What is Hell?

Question

If the fire punishment is just a metaphor and you are not torchered in Hell,than why do pictures on the walls of orthodox monasteries show how demons punish people and burn them and poke them with spears?!

Answer 1

Hell is a figment of peoples imaginations.

Answer 2

Hell is actually a place of tremendous unspeakable torment and suffering. Whether someone wants to accept it or not is irrelevant. Unfortunately, many people only accept what they themselves see and are able to understand. Hell is not such a place.

Hell is also used as a metaphor when describing a place which hes been completely forsaken by God. God has removed His grace, blessings, and protection from evil, deceit, and lawlessness. Laws are based on the desires of the strong versus the commandments of God Almighty. Good becomes the benefit of the controlling group not what is best for society as a whole. These depictions are often illustrated in artwork as you have described.

Answer 3

Hell is as real as your home. It is a place God created to punish the devil and the Angels he deceived when he was in Heaven. But due to the power of the devil and people willing to follow after him, some people are going to go there also. It's like a jail, or prison, for the wrong and evil. Except, you won't have the amenities and luxury there, as you do here in jail, or prison. God wishes that everyone would repent and be saved and miss hell, but you just have some hard headed heathens.

Answer 4

Because those paintings were created by monks attempting to depict scenes from the Bible. The problem is, no one really knows what occurs in Hell, if there is a Hell, so they had to use their imaginations. I suspect actual Hell is far less lurid than those works of art. I think Hell is just misery, plain and simple--separation from God and/or love. I think that's the kind of torment that it really is.

Answer 5

Hell is a decriptive place that different religions believe to be the underworld. If you want to get a good description of Hell, read "The Divine Comedy" by Dante. It gives the "nickel" tour of Hell from a personal guide.

Answer 6

Fire and brimstone and clashing of teeth. The demons also hang you up from your genitals and puke you out of their mouths. There is extra books of the bible people do not read. That is basically telling you about hell but it is said to be so disturbing that people shouldn't read it.

Answer 7

Hell = The absence of God and all that is his.

If you live your life for yourself and filling your desires, you will never be satisfied here.

Those who love their life will lose it, those who lose their life will gain it, is what Jesus said.

Hell is eternity with yourself, and nothing to fulfill your desires with. That nagging "I want" feeling in your gut, like when you are hungry or thirsty, or have to go to the bathroom. Imagine that with nothing else to see but the desires and the things you don't have.

Hell is eternity without God. Who do you serve?

Answer 8

Hell was created as a tool in ancient times to scare believers, into not leaving the church to one of its competitors. Eternal torture is not moral, and no really moral God would allow for it.

Answer 9

It's waking up to find a basket of cheese on your doorstep. Then realizing you're in the wrong house.

Answer 10

Hell is being stranded on a desert island with a religious zealot and Bible, but because the zealot won't let you use the Bible you don't have toilet paper either.