Hell Fire

Discussion in 'Off Topic Area' started by Hiroji, Feb 1, 2009.

  1. Hiroji

    Hiroji laugh often, love much

    Why is it that in most religions such as Christianity and Islam, one who sins or doesnt believe will BURN IN HELL FIRE FOREVER AND EVER!!!

    Why is it FOREVER? i could maybe agree yeh ok if you do something a little naughty the overlord may punish us for it for a few years when we die, but FOREVER!?!?!?

    What kind of sick idiot is this God character? Even we mere mortal humans with our natural sinning ways have within us more merciful nature not not wish such a thing on someone!
     
  2. Moi

    Moi Warriors live forever x

    I'm glad it's forever. I can't play a harp:Angel:
     
  3. Llamageddon

    Llamageddon MAP's weird cousin Supporter

    I've always seen hell as a metaphor rather than a real place. I guess one explanation if you're so inclined is to see hell as your life now without God or whatever. Or maybe hell is your eternal guilt and remorse over something. Nothing stopping you feel like this in heaven...

    The other thing is our idea of hell doesn't actually come from religious texts as such. The image of the big red/black bloke with a pitchfork, sticking it up your jacksey whilst you burn eternally in hellfire and brimstone is actually thanks to the work of Danté and the Divine Comedy, where we find Dantés inferno and the Eight Circles of Hell. Apparently it's an absolutely awesome book, and like many books around that period, it's actually a thinly veiled political argument. Each circle of hell is for a different grade of person, 1 being the easiest for people who have done something bad, but not sooo bad, and Eight being kept for the absolute lowest of the low who, in Danté's mind, was the traitor.

    So there you go! All our ideas of hell have been made up by a bloke selling a book!
     
  4. Southpaw535

    Southpaw535 Well-Known Member Moderator Supporter

    it'd be a welcome change from being cold all day
     
  5. Ular Sawa

    Ular Sawa Valued Member

    And what better way for Church leaders to keep their respective flocks in line than threatening them with damnation? Who is going to question doctrine or their pastor if they might be going to hell? The literary concept was perverted to scare people and keep them in line.
     
  6. John Titchen

    John Titchen Still Learning Supporter

    It has a bit more punch to it than "If you are a really naughty boy then you will burn in hell for quite a long time.".
     
  7. Hiroji

    Hiroji laugh often, love much

    haha! yeh.

    White dont suit me either, i find black makes me look slimmer!
     
  8. TheCount

    TheCount Happiness is a mindset

    Firstly there is no reference in the bible to hell involving flames - it is actually much much worse if I recall the description accurately, it came about from other peoples interpretations and went from there.

    And forever is a reletive term - just like God creating the world in 7 days, how long is day to god when time at that point does not necessarily exist?
    By forever I personally think the meaning is more one of human comprehension of time. Can you imagine, realistically, 1000 of life? that length of time for many people would seem like 'forever.
     
  9. Llamageddon

    Llamageddon MAP's weird cousin Supporter

    A decent church/priest, regardless of denomination, makes you question and seriously think about what you believe rather than blindly follow.

    There used to be a slight issue with English Catholicism that the fire and brimstone was used to keep a waning flock, but in Ireland for example, because it's the norm you're meant to engage with the theology and really question why/what you believe, as it ultimately makes your faith stronger (or you stop lying to yourself, either way - in the end what happens to you is God's call anyway)
     
  10. Southpaw535

    Southpaw535 Well-Known Member Moderator Supporter

    isnt there a thing about repenting sins? if you can in life then why not in death?
     
  11. Llamageddon

    Llamageddon MAP's weird cousin Supporter

    That's technically why Catholics have purgatory, where people can pray for their souls and they can repent in a massive waiting room before heaven. (although technically speaking they don't have purgatory in the same sense anymore...)

    Sometimes I like to think we're all in purgatory right now. Some good stuff happens, some bad stuff happens, and how we live our lives decides where we go...
     
  12. Moosey

    Moosey invariably, a moose Supporter

    I think it comes from Revelations http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+19:20

    Because it has to be a sufficiently terrifying punishment to put people off committing crimes. Remember, religion is essentially a primitive form of government designed to make people self-police their behaviour. If the punishment-after-death was time-limited it would give people the option of weighing up whether 12.5 years of torment was maybe worth murdering that annoying neighbour.
     
  13. Southpaw535

    Southpaw535 Well-Known Member Moderator Supporter

    but you is it possible to go through life without sinning? you said bad stuff happens and quite often it involves something against god. and considering what goes through my mind i was damned a loooong time ago :p
     
  14. Llamageddon

    Llamageddon MAP's weird cousin Supporter

    Yeah, but that assumes that this is why religion was incepted in the first place. I don't think it was that cynical and calculating
     
  15. Moosey

    Moosey invariably, a moose Supporter

    It depends whether you mean religion in the sense of belief in the afterlife and in the intervention of paranormal beings, or religion in the sense of organised heirarchies of power and order based on "transcripts" of what these beings want.
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2009
  16. Llamageddon

    Llamageddon MAP's weird cousin Supporter

    Touché :D
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 1, 2009
  17. Axelator

    Axelator Not called Alex.

    Because they want you join their religion. Thats why they say it's forever.

    TBH though I think Hell Fire is overated.
     
  18. Hiroji

    Hiroji laugh often, love much

    To me it just seems ironic that xtians and muslims talk about forgivness and loving kindness, yet God seems unforgiving unless you do everthing right, believe andpray/talk talk to him/her/it...and him/her/it never talks back!!!!

    Seems Humans are more loving and able to forgive sins and crimes more than Godfrey character.
     
  19. Axelator

    Axelator Not called Alex.

    True. I gave up poking holes in religion though. It is such a flawed belief, with so many inconsistencies and contradictions it requires somone to have utter lack of reason and rationale. They call it faith.
     
  20. Hiroji

    Hiroji laugh often, love much

    you do all realise that we are all going to burn in hell FOREVER for posting in this thread?

    God doesnt like it when his little puppets question is authoritor!
     

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