My problem with the concept of hell

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Just sharing a little of my own life as it pertains to hell here.

I come from a family where all of my extended family would fall into a category that broadly defines the direction of christianity in america. They call themselves christians, mormons, whatever, but they utterly reject any orthodox view of God. They have given in to new age beliefs, and reject the concept of hell. They are scripturally ignorant and there is a long line of living together before marraige, illegitimate children (I was concieved as one), abortion (one of my older siblings, who I will never get to meet) as well as a whole host of other clearly sinful behaviour. There is also the occasional agnostic or atheist, but the rest claim to know God.

As my grandparents and aunts, and uncles pass on, their funerals for me are very sad events. I know that unless things change, when my parents eventually pass it will be into uncertainty. I am blessed, however, to have found God myself, and married a good catholic man who comes from a long line of devout catholics. This give me hope.

The thing that I find myself wrestling with at the wee hours of the night, is how on earth can I exerience pure joy when I watch my husband be reuinited with his mother, while I am left without my blood family. I can’t deny that at times, this is a hard pill to swallow.

However, I use the fear and emotion to pray my guts out. There is a reason I chose St. Monica as my patron saint at my confirmation. I also accept that Jesus said that unless we are ready to reject our earthly family, and join his, we are unworthy to be his disciple. I choose to see it as a cross that I bear, and use the pain it causes to pray out all the more for the lost. This is all I can advise for those of us worried to lose family. I don’t know how God will deal with those of us denied the joys of meeting our lost loved ones in heaven, I can only trust in him and his word, and know he will take care of it somehow. In the meantime, I’m gunna wear a hole in the floor of my prayer closet 😛
 
The thing that I find myself wrestling with at the wee hours of the night, is how on earth can I exerience pure joy when I watch my husband be reunited with his mother, while I am left without my blood family. I can’t deny that at times, this is a hard pill to swallow.
In heaven we are reunited only if both we and others choose to love everyone. Otherwise it would not be heaven!
I also accept that Jesus said that unless we are ready to reject our earthly family, and join his, we are unworthy to be his disciple.
We have to reject our family only if they choose to reject the way of love.
I don’t know how God will deal with those of us denied the joys of meeting our lost loved ones in heaven…
We share His regret that some of His children reject the way of love but it does not mar our joy because we know they have chosen of their own free will to live for themselves rather than others. In rejecting God they reject us as well. Hard though it is we accept their decision because we respect their freedom to choose how to live - which is the greatest gift of all because it is impossible to love unless we are free…
 
I have always had problems wondering why any god would place a person into eternal damnation. It is said that at the beginning of life we are innocent, what changes that? How can it be possible for an almighty god to punish people who honestly do not know any better? If everyone had a sound concept of hell why would anyone sin? If we are naturally drawn to sin how can we be punished for it? It is like putting a prisoner away for being addicted to a substance. It just doesn’t make any sense. They can’t control their urge for the chemicals. Also people who commit murder usually aren’t stable people. I doubt that a murderer has control over himself at the time of his crime. It doesn’t make them bad people, they are just troubled. How can anyone be punished if they are not sane?
You know what hell is? It’s Andy Gibb…singing “Shadow Dancing” for eons and eons!!! And sitting right next to the Bay City Rollers & they’re covering their ears saying THIS AINT RIGHT!!! yeah. That’s MY picture of what it is, LOL!!! :coffeeread:
 
People go to Hell because they reject God, or refuse to make an attempt to ammend their sinful ways. God doesn’t send anyone to Hell, technically, they send themselves.
 
My problem with atheists (and I used to be one) is the following logic.

If God doesn’t meet my expectations - if He condemns people that I don’t think should be condemned - then I’m not going to believe in Him.

Keep searching - it’s no accident that you’re here - and you’ll find Him.
 
My problem with atheists (and I used to be one) is the following logic.

If God doesn’t meet my expectations - if He condemns people that I don’t think should be condemned - then I’m not going to believe in Him.

Keep searching - it’s no accident that you’re here - and you’ll find Him.
I don’t necessarily agree that that is the reason most of the atheists don’t believe. Most of the ones I know can’t understand how humans could be more loving and compassionate and forgiving than God.

If someone wrongs me, I will forgive them if they come to me and ask for forgiveness. I won’t expect them to go to my husband, or mother, or friend to tell them to tell me they’re sorry. I wouldn’t be so easily offended by things-- most things I can just brush off. I would never condemn anyone to an eternity of pain and suffering, no matter what. If they don’t want anything to do with me, well okay. My feelings will be hurt, but I don’t think they deserve to suffer for it.

(This isn’t me speaking, I’m playing the “atheist” here.) Although, I do quite believe this, but being Catholic and fearing hell, I go along with the Catholic teachings because I feel it’s my only choice, I don’t want to take any chances.
 
Again…“If I were God, I would…and I wouldn’t…” I once used to spend a lot of time with these thoughts rolling around in my head too. I’m not sure why. I’m not God. I don’t understand the reasons behind everything He does, and I never will. But I have seen and experienced enough to completely believe in Him. So I humbly accept that there is some greater good in all that God does, though I may never fully understand.
 
Hell is terrible place

People don’t like to hear about Hell. But if Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, you are on your way to Hell. Some of you will be upset at this bad news. You think that this is all gloom and doom. Tell me this…if your house were on fire, would you want me to let you know? Of course you would. You’d probably thank me for telling you. Well, I’d like to tell you that there is a fiery Hell.

Hell may not be a politically correct topic these days, but many people will be entering Hell if they don’t see and accept God in their lives. Hell is a real place despite the fact that people, being funny, laugh and say that they want to go there. They simply don’t understand how terrible hell is. Just because you’ve never seen hell doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. We have a searing, accurate description of what hell is like in God’s word. (We’ll get to some scriptures in a minute) Hell is awful and if you don’t believe in Jesus, you’d better get with it or else Hell is going to be your eternal destination.

Satan WILL NOT always cause havoc. His doom is already foretold, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)
Did you know that if you do not belong to Jesus then you belong to Satan? There is no in between. You don’t have to be a card carrying Satanist to serve Satan. You don’t have to be a murderer, drunkard or drug addict, either. All you have to do is ignore Jesus. If you don’t have Jesus today, you are deceived and Hell bound–you are a child of Hell, a child of the devil.

How many times have I heard someone say, “A loving God wouldn’t put His creatures in Hell.” Well I have news for you, friend, God doesn’t put anyone in Hell–their sins put them there. Know ye not that Hell was not created for man? Hell was created for the devil and his angels–
“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS” (Matthew 25:41)

Men go to Hell because they choose the devil’s way and reject the Lord Jesus. God is holy and will not allow any sin in His kingdom. As a result, when people die with mortal sins on their soul, which haven’t been forgiven, they are forever banished from the presence of God to a place called Hell–and it isn’t pretty. Incidentally, Satan won’t be ruling in the lake of fire. He’ll be screaming and hollering just like everybody else. The devil, and his followers, shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)

Think about this…God, out of profound love for you–a vile sinner who has transgressed His commandments–let His own beautiful, dear Son be sacrificed for YOUR sins! Jesus wasn’t a sinner. He didn’t sin one time. He didn’t die for Himself. He died for you. To save YOU. That’s why He is called the Saviour. Because He SAVES people from Hell! If you reject His sacrifice and trod it underfoot it should not be too hard for you to understand that the same God, who sacrificed His beloved Son, will allow you to be expeditiously cast you into hell and the lake of fire. NOTHING unclean will ever enter God’s Heaven-and all unregenerate people are unclean. “Come now, and let us set things right says the Lord: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow: though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18).

God does not want you in Hell! Jesus came to save you from that horrible place! Don’t lie and say God puts people in Hell! Get right with Jesus and you won’t go there! Look at these scriptures:
As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, but rather in the wicked man’s conversation, that he may live. Turn from your evil ways.(Ezekiel 33:11)
The Lord is…patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.(II Peter 3:9)

The Bible says that God loves you so much that the Creator of this universe (Jesus the Christ) came to “taste death” for every man. He is God come in the flesh to destroy the power of death and Hell–He holds the keys. If you say yes to Jesus, Hell won’t be your final destination. If you say no to Jesus, Hell will be your eternal home. There is no way of getting out and no comfort–Hell is everlasting.
 
I have always had problems wondering why any god would place a person into eternal damnation. It is said that at the beginning of life we are innocent, what changes that? How can it be possible for an almighty god to punish people who honestly do not know any better? If everyone had a sound concept of hell why would anyone sin? If we are naturally drawn to sin how can we be punished for it? It is like putting a prisoner away for being addicted to a substance. It just doesn’t make any sense. They can’t control their urge for the chemicals. Also people who commit murder usually aren’t stable people. I doubt that a murderer has control over himself at the time of his crime. It doesn’t make them bad people, they are just troubled. How can anyone be punished if they are not sane?
As we get older, we get smarter and thats what changes. little children do things that are wrong, but they’re not smart enough to understand why they are wrong, as well as the repercussions, they view it as being adventuress. when you get older, you become smart enough to know these things. therefore, making you responsible for your actions.

Further more, now that we established you do know better, than we can talk about what makes us do the wrong things. and the answer is greed. wanting it all when some people have none. if you iherited a fortune, what would you spend it on? would you even think about giving a portion to charity? would you sacrafice a new tv to feed a 100 hungry people liable to die?

If you would than you are kind and loving and deserve a reward, that his salvation.
If not, than you are self-absorbed, and only care about yourself, in which you do not deserve a reward.
You know what morals are, follow them.

As for you’re point on murder, there are special circumstances,but stop talking like every case is. its actually very rare. most homicides are out of greed.people committ murder to collect on their spouces insurances, you dont think they shouldn’t be punished?
I beleive God understands special circumstances the same way the court does. As well as people who feel sorrowful and repent.

MOST IMPORTANTLY-
God does not expect anyone to be perfect. All God wants is for us to follow him as best as we can, if you do this, than paradise is all yours.
 
As we get older, we get smarter and thats what changes. little children do things that are wrong, but they’re not smart enough to understand why they are wrong, as well as the repercussions, they view it as being adventuress. when you get older, you become smart enough to know these things. therefore, making you responsible for your actions.

Further more, now that we established you do know better, than we can talk about what makes us do the wrong things. and the answer is greed. wanting it all when some people have none. if you iherited a fortune, what would you spend it on? would you even think about giving a portion to charity? would you sacrafice a new tv to feed a 100 hungry people liable to die?

If you would than you are kind and loving and deserve a reward, that his salvation.
If not, than you are self-absorbed, and only care about yourself, in which you do not deserve a reward.
You know what morals are, follow them.

As for you’re point on murder, there are special circumstances,but stop talking like every case is. its actually very rare. most homicides are out of greed.people committ murder to collect on their spouces insurances, you dont think they shouldn’t be punished?
I beleive God understands special circumstances the same way the court does. As well as people who feel sorrowful and repent.

MOST IMPORTANTLY-
God does not expect anyone to be perfect. All God wants is for us to follow him as best as we can, if you do this, than paradise is all yours.
I already do charity so I’m good there

I don’t think most murder is for greed. And I do not think they deserve to be punished. No one conspires to do evil.
 
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