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Do You Believe In Eternal Suffering?
- Thread starter dave_
- Start date
I do not know is my answer. What I believe is not very relevant with this question is my belief.
But I do believe hell exists and there is real suffering. Eternal? Well God says more than once “My ways are not your ways” so that means there is much we can never know or understand the meaning of this side of the grave, and hell surely seems like one of them.
Some messages from saints or visionaries or theologians of the past suggest that even if hell is eternal the suffering is not constant. Perhaps, but we cannot know.
The larger question for me is who might end up in hell? And, again, no one knows this! But it seems to me it is pretty sure there is a hell so why would anyone take such risks? And by that I mean, if one seeks to know or find God with all his heart and tries very hard to be moral, kind and obedient, he most likely is not going to end up in hell. He may very likely be in purgatory for purification, but all in purgatory eventually make it to heaven. So comparing the sufferings of purgatory to the sufferings of hell is like comparing the weight of a single atom to the weight of the universe. (imo)
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dave_
Active Member
I don't know much about mental/emotional pain.I have some anxiety thats all.What kind of pain are you talking about?
I said I don't believe in any kind of suffering, but honestly I do not know, and it is of no concern to me or my religious philosophy, so I don't really give it much thought.
Sleeppy
Fatalist. Christian. Pacifist.
I would say mental/emotional pain is linked to physical pain. -- Only God is eternal. Pain serves God's intent, and is not eternal but serves as a catalyst for certain changes to occur.
In Islam there are many views, I am with some Muslims had maybe eternal suffering , some of the rest could have temporare suffering
there is exception for "the People of the Book"
ancient Christians and ancient
Jews , some of them maybe had temporare suffering .
God knows best
there is exception for "the People of the Book"
ancient Christians and ancient
Jews , some of them maybe had temporare suffering .
God knows best
I believe there will be temporary suffering for evil-doers. They will suffer emotional torment as a result of their evil. On a brighter note, I also believe in eventual salvation and liberation for all. Evil-doers will just have a slower and harder time until they truly repent and truly realize the error of their ways.
What do you mean with taking risks?
Aren't you taking a risk by not believing in Allah?
I mean spiritual risks, of course.
Ciao
- viole
Well of course. One cannot avoid risk regardless if we do something or choose not to do something.
But there is less risk of my house collapsing on top of me while in bed than there is running across 5th Ave during mid day. I choose to stay in bed.
Meaning --- based on deductive reasoning, historical accounts and experience, there is far, far less risk not paying attention to Allah and the Koran than there is paying no attention to Jesus, the Bible and the Church. My decision to dismiss Allah may be of some measurable risk (on a micrometer), but it causes me not the slightest consternation.
Those who pay no attention to any God, especially the Judeo-Christian G-d, I believe are taking some serious risk. Those who have heard the gospel, understood it, and then dismissed it, that is.
You are not the first one to raise such a suggestion. But as it is, I am certain the answer to that question is No.
To expound on that and defend that position would take longer. For one, though, perhaps you knowing and living the gospel may bring greater peace and comfort and eternal reward to 20 others. So despite the fact you now knowingly violate some of God's commands, you are doing a greater amount of charity and virtue. God cannot be fooled by our parlor games, nor is He unfair. I suspect a scoundrel who heard the gospel and walked away from it would have likely been a scoundrel had he not heard.
I am sorry to sound cynical, but who cares about charity, comfort and stuff? As you said about Purgatory, these things have the weight of an atom when compared with the weight of the Universe. They are time limited.
We are talking about my final and irreversible destiny.
Would I be better off by being the same moral person I am now if I never heard of the Gospel, instead of knowing about it and reject it?
What do you think and why?
Ciao
- viole
My answer to that (and of course I can never know for sure) is ‘No,’ you would not be better off.
Why? Because God is love, He is not some clever trick master. If He knew (and he surely knows everything well in advance of it playing out on earth) that if you stayed a pagan in some remote corner of the world and would not commit horrible sins against your fellow man but just live out some mundane existence --- if He knew that would cause you to end up in purgatory for a century but then get to heaven - - - - - well then I seriously doubt He would have you condemned to hell because Dr. Livingston showed up one day in the jungle with a Bible and you grasped the meaning, accepted the Lord and then years later became a murderous villain - - - having so become an enemy of the God you now knew you found yourself in hell. I do not see how God would do that to you or anyone else. I just do not think that would be held against you to that extreme.
The one real command Jesus gave to all His disciples shorty before He left the earth was to go to all corners of the world and preach the gospel and baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I have to believe the early Christians taking on that mission has done far more good to far more souls for eternity’s sake than had they done nothing and just hope for God’s mercy for the ignorant.
It is surely something we cannot allow to cause us so much worry that we choose to do nothing. It just may be there are very few souls who end up in hell? Maybe most of our efforts are leant towards alleviating large amounts of suffering in purgatory for most souls?
nazz
Doubting Thomas
I believe suffering exists. I believe suffering continues as long as people perpetuate it.
Allah is arabic word adopt by Muslims and Arabic Christians and maybe Arabic Jews
there is no much very importand teaching different between Bible and Quran, except maybe in punishment of thief "cut his hand" , or Jesus (pbuh) prophet's God or son of God .
there is no much very importand teaching different between Bible and Quran, except maybe in punishment of thief "cut his hand" , or Jesus (pbuh) prophet's God or son of God .