Sure, if somebody doesn't believe in god, they don't go to heaven to be with him/her. So, what is the purpose of sending them to a place where they suffer for all eternity? An omnibenevolent being would think this is wrong and unnecessary, i think.
2007-10-27 20:15:21 · 34 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
People are on unequal footing supposing only one religion turns out to be the "correct" religion. Say Christianity is the only truth, children raised by their parents as Hindu are at a disadvantage because they would have to overcome their family beliefs to choose a new religion; and on top of that, choose Christianity out from the list. The Ten Commandments say Honor thy father and mother, so a Hindu child would also have to overcome that; though the Lord is above parents. It is possible everything is a test though, and that you should be able to overcome everything. Omniscience and Omnipotence comes into question in all of this with many people.
2007-10-27 20:31:19 · answer #1 · answered by mad pierrot 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This Has Been Misinterpreted For Sometime Now.
And I Believe I Have An Answer For You.
1) People CHOSE To Separate Themselves From God Through Selfishness, Fear Or Pride.
2) They Will Be Punished By Being Separated From God (The Source Of Life) For Eternity, They Will Be DEAD, UNCONSCIOUS Forever.
3) They Will Be Punished in The Lake Of Fire According To Their Deeds And Knowledge Of The Truth. So They Will Be Burned-Up Or Destroyed. How Much They Suffer Before The Second (Eternal) Death Depends Upon This.
4) They DO NOT BURN FOREVER.
Some Of The Terms In The Bible Have Been Misread: Unquenchable Fire Just Means That No One Can Put It Out Before It Completes It's Job.
I Hope This Helps.
2007-10-27 20:39:59 · answer #2 · answered by one 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's not the case if you don't believe in God that doesn't come into it. You would have to be a real soul who has done a very large amount of evil to end up there. I am God so one of the last things I would normally do would be to actually send people there. One of the ways hell on Earth can be real is if you decide to be evil and then my brother replaces you. This has already happened to MacVeigh Hamilton, Bryant and plenty of other people. They will spend the rest of their lives just being him. I notice some other people were also writing that they don't believe in me so you can imagine what I will do to them. It will be worse than hell.
2007-10-28 13:24:58 · answer #3 · answered by Peter D 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God does not punish eternally. Bibles which say so are translated wrong. Words like forever and everlasting have a meaning to us that the writers of the Bible never intended.
You can find "Young's Literal Translation" at Biblegateway.com. Compare it to other versions and you will see how it does not speak of eternal punishment.( For example try Matthew 25:46 or Mark 3:29 in the YLT)
Also try this link.
http://www.tentmaker.org/articles/Hell_is_Leaving_the_Bible_Forever.html
2007-10-27 20:45:28 · answer #4 · answered by out of the grey 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God doesn't send anyone to hell. They make that choice. Originally hell was only created for the devil & his fallen angels.
Are you saying that man's justice should be sufficient? How many people kill & hurt others yet receive no punishment or manage to pay their way out of it? Should there be no day of reckoning for those who choose to live & treat others as bad or painfully as they want to? God can forgive them but they have to want forgiveness & to change.
What would heaven be like if everyone was allowed in? It sure wouldn't be a reward & there'd be more chaos than earth since you could never die. So how loving would He be if His children had to continue suffering to show He was kind?
First & foremost God is just. Yet His love was so great He took our punishment upon Himself that we might live. Wasn't it enough to prove His love? If we still reject Him knowing the consequence then we've made a choice.
There's even a scripture that says if they've never heard the gospel they will be judged by their own conscience. But He gives everyone a chance.
2007-10-27 20:33:35 · answer #5 · answered by syllylou77 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Mark I don't believe a loving God would send anyone to
hell. Most crimes committed, have some biological
behaviour to them. Treat the person, not the crime.
Sometimes life can be a living hell, but not one created
by God.
You're thinking is on the right track in my opinion.
People need to ask more questions on this and the
best place to do it is, in your church or school.
2007-10-27 20:20:50 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
God doesn't send anyone to hell. Every person has a choice to choose to believe in him or not. If you reject him that's cool you just wont be welcome in his home. Where else can your spirit go if you choose not to have faith and rejected heaven? Well you choose hell all on your own. You must know however it says in the bible their are different levels in hell and different punishments all according to everyones specific actions on earth. Sometimes just to be absent from the lord himself is punishment enough in itself. People have had near death experience's where they've gone to hell and said it was horrible because there was a complete absence of the lords presence that just lingered in this horrid empty dark place. By rejecting the lord, your rejecting everything he's about (a non pressured pure love)
2007-10-27 20:38:06 · answer #7 · answered by Luv4Nevaeh 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Your thoughts are correct, the omnibenevolent being would NOT let a soul suffer in hell for all eternity. From what I've learned, hell is a theoretical place that 'preachers', "pastors' and 'priests' have shoved down our throats to force us to adhere to there doctrine. There is no hell fire or purgatory...just threats for us wayward sheep. When judgement day arrives...you'll be reserected to life on earth or to eternal non existance.
2007-10-27 20:35:59 · answer #8 · answered by Oppna to tal 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
First, remember that we are picturing "hell" as a place of suffering, and interpreting it to something we NOW know.
Hell is described as "being away from God's presence" and just what that is, ?.
I would imagine it as feeling "forlorn" in realizing that you can never occupy a place of exaltedness, (being in God's presence), and always wanting it to be so.
Don't forget that God is a "just" God and keeps His word or else he would have "fault".
One more thing, we should NOT try to know all reasons about God's behavior, we should only "strive" to obey and by being sinners, we cannot even do that perfectly.
If we knew everything, we'd also be a God.
;-)
2007-10-27 20:30:43 · answer #9 · answered by Bert H 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
The Olde English word 'hell' simply meant the storage of potatoes underground or in a cellar. It had nothing to do with heat, or cooking, or torture of any kind. It was used istead of the word Hebrew &/or Greek words for 'grave'.
The myth of eternal torture / 'hellfire' is a misapplication of "the lake of fire", which symbolizes a 'second death', from which there is no resurrection or revitalization. This is shown by the fact that even death & ha'des (the grave) themselves are thrown into it:
"Death and Ha′des were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire." --Revelation 20:14 http://watchtower.org/bible/re/chapter_020.htm?bk=re;chp=20;vs=14;citation#bk14
2007-10-27 20:24:52 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋