The concept of Hell

[T.J.]

I wanted to take a minute to talk about something that used to be a legit fear of mine. Actually while I was indoctrinated burning in hell was my number one fear in life. The second were heights.

Basically when I was a kid I was taught if you're good you go to heaven, and if you're bad you go to hell. This was a controlling mechanic to keep people in the faith and not to perform certain behaviors. I even had my mom quietly implied before that my actions would insert me in hell, but I don't hold ill will against her (even though I consider this a form of child abuse) since she too was indoctrinated at a young age like I was. She just never fell out of the faith like I did.

The problem with this is what hell is. Hell is basically a place of eternal hellfire where people will torture you 24/7, so implying that any child would be going there for being bad when they die is extremely fucked up and frankly child abuse.

Now there are some misconceptions of hell even from believers. The popular belief is that Satan rules hell with his demons who does the torturing of damned souls. This isn't supported anywhere in the bible. Hell is mentioned several times, but it's never implied that it even has a ruler of any sort, and the bible also suggests that the devil's kingdom is Earth and he wanders between Earth and Heaven with restrictions put into place to keep him in line. Because our boy Satan is a dirty, dirty boy!

Now while I was a member of a baptist church I was actually told that Satan doesn't do the punishing. God does. So imagine that for a second. A supposed all loving and all powerful god doesn't just send you to hell if you don't accept Jesus into your heart, he actually tortures you there 24/7. To someone who actually believes this crap it's scary as fuck. To those who don't it's just absurd.

The problem with eternity is that it's eternal. You get used to it, so people in hell would just get used to being in a constant state of torment even if it is from an all powerful god. Therefore the point of hell becomes moot.

The reverse is true for Heaven. You get used to it and you'll become super bored.

Also I think Heaven is actually hotter than Hell. Go figure.

Discuss.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

I wanted to take a minute to talk about something that used to be a legit fear of mine. Actually while I was indoctrinated burning in hell was my number one fear in life. The second were heights.

Basically when I was a kid I was taught if you're good you go to heaven, and if you're bad you go to hell. This was a controlling mechanic to keep people in the faith and not to perform certain behaviors. I even had my mom quietly implied before that my actions would insert me in hell, but I don't hold ill will against her (even though I consider this a form of child abuse) since she too was indoctrinated at a young age like I was. She just never fell out of the faith like I did.

The problem with this is what hell is. Hell is basically a place of eternal hellfire where people will torture you 24/7, so implying that any child would be going there for being bad when they die is extremely fucked up and frankly child abuse.

Now there are some misconceptions of hell even from believers. The popular belief is that Satan rules hell with his demons who does the torturing of damned souls. This isn't supported anywhere in the bible. Hell is mentioned several times, but it's never implied that it even has a ruler of any sort, and the bible also suggests that the devil's kingdom is Earth and he wanders between Earth and Heaven with restrictions put into place to keep him in line. Because our boy Satan is a dirty, dirty boy!

Now while I was a member of a baptist church I was actually told that Satan doesn't do the punishing. God does. So imagine that for a second. A supposed all loving and all powerful god doesn't just send you to hell if you don't accept Jesus into your heart, he actually tortures you there 24/7. To someone who actually believes this crap it's scary as fuck. To those who don't it's just absurd.

The problem with eternity is that it's eternal. You get used to it, so people in hell would just get used to being in a constant state of torment even if it is from an all powerful god. Therefore the point of hell becomes moot.

The reverse is true for Heaven. You get used to it and you'll become super bored.

Also I think Heaven is actually hotter than Hell. Go figure.

Discuss.

The concept of an eternal hell is a Christin invention, along with the devil.  In Judaism the devil is the servant of god, not his enemy. Makes perfect sense; how could an omnipotent god allow any enemy to exist for more than nanosecond? The concept of a war in heaven makes no sense if Christian theology is followed to a logical conclusion. 

If you have not discovered him,  Anglican Bishop Kohn Shelby Spong has some fascinating lectures on YouTube,  as well as some best selling books:

[T.J.]

Ah, neat. I knew that Jews didn't believe in hell, but I didn't know what Satan's role was in Judaism. That actually makes a lot more sense.

[brewer]

It's been so long now that I don't recall if I feared hell as a youngster. I know I feared my german mother,............. hmmm, don't remember any horns, just a big wooden spoon.

I know that catholics get to buy their way out.

[Ranjr]

Hell was a concern, but I figured I'd get by.  Maybe run the place eventually.

[Angrboda]

Better to rule in hell than serve in heaven.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

[Paleophyte]

Ever wonder exactly what it is that's burning and why that would be a problem? It isn't as if combustion should be a problem for an intangible soul and all of your pain receptors are rotting in the grave with the rest of your corpse. This is the sort of rubbish you get when "theology" consists of looking at a volcano and thinking, "We should send everybody who we don't like there forever!"

[Fake Messiah]

[no one]

Hell is just a never ending biology class taught by Kent and Eric Hovind, Ray Comfort and his lap dog featuring Ken Hamm.

If you leave the class, you step on the fox news set, but they're all "singing" like Justin Bieber.