Let's go with Hell for $800 Alex.?

Question

I've read previous posts on this site regarding Hell. Several answers that people have posted about Hell being a punishment stated that people "choose" to go to Hell by not believing in Jesus. It's pretty much based on the free-will concept. My thoughts are, what would compel a person to knowingly choose not to believe in a religion if the consequence is eternal torment? Sounds a little masochistic to me lol. Anyway, my point is, how can you call that free-will when in reality it's more like blackmail? It's kinda similar to those individuals that would make statements like "You're either with us, or you're with the terrorists." Most of the people don't want to be labeled a terrorist, so they join the bandwagon. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one everybody.

Answer 1

I agree with you. The concept of Hell in and of itself is a scare tactic. The free will that was granted to us was not choose "my way or Hell" yet when someone won't convert to that belief system, it is usually the first thing that they are threatened with and it makes no sense. Religion has completely hacked up and twisted the entire New Testament, and what they couldn't get away with deleting has been misinterpreted severely.

The Bible itself clearly states that religion is not the way to Heaven. For those that choose to follow Christ and believe in the holy Bible and an afterlife, they have just as much of a chance of getting in as one who believes in none of it, when you read the Bible without bias. Romans 1 and 2 clearly state that one is judged by God based on the goodness of the life that they have lived, not on how well they follow religious doctrine and worship, and it also states that anyone who chooses to try to judge their fellow man as God would will go to Hell faster than anyone. It states that sin is sin, whether you follow religion or not.

The question here isn't really whether Hell is mentioned in the Bible. It most definitely is. But exactly what is Hell? Is it actually a place with fiery pits and eternal torture that we are cast out into by a supposedly loving God to be tortured by his supposedly fallen angel? This makes no sense either. What if Hell instead was a metaphor, a parable like all of Jesus' other teaching, just an example of what we could inadvertantly create for ourselves or turn our world into by causing chaos and acting without regard toward our fellow man? What if the concept of Hell has been taken too literally and twisted right along with everything else found within the confines of religion?

There are so many possibilities out there besides the black and white that is preached. There are many gray areas that have yet to be explored or even taken into consideration... But in my opinion as long as there is structured religion, these answers will not be found by the world as a whole, due to the human need to control and oppress by means of manipulation.

There you have it--my thoughts lol...Long and drawn out, but there they are.

Answer 2

Here are some resources for anyone interested in Christian Universalism as well as Christian Unitarianism (these are known as classical Unitarianism and Universalism which were the original roots of UU, but are no longer predominant in the UUA - and Univesalists do not necessarily have to be Unitarian and vice-versa):

Online resources:

http://churchoftheonemiracle.org/index.html

http://www.christianuniversalist.org/

http://www.christian-universalism.com/

http://www.americanunitarian.org/

http://www.geocities.com/unitarian_christianity/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Christianity

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universalism

http://www.uuchristian.org/

Discussion Forums on Yahoo:

General Universalism Discussion Forum* (this is not specifically Christian - it labels itself post-Christian)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/universalism/

American Unitarian Conference Discussion Forum (the AUC says that they welcome non-Christians to membership)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aucchat/


All of the following links are for groups that are Christian Universalist in orientation:

Emergent Universalism Discussion Forum

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/emerging-universalist/

Christian Universalism Discussion Forum

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/christian-universalism/

Apokatastasis Discussion Forum
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/apokatastasis/

The Church of Interfaith Christians Discussion Forum

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thechu...ithchristians/

Wider Universalist Fellowship Discussion Forum

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WiderUniversalist/

Fundie Universalist Discussion Forum

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fundieuniversalist/

Reconciliation Fellowship Discussion Forum

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reconciliation-fellowship/

Answer 3

To paraphrase Gene Roddenbery:

It makes no sense that a deity creates a flawed being, and then holds that being responsible for the deity's inability to create perfectly.

Answer 4

Let's make it a true Daily Double while we're at it, Alex...

That is to say, good point, but you forgot to mention the little tidbit about there being no legitimate evidence for the existence of a hell in the first place.

Answer 5

the thing with sin is it deceives people ... the threat of hell has never andwill never make anyone walk a straight line ...

Answer 6

Yes, the holy concept is blackmail. and stupid.