nonbeliever_92
Well-Known Member
What's hell purpose, and why would god send souls there?
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What's hell's Purpose?
- Thread starter nonbeliever_92
- Start date
OmarKhayyam
Well-Known Member
I was taught it was God's Justice. The wicked the evil the disobedient were all offered the free gift of salvation. They all refused.
Others did accept and tried as best they could to conform their behavior to God's Law. Justice demands both punishment and reward.
And since god is both eternal and perfect . . .
Others did accept and tried as best they could to conform their behavior to God's Law. Justice demands both punishment and reward.
And since god is both eternal and perfect . . .
Hell doesn't exist as a physical sense. The Vedas, which are the first text to ever speak of any such thing, tell of a situation where the guilty consciousness, after death, is tormented by nightmarish dreams. These are simply the result of doing really bad things (and I mean really bad) and feeling guilty enough that you become tromented by these dreams. They only last until you reincarnate.
Humanistheart
Well-Known Member
The concept of hell has evolved in christian dogma over the years. It was not originally a lava filled pit of despair and eternal agony, and how any christian can think that concept fits in with their idea of a loving god is beyond me. Why it's evolved may be a matter of opinion, perhaps other cultural influences like hades worked its way in, or it's owed to a misunderstanding of text. Perhaps some top christian clergy just wanted a way to scare people into the religion, who knows?
Rogue Cardinal
Devil's Advocate
There is no such thing as hell. IT is a Christian misconception and there is no notion of Hell say in the Old Testament. The word Hell doesn't even come into existence until the 1400's I think under translation into German.
Actually, I should expand on my first post. There are also planets that would be considered hell, though they are not hell as Christians know it. These are places where people are born who are of a particular consciousness, particularly selfish, ignorant, greedy etc. If all of these people have these tendencies, the place is quite unpleasant and full of suffering. That would be considered a 'hellish' planet. Earth is one of the planets that is quite mixed. It contains both heavenly and hellish qualities.
Hell is a very, very old concept in eastern cultures including ancient India and Greece. I'm assuming is was adopted into Abrahamic religions.
Rogue Cardinal
Devil's Advocate
You would be correct. It was adopted at a much later date than the creation of the religion. In the original form there was no Heaven either. Just Sheol and Gehenna. These words to not translate to heaven nor hell and they are described as anything accept what heaven and hell in modern times means.
Hell is but one of the ways that proves religions evolve over time.
BruceDLimber
Well-Known Member
Greetings!
Given that hell is spiritual absence from God (whereas Heaven is spiritual nearness to Him), it might be considered a staging area for those remote from Him until, as the Baha'i scriptures assure us, in the Next Life God enables these individuals to draw closer to Him and eventually achieve Heaven.
And God doesn't send anyone there, although each of us has the power to plase him- or herself there or not.
Indeed, in this life we can (and do) change freely back and forth between the two at any time as a function of "where our heads are at!"
Also, please note that hell isn't anything God created given that He created only good! It is in fact the absence of virtue and virtuous action, not anything with a positive existence in its own right! (A good analogy is that light exists, and darkness is merely its absence. This is proven by the fact that you can bring light into a dark room, but not dark into a light room.)
Peace,
bruce
Given that hell is spiritual absence from God (whereas Heaven is spiritual nearness to Him), it might be considered a staging area for those remote from Him until, as the Baha'i scriptures assure us, in the Next Life God enables these individuals to draw closer to Him and eventually achieve Heaven.
And God doesn't send anyone there, although each of us has the power to plase him- or herself there or not.
Indeed, in this life we can (and do) change freely back and forth between the two at any time as a function of "where our heads are at!"
Also, please note that hell isn't anything God created given that He created only good! It is in fact the absence of virtue and virtuous action, not anything with a positive existence in its own right! (A good analogy is that light exists, and darkness is merely its absence. This is proven by the fact that you can bring light into a dark room, but not dark into a light room.)
Peace,
bruce
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OmarKhayyam
Well-Known Member
Ah yes, that loving god who inflicts pain and death for no reason other than he can. How "Christian" of him.
Bloomdido
Member
Loads of Christian ramblings on hell in this forum. I tried to hang on in there but could feel my life blood draining away.
SHANMAC
Member
What is your understanding of hell?
OmarKhayyam
Well-Known Member
See post #2
SHANMAC
Member
That's where I'm a bit confused. Post 2 seems to indicate that you believe heaven v. hell in a salvation v. separation context, while your latter post seems to indicate hell is "punishment" and "death." Or, do you believe those are synonymous?
OmarKhayyam
Well-Known Member
Are you REALLY this obtuse.
This salvation bit is what i was taught. I don't believe the 20th part of the 1st letter of the 1st word. It is crap. Piled high and higher.
IF your god was interested in justice he would use punishment for some purpose. Instead he simply tortures folks for all eternity and glories in the act. As do his followers.
A more unjust and anti-human process can scarcely be imagined.
SHANMAC
Member
Are you REALLY this obtuse.
This salvation bit is what i was taught. I don't believe the 20th part of the 1st letter of the 1st word. It is crap. Piled high and higher.
IF your god was interested in justice he would use punishment for some purpose. Instead he simply tortures folks for all eternity and glories in the act. As do his followers.
A more unjust and anti-human process can scarcely be imagined.
Clearly, you have a misundersting about my God. My God neither "tortures people for all eternity" nor "glories" in the act. My God's followers do not either. My God desires to have everyone in his presence; not separated from it. Man's decision to follow other gods or no god at all separates him from God, which is a consequence of Man's actions.
OmarKhayyam
Well-Known Member
SHANMAC
Member
Unfortunately, he loves you too much to leave you alone. He does not want you to be separated from him.