Does it bother you that you believe some people will end up in Hell?

I'm a Christian, but I personally do not believe in Hell because it seems like such a strong contradiction of God's mercy.

Maybe I'm wrong and Hell does exist, but I don't really fear that it exists because the idea of a perfectly loving God having an eternal punishment for some of His own children seems absurd to me.

Of course, the majority of Christians do believe in eternal Hell, though the earliest Christians mostly did not. Does it ever BOTHER you that some people, even some of your own non-believing and/or sinful family and friends, will according to your beliefs, burn forever?

I don't really buy that Hell is a "choice" either. The actions that can get you into Hell are a choice, but of course you're not actually choosing Hell by committing those actions. You're choosing the action and being punished with Hell.

What I'm asking, is if you do believe in eternal Hell, does it BUG you at all? That many of it not most people on Earth are going to end up there according to your faith? Or do you not care?

Hell is, ultimately, the seperation from God.

If there is a all knowing, all seeing diety whom designed a system to allow mass failure. I think I would prefer to be away from that particular bully.

Besides, if I read the bible correctly, and taking into account all the various religious flavors on earth, I think I would be rather lonely in heaven considering pretty much everyone I know, ever known, and potentially will ever know is in hell to begin with.

[edit on 25-2-2010 by SaturnFX]

I'm not christian (spiritualist) but there is no hell. You create what comes next, you will find what you expect to find after death. (which is why umung the millions of people who have had an NDE there are variations in what happens) But that does mean that if you think that you're going to hell, you will create that for yourself. But it's not real, and you can uncreate it when ever you want.

That's why I laugh at people who say I'm going to hell. Because it's funny.

reply to post by Donnie Darko

Does it bother you that you believe some people will end up in Hell?

Nope.

I'd say they pretty much deserved it.

Didn't God say that he loves everyone no matter what and that he will forgive everyone? If that is true then why is there a Hell in the first place.

If anything, I believe in re-incarnation. Seems much more realistic than Heaven or Hell.

But, as they say, it is better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven.

Originally posted by Sozen94
Didn't God say that he loves everyone no matter what and that he will forgive everyone? If that is true then why is there a Hell in the first place.

If anything, I believe in re-incarnation. Seems much more realistic than Heaven or Hell.

But, as they say, it is better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven.

ok, follow along here.

God is perfect, therefore in his perfect wisdom decided to create a perfect universe of imperfections. He created us imperfect (perfectly) so that we may overcome these perfect imperfections. Should we do this imperfectly, then the perfect punishment has been established.

Why did God make it this way? oh hell, I donno...sadist perhaps...frankly, I would rather to not exist than to be shoved into existance and then tortured for eternity....but hey, its a deity, he gets his kicks that way I guess.

(glad I dont buy the bible nonsense...)

You can't end up somewhere that doesn't exist. I'm an atheist by the way. And SaturnFX if hell is seperation from god... I guess i've been in the theoretical "hell" for quite a long time... doesn't seem too bad to me.

Let's not forget the many people who seem to strongly believe that there is a hell and we are already in it.

I can't go along with that idea myself, but then I have a real problem with the various 'hell' descriptions, none of which seem to jibe with each other.

The feeble poet in me seems to think that hell is the absence of all hope.

It seems to me that most Christians are ready accept what Jesus said about punishment in hell, but seem to give very little thought to "being Christ like"; which is what I have always thought being a Christian was all about.

I am always hearing about the ten commandments, as an outline for life.

I would beg to differ in this way;
The ten commandments are the basis for the laws of every civilized society. They are the very foundations of how we should reguard one another from a legal standing.

On the other hand, if you will read the fifth, sixth, and seventh verses of The Gospel of Matthew you will find the manner in which we should reguard each other on a personal basis. These are the teachings attributed directly from Juses and should tell us how to be true Christians.

My mother often told me to always consider the results of anything I was about to do. If I had any thought that what I was about to do could be wrong, it very likely is. From this I have taken from this what I call the three steps to stay out of trouble.
1) never write down what you don't want read.
2) never say what you don't want repeated.
3) don't do what you would't do with your mother watching.

I truely beleive if a person will keep these things in mind, hell will not be much of a problem. The real "challenge" will be in living with those others who think they are the real Christians.

reply to post by Donnie Darko


no hell, 1st death is physical and then we all wait for judgement

2nd death is lake of fire which is not hell, its a lake and that is ultimatley destroyed forever

even jesus died a 1st death and rose again

most jews believe in sheol, which is like catholic pergatory, see lazarus and the king story

that was not hell, it was a holding place of all the dead

i dont have a bible here but it states that noone has gone to heaven ever except jesus, not even david, they are awaiting in either abrahams bosum or in the other side, which the king in lazarus story describes

i always used to tell my mom, why would satan and demons be in hell tormenting people who are already there for eternity when there are plenty of people on earth they would love to seperate from god, it makes no sense

satan fell from grace to earth and rules over it, (see jesus 40days in desert story)

he was not sent to hell

hell in hades means grave, grave is a hole in the ground for burial (dead) the 1st death

in the NT it also speaks of all the dead shall rise first when 2nd coming happens and the rest still alive are taken after that

NO not the rapture cause jesus returns the LAST trumpet after all the SHTF type stuff happens first, noone escapes death, we all fall short of the glory of god because we are sinners

but thats another thread

reply to post by Donnie Darko


Hell is temporary all who are part of it will be casted into fire lake to face their second death.

And as far as caring no I no care at all they had the chance and didnt take it. Some are not viewed as his children for they abandond him and laugh in his face as he kept giving them all loving chances. Personally the scream from a child molester or rapist sounds great to me ears lol. But uhh thats just me.

Does it bother you that you don't believe you are already in hell?

reply to post by Donnie Darko

Does it bother you that you believe some people will end up in Hell?

Hell yeah, it bothers me.

This is the reason Christians are called upon to speak the truth and try to bring others to the faith.

Many will not listen and by their own choice, they will be damned. Some of those will be our friends, lovers, parents and children. We may yet fall into the trap ourselves if we fail to keep up our vigilance against sin.

I don't want to see anyone consigned to hell and will fight tooth and nail to try to bring them into the faith for their own salvation. Even my enemies.

Some call this bigotry and hatred.

I call it the supreme act of love for your fellow man.

We come from the Void. And if left to our natural cycles, we will return to the Void. God's mercy is that which lifts us out of the Void in the first place, and is in no way contrary to the process of returning to the Void. However, some were chosen to receive greater mercy and grace so that their progress away from the Void continues so that they become One with Life.

Romans 8:
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.


Hebrews 2:
6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of them? or the son of man that thou visitest him?
7 Thou madest them a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst them with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under their feet. For in that he put all in subjection under them, he left nothing that is not put under them. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
9 But we see Joshua (Christ), who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

As we see deeper into the void of space and deeper into the void of the minuscule we progress through that which we were given the right to be priests of. We are the priestly animals that have charge over all things. Either we believe that all of this order and charity came from nothing and we make ourselves a part of chaos which is to return to Void, or we believe that we are creators alone without need and make ourselves part of pride which is to return to Void, or we recognize the that the Creators are OrderCharity who cannot be contained in this realm and that it is They who make us One with Them as easily as They made this realm in the first place.

I do not feel bad about anything regarding this concept (although I am not apart from my natural emotions). But I am thankful for all things.

reply to post by Donnie Darko


Not really. People being as they are I see no way of stopping it. Lots of people have tons of passive agressive BS ways to try to force people to agree with their beliefs like this.

Originally posted by Maxmars
Let's not forget the many people who seem to strongly believe that there is a hell and we are already in it.

I can't go along with that idea myself, but then I have a real problem with the various 'hell' descriptions, none of which seem to jibe with each other.

The feeble poet in me seems to think that hell is the absence of all hope.

i must disagree most strongly , when my child smiles at me and you feel the true love . the love that would make you give up your life in an instant to save them .. this feeling would not exist in hell.

Also like has been said above .. God is supposed to be all forgiving .. and since he designed the system for mass failure.

\I cannot believe in a god that lets even one solitary child Die of thirst on this planet ..

God is cruel , unforgiving, hypocritical, and imaginary..

I'm Spiritual too and base my knowledge on reading a few metaphysical category books on Heaven and Hell. An older lady who needed transportation once in a while had an extensive library and she let me borrow books.
The basic concept of good vs evil on Earth directly correlates to how judgement is made once you return. The best of these books was wrote by Arthur Chambers in 1902 titled, "Our Life after Death". Each chapter dealt with the re-introduction of a soul into refamiliarizing himself with two new friends whose job in Heaven is be a tour guide on the various goings-on. The Higher levels are quite amazing with famous people practicing expertise while others watch and listen, such as musicians, composers.
Eventually, the tour leads to the subject of Lower levels being Hell. After they desend, the tempurature and odor become hot and rotten. As they walk along, they begin to see hunched-over souls in several pits. They make screams of horror and pain, both physical and spiritual. Their clothing is riped and torn from fights with other souls who are the same lot.
The helpers explain the nature of their judgement to be condemned there. After sufficient time to have a good look, the group ascends back up to the Higher levels to great relief of the new soul.


[edit on 25-2-2010 by Granite]

reply to post by FortAnthem


most christians ive seen throughout my life arent true

paul the non apostle had it wrong, its not by faith you are saved

its love of god and of people and keeping the commandments that saves you and works

notice in revelations people are judged according to their works, not their faith

if you believe in jesus you will aspire to do like him

its pretty much common sense

he hated noone yet christians tend to hate so much or atleast judge alot too

we all do it from time to time, its human nature i guess, sinners we all are

its a rough life, im no better than anyone else, regardless

Originally posted by Donnie Darko
CUT...

What I'm asking, is if you do believe in eternal Hell, does it BUG you at all? That many of it not most people on Earth are going to end up there according to your faith? Or do you not care?

"Life" is a play.

The actors have been cast and chosen for their roles from the "beginning".

As for "Hell" and those who from the beginning were assigned their place in Hell....

A "rat" does not complain about living in a sewer for it was designed to do so.

A "Demon" does not complain about going to a "kingdom" that was designed as their "perfect" playground for those who live a different "way".

Hell was created for a different "bloodline/creature".

The "children of Satan" if given a choice between "Heaven" and "Hell" would always choose "Hell".

So... don't worry about "them". What you may believe to be "hell" to another creature may well be their "heaven".

reply to post by Donnie Darko


the thought of a loving God sending anyone to Hell is one of the main problems I see with Christianity.

I am not perfect. I've got a lot of faults (whoo boy). But I would never send someone to Hell. It's just not my nature.

So if I, a lowly imperfect person, couldn't damn someone because I find it reprehensible, don't you think a loving God would feel the same?

Just my opinion, of course.