Hell

[Ervin]

I personaly think Hell improbable. I do believe in God but I don't know wich one so I supose though improbable its talked about a lot in many religions.

When ever I try to emagine how it would be like to be doomed to eternity of the unberable suffering I end up feeling bad and look for explanations of God and the scriptures that can be interpreted as death as a punishment rather than eternal torment.

Teaching kids about eternal torment in fire would have to be a bad thing because I believe it would cause only mental anguish.

Even Budhists talk about horific Hell realms as a punishment( at least they are not eternal).

I want to ask all of you who believe, how do they reason that a loving God would torment someone for eternity and those who don't believe, have you ever as a kid atleast undergone any mental sufering because of the belief that could have been imposed on you?

Thanks

[Matthew]

Hi Ervin,

When ever I try to emagine how it would be like to be doomed to eternity of the unberable suffering I end up feeling bad and look for explanations of God and the scriptures that can be interpreted as death as a punishment rather than eternal torment.

It depends on which "scriptures" you are talking about. The Qur'an, for example, is very explicit about eternal conscious torment. The Christian Scriptures, however, make clear that death (eternal destruction) is the consequence of sin, although there are some passages which have been traditionally (and wrongly) interpreted as implying eternal conscious torment.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

although there are some passages which have been traditionally (and wrongly) interpreted as implying eternal conscious torment.

Really. According to whom? Eternal torment remains Catholic doctrine. This is reinforced by the view amongst some theologians that "Hell is that place where God is is not" and that separation from God is the worst agony a soul can experience.

This purely academic to me you understand, what with being an atheist and all. I just love way so many believers play no true Scotsman,insisting their personal superstitions are superior to the personal superstitions of others.

[Matthew]

although there are some passages which have been traditionally (and wrongly) interpreted as implying eternal conscious torment.

Really. According to whom? Eternal torment remains Catholic doctrine. This is reinforced by the view amongst some theologians that "Hell is that place where God is is not" and that separation from God is the worst agony a soul can experience.

How is this an objection to what I said? There are different interpretations of the relevant passages, and the traditional interpretation (as held by most Catholics and Conservative Protestants) is that Scripture teaches eternal conscious torment. There is also the interpretation that I (and many others who hold to annihilationism) believe is correct.

This purely academic to me you understand, what with being an atheist and all. I just love way so many believers play no true Scotsman,insisting their personal superstitions are superior to the personal superstitions of others.

There are also believers who base their views on the application of hermeneutical principles.

[Ervin]

Once I was listening to a very knowledgable muslim(traditional hadith following), who has memorised the Quran and what ever else give talk on heaven.

And he was saying how you will have more than one wife but the wives will not be jelaous of each other and they will like it.

He also said that if you have friends and family in Hell you will not feel sorow. So my question is do you turn into a sociopath since you feel nothing for those in Hell?

Also the christians who believe in Hell are invited to answer since they believe that you will be Ok as well!

Thanks

[Captain Scarlet]

If you can bring yourself to believe in a god, why not believe in supernatural theme parks for the naughty and nice while you're at it? Only as a disembodied 'soul', whatever that means, who knows what you can actually experience. The whole concept is beyond contempt.

[annatar]

The Christian Scriptures, however, make clear that death (eternal destruction) is the consequence of sin, although there are some passages which have been traditionally (and wrongly) interpreted as implying eternal conscious torment.

I believe those who "misinterpret" hell has really good reasons..
Daniel 12:2 Many of those who sleep in the dusty ground will awake – some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting abhorrence. 3 But the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those bringing many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever

Matthew 25:46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom
everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers. and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

[Ervin]

It seems that the Bible can be interpreted in diferent ways. I personaly don't wish for Hell for anyone.

I still believe in God and in Satan but I don't believe that the Quran or the Bible are Allah's or Jehovah's word. I think that they are atempts of people trying to explain the truth about God.

I am like some sort of a Universalist were I believe that most likely everyone will be OK. However I admit that I could be wrong about how I aproach the belief.

Reason why I believe in one God and not any more is because like the deist Bob Johnson said that there can be only one supreme of everything.

Reason I believe that some people might cease to exist as a punishment for being exeptionaly bad and unrepentant is because I see in nature a lot of sufering and not just due to man but by how animals are programed. So if God created it to be so harsh it could be a message that he is capable of inflicting pain, however my belief is that he wouldn't inflict infinite conscious pain from wich there is no respite.

This is a bit on how I reason.

I also understand that as an atheist you take some of the things I mentioned as a proof of God's non existence by arguing that he couldn't be so cruel and wastefull.

Thanks

[muhtesem insan]

It seems that the Bible can be interpreted in diferent ways

how can you interpret this differently...

Matthew 25:46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

[Matthew]

I believe those who "misinterpret" hell has really good reasons..
Daniel 12:2 Many of those who sleep in the dusty ground will awake – some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting abhorrence. 3 But the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those bringing many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever

Matthew 25:46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom
everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers. and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

A list of verses is not an argument for a particular view - you actually have to give good reasons why those verses, when properly interpreted, support that view. So, please explain what those good reasons are.