Hell !

Subject: Hell ! Sat Dec 05, 2009 10:27 am

One of the most common doctrines in major religion is the teaching of Hell, a place of firey punishment, torment, and torture. So generally, if you are a person who doesn't follow God and sins without repentance you are sent to Hell. This is a doctrine that is taught (in its various forms) in religions such as Hinduism, the Muslim faith, Christianity, and Taoism to name a few.

Now while I know that many translations of the Bible do use the word "Hell," through my studies of the Bible I have come to the conclusion that this doctrine of being punished by means of Hell fire is not actually taught in the Bible.

I also realize that this doctrine is one reason that some turn away from - let us just say the Christian faith because that is taught in just about all major Christian denominations. It is generally accepted as a doctrine that holds fast with Bible truths within these religions. I know some personally who thought it was contradictory for a God of love to punish someone by hell fire. Others just didn't like the doctrine of hell being used as an element of fear to keep them "under control" as some of them put it.

So focusing on the Christian religion I was wondering, especially for those of you who do accept the Bible and practice some form of Christianity, what are your views on Hell? Do you view it as a literal place of judgment? A symbolic place? or something else?

When you hear someone talk about Hell - what generally comes into your mind and why?

Guest

I believe in Hell, for one without Hell there would be NO justice God is Just AND Love how can you have punishment and love? You need Hell and Heaven for that, take note though that it never specifies really what Hell is apart froma mention of Fire now and then, I think it might use fire to express pain but I'm not sure, I believe Humans are eternal beings Death came into the world through Sin but God will cast the angel of Death into Hell at the judegment so death will no longer exist its an abnormal thing just as sin is. I think Hell might refer to a place where God isn't God is eternal and omnipresent you say which he is, but true death maybe be where God isn't because God is Life.

Just some ideas to put out there, I do believe that sinner who didn't repent will be sent to Hell as it says in the Bible or more the "Lake of Fire" as it calls it what the Lake of Fire is well that if for the Holy Spirit to reveal to us or for us to find out in the day of judgement I am not overly certain, I know such a place exists where God will send people though don't know how good or bad it will be. Also in the Bible it says Heaven AND Earth shall pass away , it doesn't mention Hell passing away... I sometimes think of Heaven as being another realm that is spiritual instead of physical, which wouldn't make sense to most people but we know there will be a NEW Heaven and a NEW Earth as it says in the Bible, Heaven might not be perfect at the moment well I'm sure its not because Satan was in it and where he is there is evil, in in effect Heaven might not be perfect as we think it is. In the judgement day GOd will judge Heaven and Earth angels and humans and then make a new perfect Heaven and Earth its quite possible that humans will inhabit the Earth while angels Heaven or they could inhabit both.

These are just some Ideas I have about Heaven Earth and Hell its quite a complex thing and the Bible doesn't teach us a lot about those places, I think to truly find out we will have to wait and see.