What the hell is "hell"? why do humans go to hell ?

[Zone]

Interesting point you make here, I agree, don't you think it's strange how christians claim to be all forgiving yet they seem very excited about our 'supposed' perishment in hell.

They can forgive you while being excited about your ultimate fiery doom at the same time I guess.

[Christian]

For the millionth, time there is no hell. Everyone is equal in the eyes of the Lord.

[Zen Badger]

For the millionth, time there is no hell. Everyone is equal in the eyes of the Lord.

Well most of your fellow christians and the bible disagree with you.

[Cyberman]

For the millionth, time there is no hell. Everyone is equal in the eyes of the Lord.

Then yours is a useless god, since there is no motivation for me to adopt any theistic beliefs and certainly not yours. I can carry on living my life exactly as though there were no gods while you spend your life on your knees in terror. After all, we both end up in the same place. One of us might as well enjoy the ride (for a given value of "enjoyment" anyway, but that's outside the scope of this thread).

---

Your words are particularly and hilariously ironic in light of your recent loaded poll.

[Zone]

Then yours is a useless god, since there is no motivation for me to adopt any theistic beliefs and certainly not yours. I can carry on living my life exactly as though there were no gods while you spend your life on your knees in terror. After all, we both end up in the same place. One of us might as well enjoy the ride (for a given value of "enjoyment" anyway, but that's outside the scope of this thread).

---

Your words are particularly and hilariously ironic in light of your recent loaded poll.

No you see once you understand that you have been saved you will be born again and will no longer live the sinful life of self indulgence you live now with your worldly idols but but you will be part of the body of Christ. It's not about where you go where you die but a process of inner transformation of the heart in eternal union...and so on.

[Brian37]

Then yours is a useless god, since there is no motivation for me to adopt any theistic beliefs and certainly not yours. I can carry on living my life exactly as though there were no gods while you spend your life on your knees in terror. After all, we both end up in the same place. One of us might as well enjoy the ride (for a given value of "enjoyment" anyway, but that's outside the scope of this thread).

---

Your words are particularly and hilariously ironic in light of your recent loaded poll.

No you see once you understand that you have been saved you will be born again and will no longer live the sinful life of self indulgence you live now with your worldly idols but but you will be part of the body of Christ. It's not about where you go where you die but a process of inner transformation of the heart in eternal union...and so on.

Umn yea,, sounds good, make up woo and drink the Kool Aid because it feels right. Got it. In other news, people have other forms of woo too.

[Cyberman]

Basically it would seem to boil down to "nobody goes to hell because Jesus is a nice fluffy god that loves everyone, and all he wants is for you to worship him in your every thought and deed because if not you'll be punished by ... umm ... hey, look at the pretty rainbow! Jesus is so magic! Wooooo!"

[Zone]

You do still need a hell or something like that if there is an afterlife, it's like how we have prisons and things, I'm not sure if it has to be eternal though. The problem in traditional Christianity is that everyone without exception deserves infinite torment from birth but God grace prevents Christians from suffering that fate because Christ died to free them from the bondage of their sin. At least in the Islamic system you're born with a clean slate then God judges whether you are "good enough" for the 72 virgin package deal. Unfortunately being "good enough" means you have to pray to Mecca five times daily, eat halal food, fasting during Ramadan, enter doorways with your right foot first, when entering a bathroom you have to cover your head enter with your left foot and say 'O Allah I seek your protection from the male and female devils.' while ensuring no-one sees you pee. So it's not so easy to decide which system is better, in Christianity you don't technically have to do anything.

[Cyberman]

I don't necessarily see why there'd be a need for a prison equivalent in any afterlife that may exist, especially one like the various described hells that are bandied around. Prisons have several castigatory functions, ranging from punishment to rehabiliation and taking in isolation for the protection of society. However perhaps the primary, certainly the most common, function is that of deterrence in order to discourage people from engaging in whatever behavior is deemed illegal and worthy of such punishment. Unless the proposed afterlife is some analogue of this one, this sort of hell should serve no purpose. Certainly the hell as threatened ad nauseum by our believing brethren (and sistren) is intended as a deterrence for this life.

[Zone]

In Hinduism/Buddhism/Jainism hell is where you stay until you bad off your bad karma so a form of rehabilitation, and it's proportional to the crime. So that seems like a better system to me, as an alternative to dying and nothing happening at all.