Is Hell Empty?

Question

If God forgives all sins, why is there a Hell? And if not Hell, another place for 'evil'? By the way, I'm Pagan

Answer 1

If someone dies with a mortal sin on their soul (it can only be removed by the sacrament of Reconciliation), then they will go to Hell.

Venial sins will send you to Purgatory, but you'll eventually go to Heaven.

Answer 2

No, hell is quite full, and getting fuller, God can forgive all the sin in the world, but he will not force anyone to be with him. You see that is what hell truly is, the absence of God, for ever and ever. Man has never been outside of Gods presence, but he will, and what a horrible thing that will be. So as a pagan you worship the creation, but not the creator, isn't that just a little backwards?

Answer 3

Traditional Christianity does not teach that God will actually forgive all sin, although various kinds of universalism do teach that. The problem is justice. We assume there is such a thing as right and wrong, and that doing wrong has consequences that affect the whole of reality. The Christian God is not an outsider to that reality, but is deeply involved in righting the wrongs that damage His creation. Humanity is one of His special projects; we are made in God's image. This gives us a touch-point with eternal reality that other beings do not share. Our wrongs have eternal consequences. For there to be justice, the imbalance created by those wrongs must be set right by an eternal measure. The doer of the wrong, or a valid proxy, must be punished. If one rejects Jesus as proxy in punishment, one must face the music alone. That is precisely the meaning of hell, that unrepenting souls which are eternal and cannot be destroyed must live out their eternity somewhere. As God is the source of all good, love, peace, and joy, a decision to not repent and participate in all those good things is a decision to reject all those benefits and live without them for eternity in a self-imposed solitary confinement. It ain't easy being eternal. For my part, repentance looks like the better deal.

Answer 4

God does not forgive all sins, but only the sins of people who are willing to ask Him for forgiveness. Hell is there as the eternal home of all those people who never accepted Christ's offer to forgive their sins (thus, they bear the guilt of their own sins).

The Bible says in several places that we gain entrance into heaven or hell based on our decision to follow Christ, but our level of suffering (in hell) or reward (in heaven) is based on our deeds. Therefore, not all Christians in heaven will be equal, just as those who end up in hell will not be equal.

Answer 5

No sin can enter heaven. To be free of your sins you must surrender them to Jesus. If you die with your sins you are separated form God. Hell is the total separation from God, in life the Holy Spirit flows through everything so we are still with God, no matter how far into darkness we go.

Answer 6

Hell is not a place, it is a spiritual state in result of parting ways with God, and he forgives all sins IF and only if people repent.

Answer 7

God forgives sin only if you will ask , and by faith are you saved, through grace, by believing in Jesus.. Hell is place of punishment for the evil.

Answer 8

All sins past, present, and future are forgiven if a person believes in this life that Jesus, who is God, died for our sins on the cross and rose again. That is so great and so easy a salvation for us, thanks to Jesus!

But if a person rejects believing that to their dying breath, then they will go to eternal hell.

Answer 9

God forgives those sins of those who accept his gift. Nice initials BTW!

Answer 10

There is no one in Hell at this time. At the second coming of Jesus is when all the unrighteous dead will be raised, judged and thrown into the lake of fire. Also at this time the unrighteous living will also be judged and thrown in.