What if People aren't sent to Hell because of their Religion

[wizanda]

It is amazing that what has been sold to us, is that unless you follow some person, with their beliefs, and religious laws, then you're going to hell...

Yet what if the point was to be a decent person, and no religion can make anyone change, unless it starts from within.

So does anyone actually believe, by following religious law, and subscribing to some person's belief, they can avoid Hell?

 

[Sunstone]

Folks who think there's a hell usually think people are sent there, and that there is a reason for why they are sent there, and even that the reason is what they believe about the nature of deity.

 

[DawudTalut]

It is amazing that what has been sold to us, is that unless you follow some person, with their beliefs, and religious laws, then you're going to hell...

Yet what if the point was to be a decent person, and no religion can make anyone change, unless it starts from within.

So does anyone actually believe, by following religious law, and subscribing to some person's belief, they can avoid Hell?

Peace be on you.
Some rituals does not make one a real believer:
Quran
[2:178] It is not righteousness that you turn your faces to the East or the West, but truly righteous is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the Prophets, and spends his money for love of Him, on the kindred and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and those who ask for charity, and for ransoming the captives; and who observes Prayer and pays the Zakat; and those who fulfil their promise when they have made one, and the patient in poverty and afflictions and the steadfast in time of war; it is these who have proved truthful and it is these who are the God-fearing.


Since Prophets (Messengers) are the best righteous person, God communicates with them and sends Books through spiritual agencies (angles). They practice the teaching and common people find way.

Otherwise there are people who use name of God and Prophets but practice hell-in-the-world.

 

[Neo Deist]

It is amazing that what has been sold to us, is that unless you follow some person, with their beliefs, and religious laws, then you're going to hell...

The concept of hell as a place of eternal torment, full of fire, anguish, pain and misery is a creation by The Church. It came about as a control mechanism. The Church has a tendency to use fear, intimidation and guilt trips in order to maintain its power and influence. It really took hold during the Dark and Middle Ages, when people were burned at the stake. Since that type of execution was public, people saw what happened to the human body as it was burned alive. The Church banked on that imagery...and continues to do so to this day.

Reminds me of a George Carlin skit (stop watching at 00:40 to avoid any profanity):

Then there is Rev. Spong:

 

[Unveiled Artist]

It is amazing that what has been sold to us, is that unless you follow some person, with their beliefs, and religious laws, then you're going to hell...

Yet what if the point was to be a decent person, and no religion can make anyone change, unless it starts from within.

So does anyone actually believe, by following religious law, and subscribing to some person's belief, they can avoid Hell?

I agree with Nichiren and Shakyamuni called the Avichi hell. When we loose site the nature of life our "minds" suffer. Its a whole lot worse than fire. I dont follow their words to the T (they said thats not the point) but if you dont follow practical buddhist teachings then your mind will he in hell.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

It is amazing that what has been sold to us, is that unless you follow some person, with their beliefs, and religious laws, then you're going to hell...

In one of his plays Jean-Paul Sartre suggested that "Hell is other people."

 

[Robert.Evans]

In one of his plays Jean-Paul Sartre suggested that "Hell is other people."

He wasn't thinking of a bald headed man with his finger in his mouth was he?

 

[Sees]

I think the key word in the OP is "sold" - create, magnify, or stress one or more problems and then present your item/goods/services as the best or only solution.

 

[Robert.Evans]

The concept of hell as a place of eternal torment, full of fire, anguish, pain and misery is a creation by The Church. It came about as a control mechanism. The Church has a tendency to use fear, intimidation and guilt trips in order to maintain its power and influence. It really took hold during the Dark and Middle Ages, when people were burned at the stake. Since that type of execution was public, people saw what happened to the human body as it was burned alive. The Church banked on that imagery...and continues to do so to this day.

Reminds me of a George Carlin skit (stop watching at 00:40 to avoid any profanity):

Then there is Rev. Spong:

Its in the bible, Gehenna. Misunderstood perhaps.
And people were burned in UK by courts secular also.
Thanks for the vids

 

[Demonslayer]

This guy wanders around Fenway Park trying to "save" people. He's there for every home Red Sox game...I've never seen anyone take one of his pamphlets but sometimes people take selfies with him.

 

[Robert.Evans]

This guy wanders around Fenway Park trying to "save" people. He's there for every home Red Sox game...I've never seen anyone take one of his pamphlets but sometimes people take selfies with him.

Tis a shame. Though at least it keeps him off the streets, I mean, on the streets.
I suppose he means well.

 

[Demonslayer]

Though at least it keeps him off the streets, I mean, on the streets.

It's funny because up close he's a clean looking guy, like I'm 99% sure he's not homeless. If you took the sign of his neck you'd never know he wasn't just another fan walking around the park.

I suppose he means well.

Sure, if he believes in literal hell for all non-Jesus followers, he's trying to save people's eternal souls. It's just sad to see someone so obviously disturbed wasting their life. I've been living in the area for almost 15 years now and he's been there as long as I've been here. People know him as "the Hell guy."

 

[Robert.Evans]

It's funny because up close he's a clean looking guy, like I'm 99% sure he's not homeless. If you took the sign of his neck you'd never know he wasn't just another fan walking around the park.



Sure, if he believes in literal hell for all non-Jesus followers, he's trying to save people's eternal souls. It's just sad to see someone so obviously disturbed wasting their life. I've been living in the area for almost 15 years now and he's been there as long as I've been here. People know him as "the Hell guy."

I think "Hell" is more of a problem in US than here, UK. Don't hear anyone mentioning it much.
Presumably it was part of your teaching?

 

[Deathbydefault]

(response to title)
That would just make too much sense.

 

[wizanda]

I think "Hell" is more of a problem in US than here, UK. Don't hear anyone mentioning it much.
Presumably it was part of your teaching?

It isn't a country specific teaching, it is based on the false gospel of John, and the additions by the church; where it states unless you believe in jesus, you will be condemned, thus changing the whole meaning of his teachings.

Peace be on you.

Thank you, that surah makes sense.... Yet are there surahs in the Quran which say that by believing in Muhammad, people will receive forgiveness of sin? And by accepting Islam as their religion, they will be saved from the hell fire?

The concept of hell as a place of eternal torment, full of fire, anguish, pain and misery is a creation by The Church.

Sorry Hell/Sheol/Hades is a real place, almost every culture has a matching concept with equal descriptions.... A dark shadowy underworld place, a place of lost souls.

What the church has muddled up, due to bad translating, is the difference between the different terms:

• Gehenna, a rubbish dump in Israel where they would burn people.
• Hades, a dark underworld, similar to Sheol in description.
• Tartarus, a place below Hades, where gods and fallen angels are imprisoned.....Which is said to be a fiery place of torment as within the Greek Ideology.

A different slant on the question, you've presented tho, is that unless the different religions can make theirs sound exclusive, they're not going to get the audiences to follow them.

 

[Demonslayer]

I think "Hell" is more of a problem in US than here, UK. Don't hear anyone mentioning it much.
Presumably it was part of your teaching?

Yes indeed it was. My parents used Hell as a parenting crutch actually. "You'll go to hell if you do X, Y or Z" was a fairly common statement. Also my father was an outspoken homophobe, back in the day when it was OK socially to be that way. The gays were going to hell for their filthy lifestyle for sure.

In my experience the Catholics are big on the hell thing. The sacrament of confession was hugely prominant in my religious family. They believed if you died with sins you hadn't confessed, you'd go to hell. It was a running joke in our church that every drove extremely carefully on the way to confession.

 

[Neo Deist]

It isn't a country specific teaching, it is based on the false gospel of John, and the additions by the church; where it states unless you believe in jesus, you will be condemned, thus changing the whole meaning of his teachings.

Thank you, that surah makes sense.... Yet are there surahs in the Quran which say that by believing in Muhammad, people will receive forgiveness of sin? And by accepting Islam as their religion, they will be saved from the hell fire?

Sorry Hell/Sheol/Hades is a real place, almost every culture has a matching concept with equal descriptions.... A dark shadowy underworld place, a place of lost souls.

What the church has muddled up, due to bad translating, is the difference between the different terms:

• Gehenna, a rubbish dump in Israel where they would burn people.
• Hades, a dark underworld, similar to Sheol in description.
• Tartarus, a place below Hades, where gods and fallen angels are imprisoned.....Which is said to be a fiery place of torment as within the Greek Ideology.

A different slant on the question, you've presented tho, is that unless the different religions can make theirs sound exclusive, they're not going to get the audiences to follow them.

Sheol is the grave, as is hades. It was the 1611 KJV that translated every reference to sheol, hades, gehenna and tartarus into hell (erroneously).

 

[Robert.Evans]

t isn't a country specific teaching, it is based on the false gospel of John, and the additions by the church; where it states unless you believe in jesus, you will be condemned, thus changing the whole meaning of his teachings.

More to it than that.What about Matthew. And it is mentioned in various ways in many places, including the OT.

 

[wizanda]

Sheol is the grave, as is hades. It was the 1611 KJV that translated every reference to sheol, hades, gehenna and tartarus into hell (erroneously).

Hades isn't the grave, check Greek theology, it has a full description of rivers and lakes, etc within it.... Sheol and the Pit, are not seen as only a grave by the prophets, they're clearly referenced as a place demons come from, and lost souls are put.

More to it than that.What about Matthew. And it is mentioned in various ways in many places, including the OT.

Reference where you are meaning, then can debate it.

 

[Robert.Evans]

Yes indeed it was. My parents used Hell as a parenting crutch actually. "You'll go to hell if you do X, Y or Z" was a fairly common statement. Also my father was an outspoken homophobe, back in the day when it was OK socially to be that way. The gays were going to hell for their filthy lifestyle for sure.

In my experience the Catholics are big on the hell thing. The sacrament of confession was hugely prominant in my religious family. They believed if you died with sins you hadn't confessed, you'd go to hell. It was a running joke in our church that every drove extremely carefully on the way to confession.

I saw on TV once a short play being shown for the benefit of religious children in US that was depicting their idea of hell (fear and pain etc). I thought it was pretty sick to show kids that, even if it was like that. I think it was Loius Theroux if I recall correctly. He had a program where a black woman coming out of chuch said "The white man is the devil" whilst white Theroux stood there; and also the black nationlists thought all whites should be killed, even their kids. Those are his kinda programs, weird things. He spends a lot of time filming in America.... haha.
What does that mean?