if not literally absolutely necessary, and even then generally not directly to them. No one does anything for them. Their efforts are accepted but unrecognised, etc. In that case, God (where (s)he/it actually to exist) would see the exiled one, but take no step to acknowledge or help.
2007-10-28 00:20:04 · answer #2 · answered by jcurrieii 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Think about it. How can God separate Himself from being omnipresent? God might be IN (or see) in hell bet that doesn't mean God is PUNISHED in Hell. A person can see what's going on in the war, and some people can even go as observers. But, that doesn't mean they are taking part, and are in the war. I don't think Hell has been around forever. I think Hell came about well after Heaven and was made for those that reject, mach, grieve, and oppose God. Separation from God would mean separation from salvation, from honor, from being legal & lawful, and from Gods blessings. If a person is seperated from God, His love., and His blessings-what does that person have? ...Nothing. Satans dominion will someday be forever in Hell. That should tell us something. Hell is a place of punishment. God who knows all things surely can see to it that Hell is no vacation or Holiday Inn.
2007-10-28 00:05:53 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Since you are familiar with the scriptures you will know that the concept and terminology of "omnipresent" much like the "trinity" is not in the Bible and is misunderstood and misinterpreted by many.
God will not be in Hell. That is what will make it so bad. God gives many blessings to unbelievers in this life, most of which they are unaware of. Rain on just and unjust alike.
But these blessings will not be in Hell because God will not be there.
2007-10-27 23:53:45 · answer #4 · answered by Prof Fruitcake 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No I don't have a problem with the definition of Hell. I allready know that it is eternal suffering. I know that Hell was really made for the devil and his demons. People will be tortured night and day.Hell is shaped like the human body. It is getting bigger and bigger each mintue someone dies and is sent their. I have heard that the flesh burns off all the way to the bone and the eye sockets are empty and worms crawl all over the skeleton body. People go to hell for the type of sin that they have commited. A book a read said that the demons look like grizzly bears and they goand attack the souls in hell. The devil plays games, by pulling the people's body apart and hides it in different parts of hell. The smell of hell is like burning flesh. Hell is very hot, and there is no where to hide to get away from all the pain. Some are in cages and are tortured.
2007-10-28 00:04:06 · answer #5 · answered by mizzpretti 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Since you know the Scriptures so well, you would know the Lake of Fire, which is the final destination for all unbelievers, is not open yet. That occurs after Christ comes.
God is omnipresent and omnipotent. But, there are things He cannot do, limited by His nature. He cannot sin, He cannot lie, He cannot create a being greater then Himself. Same with His omnipresence. In His holy nature, He cannot be in the presence of sin, and this is why sinful, unforgiven, unredeemed people will not see Heaven. There is nothing but sin in Hell, so, therefore, limited by His nature, He will not enter or be present in the lake of fire.
2007-10-27 23:57:36 · answer #6 · answered by BrotherMichael 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You want my personal opinion! I do not believe in a hell, a devil, antichrist etc. etc. I believe we make our own hell here on earth and wouldn't be surprised if when we cross over we go into the same kind of circumstances, I do not belong to any religious group yet I live according to the great teachers,
Jesus, Buddha etc. I try to be the best I can be, do not judge, am not prejudiced towards anyone or anything. I want to leave this earth with love in my heart not hate and I feel that if I do, I will pass over to a place that will recognize that I have tried to be the best person I can be. I am sad when I look into this site that there is so much, fear, judgement, hate, non-compassionate people that feel they are right and everybody else is wrong. I don't want anybody to think that I KNOW I am right, I just want them to recognize that to follow Jesus or anybody else, you should try, very hard to do what they tried to teach us. However, that is not the way it is, is it.
I feel sorry and sad for the fearful and prejudiced because they do not know the real reason Jesus was here. But that is their choice and I leave them to believe whatever they want, as long as do not hurt the world worse than it is already.
Which of course, isn't happening.
I have studied the Bible, but I have also studied other great books and have taken from them all, that the way to live this life is to learn by our mistakes, to grow and to love one another. I am so glad that I do not believe in the devil, hell, etc. because I would much to fear if I did. The only answer to all this mess, is for us individually, try and do the best we can to be the best that we can be. I honestly believe that because I do not believe in these things I will never, and I mean never experience them. I agree. If one believes that God is love and God is everywhere, where is there room for anybody or anything else.
2007-10-27 23:56:35 · answer #7 · answered by Maureen S 7 · 2⤊ 3⤋
It's awesome you are so versed in scripture, congrats!
I'm sure you are familiar then with Ecclesiastes 9:5 which says "the dead are conscious of nothing at all" And since "from dust you are and to dust you shall return", we can be conclusive that at death we cease to live... just like it looks from the outside.
Since any concept of hell always includes the requirement that the dead be conscious, any definition is always wrong. So you have to conclude only one thing is possible scripturally, that there is no hell.
Hell can't exist since man is actually dead when they die. So, yes, I have a problem with that definition, as hell is at best just the communal grave of mankind, a place where there is no feelings, sight, sound, emotion or life.
I doubt I'm a bible expert such as yourself, but one thing I do know from the bible is that souls die, and hell does not exist. (Some will no doubt gnash their teeth on that one! :-)
2007-10-28 00:01:10 · answer #8 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
God is not in the mind.
The mind is an activity.
To live in the mind/ego you are separated from God.
This is a hellish place to dwell, as the ego is about form, (this against that, this is, so therefore.) Mans logic.
Separation from God.
God is in the heart of man
2007-10-28 00:17:30 · answer #9 · answered by Astro 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe in hell, in the normal terms. I also don't believe that God is omnipresent. He does know what is going on, but isn't everywhere all at once. That is what the Holy Spirit is for. I do believe that hell is a state of mind. It's not being in God's presence and knowing that you could have been. That is hell. I don't believe in lakes of fire, or any such nonsense. I believe we make our own hell, and it's all in our perceptions, and in our finally knowing what we gave up.
2007-10-27 23:52:14 · answer #10 · answered by odd duck 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
If you truly know the Scriptures as you say, then you know that hell is for real. What you probably fail to realize is that God does not send anyone to hell. He came to save us from it. Where we end up in eternity is based on our decision to accept or reject Jesus Christ in this lifetime.
2007-10-27 23:56:10 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋