Do you still fear hell?

[purplepurpose]

I have no fear of hell for the simple fact that it doesn't make any sense that we go "somewhere else" after we die. You can't process information without a brain and so when the brain dies, that's it. There's no reason to believe the exact configuration of every one of our minds teleports itself after death in some far away corner of the universe, or in another dimension, where the supposed creator of everything made hell so he could punish the non-believers and all the rest. That's just not how it works. We have worlds of information to put this "theory" to shame. The world has some structure to it, it doesn't always make sense or is intuitive, but it's a big leap to go from the strangeness of quantum physics(for example) to alternate dimensions where hells and heavens abound. It just doesn't fit, no matter how you try to think about it.

Well, there are more esoteric ideas, like the one that our world has a good chance of being a simulated one if you grant the possibility that we might one day simulate one ourselves(that would make it that much more probable that we are simulated as well), in which case a programmer might make up his own rules and even grant all that religious craziness existence, but hell would be the least of our problems in that scenario, so just don't worry about it. Just hope(pray) his boss doesn't catch him play our simulation on his computer and shuts the whole thing down.

There are extremly big gaps, which even science wont be able to fill. Like all the matter around us just popped in to existance from Nothing, according to our brain. WTF.

[pocaracas]

How can someone fear something that doesn't exist?

Do you fear the Voldemort? Do you fear Odin? Do you fear Sauron? Do you fear Darth Vader?

Anyway, I never understood how that fiery torture was supposed to work.... isn't a soul a disembodied thing? How is fire ever going to affect it? Fire... or anything else material...

[Jackalope]

I fear hell exactly to the same degree I fear Mordor - for precisely the same reasons.

[c172]

I can handle hell. It does seem a bit hipsterish, but I can deal with that a bit. Just no forcefed craft beer and I'm OK. And definitely no Bastille. 

I can't handle jellies and rays and bees and other earthly things.

[Simon Moon]

How could 'hell' work ??

Seriously.


Demons?  Torture machines?  Lake of fire?

How does the infrastructure, energy, management, logistics and everything else work ??

Hell, what about sewers, sulfur emissions, replenishing supplies, noise abatement ??


Lava doesn't heat itself, how do they keep it molten ??

Supposedly, more people go there every day, so they will always need more personnel, more space, more equipment, how does all this happen ??


Isn't it just easier to realize the endless infinite eternal nonexistence you experienced before you were born will resume when you die ??

Religions are trying and failing at answering a stoooopid question we already know the answer to.

The answer to all your questions, is magic.

Magic explains everything.

[Excited Penguin]

I have no fear of hell for the simple fact that it doesn't make any sense that we go "somewhere else" after we die. You can't process information without a brain and so when the brain dies, that's it. There's no reason to believe the exact configuration of every one of our minds teleports itself after death in some far away corner of the universe, or in another dimension, where the supposed creator of everything made hell so he could punish the non-believers and all the rest. That's just not how it works. We have worlds of information to put this "theory" to shame. The world has some structure to it, it doesn't always make sense or is intuitive, but it's a big leap to go from the strangeness of quantum physics(for example) to alternate dimensions where hells and heavens abound. It just doesn't fit, no matter how you try to think about it.

Well, there are more esoteric ideas, like the one that our world has a good chance of being a simulated one if you grant the possibility that we might one day simulate one ourselves(that would make it that much more probable that we are simulated as well), in which case a programmer might make up his own rules and even grant all that religious craziness existence, but hell would be the least of our problems in that scenario, so just don't worry about it. Just hope(pray) his boss doesn't catch him play our simulation on his computer and shuts the whole thing down.

There are extremly big gaps, which even science wont be able to fill. Like all the matter around us just popped in to existance from Nothing, according to our brain. WTF.

Like what you just said defines stupid. WTF.

[Chad32]

I grew up in a church that didn't focus too much on hellfire, and brimstone. I don't think I ever really feared hell. When I was a christian it was because good boys don't go to hell, and I was a good boy. After I left religion, I didn't fear hell because I don't believe it's real. Also because other religions like islam have hell too, so you're risking hell no matter what. So why stress over it?

[lisah]

I have feared hell a lot, not just for myself, but (perhaps more) for friends (some of whom weren't christian), family and just for humans in general (because I did not want anyone to go there). It motivated a lot of my behavior. 

When I was doubting a lot, I was more afraid for my own salvation. When I lost my faith, there was still a bit of a lingering fear, because it was ingrained so deep in my from my childhood.

Now, 3 years after my deconversion, I have zero fear of hell left. None at all, I have no reason to take the possibility of it's existence seriously.

I sympathize with those with even stronger religious indoctrination, who have been threatened with hell throughout their lives and who still have vivid fears of hell decades after their deconversion. It is a terrible thing to do to your child.

So, do you still fear hell? How long did it take to get rid of it, or for those who didn't, how long ago was your deconversion?

I don't have a very good grasp of time, as it passes so quickly. But, according to one website I began reconsidering things some time in 2008.

As far as hell goes, I had already reinterpreted hell as being consumed by ones passions. It made no sense, otherwise. But, I don't discuss these things anymore, thus I don't have a reason to think about them anymore either.

Well, . . . until now.

[vorlon13]

as I've theorized before regarding 'eternal' punishment;

for an omniscient deity, considering a damned soul consigned to eternal infinite punishment, it would be possible for that deity to know the end state of that soul, even after an infinite period of infinite torture.

Therefore,

such a punishment could be meted out, the soul would be unaware regardless, and if you think about it, it's a better way to run hell. No staff, no supplies, the souls are still punished, no managerial or logistical headaches, just fucking better.


Damn, I could run an enterprise like that, and more importantly, a deity that could work out such a scheme might actually be worth a few laurel leaves . . .

[Minimalist]

Hell would be eternity with a life insurance salesman.