Eternal Hell

This is one of the main things that turned me doubt God as being the most merciful.
Can anyone explain why eternal hell is a form of justice?

[psychodiva]

it isn't - only in the minds of religiodiots and people who like to control other people using religiodiocy - and its mainly women , reproduction and sexual practices they like to control - funny that eh?

[Smellyoldgit]

Heaven is the fictional carrot, hell the made-up stick.

Tamana wrote

This is one of the main things that turned me doubt God as being the most merciful.
Can anyone explain why eternal hell is a form of justice?

I can only speak from a Christian perspective. Individual Christians and Christian bodies (denominations) have a variety of opinions about hell. Some read the New Testament literally, which does describe flames, agony, etc. The Catholic Church teaches that hell is not a place. It is eternal separation from God's love and is 100% the choice of the individual who decides to reject God's friendship.

It is hard to imagine what that might mean for all eternity. At a minimum, I know that I would hate to live in this world, as it is right now, forever. As little as I can imagine heaven, I *can* imagine the horror of living with all the selfish, greedy, hypocritical, bad-tempered people I know right now. And that is just my family! Add in the rest of the world; the perverts, the murderers, the blowhards, etc, and that would be plenty bad enough.

In other words, we don't envision hell as the result of a judicial proceeding in which the individual is led in handcuffs before God the Judge, where he must beg to be accepted for heaven. Rather, we envision it, as someone being left alone just as he wanted.

[psychodiva]

yeah and in with all the really bad people like perverts and murders etc etc you have the people who just do not believe- theres justice for ya!

psychodiva wrote

it isn't - only in the minds of religiodiots and people who like to control other people using religiodiocy - and its mainly women , reproduction and sexual practices they like to control - funny that eh?

Exactly. Eternal hell was the only reason why I believed in Islam all these years. I was too scared to question it because who wants to burn for eternity?
I have argued with many muslims on this eternal hell concept and most of them say "why would someone who rejects God not deserve Hell".
Wtf? I don't get why Allah calls himself the most merciful if He is the most cruel thing ever.

[psychodiva]

oh and until recently you had unbaptised babies- what nice people these religiodiots are

Lily wrote

I can only speak from a Christian perspective. Individual Christians and Christian bodies (denminations) have a variety of opinions about hell. Some read the New Testament literally, which does describe flames, agony, etc. The Catholic Church teaches that hell is not a place. It is eternal separation from God's love and is 100% the choice of the individual who decides to reject God's friendship.

Is rejecting God making Him super angry that he wants to torture us so badly?
Is He not already perfect, so is our believing him or non-belief making any difference on how great He is?
Are we hurting Him by rejecting Him? Can God get hurt by us?

Lily wrote

In other words, we don't envision hell as the result of a judicial proceeding in which the individual is led in handcuffs before God the Judge, where he must beg to be accepted for heaven. Rather, we envision it, as someone being left alone just as he wanted.

so we gotta die to get you annoying fuckers to leave us alone?

and why is it called "judgment day" instead of ,."ok we'll stop pestering you now day"

psychodiva wrote

it isn't - only in the minds of religiodiots and people who like to control other people using religiodiocy - and its mainly women , reproduction and sexual practices they like to control - funny that eh?

Why it is just hilarious! We all know how healthy societies are that have high rates of illegitimacy, particularly among teenagers. We all know how well off such single parents are and how well the children do on all the standard measures of child well-being. Why, what a stupid bunch of dorks societies were filled with who thought that marriage provided stability for women, children and society! Just look around you at the low rates of crime, juvenile deliquency, and the high levels of education British and Americans enjoy! That is heaven on earth! Who needs anything more?

Tamana wrote

Is rejecting God making Him super angry that he wants to torture us so badly?
Is He not already perfect, so is our believing him or non-belief making any difference on how great He is?
Are we hurting Him by rejecting Him? Can God get hurt by us?

I just explained that we don't believe that he tortures us. I guess I was unclear. Even Christians who do believe that hell is a *place* and a place of torture, don't think that God has anything to do with it. It is filled with those who have rejected him. There are only two options. Either one accepts or rejects God. There is nothing else.

We believe that God gives people what they ask for. Atheists want to be left alone. If they are serious, God will leave them alone. There are many atheists here who claim they would prefer to go to hell than to heaven. That, of course, is the typical testosterone-fueled bravado of the teenaged male and the emotionally teenaged male, and silly women who think they are being brave. But if they are serious, God will give them what they want.

[ILOVEJESUS]

I do. I need magic. Sign me up.

Lily wrote

I just explained that we don't believe that he tortures us. I guess I was unclear. Even Christians who do believe that hell is a *place* and a place of torture, don't think that God has anything to do with it. It is filled with those who have rejected him. There are only two options. Either one accepts or rejects God. There is nothing else.

God has nothing to do with Hell? THen whos responsible for it?

[Eva]

who is responsible?
jesus' best friend: satan.

Tamana wrote

God has nothing to do with Hell? THen whos responsible for it?

I think you are still envisioning hell as a place and as some *thing*. It is nothing *no thing*. It is a lack of joy, lack of love, lack of peace, lack of mercy, lack of friendship: it is the lack of every single possible good. Good can only come from God. Anyone who rejects God, rejects all good. There are only two possible options. One can accept God or one can reject God. There is no other possibility.

I remind you that this is what Christians believe (we have our fundamentalists who believe hell is a place. But only the most ignorant, isolated types believe that God tortures anyone, if they do believe that. I don't think anyone believes that.). I think that Islam has a different understanding. I regret that because I think Islam is terribly wrong. If you were in a safer place, I would encourage you to talk to the Christians around you to get a better picture of what we believe. But I don't think that is possible, is it?