The Hell Thread

This is something I'm very interested in, I just want to know what all of your interpretations of a Hell would be like. What does your religion tell you Hell would be or just how do u see it.

 

I envision hell as lots and lots of torture. Weapons of torture and methods of torture. All the people who believe wrong will go there along with the murderers and rapists.

 

Hell for me would be living in the 50's.

 

Wow... lol... that's vivid!

Hummm, since I don't personally believe in such a "place" as Hell, my answer would have to be....

"Hell" is the pain we inflict on ourselves as we walk through this life. The regret we feel after we have hurt someone. The lose we feel for making bad choices. The worry over the little stuff. The times we fight with those we love. The tears we cry when we feel helpless. Hell is knowing the pain we have caused others and not being able to make amends.
But... with out that "Hell" we would never know "Heaven".
Seeing our child take that first step. Kissing you mate goodnight and falling asleep in their arms. Walking in the park on a picture perfect day. The first sip of fresh coffee for the cafe down the street. Being by your best friend's side at her wedding. Ect.

To me the only "heaven" and "hell" are what we have in this lifetime. Till the next that is.

Edit.... minor adjustment.

 

I think it's where you relive the worst thing, over and over, that you've ever done in your life. You'd feel the guilt of doing it, and the pain you caused the other person. I'd say that would be my idea of hell.

 

I think it's a scare tactic used by groups that can't gain members on their own merit.

 

My views on hell are a religious scare tactic, and a darn good one too. You know when kids start behaving because they are told they won't get any presents from Santa? Well, it's rather similar... both try to scare people into behaving well... and what better way than a promise of eternal bliss if you're good, or eternal if you're bad? The ten commandments seem to be an early stab at creating some sort of moral law, and hell is primitive way to enforce. Genius idea, though.

 

It truly is a genius idea - thousands of years after the scheme came into play, people are still buying into it.

 

Hell is the opposite of Heaven.

Heaven is the state of being with God.

Therefore, Hell is the state of being away from God.



Also, I don't believe God sends you to hell. You are the one who decides where you will end up through your actions and alliances. If you choose to reject God, He will not force you to accept him and you will go to hell.

 

"Worship me or suffer eternal torment! I love you!"

 

Yeah, there's nothing like an omnipotent, benevolent deity who gains followers through blind fear of eternal torment: Woot!

 

d00d, it's w00t.

 

I prefer to say "woot". Cope. ;c)

 

I personally don't believe in it.

 

"Son, i want you to join the family business."

"Dad, i don't want to."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I sure do love you. Prepare to die."

 

Here are a few interpetations:

-Place of eternal torment, mostly by fire and possibly insects as well.

-A "waiting room" until the end times, when everybody is raised up.

-Total destruction of body and mind. Which means it wouldn't make a huge difference to the athiests.

Interestingly, all three interpetations have biblical support. The first one seems to pop up most frequently in the Gospels; the second in the OT; and the last seems to be hinted at in the epistles and Revelation.

There is also an interpetation of a 'nice hell' in which people have complete freedom to do whatever they choose, which of course causes complete anarchy. There is also talk about different levels(I.E "Dante's inferno") for different sins. No scriptual support for this, though.
Although I think the muslim definition fits in there somewhere...

 

The Hell, or "Gahena" described in the scriptures was actually a burning garbage dump, found outside of the city.

 

"Son, we love you. Please stay. We're preparing a feast."

"Father, I hate your house rules, and I want to experience the world."

Son goes off, lives in box (or a van) down by the river.





The burning garbage dump was mentioned elsewhere. I think it was used as an illustration of suffering. "It's like this, see", except it would be spiritual rather than physical. My opinion.

 

Even though I dont believe in hell or heaven, I always thought of hell as a place with everything that is sinfull.


-Mulacki

 

Why is it that any topic that mentions anything remotely religious brings in religion bashers?

 

Hell for me would mean being forced to listen to Englebert Humperdinck and Lawrence Welk records while being forced to watch the Trinity network for all eternity.

 

Also, contrary to popular opinion, Satan does *not* rule hell. He suffers along with everyone else, including his lieutenants, the fallen angels/demons.

Here's a description of hell from the apocryphal Book of Enoch, which is pretty much a "Tour guide" of the universe, as well as heaven and hell. It was originally included in the bible but then edited out because some priests objected to it's content....

And those two men led me up on to the Northern side, and showed me there a very terrible place, and there were all manner of tortures in that place: cruel darkness and unillumined gloom, and there is no light there, but murky fire constantly flaming aloft, and there is a fiery river coming forth, and that whole place is everywhere fire, and everywhere there is frost and ice, thirst and shivering, while the bonds are very cruel, and the angels fearful and merciless, bearing angry weapons, merciless torture, and I said:

Woe, woe, how very terrible is this place.

And those men said to me: This place, O Enoch, is prepared for those who dishonour God, who on earth practice sin against nature, which is rape, magic-making, enchantments and devilish witchcrafts, and who boast of their wicked deeds, stealing, lies, slander, envy, rancour, fornication, murder, and who, accursed, steal the souls of men, who, seeing the poor take away their goods and themselves wax rich, injuring them for other men?s goods; who being able to satisfy the empty, made the hungering to die; being able to clothe, stripped the naked; and who knew not their creator, and bowed to the soulless and lifeless gods, who cannot see nor hear, vain gods, who also built hewn images and bow down to unclean handiwork, for all these is prepared this place among these, for eternal inheritance.


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Most of the rest of info on hell comes from the New Testament, particuarly the gospels and the book of revelation. Originally, it was intended for the rebellious angels(Satan, Legion and others), but when Satan corrupted man by using the serpent, it began to include man as well.

 

Nice to see that everyone can be adult about this. I was actually liking forword to reading about other's ideas. Instead the thread filled with Bashers.

Granted, I don't believe in the "christian" idea of hell, but I don't go insulting it either.

If we can tone it downa bit then we could have a really cool thread happening here.

 

Just about every religion has a hell-and they all pretty much have the same characteristics. Fire, lava, torture...

 

Two words: New Jersey

But seriously, I was taught it was a place absent of God. Where there is abslolutly no hope. On Earth, you have the hope that you will one day be with God, in Hell you are guarenteed it will never happen.

As for the whole God damning you to Hell bit: Some religious thinkers believe it is impossible for someone who has rejected God to get into heaven. He may be all powerful, but there are still rules that must be followed.

But, it isn't like you're gonna miss him, most of you religious bashers claim you don't believe in him anyway.