What if there were no Hell?

[xSilverPhinx]

It is strange that they consider Satan and Hell to be bad, and they hold hate for them.
If you think about the theory then you could only conclude that Satan and Hell are crucial to god's plan. God decides who gets tortured for eternity, god wants people to prove their worthiness by rejecting evil. Without Satan god would be impotent and meaningless. Christians ought to praise Satan almost on equal par with their god.

I hought about this a lot growing up. The whole "if god created Lucifer and hell, then he is ok with letting bad things happen."
Either way, it's annoying to think about because it's such a paradox and contraddiction.

You forget the 11th Commandment:

Thou shalt not point out contradictions.

Moses removed that bit immediately and said unto the lord:

"What contradictions?"

[Ecurb Noselrub]

Jesus is pretty much the one who started all the talk about hell, so I think his word on the subject matters. It's not that the Christian religion used the concept of hell; it's that Jesus is very clear on the subject of it. And remember there was no Christian Church or even the idea of one at the time of Jesus Christ or for at least 20 or 30 years after his resurrection.

So, why blame the Church. They're just telling it like it is and always has been from the very originator of the faith. Your argument is with Jesus Christ.

Actually, if you look at Jesus' teachings on the subject carefully, an argument can be made that the most he was talking about was annihilation, not eternal torment.

With respect to whether Christianity could exist without hell, it probably wouldn't be as popular, but it would exist in greater numbers than Judaism.  Jesus attracts people to him, much more than Moses.  I no longer accept the idea of eternal torment, so it would have no effect on my faith if it didn't exist.

[squidfetish]

If your social control system is a theocratic one then you need a system of theocratic positive and negative sanctions in order to get the great unwashed shambling herd to do what you want.  Ergo, if you're a good boy you get to sit next to Jeebus and think pure thoughts.  If you're a bad boy then you go to hell and get to jam with Hendrix, Keith Moon and Kurt Cobain.  No prizes for guessing where this bass-player wants to go.   

[Whitney]

I think people generally like the idea of heaven and that attracts them to any heaven-based religion.

I think people generally are afraid of any really scary thing they are taught exists from childhood; so hell drives them to stay with religion through phases of light doubt.

Those Chrsitians that view hell as a separation from god or ending of the spirit are surprisingly rare even though it is the most charitable interpretation of hell in the bible if one is trying to reconcile hell with a loving God.

So, perhaps there is also the level that a lot of humans generally like the idea of the bad guy getting his in the end so they are hesitant to give up on the idea of an eternal burning hell even if they are scared of it themselves.

[Sweetdeath]

It is strange that they consider Satan and Hell to be bad, and they hold hate for them.
If you think about the theory then you could only conclude that Satan and Hell are crucial to god's plan. God decides who gets tortured for eternity, god wants people to prove their worthiness by rejecting evil. Without Satan god would be impotent and meaningless. Christians ought to praise Satan almost on equal par with their god.

I hought about this a lot growing up. The whole "if god created Lucifer and hell, then he is ok with letting bad things happen."
Either way, it's annoying to think about because it's such a paradox and contraddiction.

You forget the 11th Commandment:

Thou shalt not point out contradictions.

Moses removed that bit immediately and said unto the lord:

"What contradictions?"

XD LOL!!!

[Gawen]

Actually, if you look at Jesus' teachings on the subject carefully, an argument can be made that the most he was talking about was annihilation, not eternal torment.

What did Jesus say about Hell?
"fire" Matt 7:19, 13:40, 25:41
"everlasting fire" Matt 18:8, 25:41
"eternal damnation" Mark 3:29
"hell fire"    Matt 5:22, 18:9, Mark 9:47
"damnation" Matt 23:14, Mark 12:40, Luke 20:47
"damnation of hell"    Matt 23:33
"resurrection of damnation"    ohn 5:29
"furnace of fire" Matt 13:42, 50
"the fire that never shall be quenched"    Mark 9:43, 45
"the fire is not quenched" Mark 9:44, 46, 48
"Where their worm dieth not"    Mark 9:44, 46, 48
"wailing and gnashing of teeth"    Matt 13:42, 50
"weeping and gnashing of teeth"    Matt 8:12, 22:13, 25:30
"torments" Luke 16:23
"tormented in this flame" Luke 16:24
"place of torment"    Luke 16:28
"outer darkness" Matt 8:12, 22:13
"everlasting punishment" Matt 25:46

Hmmm...doesn't say anything about annihilation.

I no longer accept the idea of eternal torment, so it would have no effect on my faith if it didn't exist.

Notice the last item above?

[Sweetdeath]

Jesus needs to unclentch :<

[Gawen]

Jesus needs to unclentch :<

Ohhhh...Jesus has no say in the matter. Hasn't been heard from in years. It's those self-righteous twits that believe in and preach the hellfire and everlasting torment that need to unclench.

[Asmodean]

Outer darkness, yes? With presumably light-generating flames, no..?

So is it dark there or not?! If it is, I likes it more and more. Nothing better than a HUGE TV with a perfect sound system in an absolutely dark room 

[The Magic Pudding]

Outer darkness, yes? With presumably light-generating flames, no..?

So is it dark there or not?! If it is, I likes it more and more. Nothing better than a HUGE TV with a perfect sound system in an absolutely dark room 

Except sometimes you knock over your glass.
They should make glow in the dark glasses.
Why don't inventor people think of these things?
It's not hard, it's dark, spilt drink, make a glowing glass, sheesh, it's not genetically modified muesli science.

[Sweetdeath]

Jesus needs to unclentch :<

Ohhhh...Jesus has no say in the matter. Hasn't been heard from in years. It's those self-righteous twits that believe in and preach the hellfire and everlasting torment that need to unclench.

They wonder why I think they're all lunatics.

[The Magic Pudding]

What if there were no Hell?

They'd probably have to change some song titles.
Highway to ???
Run Like ???
Bat Out Of ???
It's not many is it.
I did do a search, there were heaps of heaven songs.

Some other place would have to lack the fury of a woman scorned.
There would have to be an alternative opposite for high water.

[Sweetdeath]

What if there were no Hell?

They'd probably have to change some song titles.
Highway to ???
Run Like ???
Bat Out Of ???
It's not many is it.
I did do a search, there were heaps of heaven songs.

Some other place would have to lack the fury of a woman scorned.
There would have to be an alternative opposite for high water.

LOL!!
I love "Bat out of that firey place that   isn't Arizona." XD great song.

[Gawen]

What if there were no Hell?

They'd probably have to change some song titles.
Highway to ???
Run Like ???
Bat Out Of ???
It's not many is it.
I did do a search, there were heaps of heaven songs.

Some other place would have to lack the fury of a woman scorned.
There would have to be an alternative opposite for high water.

Gehenna...fury of a woman scorned.

The rest are songs:

Highway to Perdition
Bat out of Sheol
Run like Hades
It must be Purgatory
Lake of fire's Bells
Heaven and Tartarus
Barathrum On Wheels
Cowboys From Orcus
Underworld Cat
Saints in Annwfn
Hotter Than Pit of Sorrows
What The Satan's Lair Is This?
Better to Reign in Jahannam
Heck Is For Children
Ego Tripping At The Gates Of The Inferno
Private mom-in-law
Raise a Little Niflehiem
Heaven, Pit of Eternal Damnation, or Houston

[Asmodean]

They should make glow in the dark glasses.

They do. I have a few.

They also make pretty much everything that will glow in blacklight