The Myth of Hell

originally posted by: Akragon

originally posted by: Ursushorribilis
a reply to: silo13

The concept of Eternal hell wasn't introduced until the new Testament. The old testament doesn't mention hell.
What kind of Savior is Jesus if he brings Hellfire with him?

it does actually... many times

But theres no descriptions of what happens or what it looks like...

Eternal torture and hellfire is strictly NT.... Judaism does not believe in such things

Can you quote old testament scripture that mentions hell?

originally posted by: Ursushorribilis

originally posted by: Akragon

originally posted by: Ursushorribilis
a reply to: silo13

The concept of Eternal hell wasn't introduced until the new Testament. The old testament doesn't mention hell.
What kind of Savior is Jesus if he brings Hellfire with him?

it does actually... many times

But theres no descriptions of what happens or what it looks like...

Eternal torture and hellfire is strictly NT.... Judaism does not believe in such things

Can you quote old testament scripture that mentions hell?

Psalm 139:8
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

a reply to: silo13

You didn't answer my question. You just preached to me.

a reply to: Akragon

The correct translation is Sheol. Not hell. Two distinctively different places.

originally posted by: Ursushorribilis
a reply to: Akragon

The correct translation is Sheol. Not hell. Two distinctively different places.

This is true... but thats what i said originally

Hell is mentioned in the bible OT... and there are 3 versions of the afterlife in the OT

Sheol is actually translated as "the unseen"... and if you want to go to the hebrew version of the bible there is no hell

Twas added to the narrative to promote fear and conversion

originally posted by: Ursushorribilis
Modern day Christianity preaches of Eternal Hellfire. In my opinion this concept of Hell was created to scare and convert people of different beliefs.

Logically it just doesn't make sense.

1. The punishment doesn't fit the crime.
30 years of adultery, or whatever your vice is, doesn't equate to eternal Hellfire.

2. It's anti-christian. Christianity preaches love and forgiveness. Hellfire is in direct conflict with the entire message of Christianity.


What do you think?

It's been a long time since I read the bible but of I remember right it doesn't actually mention hell in it at all does it? Didn't the story of hell come about sometime in the middle ages after Dante's Inferno?

a reply to: dug88

The original text doesn't mention eternal suffering or hell. Hell is only in the translated versions of the Bible.

a reply to: Ursushorribilis

Im fairly certain a sort of tailored "Hell" exists.

originally posted by: Ursushorribilis

2. It's anti-christian. Christianity preaches love and forgiveness. Hellfire is in direct conflict with the entire message of Christianity.

What do you think?

I think you forget, some people don't want love and forgiveness.

They want war, strife, love fighting, need opponents to thrive, have a lot of hate to go around, and spending time in hell they would consider fun.

It's heaven where they don't want to go.

originally posted by: AMPTAH

originally posted by: Ursushorribilis

2. It's anti-christian. Christianity preaches love and forgiveness. Hellfire is in direct conflict with the entire message of Christianity.

What do you think?

I think you forget, some people don't want love and forgiveness.

They want war, strife, love fighting, need opponents to thrive, have a lot of hate to go around, and spending time in hell they would consider fun.

It's heaven where they don't want to go.

Why do you suppose people would oppose love and forgiveness?

Could it be because, like Christ, they were betrayed continuously and constantly by their own kind, by supposed "good" people, despite the betrayed persons being loving and forgiving?

At some point the hunter becomes the hunted.

originally posted by: Ursushorribilis
a reply to: silo13

You didn't answer my question. You just preached to me.

What didn't I answer?

I don't think God condemns anyone to "hell", which by the way, there are a few different hebrew words that are translated into "hell" one of them is the place outside of the city gates where they burned the bodies of the poor and such.
but, that's not to say that we can't create our own hell after death, either by refusing to surrender to what we think of as the will of the creator or by being so afraid of the creator that we decide to hide and shield ourselves from him.

Hell is real, it will be where the spiritual enemies of God will be cast down, the demons of this world are destined for eternal hell.
So yes hell is eternal for eternal beinggs
However as humanity is not eternal, (two trees in the garden) dont have eternal lives, they will be consumed by hells fires.
As much as God is mercy and love, He is justice, justice must be served



so, its a choice you make where you go

a reply to: Ursushorribilis

Your right the concept of eternally torturing some creature one created is infantile.


Most religions don’t believe that.

Islam, for instance, other than the nutty Wahhabis, say Hell is a form of purification and NOT eternal

If you were standing at the gates of Heaven and your son or daughter stood on the other side, would you let them in or would you send them to hell fire?


Would you send your pizza guy to burn forever? To suffer forever?
We as humans would not do that to each other because we love and have compassion.
Im willing to bet that God has more love and compassion than man.

Anyone who believes in eternal hell is making the devil an equal to God.

God created EVERYTHING
Ultimately he’s even responsible for the devil and all the sinners since he created them


Think about it. If you created something you also created its nature, or what makes it tick. If you make it evil then that's its nature you exposed it to.

Just put on your thinking cap...

If something God created goes so far in bad deeds that it deserves eternal hell, then what is the thing that made it do these deeds?


If you say its something other than God than your saying there’s some other force as great as God

originally posted by: ausername
Would suck to make it to the afterlife and discover it wasn't a myth after all by being there.

It would also suck to waste your entire life on a pipe dream when you only live once. And then of course the idea that another religion could be right and you still get punished.

originally posted by: silo13
First of all 'Modern' Christianity is DOWNPLAYING hell fire. They call it 'eternal separation from God' - instead of the hellfire it is.

Yeah it sure seems like they are totally downplaying hell. I mean I don't get threatened with eternal fire constantly by Christians in youtube comments on a daily basis or anything. I'm not sure what interpretation you are referring to, but I it seems each sect interprets it a bit differently.

Isn't it great that all we have to do is believe on Christ - and we bypass all the hellfire crap?

Not every Christian sect believes that. Many sects do believe in good deeds, and require forgiveness and repentance to get to heaven, not exclusively believing Jesus. No offense, but that interpretation is extremely harmful and detrimental to morality. You basically tell somebody that they can sin all they want as long as they believe in some magical demigod guy and accept him as your savior. It defeats the purpose of all of Jesus' teachings about benevolence, tolerance and loving all people (even sinners). Nobody should teach that crap to their children. Pay attention to what Jesus actually taught and teach them that. That was what he intended, not for everyone to disobey god constantly and still get a free phase to heaven just for belief.

Well, canonically anyways, the concept of sin and saying blasphemy didn't really kick in until the Ten Commandments. O.T, God can only forgive Sin, N.T, Jesus can only forgive sins like its play on words.

Islam, idk, die flaming glory, or just butter up butter cup.