In Christian doctrine, God punishes eternally and the vast majority of humankind will be punished eternally as "narrow is the road and only a few are saved". This means that BILLIONS of human souls will exist for nothing else but eternal torment FORVER.
Since the human soul/consciousness is designed to learn, grow and adapt what exactly is the purpose of having BILLIONS of souls in a state of constant torment with no ability to learn, change, adapt?
2007-11-12 05:38:44 · 11 answers · asked by pixie_pagan 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The belief of a fire and brimstone has been taught for years and frightened numerous children and adults alike. However the Bible itself does not teach this.
The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology says that the concept “owes more to Greek philosophy than to biblical revelation.” The Jewish Encyclopedia explains: “The belief that the soul continues its existence after the dissolution of the body is a matter of philosophical or theological speculation rather than of simple faith, and is accordingly nowhere expressly taught in Holy Scripture.”
The Bible plainly states that “the wages sin pays is death”—not eternal torment. (Romans 6:23)
Ecclesiates 9:5, 10 -"For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten. for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in She′ol, the place to which you are going."
How would you be tormented if you were unconscious? Sheol in Hebrew literally means "common grave of mankind".
Acts 24:15 "... there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous"
Why would there be a resurrection of the unrighteous if they were sentenced to a hell forever?
(Ecclesiastes 3:19, 20) “As the [beast] dies, so the [man] dies; ... . . All are going to one place. They have all come to be from the dust, and they are all returning to the dust.”
There is no mention here of a fiery hell. Humans return to dust—to nonexistence—when they die.
Historians point out that the teaching that man possesses a separate, immortal soul did not originate with the Bible but with Greek philosophy. The New Catholic Encyclopedia observes that the ancient Hebrews did not think of man as being composed of a material body and an immaterial soul. It states about the Hebrews’ belief: “When the breath of life entered the first man whom God formed out of the ground, he became a ‘living being’ (Genesis 2:7) Death was not regarded as a separation of two distinct elements in man, as in Greek philosophy; the breath of life departs and man is left a ‘dead being’ (Leviticus 21.11; Numbers 6.6; 19.13). In each case the word ‘being’ would be the Hebrew [ne′phesh], often translated ‘soul’ but, in fact, virtually equated with the person."
Another thing; symbolisms are frequent in the Bible. So, is the fire literal or symbolic? And if symbolic, what does it represent?
Revelation chapter 20, verse 15 (King James Version), says: “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” But verse 14 says: “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.” Strange! Is hell itself to be tormented? And how can death, a condition, be thrown into a literal fire? The rest of verse 14 reads: “This [the lake of fire] is the second death.” Revelation 21, verse 8, repeats this point. What is this “second death”? The Catholic Jerusalem Bible adds this footnote concerning “the second death”: “Eternal death. The fire . . . is symbolic.” Very true, for it signifies complete destruction, or annihilation.
It would make no sense at all for a loving God to create us and then fire roast us.
2007-11-12 06:08:56 · answer #1 · answered by ldybugg93 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Cheap source of labour for exploitation.
Except it's not the God about which Jesus taught that's doing it all. They're just using his name to hide behind. Wolves in sheep's clothing can sneak into the flock and devour it from within more easily than if they show their fangs from a distance. When Jesus' teachings spread and began to threaten the religious monopoly of the Roman emperors, which they used as a means of controlling their subjects, Constantine, a genius of political manipulation, took Jesus' name, bastardized and corrupted his teachings in order to justify his own position as Pontifex Maximus, and then added the bonus of Jesus being a deity in order to justify the emperor's continued imperial rule by claiming to be the religious steward of the world by divine right as a direct inheritor of the mantle of Christ. Greatest story ever sold. Believe in Jesus the man and the teacher because what he really taught was the truth. There is no length liars won't go to to keep from being found out.
2007-11-12 14:34:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are supposed to choose, learn, change, adapt right here and now. You have the truth available to you in the Gospel. Read it, follow it, and you will have both the answer to your question and eternal life.
Remember Jesus suffered on the Cross to save you and give you eternal life, this is a free gift. You can either humbly accept that entirely free gift, or you can choose to reject it. The road is narrow because of the perversity of our human nature.
We have been handed salvation on a plate, and yet so many are too proud or too conceited to acknowledge it and accept it.
2007-11-12 13:44:57 · answer #3 · answered by A.M.D.G 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
That's a very good question. I find it amusing that Christians think God LOVES everyone on earth, but if you don't believe in everything he says, he'll send you to suffer for all of eternity.
Sorry, but If I loved someone, I wouldn't make them be in torment forever just because they didn't believe everything I told them and because they didn't follow all of my commands.
2007-11-12 13:50:26 · answer #4 · answered by Lindsey M 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
We are created in his image, all we have to do is believe in him, why is that so hard, if you follow Jesus your life will be the best it could ever be, yes the Bible does say the narrow road but its so easy to believe in that road. Love, joy, peace, thats the narrow road, everybody should want that. The old devil has everybody tricked into thinking they can follow that narrow road but you and everybody can. I am a sinner, I sin everyday, but I still believe in Jesus Christ and I have accepted his Holy Spirit into my heart and I will be in Heaven someday, thats the only difference in the narrow road and the broad road, that I believe. I am still the same old sinner I always was, but I have a Saviour and his name is Jesus Christ. Thats the old devils lie he tells you, that you can't do it, you can't live by the Bible, but you can, sin is sin to God, it says so in the Bible, Jesus died on a Cross at Calvery so that you could be saved and be his child and live in Heaven with him someday. Don't let the world take you down with them, don't believe the lie, To be saved you believe by faith, Ephesians 2:8-9 says For by grace are ye saved thru faith, and not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works,lest any man should boast. By the grace of God you can choose the narrow road and be saved, just pray Dear Jesus, I know and confess that I am sinner in need of salvation. I believe you died on a cross at calvery and arose from the grave to wash away my sins, I ask you right now to come into my heart and save me, I pray this Prayer believing in the name of Jesus Amen. If you prayed this prayer with a sincere heart you are now a child of God, rejoice that your name is written in the Lambs book of Life. Jesus will now send his Holy Spirit to come and live in your heart and guide you into all truth. If you have any questions just send me an email, God Bless YOU!!
2007-11-12 16:56:20 · answer #5 · answered by victor 7707 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Can't we adapt in the time we have? God want's us all to be perfect and he has given us a second chance thru Jesus Christ. U either belong 2 him or the devil. If not him, then the devil. If ur with him, u suffer his fate. End Of Story
2007-11-12 13:58:48 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
God does not want anyone to perish, He wants everyone to be saved...He so loved the world, that He sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus...The sad thing is yes, Billions will perish, because they choose not to believe...They will not be able to blame anyone or God...He has offer them the best...but they refuse...many will choose Darwin or God...
2007-11-12 13:48:01 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
They're not wasted. They're glorifying God there too. They're saying for eternity that they are wrong, and God is right.
And since God made it so EASY to not have to go to eternal hell, by believing in this life that, Jesus, who is God, died for our sins on the cross and rose again, they are also saying that they refuse their own well-being for the sake of rebellion.
2007-11-12 13:42:07 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
why do you think of damnation as a waste of a human soul?
watching the damned spit and crackle is one of the chiefest delights of salvation to a true christian.
2007-11-12 13:47:05 · answer #9 · answered by synopsis 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
That's not very good resource management, is it?
Fear = obedience. That's all I can figure out. It's just a story.
2007-11-12 13:46:11 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋