Do you believe in a hell or a place of punishment when you die?

[hrmjustin]

I can't say I do. I think God is a loving God and thd idea of hell seems out of place with that.

[rug]

1. No, I think of it as a state of infinite regret.

[hrmjustin]

2. I always thought that if a soul was too evil for heaven that they no longer exist after death.

[rug]

3. The Jehovah's Witnesses believe that. They call it annihilation.

I don't think it's a matter of evil, though. It's a matter of choice.

That said, a Brother in high school once said that it's so difficult to consciously, knowingly turn from God completely that there may be no one there.

[Common Sense Party]

8. I don't believe in a hell of brimstone and fire, but I do believe that there will

be a place for those who regret not having done what they could have done during their brief sojourn on Earth.

The "hell" will be realizing what they could have had and wishing they could go back and make different choices.

[Downwinder]

4. I think I am already there.

[enough]

5. No. I think that puts way too much importance on the individual.

Yes, we all must live with the fact that we are the center of our universe as long as we are alive. But when we die, that illusion ends, along with all the other illusions.

[hlthe2b]

6. all I am certain of...

“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.”

― Will Rogers

[TreasonousBastard]

7. No. The Jews had...

sheol and gehenna, which were not places of eternal punishment, and later absorbed some of the idea of hades from the Greeks, but never seriously considered it a real place.

Hell, as we think of it now, was never specifically mentioned in the New Testament, but hinted at in some symbolic passages. Again the Greek influence. And translations into Greek used "hades" for some unknown reason.

I have no idea when the modern hell appeared in Christian theology, but Augustine talked about it, so it was pretty early on in Christianity.

Goggle around-- Bishop Spong, the Catholic Encyclopedia, several Protestant universities... all have a lot of interesting things to say about it.

Me, I take the easy way out with the Quaker observation that God has not told us much about it and nobody has come back to describe it. So, once again, we can't go wrong leading a proper life in this life.

[el_bryanto]

9. I don't believe in hell, but I do believe in Justice

I don't believe in infinite punishment for finite crimes, and that's what hell always struck me as. That said, I think when we pass beyond we see things more clearly. From 1st Corinthians 13:12 "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." We can no longer hide from the consequences of our actions, we know how we've hurt others and what that felt like. We can't pretend anymore.

It can be seen as a form of torture, but in reality it's just coming to terms with what we have done. But it's not infinite, you go through and then it's done and you move on.

Bryant

[Peacetrain]

10. Hell as in fire and brimstone is a babylonian construct

if I remember correctly.. Sheol was the place of death for the ancient Jews.. (probably out of a Sumerian belief) everybody went there the good, the bad and the ugly..

In my own faith walk.. Hell would be not having the presence of God in my life. I do not believe in fiery furnaces and devils poking you .. but I do believe in in Presence. And not to experience that ever again.. would be hell in itself.

[No Vested Interest]

11. My thoughts would be similar to yours.

I have heard hell described as the denial of the Beatific Vision - that is, inability to be in the presence of the Eternal One.

I personally do not give the concept of hell much thought.

It's enough to get through this life living ethically, morally.
That's my job now, and, as I have no certain knowledge of the character of the afterlife, it's of little benefit to spend much time in conjecture.

[Peacetrain]

12. So true..

[cbayer]

13. Even when I had some religious beliefs, I didn't believe in hell.

But when my catholic friends explained purgatory to me as a young child, that scared the daylights out of me.

[hrmjustin]

14. Lol I never believed in purgatory when I was a Roman Catholic.

[cbayer]

15. The thought of being caught in some kind of limbo terrified me.

Particularly since I was entering a phase in my life when I was starting to break an awful lot of rules.

[hrmjustin]

16. Many Catholics centuries ago thought they would never get to heaven but would stay in purgatory.

[okasha]

17. I believe we get recycled till we get it right.

At that point, we have the choice whether to remain at the Otherside Camp or return to teach others. This also applies to nonhuman beings.

There are other NA concepts of the afterlife, but this is the one I subscribe to--again, because of personal experiences.

[cbayer]

18. Do you think that anyone ever really gets it right?

[okasha]

19. Yes, or at least right enough.

The teaching is that when a spirit is created, it contains a part that is eternally and uniquely itself. There is also a part that contains a tiny spark of Creator. When those two parts match, or when they complement each other completely, then one is given the choice whether to remain in the Otherside Camp or return to mortal life for the benefit of others.

[cbayer]

20. Which do you think you would choose?

[okasha]

21. I think that almost all who reach that point

choose to return at least once. I hope I would have the courage to do so because all the indicators are telling us that this is where we humans either make it or break it.

[cbayer]

22. That's a good answer.

I can't really embrace this concept, but in the hypothetical I would hope that I would return as well.