Is Hell a scare tactic, a revenge after-life?
126575
I just thought when I read your question, would a masochist consider Heaven to be his hell.
40173
Hell is like the Santa's workshop in the North Pole.  It exists in your mind if you need to believe in it and your mind will make it real for you.  If it makes you a better person than believe in Hell.  Human beings have a natural mental need to seek the meaning of life and for some the heaven&hell thing balances their life.  Don't let guilt and fear lead your personal spiritual opinions, though.
668081
That is true...Never thought of it like that...If he is supposed to forgive you for all your sins...then why do people threaten us with hell....Probably because it's all a bunch of bull sh!t.
652593
Interesting concept. In that case, I'll see you in Hell. :)
597349
Oh boy, yeah, threaten me with eternal torture. That sure makes me see the light. I think I'll go convert right now. Then I can threaten people with an eternity of torture too! Which would be wrong if I did it myself, but it's god, so it's all cool! I can take as much pleasure in it as I want! That's the religion for me, yep.
204644
"HELL" is a latin word that means \n"land of the dead", so it is up to your beliefs, i believe there is a hell, but it is not a firery pit, i believe it is a huge grave yard for the forsaken, and that the only the good will be left in the light with each other and the bad will be in the darkness to walk alone by their lonely selves.
359031
Isn't there enough evidence of hell on earth?\n\nPoverty, mental illness, etc.?
329856
No, I am not scared at all. I believe in Hell, but I know I will go to Heaven. I am a Christian and will always follow Jesus Christ. As long has I keep on doing what I am doing, I will go to Heaven. On judgement day, you will realize that there was a Hell and you will regret not believing in it. You better think about believing in Heaven, Hell, and Jesus Christ.
165652
I LOVE God - and most definitely have no fear of Him/Her.\n...The 'brutal punishments' in 'Hell', which are frequently 'quoted' by some as a threat, are merely man-made pieces of sheer fiction - just like the 'black witch in the blueberry tree' used to frighten little kids and discourage them from plucking fruits off that tree !\n...Surprising indeed, to still find several 'educated' persons, who are rated as 'grown-ups', who fall for such infantile tripe - when their favourite Reverend passes this very medieval man-made concept of 'Hell' as 'the way God works' ! \n[Sure makes 'God' seem like some goon, or gangster-boss, doesn't it ?!]
301390
Because they are depraved sociopaths at heart, who think they themselves would go on a murderous rampage if not for the fear of hell and desire for heaven.\n\nHow else can you explain such a perspective?
659853
They feel the need to warn you that you're going to their hell when you die because they "care" about you. They don't realize that Druidism and all other forms of Paganism have been around thousands and thousands of years, pre-dating Jesus by a long-shot. The concept of hell and heaven were forgin! \n\nIt's only been recently that the Christian church, especially the Catholic church, have labeled our beliefs as evil, even though there's no proof to support that theory other than a fallible book written by man.
265808
I guess all of the Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and Native Americans will be in hell then. Sounds like that's where the party will be. Count me in.\n\nIt's all a load of crap. I wouldn't put too much stock in it. Those things were made up to keep people in line. An all loving God isn't going to send you to hell for any reason. I don't even believe in hell personally. Follow what your heart tells you, that's most important. I think you should explore some other "alternative" religions cuz this line of thinking can really screw you up.\n\n"Turn or burn", how contrite and proves my point exactly.\n\nJust look at these answers coming from the "christians". That's enough to scare anybody to run in the opposite direction. "Believe in our way or die and spend eternity suffering for it". Come on, an all loving God is going to do that? Oh and read the Bible, a book that's been distorted for over 2000 years with major parts of it left out because they didn't fit with what so and so at the time wanted you to believe. What a joke. I can't wait for the aliens to arrive.
74828
Definitely, Hell is very real. Why do you think there is hate and sin in the world now. Satan is trying to gain as many followers as he can before Jesus comes again. Satan (AKA Lucifer) was "booted" out of heaven when God realized that Lucifer (his favorite angel at that time) wanted to be God because Lucifer was jealous of God.
357272
In almost every religion, both antiquated and modern, there is a conceptualization of some sort of 'heaven' 'nirvana' and hell.  \n\nI don't think any one person or religion can claim it.  However, what is interesting is the human need for this sort of metaphysical understanding.\n\nIf we create a hell, why?  What purpose does it serve? How does it help us organize our spirituality and our morals?\n\nDo we need a hell to scare us into morality?  If we need to be scared into a sense of morality... is it really morality?
321764
Yes.\n\nIt is a great trick.  \n\nWestern wisdom suggests that when the end comes, the depraved and filthy living will not believe that the game is over and will feel certain they can beat the illness, go on carousing, and repent later once it is "really" over.\n\nSo some shrewdness and self-honesty and acceptance of mortality is gonna be necessary to use the great trick of death bed repentance.  Don't count on it working out for you, it's like winning a lottery.
211024
are there people who think like this? yes\n\ndo they know what they are doing?   no\n\nif they are fooling with any kind of "dead" thing, it is probably a demonic spirit taking them for a ride.
569321
There is no such thing as hell except for the hell you create for yourself through your beliefs.  You can make hell for yourself right here on earth, but it does not exist as a physical place.  \n\nChange your beliefs and you will change your experience.