Theists: If You Knew You Were Going to Hell

[The Sum of Awe]

Even if you don't believe in hell, let's hypothetically say you were correct theologically (unless you're an atheist, hence I directed this towards theists, but atheists are welcome if they're willing to pretend to believe in God for this scenario), but something came up, maybe a mystical experience or a talking with God, that made you 100% sure that you're going to suffer eternally after death, and it's God's or the gods' choice.

Would you still love God(s)? And if you worship your God(s) currently, would you continue to do so after finding out this new information?

Just out of curiosity.

 

[Erebus]

Would you still love God(s)? And if you worship your God(s) currently, would you continue to do so after finding out this new information?

Nope.

I always found the "love me or burn." thing pretty twisted anyway. To love/worship a god despite the absolute certainty that they're going to torture you for eternity would be utterly deranged IMO.

 

[psychoslice]

To think that anyone would want to believe in a god that sent people to hell, and that you must believe in him not to go there, sounds a bit strange, like a dictator, or a Hitler.

 

[Me Myself]

I am a theiat but I dont even believe in hell.

Maybe you wanted to say "for the hellbound" instead of the theists.

In any case, I cant imagine what I would do or what I would think if somehow I was lead to be 100% convinced that I was going to be tortured for ever.

I really have no idea what I would do. I imagine I would be too insane and thraumathized to do anything anyways. IDK.

 

[InformedIgnorance]

Hmmn I think under those circumstances, I would be trying to find an alternative - would I be able to perhaps get in good with the guy chillin downstairs for example?

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Hmmn I think under those circumstances, I would be trying to find an alternative - would I be able to perhaps get in good with the guy chillin downstairs for example?

No, there's no changing the fact of going to hell (just for example of course). There's nothing you can do about it, God determined it for whatever crime you've committed against God's will.

 

[Quintessence]

To love/worship a god despite the absolute certainty that they're going to torture you for eternity would be utterly deranged IMO.

I must be pretty deranged, then.

Yup. I worship a deity that, as judged by human standards, is malevolent, sadistic, and violent. If I ended up in their "special place" they would absolutely torture me. I would expect nothing less. The gods are what they are, and I honor them regardless of whether or not their nature is judged adversarial to human needs and wants. There is beauty and wisdom and power in all things, not merely the things humans happen to find pleasant.

 

[Shermana]

What if it's a temporary stay in Hell instead of Eternal?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Hell, to me, is a state of spiritual deadness. When you get to that point, I don't think you'd be too concerned about loving or worshiping God. I don't think that hell is necessarily eternal, either. I really hope not, anyway, for the sake of the souls who experience it.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Remember that this is a total hypothetical situation in which your view of the afterlife does not include punishment doesn't matter.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Remember that this is a total hypothetical situation in which your view of the afterlife does not include punishment doesn't matter.

I could see how I would both love and hate God at the same time, honestly.

 

[InformedIgnorance]

No, there's no changing the fact of going to hell (just for example of course). There's nothing you can do about it, God determined it for whatever crime you've committed against God's will.

Then I would want to know why and potentially I could accept that reason (I wouldnt love god but I might respect the decision... itd be difficult though)

 

[lunamoth]

Nope.

 

[s2a]

Even if you don't believe in hell, let's hypothetically say you were correct theologically (unless you're an atheist, hence I directed this towards theists, but atheists are welcome if they're willing to pretend to believe in God for this scenario), but something came up, maybe a mystical experience or a talking with God, that made you 100% sure that you're going to suffer eternally after death, and it's God's or the gods' choice.

Would you still love God(s)? And if you worship your God(s) currently, would you continue to do so after finding out this new information?

Just out of curiosity.

Since unbelievers are invited to contribute here... um, no.

Unless of course a claimed "god" can be seen to suffer my own incarnation of a just "hell" as applied to themselves (since many/most claimed deities deem themselves exempt)...

Most recent self-proclaimed deities would have their ardent believers accept exemption of themselves (of which most humans would otherwise deem "inhuman") as some "mystery" beyond explanation or simple prosecution, if applied to any earthly souls, would readily be seen as cruel, indifferent, or far worse.

This particular contradiction is a constant perplexity amongst monotheists...

"God did it"...

...except when "He did not".

 

[Mycroft]

Nope.

I always found the "love me or burn." thing pretty twisted anyway. To love/worship a god despite the absolute certainty that they're going to torture you for eternity would be utterly deranged IMO.

It's like someone holding a gun to your head and saying 'Be my friend or I will pull the trigger'. You wouldn't want to be their friend. You'd think they were a psychopath.

 

[Astravalon]

Even if you don't believe in hell, let's hypothetically say you were correct theologically (unless you're an atheist, hence I directed this towards theists, but atheists are welcome if they're willing to pretend to believe in God for this scenario), but something came up, maybe a mystical experience or a talking with God, that made you 100% sure that you're going to suffer eternally after death, and it's God's or the gods' choice.

Would you still love God(s)? And if you worship your God(s) currently, would you continue to do so after finding out this new information?

Just out of curiosity.

Hmmmm .... Well, as a theist, if this were to happen, knowing how I've been 'sure'
in the past about various spiritual convictions, I might take the news with a grain of
salt. I mean, I used to be 100% sure about a Rapture, and now I'm not so sure.

So I would be skeptical at best. I would probably still love Him (it's not as though
stopping would change my situation, lol!). In a way, continuing to love Him might
take the sting out of the situation, whereas being filled with loathing and hate
towards him would only intensify my misery both before as well as after death. This
would be especially true if the 'hell' in question is mostly mental.


-

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

Would you still love God(s)? And if you worship your God(s) currently, would you continue to do so after finding out this new information?

WHATEVER MAN D:

Just imagine, with all the people going to hell with me, the kind of party this is going to be ? Eh ? An EPIC party dude. Epic.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

WHATEVER MAN D:

Just imagine, with all the people going to hell with me, the kind of party this is going to be ? Eh ? An EPIC party dude. Epic.

Thanks the reply, but whenever I see people saying there's going to be a lot of cool people down there and that means it wont be so bad, I'm actually not understanding of how they could imagine any sort of penance from a place build off of God's hatred to punish people for whatever reason.

If I believed in Hell, I'd think that the sociable people would be locked into solitary and the socially afraid people would be in a room full of people.

 

[NobodyYouKnow]

Even if you don't believe in hell, let's hypothetically say you were correct theologically (unless you're an atheist, hence I directed this towards theists, but atheists are welcome if they're willing to pretend to believe in God for this scenario), but something came up, maybe a mystical experience or a talking with God, that made you 100% sure that you're going to suffer eternally after death, and it's God's or the gods' choice.

Would you still love God(s)? And if you worship your God(s) currently, would you continue to do so after finding out this new information?

Just out of curiosity.

Of course I would still love God if he sent me to hell....I would have probably deserved it and I have done a lot of bad things in my life and deserve punishment, not forgiveness.

I believe that God can only forgive so much...

He can forgive and forget all the bad things we do and all the mistakes we make as long as we learn from them and not continue committing those same errors of judgment in future.

If we don't learn and continue to do so, Divine retribution comes into play.

However, if God allows me to take this love with me into hell, it won't be so bad...

nainaḿ chindanti śastrāṇi
nainaḿ dahati pāvakaḥ
na cainaḿ kledayanty āpo
na śoṣayati mārutaḥ

BG: 2:23

'The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind'.

*partly the reason why I don't believe in Hell or even an 'afterlife' for that matter.

 

[Me Myself]

Of course I would still love God if he sent me to hell....I would have probably deserved it and I have done a lot of bad things in my life and deserve punishment, not forgiveness.

I believe that God can only forgive so much...

He can forgive and forget all the bad things we do and all the mistakes we make as long as we learn from them and not continue committing those same errors of judgment in future.

If we don't learn and continue to do so, Divine retribution comes into play.

However, if God allows me to take this love with me into hell, it won't be so bad...

nainaḿ chindanti śastrāṇi
nainaḿ dahati pāvakaḥ
na cainaḿ kledayanty āpo
na śoṣayati mārutaḥ

BG: 2:23

'The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind'.

*partly the reason why I don't believe in Hell or even an 'afterlife' for that matter.

I think he is talking about an eternal hell,

I wouldnt imagine Shiva holding such a grudge. He may be grumpy, but he also forgives!