Secret Chief
Veteran Member
I heard that hell is other people.
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So what about hell?
- Thread starter YoursTrue
- Start date
I've suffered enough in this life - as to knowing what so many more will suffer much worse - so the concept of further suffering tends to be rather meaningless. Given those who suffer might tend to get used to this and survive all too often, and being stronger for this. So, apart from not believing in any Hell, or Heaven, I think as mentioned by another, these proposals are just carrots and sticks from those who create religions.
Threats of hell have been used as a lever of religion through history
No, I don't think God will do that. If torture means person lives forever and is in conscious pain forever.
Yes.
I see people doing this to themselves constantly. I did it to myself for years before I realized I was the one responsible for the hell I created.
Hermit Philosopher
Selflessly here for you
No. I don’t think of the state of “Hell” like that.
Upon death, comes judgement, where you get to experience and assess your entire, personal contribution to the so called “Book of Life”; not as “yourself” -from the limited perspective of a physical body- but as [part of] the whole which we truly are, always have and will be.
And you remain in this state of assessment, until you have genuinely understood (felt) the consequences of the parts you played in the unfolding of our experiences of being.
Then, is the state of forgiveness, and though it may appear an easy thing: to forgive “oneself” for one’s blindness to others and one’s “unknowing” of the ”fabric” of spirit; it is a rather “hellish” stage in the process of returning to source. And yet, like physical death itself, it is inevitable that we shall all need to go through every stage in the process.
I do not know why some people experience these phases while still alive and others are kept from them until the point of leaving their worldly bodies. But I know that once we experience them, we are unable approach life and others as we used to; not because we fear the torture of “hell” at judgement, but because we are unwilling to partake in the causing of such sufferings in another’s life.
Humbly,
Hermit
Colt
Well-Known Member
Hell is a concept that developed in evolved religions. Some believe that primitive humans had no concept for eternal death, they assumed that everyone went on to the spirit world so they envisioned a place where those who were not very nice in life would be punished while the good people would be rewarded.
In Christian scripture "death" was translated into hell.
I think most people have an erroneous view.
1st. Would people say, "Would a loving judge torture a multi-people murderer by sending the murderer to a lifetime in prison until death hits him? Or, would a loving prison guard put a man in solitary confinement because he continued to murder in prison?"
Of course not. We would say it was a just punishment.
2nd. If the murder said, "Why are you being so mean? How can you be so unjust with me? It wasn't even my fault.. they made me do it! It's my DNA's fault." No.. we would call that a victim mentality
3rd.. If the judge said, "You know what? If you will give your life to service and love, I will pardon everything you have done wrong! The offer is there for as long as you live" And the murder said "NO! I don't want to love and I don't love what you are offering! You are FORCING me to love people!" Is it the judges fault that he went to prison to suffer?
So really, it isn't the "loving God" that is doing anything but rather the murderer that simply wanted his way and got his way -- just like he wanted it. (In light of my signature)
PS. Maybe "forever" is just a statement that means "the penalty, however short, seems like forever". Regardless, whether forever or temporary, no one has to experience it.
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Also true.
I have reduced difficulty in imagining/thinking beyond the "usually" for various reasons, especially in matters pertaining to the non-human for which the human understanding of "usually" is not logical to apply as a starting point.
stvdv
Veteran Member
IMHO
Hell only exists in the minds believing it
I get it, it was a Master Move to gain power over the poor gullible people in the years of yore, in which there were no fact checkers nor easily available books, google etc.
Good for the elite though, abusing their power, over the heads of the poor...much more difficult nowadays, though I still see them apply the same tactics, esp. in the past 4 years. Give them bread and play, and a big dosis of fear and antidote or other solutions...and the game can begin
And that was how Hell was created in the West, esp. within Christianity ... IMHO
lostwanderingsoul
Well-Known Member
Here is a question. Why do you throw garbage in a fire? To punish it or to destroy it? Fire burns things up. It destroys things. People who are not saved are garbage to God. He destroys them. They are not burning in torture forever. They turn to ashes and are gone. Just like garbage.
Gee, who wouldn't want to worship a God like that. He sounds charming.
And we should trust that you are the one person who has sorted it all out and has the correct view?
RestlessSoul
Well-Known Member
Alien826
No religious beliefs
That's not torture. Mainly it's protecting other people from him. And it's not eternal.
Agreed.
Well, no. But a better analogy would be if criminals were simply allowed to continue in their crime until they died, then received an infinite sentence for their finite crimes. Oh, and according to Christian belief, we can't actually earn our salvation as your judge is suggesting. Instead, the judge tortures and kills an innocent person and considers that good enough to pardon the criminal.
I think it's more the severity of the punishment that is the problem for most people rather than the existence of punishment in itself. Not only that, we have the idea that all sin is equal, and hell awaits the person with lustful thoughts and the serial killer alike. The whole thing reeks of injustice to any reasonable person. And offering a conditional free pardon doesn't really help that, imo.
Like marriage?
Was there something that sounded wrong?
Are you answering my question with a question?
I like imitating Jesus
I like imitating Jesus
I believe he warned us people would try that.
