In the Old Testament or in Judaism (same thing) there was no concept of hell, now in Christianity there is a hell (internal condemnation).\nDid Jesus come to save the world or did he come to destroy it? Was he God’s son of peace and love, or was he the angel of destruction (Satan)? \nThis concept of “hell” comes from European mythology, and was it added on, or was Jesus really not the saviour? Was Jesus actually an impostor bringing hell and punishment? Was Jesus Satan?\n(Please give me some hope, because right now taking the facts into consideration, this “Christ” sounds like a fraud. Why bring pain and say it is “God’s love”? What about: “God so loved the world he send his only begotten son"? WHAT?... to tell them they will suffer eternally? Saviour or Satan? What do you think?
208455
Most of Christianity is borrowed form other religions. I don't know about Jesus though. I guess you have to ask yourself what would someone gain from making up the story of Jesus? WHO would benefit. Then you have to take all of the information you can gather and make the decision for yourself whether you think it is true of not.
637831
I think it went much further than Gay.  Much of the old writing were of a vengeful God. One whose name you could not mention.  Jesus freed us from the old testament.  Beside Jesus told us to love your brother, sounds pretty perverted to me.  But also pretty open minded.  His first invite to heaven was a theif wasn't it. If God is good and the Devil is evil both without the other concept in them aren't they equals in some sense. Hell was in the times of the Bible only a burning pit for the evilest of criminals outside the gates of Jerusalem not someplace of eternal damnation
302237
Hell doesn't exist as most peole think of it.  \n\nHell is GOING to happen. It isn't happening now.  It can't be because God is just and fair.  Why would he burn Cain--for slugging his brother and killing him--for 6,000 years longer than Hitler--who tortured and killed millions of people?  God wouldn't do that.  He says he will come and in Thessalonians he says "the dead in Christ shall rise first, and then those which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with Him in the clouds and so shall we ever be with the Lord."  So there IS a resurrection. And He says "the judgement shall set..." so the judgement will happen at the end of time. "Then shall the wicked be BURNED UP like stubble."  \nAlso, if people were going to burn forever it wouldn't say they go to everlasting 'punishment' (as in the RESULT of their being punished is forever), it would say they go to everlasting 'punishing.' And it doesn't. And the Bible wouldn't say, "From dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return." \nSin cannot exist in God's presence and will be zapped by the brightness of His coming--at the resurrection. So hell is for the people who love sin and hold on to it. People who must hold on to sin will get zapped, too: Natural result. But Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." So those who love Him won't be holding onto sin and won't get zapped.\n\nAlso if people were burning in Hell forever, people would live forever, and the Bible says, "The soul that sinneth. It shall die."  You can't be dead and alive (in hell or anywhere else) at the same time, can you?\n\nSo now that you've had a little enlightenment on what hell is and isn't:  I'd run it just like that. Cuz God never makes mistakes.
240463
at the end of the day the devil was a bad angel that god kicked out...so why would satan help god to punish people?...i think that was just made up by the Christians years ago to help control people...\n\nby the way i am NOT A SATANIST!....
542792
God did not invent hell.  Catholics did.  The original term for hell in early early old testament was not burning in a lake of fire, it was being sent from the presence of god for all eternity, (a true hell in itself)  The final rule of dogmatic law also stated that whatever men (popes) hold true on earth, god will hold true in heaven.  So the lake of fire was born.  (Matthew 18:18; Matthew 18:19 for you doubters)\n\nPlease Christians note:  I never said there was no god or no hell, only that it was invented by the Pope.
6125
Purgatory, per se, is not in the bible...in the Old testament, there was a section of hell used as a holding tank for believing Jews, who were waiting for the Messiah. When Jesus died, before he arose, he desended into hell to free those that were there and bring them to heaven. Jesus makes some reference to this compartment of hell when he tells the story about Lazarus and the rich man.\n\nOnce Jesus had accomplished his purpose here, there was no longer a need for this compartment, since people who died then went straight to heaven, not to a holding tank. .."to be absent from the body means to be present with the Lord."\n\nThe "Purgatory" section of hell was done away with when this compartment was closed, since it was no longer needed.  But it was never meant to be a place of temporal punishment.
485432
uh oh, someone else is catching on! lol same thing i asked. if hell is physical place, then had technology allow we should be able to travel there. be it spiritual place then how can we feel pain and torture if its a physical pain thats being described? im glad im not the only one whos thought about this, "how can hell burn you?" question...\n\nupon reading some answers, i now have to ask, if we get our bodies back at apocolypse and that is how we burn, then what about people who died hundreds of years ago? are they waiting to get bodies back so they can be burned? and if they are then you are lying when u say u will be burned for all eternity,
533732
In the Jewish faith, they do not believe in the concept of hell in the sense that Christian's do. Seeing as how Christianity sprang from the Jewish faith, it's most probable the concept of hell was invented by men to bring more people into their congregation.
670346
I am Jewish.\n\nJews do not believe in Hell, in the Christian sense. When you die, your conscience determines whether you will be able to withstand the presence of G-d, or whether YOU will turn away from that light and exist without G-d's presence.\n\nHell and the Devil are purely Christian concepts, based on Greek mythology... and the demonization of all the gods from the pagan cultures that the Romans converted.\n\nIt actually is pretty sad, that Christians feel that one can only truly turn to G-d through fear of punishment. In Judaism, one turns to G-d out of conscience, love, and respect for one's Creator.\n\nIn Judaism, the "evil" in the world that is sourced from natural causes (e.g. death, illness) is a test of personal spiritual strength. G-d is concerned with the growth of one's spirit, not in your current physical situation. The evil in this world originating with mankind is something we brought upon ourselves through our own choices (or the backwash of being near people making such choices).  We are, after all, made in G-d's image... conscious, intelligent, and creative, with the free will to use those gifts as we will. In the end, those making those negative choices, when they die... will their true, deep conscience and awareness of the darkness they brought into others' lives allow them to turn toward the light of G-d?
187802
I think you are referring to hell as the stereotypal giant furnace, in which case I suppose it makes sense to say that God had more options.  \nHell is actually an absence of God, a lonely dispair from God's complete abandonment of one's soul.  Being that the person in hell totally rejected God during his or her lifetime, it makes sense that God leaves that person after death.  Remembering that God is love (1 Jn 4:8), I would assume that hell would be the absence of love, a complete feeling of hatred and being hated for eternity.      \nGoing back to the question, God did not have other options so I don't have examples.
172849
Yes. I have asked my pastor and friends to share their ideas after answering questions. There have been concepts covered here that I had not thought of before. It has served as a tool that has deepened my understanding and fortified my faith. My church is open to all questions, and we discuss whatever is on our minds on Wednesday nights, so the reaction has been as it always is, very welcoming and non-judgemental. A topic that I am currently mulling over is the concept of hell - whether it is the eternal burning and torture most think it is, or if it is obliteration by being thrown into the lake of fire. I'm leaning towards the latter lately as I have found nothing that indicates that hell is eternal torture.
561465
US Catholic Magazine writes:  “There are in fact so many strong biblical, doctrinal, and logical argument against the existence of a literal “hell” that this question naturally arises. Why do the churches teach it and why do people often believe it.” -  Robert Short, Methodist clergyman, U.S. Catholic magazine, April 1980 pp. 37-40\nConcerning this use of “hell” to translate these original words from the Hebrew and Greek, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (1981, Vol. 2, p. 187) says: “HADES . . . It corresponds to ‘Sheol’ in the O.T. [Old Testament]. In the A.V. of the O.T. [Old Testament] and N.T. [New Testament], it has been unhappily rendered ‘Hell.’”\n\nWebster’s Third New International Dictionary, unabridged, under “Hell” says: “fr[om] . . . helan to conceal.” The word “hell” thus originally conveyed no thought of heat or torment but simply of a ‘covered over or concealed place.’ \n\n In the century after Luther, the English Bible that was authorized by King James I of England, in 1611 C.E., translated Sheol as “the grave.” The Hebrews, the Jews themselves, ought to know what their own word Sheol means; and so the English Bible translation by the Jewish Publication Society of America translates the word as “the grave.” (1917 C.E.) And so too does the English translation by the Jewish rabbi, Isaac Leeser. (1853 C.E.) Note, however, that Sheol does not mean “a grave.” It means “the grave,” that is, the common grave of all dead mankind. Once we understand this fact about the “hell” as taught in the Holy Bible, it helps us to understand the situation as to dead mankind.\n\n“Hellfire” has been a basic teaching in Christendom for many centuries. It is understandable why The Encyclopedia Americana (1956, Vol. XIV, p. 81) said: “Much confusion and misunderstanding has been caused through the early translators of the Bible persistently rendering the Hebrew Sheol and the Greek Hades and Gehenna by the word hell. The simple transliteration of these words by the translators of the revised editions of the Bible has not sufficed to appreciably clear up this confusion and misconception.” \n\nIn ancient Babylonian and Assyrian beliefs the “nether world . . . is pictured as a place full of horrors, and is presided over by gods and demons of great strength and fierceness.” (The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria, Boston, 1898, Morris Jastrow, Jr., p. 581) \nEarly evidence of the fiery aspect of Christendom’s hell is found in the religion of ancient Egypt. (The Book of the Dead, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 1960, with introduction by E. A. Wallis Budge, pp. 144, 149, 151, 153, 161) \n\nBuddhism, which dates back to the 6th century B.C.E., in time came to feature both hot and cold hells. (The Encyclopedia Americana, 1977, Vol. 14, p. 68) \nDepictions of hell portrayed in Catholic churches in Italy have been traced to Etruscan roots.—La civiltà etrusca (Milan, 1979), Werner Keller, p. 389.
299472
God did create evil, but God can do no evil. Thats why there had to be an adversary(Satan).God does allow Satan to roam the earth, waiting to see who he can devour. You shoud sit down, get comfortable, and read Job. Buy you a good concordance,(strongs,vines,or the like). It will help you understand. You did read Isaiah 45:7 correctly. Some of the newer translations have changed the word evil to calamity,(I guess to make it sound better),but then again, calamity means evil. But one thing for sure,Those who believe in, and love God and His precious Son, have no fear of being devoured. Thats not to say we don't have trials,or even tragedies in this earth age. After all evil and good, both share this earth.  Sadly, the good get sick, have accidents, die, etc. God rains on the just and the unjust.It seems unfair to us at times, But God is in control, and we will all understand one day. Look around, even on this post, are the devoured. They have no morals, no conscience, no love, no hope. And Satan's enjoying every little tasty morsel,as he devours. Christians, keep strong. Rewards are coming soon!  God loves you, and so do I
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?
668666
What I have been taught is that before the resurrection, no one was in heaven, but in hades.  Not hell (although hades is sometimes translated hell).  In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus speaks of Lazarus being in hades in Abraham's bosom.  That's where those who were faithful waited for judgment.  Some say it's the same place Jesus refers to as paradise when He said to the thief on the cross, "This day you will be with Me in paradise."  Not the idea of heaven, but of going to Abraham's bosom, or the good side of hades.\n\nAs I understand it, all who died before Christ who were faithful to God are covered by His sacrifice.  All who refused to be covered by His sacrifice are not.\n\nI'm personally not sure if those who are dead are still in the hadean world or if Christ broke the barrier so that they may go now to be with the Father in heaven.  I still haven't looked up the verb tenses when it talks about the judgment.  I don't know if the dead have been judged, or are awaiting judgment.  \n\nI've heard it said that when the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom when Jesus rose that the veil between hades and heaven was also torn.  I haven't decided which I think is correct.  I need to study that more.
583530
Okay, this is my understanding of it from all I've read here on Y!A and elsewhere... Please correct me if I've made any mistakes...\n\nIn the beginning, God made a bunch of rules. Those who followed them went to heaven and those who broke them went to hell.\n\nBut they were really difficult rules, so God decided to send Jesus to the world. Jesus was God's son, but he was God Himself, too. Plus the Holy Spirit. And the "Word made Flesh". And many other things too.\n\nJesus's mission was to spread the word of God, his Father (i.e. Himself), but he was also our Saviour. This he accomplished by dying. You see, everyone is a sinner, and no-one can live up to God's rules. God seems to have realised that in due course. He could have, say, changed the rules or just absolved us all by fiat, but this whole kill-My-son (i.e. Myself) thing seemed easier.\n\nJesus was predestined to die for our sins. It was his calling. This is why he hid from the Romans like a fugitive, and why Pilate, Judas and the Jews are all condemned for their complicity - because they wanted to kill a man who wanted to die and was preordained to die. Their crucial role in carrying out God's plan to redeem us all is why we should hate them today.\n\nWhen Jesus, who willingly died and could have prevented it if he had wanted, was on the cross, he called out 'Father, why have you betrayed me?' This means, 'Father (i.e. myself), why have You (i.e. I) abandoned me (i.e. Yourself) when I'm carrying out the mission that you (i.e. I) decided to undertake in the first place?' This is because God, who is omnipotent, could not bear to look sin in the face, and Jesus (i.e. God) had become sin at that moment. Then Jesus died.\n\nExcept he didn't die. He spent a long weekend somewhere and then he was resurrected. So Jesus died for our sins, but he didn't die. He was raised again and now sits at the right hand of God. Except that he is God. But anyway, we can all go to heaven now, where we couldn't before Jesus died/didn't die for us.\n\nOf course, we can still go to hell. Jesus died for our sins, but it doesn't count unless you accept him as your Saviour. Plus, if you're Catholic, you also have to confess and repent and atone. And if you're Protestant, it doesn't much matter anyway, because God decided where you were going before you were born. Plus there's something about wine and thin little wafers.\n\nSo then... what have we learnt? Well, God's law is eternal, but God's law is really harsh so He gave us a hand by sending His son/Himself to die. Except that he didn't die. Because he died/didn't die, people can go to heaven. But they still have to follow God's law, or else they'll go to hell. Just like it was before God sent His son/Himself to die/not die on the cross in order to absolve/not absolve us of our sins.\n\nI hope this clears up any misunderstandings... It's all very clear and logical when you approach it the right way.
198383
What Has Happened to Hellfire?\nWHAT image does the word "hell" conjure up in your mind? Do you see hell as a literal place of fire and brimstone, of unending torment and anguish? Or is hell perhaps a symbolic description of a condition, a state?\n\nFor centuries, a fiery hell of excruciating torments has been envisioned by religious leaders of Christendom as the certain destiny for sinners. This idea is still popular among many other religious groups. "Christianity may have made hell a household word," says U.S.News & World Report, "but it doesn't hold a monopoly on the doctrine. The threat of painful retribution in the afterlife has counterparts in nearly every major world religion and in some minor ones as well." Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Jains, and Taoists believe in a hell of one sort or another.\n\nHell, though, has acquired another image in modern thinking. "While the traditional infernal imagery still attracts a following," states the aforementioned magazine, "modern visions of eternal perdition as a particularly unpleasant solitary confinement are beginning to emerge, suggesting that hell may not be so hot after all."\n\nThe Jesuit journal La Civiltà Cattolica observed: "It is misleading . . . to think that God, by means of demons, inflicts fearful torments on the damned like that of fire." It added: "Hell exists, not as a place but as a state, a way of being of the person who suffers the pain of the deprivation of God." Pope John Paul II said in 1999: "Rather than a place, hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy." As to the images of hell as a fiery place, he said: "They show the complete frustration and emptiness of life without God." Had the pope described hell in terms of "flames and a red-suited devil with a pitchfork," church historian Martin Marty said, "people wouldn't take it seriously."\n\nSimilar changes are taking place in other denominations. A report by the doctrine commission of the Church of England said: "Hell is not eternal torment, but it is the final and irrevocable choosing of that which is opposed to God so completely and so absolutely that the only end is total non-being."\n\nThe catechism of the United States Episcopal Church defines hell as "eternal death in our rejection of God." A growing number of people, says U.S.News & World Report, are promoting the idea that "the end of the wicked is destruction, not eternal suffering. . . . [They] contend that those who ultimately reject God will simply be put out of existence in the 'consuming fire' of hell."\n\nAlthough the modern-day trend is to get away from the fire and brimstone mentality, many continue to adhere to the belief that hell is a literal place of torment. "Scripture clearly speaks of hell as a physical place of fiery torment," says Albert Mohler of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A. And the report The Nature of Hell, prepared by the Evangelical Alliance Commission, states: "Hell is a conscious experience of rejection and torment." It adds: "There are degrees of punishment and suffering in hell related to the severity of sins committed on earth."\n\nAgain, is hell a fiery place of eternal torment or of annihilation? Or is it simply a state of separation from God? What really is hell?\n\n \n   \n \nA Brief History of Hellfire\nWHEN did professed Christians adopt the belief in hellfire? Well after the time of Jesus Christ and his apostles. "The Apocalypse of Peter (2nd century C.E.) was the first [apocryphal] Christian work to describe the punishment and tortures of sinners in hell," states the French Encyclopædia Universalis.\n\n\nJustin Martyr believed that hell was a fiery place \nAmong the early Church Fathers, howeve