ANSWERS: 42
  • What you mean by hell is a place of torment....God doesn't send people to torment. If your church tells you that they are lying. A loving parent wouldn't torture their child for doing wrong and our loving God isn't going to torture even the worst evil doer. Hell, as eternal torment, isn't in the Bible. It's a handful of verses taken out of context and creative replacement of the Hebrew word 'Sheol' in the OT with 'firey pit' or 'hole' when bad people died and what it means....the grave....when good men like Job ask to be sent there. The Jewish religion has no eternal torment. The Hebrew Scriptures make no hint of it. Good men ask to be sent to Sheol (Hell). Jesus goes there.....it's the grave. What did God tell Adam...eat of that tree and you will surely DIE....death, not torment. That would have been a good time to tell the guy if torment awaited him and if ANY sinner knew better, it was Adam. (Romans 6:23) ...for the wages of sin is death... Hell is a Latin word that replaces the Hebrew 'Sheol' and the Greek 'Hades'....both of these words mean the grave. Death where the good & bad go...even the perfect (Jesus). Want to know what that's like? Look up Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10 AND Psalms 146:4.....it's nothingness....a dreamless sleep. (Ecc 9:10)Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. There is a second 'destination' mentioned. The second death, lake of Fire, Gehenna.....this is death too, but for good. That's how it differs from the common grave (Sheol/Hades - most uses of the Latin 'Hell' in modern Bibles). Look at these verses from the end of Revelations 20: And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Note something about the verses above. Hell and death....states of being, are thrown into the lake of fire (after all the people are emptied out of them). So are the states of being being tormented? No....it's destruction, like the Bible says. The image of fire is clear throughout time...it destroys, burns up and whatever is burned is gone, for good - that's why it has been used here. Our God, Jehovah, is most definitely loving. A religion that tells you different is lying and that's definitely not the only thing they are lying about.
  • If you don't believe in him, he won't help you. It's that simple.
  • God does not "let" us go to hell. We choose to go there. Everyone has the choice to choose God and his way or not. If you choose not then you will be eternally separated from God. That is what hell is.
  • “Why would He let us go to hell?” makes it sound as if we want or intend to go there. I don’t think anyone does. If the question is does God want to put us in hell, then the answer is probably no. He has given us the choice. He won’t stand in our way if we insist on heading there. Being the creator He knows what is best for us as individuals and as communities. So He has provided guidelines for us to follow for our orderly life here and for salvation in the hereafter. If we think we know better and follow our whims and fancies we might end up messing up our personal lives, our social structures and our environment. And, in refusing to acknowledge God’s countless mercies here, we may be asserting that we are in no need of them in the hereafter. Here are a couple of quotes from the Holy Qur’an (HQ) that may be of interest. HQ16: 18. And if ye would count the favour of Allah ye cannot reckon it. Lo! Allah is indeed Forgiving, Merciful. HQ 5: 147. What can Allah gain by your punishment, if ye are grateful and ye believe? Nay, it is Allah that recogniseth (all good), and knoweth all things. HQ 9:70. Hath not the story reached them of those before them?- the People of Noah, and 'Ad, and Thamud; the People of Abraham, the men of Midian, and the cities overthrown. To them came their messengers with clear signs. It is not Allah Who wrongs them, but they wrong their own souls.
  • Actualy, that's a good question - if god is supposedly all powerful and loving and such, Surely he could find a better way than the current system, in which well more than half of us are going to hell.
  • I like this quote from CS Lewis on hell: "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.'"
  • Because God is Holy. And there is no evil in our Holy Father. The Holy Father gave His Son Jesus Christ so that we all who were born in evil may have a chance to be re-born in the LORD JESUS CHRIST. First you have to believe in God's love for us. Then you have to ask for forgiveness of your sin's in the name of Jesus, knowing that he JESUS died on the cross, and His BLOOD payed for all of our sin's. At this point Jesus defeated Satan & rose from the dead on the third day according to the scriptures: {I Corinthians-Ch:15 V-3. And in the book of {John-Ch:3 V-16) it tells how much God Loves us. Now your part is to believe in Him, and ask to be forgiven by the Blood of Christ Jesus. And to be re-born again & live a Christian life doing the Holy Father's will. And be ready for the day & hour when God sends his Son Jesus to bring his children HOME. M.C.S.
  • God has provided the way for us all to go to heaven, His Son Jesus Christ and His precious blood that He shed for us on the cross of Calvary, His death, His burial, and His ressurrection. Remember that God is a good, perfect, just, and holy God and will punish sin. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. When someone rejects what Jesus in His love them did for them so that they could be saved from hellfire, they are basically saying "No thanks, God, I'll pay for my sins myself in hell, I don't want what you did for me", you see? Also, keep in mind that God has given us free will to choose whether or not we want to be with Him for eternity, or without Him for eternity. He is not going to force anyone to be with Him in heaven if they don't want to. He is not going to force anybody to be redeemed and not have to pay for their sins if they want to pay for them in hell forever. God wants everyone in heaven, but sadly not everyone will go because many reject the only way there, Christ Jesus the Lord (John 14:6). I hope that this is helpful. -In the Master's service. Thank you and God bless you!
  • There are laws to be followed if you choose to break them you cant choose the consequences of doing so. Just like a parent teaches their kids but the kids get to make the choice and if its bad they get arrested.
  • Yes, I believe He loves us.. I also believe His word and it is clear in that only HE knows who is cast from Him .. He does not judge us as we do each other.. and many use the Bible as a tool to harm each other.. That is NOT His way. We are born sinners and we die sinners.. whether you call yourself a Christian or not. The exempt I believe are those who knew Him and turn from Him. He never leaves us.. we leave Him. I struggle daily to live as I should.. and daily I fail. Let a "christian" tell me that I will go to hell. I will not get mad.. I will just give thanks that I DO know Him .. and they do not. He loves us so much.. sinners we may be. Love is the best weapon against "evil"..this I agree with but so many people presume to know who is to die without eternal peace.. ..they think they know which is the RIGHT religion .. pft.. blah blah I laugh at them. They have no clue.. none of us do. Be the best you can be.. be good to others and if you want to know Him.. read the Bible.. do not listen to the babble of mere dust - man. My opinion is based on the fact that I do believe Jesus Christ is my savior. You do not have to share it but I wanted to share MY belief.
  • Yes, God does love us. However, every action has a consequence. God gave us commandments to guide us through this life. The commandments, when followed will lead us to the greatest possible joy in this life and allow us to return to live with Him in the eternities. He did not give us these commandments because he wanted to make us miserable. He also knew that we are not perfect and would not be able to perfectly keep the commandments. So, He provide the means by which we could escape the consequences of our imperfections. The problem comes when we choose not to accept His plan for us and reject the help that He offers. In refusing to accept the Savior's sacrifice and refusing to repent of our sins, we are also rejecting His forgiveness. So, in a very real sense, it is not God that condemns us. It is us condemning ourselves by rejecting Him. One of the most precious gifts that God has given us is the freedom to choose our own paths in life. God will not force any of us to go where we choose not to go. This in cludes forcing us to go to heaven.
  • God does love us, God IS the love that created us and sustains us. God is never going to abandon you - read Jesus' parable of the prodigal son. If you turn back to him, he comes running to you when you're still a long way off and welcomes you back. He would no more abandon you than you would abandon your beloved child. Would a loving parent torture his or her child for a childish "missing of the mark" (which is the origin of the word "sin"), much less for all eternity? No - that is a sickening and abominable belief that has its origin in an outlook on life based on force, rules, and wielding power over people, and which has been perverted into a belief into God having that nature. There are consequences for your mistakes, for ignoring God, for hurting people, but you are responsible for the separation by these actions. That's my heartfelt answer; from a logical point of view, how many people who grow up in a poor, deprived environment where they're sexually abused as children, addicted to drugs at a young age, and abused and exploited as a prostitue as a teen and adult, will be able to believe in a kind God, much less turn to him in trust and acceptance and "be saved"? A lot lower chance than someone who grows up in a loving, supportive, church-going family. What chance does an AIDS orphan in Africa have who's recruited into an irregular army and kills at age 13 (which happens)? What chance for a young teen who's manipulated and brainwashed into being a suicide bomber in Iraq or Israel? If you believe that only Christians are saved, think about the fact that in the "Muslim world" Christianity is labeled as polytheistic, which is heresy; Christian churches are outlawed in, eg, Saudi Arabia, and you will never have a chance to read a Bible. Are these people going to literally be tortured for eternity for having been born in Saudi Arabia? God is not a sadist. God is perfect love and acceptance. There is no anger in God - nothing we can do can hurt God, or detract from God, and it can't truly detract from our true natures as beings created in the image and likeness of God. God's nature is in us - he cannot condemn us or be separate from us.
  • Don't worry if God loves you or not, just concentrate on living a good life and you will find that the people around you will love you, that's more important than the love of a God.
  • When God, in the beginning, created man, he made him subject to his own free choice. (Sirach 15:14) God created man a rational being, conferring on him the dignity of a person who can initiate and control his own actions. "God willed that man should be 'left in the hand of his own counsel,' so that he might of his own accord seek his Creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him." In other words, God has set down a law of love and He (or She) has been written this law onto our hearts. We have been given free will and responsibility. We can choose to follow the law of love, be happy, and be with God forever. Or we can choose to break the law of love, be miserable, and be separated from God forever. God will respect our free will choice. With love in Christ.
  • As it is in human nature, to pin the blame on others, but according to the Bible, it is our own falt that we fell into sin. Now it pisses me off the fact that EVERYONE is doomed to sin because of two people who made the choice for us to eat from the tree. So there I would say no, we never had a choice to have sin in our lives. But I suppose that who are any of us to be so arrogant as to say that "well I wouldn't eat from the tree, I wouldn't do what Adam and Eve did because I am smarter." You figure that Adam used 100% of his brain, where as we only use like what... 10%? So if such a smart guy that is less then a god, but more then what we are now, can fall, who are we to say that we wouldn't fall as well. Now the question is, do people deserve to go to hell because of their ignorance? Because they never had a chance to hear about god, like indians in South America. Well my answer to that is that I don't know. It's one of those faith things, that you have to have faith that god will do the right thing with those people, weather they hear about Jesus or not, same idea as babies that are aborted that never had a chance to grow into a individual and to make the choice of following Christ. Either way, as someone who was born in a Christian home, I struggle with god all the time over these questions, and I never here a satisfing answer from my church or even the Bible. Personally, I find the whole thing about different religions and denominations ridiculous. But as Al says... "Whoever undertakes to set himself up as judge in the field of truth and knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the Gods."
  • In HQ 7:156 God says “My mercy embraceth all things, therefore I shall ordain It for those who ward off (evil) and pay the poor due, and those who believe Our revelation” The saved/unsaved concept was introduced by the Church. Salvation, according to Jesus, lies in good deeds. As he said to the man who called him a Good Master "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but IF THOU WILT ENTER INTO LIFE, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS."(Matthew 19:17). That was for the Jews, but the general principle of believing in God and doing good is universal. All peoples have received guidance HQ 35:24 says "there is not a nation but a warner hath passed among them." And, in any case everyone is aware of God, whether or not they choose to believe in Him, and God has put a seed (an awareness) of good in every soul. HQ 91:7-10 says “By a soul and the means by which it is perfected And INSPIRED (WITH AWARENESS OF) WHAT IS WRONG AND RIGHT FOR IT. Truly he has succeeded who purifies it, And he has indeed failed who stunteth it.” So if any do end up in hell it will only be because they stubbornly chose to do so. HQ 4:147 says “What hath God to gain in your punishment if ye are thankful (for His mercies) and believe (in Him)? God is ever Responsive, Aware.”
  • I think I am a person worth knowing. (I am not ashamed to say) If I love someone, but they choose to snub me and turn their back on me, I believe they will be worse off for not having taken up my offer of friendship. But it was not I who sent them away: they sent themselves. If later they realise the mistake they made, and I am no longer there to relate to, is it my fault? Now put yourself in God's shoes. He is much much better than I could ever be. He wants so much to have a relationship with people. Yet so many snub Him. He makes the arrangements for their return, and offers again and again His perfect friendship. Yet they refuse. Finally, there comes a time when God calls a halt to all suffering. Then it is too late to accept His offer. Some people are then "on the outside". Whose fault is it? God's? Not at all. He has sent His prophets, His own Son (who died and paid the penalty for all rebellion, to clear the way back to God). People have to accept responsibility for their own rebellion, my friend, and not continue to blame God for being "unsaved". Jesus died for the sins of the whole world.
  • I am a christian too. but really, i cannot believe God put people to hell. some people do not love god, they want to live without him, they dont like the good and right. i think they are now in the hell. this life is only chance and by death ends every thing for them. they have no place in new heaven and new earth.
  • Simple.. :o) Going to hell is a choice that we make with our actions. God would just LOVE for all of us to worship Him and see Him in Heaven! But it's a decision we have to make on our own, He can't force us.
  • Well, I look at myself and describe myself as an ego. And I find that the sensation of myself as an ego inside a bag of skin is really an illusion. What we really are is, first of all, the whole of our body. And although our bodies are bounded with skin, and we can differentiate between outside and inside, they cannot exist except in a certain kind of natural environment. Obviously a body requires air, and the air must be within a certain temperature range. The body also requires certain kinds of nutrition. So in order to occur the body must be on a mild and nutritive planet with just enough oxygen in the atmosphere spinning regularly around in a harmonious and rhythmical way near a certain kind of warm star. That arrangement is just as essential to the existence of my body as my heart, my lungs, and my brain. So to describe myself in a scientific way, I must also describe my surroundings, which is a clumsy way getting around to the realization that you are the entire universe. However we do not normally feel that way because we have constructed in thought an abstract idea of our self and what to believe in.
  • God loves us so much that He allowed His Son to pay for the sins of the whole world so that we would not have to go to hell. People that question God or pretend that they don't believe in Him just don't want Him to interfere with the life they've chosen to live.
  • Understand what Hell is. It is the grave. And while those who refuse God's Love will be judged, they won't be tortured 'forever'. The eternal punishment described in Rev. will consist of nonexistence. Remember, death is the last enemy destroyed. That means those who make themselves God's enemies will have already been destroyed.
  • i also do not believe God sends us to eternal torment, to hellfire and damnation...this is for satan, his demons and false prophets and teachers...Rev. it will feel like hell for those of us that will perish, exist no more ,on judgement day, there will be gnawing and gnashing of teeth, wailing ,when we learn what we have done, lost; these may be thrown in "the lake of fire" but we will perish there, it will not be for us as it will be for satan and his followers... this is MY understanding or reasoning...hope it may help..we all need to prove for ourself to become mature , strong children of God...
  • I like to think of it this way. The only way a person will go to hell is if they want to. God in His (or Her) unlimited love has given us free will to choose. Our most important choice is to freely decide to accept or reject God's constant offer of spending eternity with Him in heaven. God will respect the choice to reject Him. With love in Christ.
  • God loves you and wants you to love him and put him above everything else. If you do not love him he will not allow you to receive eternal life. Thats just the way it is.
  • Hell is a place created by the same people that brought you the Inquisition. It no more exists than the witches and heretics they tortured and burned. Mankind seems to go on regularly scheduled periods of religious based terror. As I recall, Jews don't believe in hell, That's a christian innovation along with doing away with animal sacrifice. I'm not sure that gaining hell and stopping the blood is much of an improvement. I would say that your weak belief is a good thing and you are on your way to evolving into a moral person without the trappings of prejudicial religion. Remember, if you become a true Christian, you have to personally condemn the vast remainder of humanity to hell simply for the reason that YOUR god is true and theirs is false.
  • It is not His desire to put people there, rather people put themselves there because they've rejected Him and His Commandments. (NKJV) 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us,[a] not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Mt 24:2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” I believe people will knowingly rebel against the evidence and their conscience. People will have no excuse when they stand befor God. Hell is meant for the devil and his angels. But those who continue in sin and don't repent, will end up there too. It is sin that has caused us to be separate. Lev 19:22 “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. Rev 20:11-15 describes the judgment who were not found in the Book of Life.
  • It is false religion that has brought the meaning of hell to mean a place condemned by God where the devil is. The word translated 'hell' in the bible is merely the common grave of mankind, which is why in some of the catholic churches they say that 'christ descended into hell'. He couldn't have descended into forever for one day. It is like saying I have ten balls, one ball. Doesnt make sense.
  • God is definitely and absolutely a God of love!!! But people forget something....God....has many other attributes, as well. Yes, He IS love, truth, and mercy. But He is also Holy, righteous (just), and sovereign. Arthur W. Pink goes further in that in his book "the attributes of God." God despises sin and shows His wrath for sin through hell. Those who forsake God find themselves in this place. God is righteous so His judgments are just because of His righteousness. John 17:3 says knowing God is equated with eternal life. Could you believe that?? We, humans, are sinners from birth and we all deserve damnation. We are wicked and we do not good. But Christ payed the price. Faith is Him assures us salvation. Our loves become transformed once they are in Jesus. Many say that not all have heard that God exists. But God makes Himself evident to all man so they are without excuse. But that's another topic. If you ever need any question answered or spiritual support, feel free to e-mail me. God bless :)
  • That's one of the ways in which the priestly class keeps you commoners devoted. If you don't do what they say and let them control you, you'll be burned up for all eternity.
  • GOD DOESNT WANT US TO GO TO HELL! it is an option a choice for us that we make. its just as much as a choice as to say that we straight or not. what we want for dinner. all of this is a choice. im sorry but that is the way the bible plainly states it. we have a choice. we may not have limited options or like the outcomes but none the less its a choice. go to school or dont. go to work or dont. follow Christ or dont. its all about choices. God is a just and fair god. but also always remember what ever choice you choose theres either consequences or rewards
  • HIS rules, he made us, he WANTS us to go to hell. God is a sadist.
  • -mistake - post instead of comment-
  • Oh, don't worry about it too much. If you are a Christian who don't know too much that makes you like the rest of the Christians, they also don't know too much
  • Good question. No answer. God is white and unforgiving!!
  • Hell is a beautiful place. It's a place of freedom and pleasure. God just wants to enslave everyone, so he wants everyone to be afraid so they will give up their freewill. People are not evil, God is.
  • Our sins separate us from God. He is holy, and cannot tolerate any sin. God says that without blood, there is NO forgiveness. So in the Bible days, people had to sacrifice animals with no blemishes-they had to be healthy and perfect looking for God to accept the sacrifice. God wanted a more "permanent" sacrifice for ALL sins-past,present, and future.... Jesus was that sacrifice! Jesus was God in the flesh-He was perfect and holy and had never sinned. So He came to earth and died for our sins..... since He died and rose again, our sins are forgiven forever! God is no longer mad at us anymore! :) All we have to do is to believe this with all our hearts-God adores us and He just wants us to have a relationship with us because that's why He created us! If we don't believe this...then when God looks at us, He still sees our sin, and He's still very angry. But when we accept Jesus into our hearts and repent of our sins (turn away from), then He forgives us and we don't have to be scared of Him anymore when we die. He won't send us to Hell if we believe in what Jesus did for us. Hope this helps!
  • The Bible says death and hell/Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14), (Revelation 21:8) Meaning, it will be the second death. If God gave everyone Eternal Life, regardless if they lie, cheat and steal, then He would be welcoming malevolent spirits into His Kingdom. And that wouldn't make any sense.
  • HAHAHAHAHA Only people with schizophrenia believe in imaginary friends. If you want the truth read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.
  • i think you need to ask god that question
  • We have the ability to create whatever our heart or whatever our mind and ego will take us......WE have the ability to open a door to enlightenment.....WE also have the ability to open a door to distortion which creates a separation between ourselves and the absolute Truth.... God gives us free choice to go where we choose...... He wants us to come home to love and understanding, but if we choose to go in a different direction, He allows us to do that as well....it is up to us.....Whatever path we choose, the opportunity to correct our course, to change our direction, is always there.
  • I understand God gave us free choice! Did you hear about the Sicilian who showed up at heaven's gates? He found it too cold and humid so he asked to down to hell. A few days later God went to see him and as he opened hell's door, he heard the Sicilian in the distance 'Shut the doo, its drafty'!

Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC

Answerbag | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy