There is no hell...
The Christian Church needs some humility. It should (to the extent that these things are effective or even real) search its own soul and pray to better understand its own dogmas. The idea that there is a hell where people suffer is incompatible with the (presumed) infinite love of their divinity of choice. In order to be consistent with their own scriptures, this character, whom they claim is not a judge but a friend, should be embracing, not condemning humans.
Hell is at best a metaphor to scare Christians (especially young, impressionable ones) into compliance.
Hell is at best a metaphor to scare Christians (especially young, impressionable ones) into compliance.
Comments587
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
The actual term "Hell" cones from Norse mythology about the daughter of Loki the goddess of death Hel and her realm for the dishonored dead.
That wouldn't surprise me, I do vaguely recall hearing about Hel.
I'm a Zoroastrian and I used to believe in Hell, but the Bible barely mentions it. And what is the point of reincarnation iif you are forever trapoen in a dimension of eternal punishment?
This is one of the many inconsistencies found in religions.
Considering Christianity doesn't believe in reincarnation, it's hardly an inconsistency.
My last comment want so much about Christianity as it was about religious people in generals. You'd be surprised how many self-proclaimed Christians believe in reincarnation. This is what happens when you don't use rigorous methodology to decide what to believe...
I thought it was originally called Gehenna and it was supposed to be a place where body and soul are destroyed completely and utterly. I have heard people refer to it as "spiritual recycling." How did the concept of "eternal torment" come about?
Comment Flagged as Spam
I didn't realize Hell had wifi.
I think inbred very common name for that place in the Old Testament was Sheol.
I'm really not sure when or where the eternal part was added to it, nor am I particularly interested in the answer--other than from a mythological perspective.
I'm really not sure when or where the eternal part was added to it, nor am I particularly interested in the answer--other than from a mythological perspective.
Sheol's litetal translationis "the grave" I believe whereas Gehenna was an actual place outside of Jerusalem where they believed kings would sacrifice their children by fire.
Sheol and Gehenna are distinct.
Could be, I haven't done an in-depth research on these fantasy places... 
Hell to me is of one's own making .We make our own hell here on earth .We all have that which we innately fear ( yeah I know some people are not scared of anything and are completely fearless } but apart from those fortunate individuals.... a lot of us fear buggering everything up ... there are those that fall into the traps of their own making.
The real Hell can last after your demise ...you completely fucked up your life... there are those around you after you die that can attest to that .
It is called a legacy.
The Legacy is what really determines how we are judged.
Metaphor OR NOT it applies to everyone Christian or Not .
Even indifference is a judgement of sorts.
The real Hell can last after your demise ...you completely fucked up your life... there are those around you after you die that can attest to that .
It is called a legacy.
The Legacy is what really determines how we are judged.
Metaphor OR NOT it applies to everyone Christian or Not .
Even indifference is a judgement of sorts.
Obviously, there can be "personal" or "metaphorical" hells (some call it this world), but I was referring specifically to the hell described in the Abrahamic religions.
*Thinking of the Middle Ages*
Just think about how the Middle Ages Christians were...... So crual.
Torturing ladies, murdering Muslims, burning people, accuse women that are (not) witches, kill.. kill.... violence... That would scare them MORE maybe???
I don't believe in hell, it's just fake in my opinion
( RELAX IM NOT ANTICHRIST)
Just think about how the Middle Ages Christians were...... So crual.
Torturing ladies, murdering Muslims, burning people, accuse women that are (not) witches, kill.. kill.... violence... That would scare them MORE maybe???
I don't believe in hell, it's just fake in my opinion
( RELAX IM NOT ANTICHRIST)
Don't need to go back as far as the Middle Ages, Christians today are plenty cruel. Just look how secretly delighted they are when they tell you you're going to hell for not being a Christian like them...
I'll point out that the Muslims were hardly innocent either. And witch accusations were very rare in the Middle Ages, as the Catholic Church considered belief in magic heretical. They ramped up in the Renaissance, as the Church's doctrine changed and the Reformation unfolded.
I guess it would all depend on how one chooses to view it. As a Christian, I do not fear hell. Not because I am self centered and believe that I have a one way ticket to heaven, but because I choose not to dwell on it. Kind of like forest fires, or a car accident, or a tidal wave. Can these things happen? Sure they can, but just living in fear of them, doesn't make for a very healthy life.
As a Christian, I do not fear hell (...) because I choose not to dwell on it.
Shouldn't you dwell on it, though? Eternity is a very, very long time compared to the century we get to live on this earth (if we're lucky). We're not talking about suffering for a thousand years, or even a few millions--we're talking eternity. The "sacrifice" of a few decades in order to avoid this kind of punishment seems tiny in comparison to the gain.
Plus, forest fires or car accidents are things you don't have much control over. Going to hell, on the other hand, is something that's firmly under your control (if you believe in this sort of thing).
But all this is beside the point I was making (I'll redirect you to my original post rather than repeat it here).
Shouldn't you dwell on it, though? Eternity is a very, very long time compared to the century we get to live on this earth (if we're lucky). We're not talking about suffering for a thousand years, or even a few millions--we're talking eternity. The "sacrifice" of a few decades in order to avoid this kind of punishment seems tiny in comparison to the gain.
Plus, forest fires or car accidents are things you don't have much control over. Going to hell, on the other hand, is something that's firmly under your control (if you believe in this sort of thing).
But all this is beside the point I was making (I'll redirect you to my original post rather than repeat it here).
Indeed, Eternity is a very long time. But why dwell on all the negative things? As a Christian I am told I was born a sinner and through the grace I am saved. My life would be rather miserable if dwelled upon the fact I am labeled something that I had no control over. So it all goes back to what I was touching upon, why worry about it? My belief says it's there, I can only live my life the best I can and see what happens in the end.
But why dwell on all the negative things?
For the same reason you save money for your retirement.
For the same reason you save money for your retirement.
Hell has been used by the church for centuries to scare people into giving them their money only to spend it on offices to work their way up the ranks or more recently private jets and mansions. It's exploitation of the fear people have over what happens when they die. A scam.
You cannot live to die. It's sad and pathetic to spend this one life you will ever get worrying about what comes after it, which, in all honesty, is most likely nothing.
You cannot live to die. It's sad and pathetic to spend this one life you will ever get worrying about what comes after it, which, in all honesty, is most likely nothing.
I think it's a scam as well, though we'll never know for sure (well, unless we die, keep our consciousness, and get sent to hell--in which case, we'll know for sure).