Is America the greatest country

[Whateverist]

Here are my beliefs regarding Hell: 

http://atheistforums.org/thread-35781.html

I've explained my views a little bit, by saying that 1. I don't believe Hell is a physical place, 2. I don't believe God "throws" people into Hell, and 3. I believe Hell is the state of being by an individual who has rejected goodness and love, thus rejecting God Himself (since I believe God is those things).

I certainly agree with all three points. The only provision for me is "thus rejecting God" part, since it seems spurious to equate "goodness and love" with "god". (I would've thought god was more synonymous with revenge and retribution than anything else, but admittedly I am uninformed.)

So this is to say that "being in hell" is a psychological state, not a physical place. I believe psychological states exist, including angst, alienation and hopelessness. When one is actually in such a state, the imagery and symbolism of the bible's hell may more richly capture the felt experience. But one must never allow what something is like become understood literally.

I wonder if you can say why you feel understanding positive psychological states as being closer to god adds to your experience or understanding of the world.