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twoblacknines 02-02-2007 05:52 AM

hell
 
I am at a point in my life where I am not sure what I believe. It's a funny feeling, asking yourself what you truly believe, and only recieving an "I don't know" I have had points in my life where I felt christian, then points where I felt atheist, then agnostic (insert joke about nostics being atheist with no balls).

My main problem with Christianity is the idea of hell. The bible seems to teach forgiveness, but the idea of going to hell for eternity for doubting God seems very contradictory to this teaching.

After being in hell for 1 million years would God not find it in his heart to allow an atheist to repent and be accepted into heaven? I would really like to hear some believers answer to this.

Say a scientist has doubts about God and never truly believes, but creates a cure for HIV and saves literally millions of lives. He dies and is then sent to hell? What about the Christian who attends church every sunday without fail, but never saves 1 human life? He is given a VIP pass into heaven while the scientist burns eternally? This I cannot accept.

Maybe man just has God wrong. But if we are to look solely at the bible then we must take it as God's word, and cannot just say well everything is true except the whole hell part.

If my only options were to believe in:

1) God+our notion of hell or

2) No God

Then my logical side can only come to conclusion #2.

I have liked some of John's posts, and the idea of looking at the bible in metaphors. It at least makes some of the things in the bible make more sense. Some people say hell is simply an absence from God. This seems more acceptable than burning forever (literal interpretation). But even then I still think if God exists, that he would be RATIONAL and compromise on the whole sending good people to hell thing. I still feel that God may exists, but maybe he is not like the strict christian definition.

** Sorry for the long post. I have been wanting to make this for awhile and everything just kind of came out at once, so it may not be very well thought out or organized.

CaseS87 02-02-2007 06:35 AM

Re: hell
 
If you choose to omit certain parts of the Bible that you don't like, you may as well create your own religion.

I have come to the conclusion that the only reason people are trying to interpret the Bible metaphorically is because many things in the Bible are completely unreasonable. Because of human nature's upward trend in knowledge and increase in reason, some attempt to mold reason into the Bible. My point is that God didn't come down out of the clouds and tell us "Genesis is actually not true and was written to sort of metaphorically describe the big bang which actually happened 14 billion years ago." Applying reason to the Bible through means of alternate interpretation is entirely man made, making the Bible essentially useless.

txag007 02-02-2007 09:19 AM

Re: hell
 
One question and one comment:

First, what does the Bible actually say about hell?

and secondly,

[ QUOTE ]
What about the Christian who attends church every sunday without fail, but never saves 1 human life? He is given a VIP pass into heaven while the scientist burns eternally?

[/ QUOTE ]
You're wrong about the VIP part.

9For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. 10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Corinthians 3:9-13

twoblacknines 02-02-2007 03:00 PM

Re: hell
 
txag007,

but what about the scientist who cured HIV? Or an organ donor whose donation saves a kids life? I guess my basic question is:

good people, who have led moral lives and had a positive affect on humanity, but had doubts about God/Jesus - according to the bible they are going to hell.

But being that God would be more advanced then any human, and is supposed to love all creatures, what justification would there be than making good people stay in hell forever? I can't believe God would be so insecure as to exact revenge on people doubting his existence. Even if non-believers were given a punishment, say 1,000 years in hell and then allowed into heaven, wouldn't that make more sense. The bible preaches forgiveness, so shouldn't God be able to forgive humans, who are far from perfect?

FortunaMaximus 02-02-2007 03:11 PM

Re: hell
 
Try reading Dante. You might gain a broader view of the issue.

By any means, it's an interesting journey.

dknightx 02-02-2007 03:48 PM

Re: hell
 
read revelations, there will be a day that God will defeat the devil, etc, etc. not really sure what happens to people in hell after that.

secondly, you put too much emphasis on the value and importance of life. if you believe in an afterlife, death isn't as bad as it seems.

finally, if i kill someone who would have eventually killed 2 people, am i doing good?

revots33 02-02-2007 05:49 PM

Re: hell
 
My opinion is that the idea of hell is so bizarre that only man could have invented it. If you believe in god, and wish to continue doing so, I see no reason to disregard the notion of hell without a second thought if it is the only stumbling block.

madnak 02-02-2007 06:14 PM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
but the idea of going to hell for eternity for any reason seems very contradictory to this teaching.

[/ QUOTE ]

The doctrine of hell is pretty much the worst invention of humanity, at least in theory. In practice I think most people who believe in hell are too shortsighted or unimaginative to appreciate the magnitude of that. Simply by being alive, you're perpetually risking a fate worse than anyone has ever imagined. That makes a gun in your face seem like a bucket of fun.

Skidoo 02-02-2007 06:17 PM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
the idea of going to hell for eternity

[/ QUOTE ]

Chapter and verse, please.

hashi92 02-02-2007 06:19 PM

Re: hell
 
hell is like the boogie man. you use it to scare the little kids so that they will listen to you.

twoblacknines 02-02-2007 06:28 PM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
but the idea of going to hell for eternity for any reason seems very contradictory to this teaching.

[/ QUOTE ]

The doctrine of hell is pretty much the worst invention of humanity, at least in theory. In practice I think most people who believe in hell are too shortsighted or unimaginative to appreciate the magnitude of that. Simply by being alive, you're perpetually risking a fate worse than anyone has ever imagined. That makes a gun in your face seem like a bucket of fun.

[/ QUOTE ]

This seems very true. In fact, if God knew you were going to lead a life that led you to go to hell, then your only point in being alive was to be tormented forever after you die. But you did not have a say in being brought into this world. So you were forced to exist, and because of that you suffer eternal repercussions. Can a christian present some justification for this? I would really like some insight.

twoblacknines 02-02-2007 06:31 PM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
the idea of going to hell for eternity

[/ QUOTE ]

Chapter and verse, please.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you saying hell is not eternal? I have been told my whole life that it is, I specifically remember hearing it that way in church. I will have to reread some of the bible and see if I can find it in there.

Can you explain your position more?

madnak 02-02-2007 06:37 PM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
hell is like the boogie man. you use it to scare the little kids so that they will listen to you.

[/ QUOTE ]

Uh, dude, it's everywhere. Later tonight I'll post verses.

twoblacknines 02-02-2007 06:39 PM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
read revelations, there will be a day that God will defeat the devil, etc, etc. not really sure what happens to people in hell after that.

secondly, you put too much emphasis on the value and importance of life. if you believe in an afterlife, death isn't as bad as it seems.

finally, if i kill someone who would have eventually killed 2 people, am i doing good?

[/ QUOTE ]

Life becomes so much MORE important when you believe in an afterlife, because 1 mistake in your existence here (not believing in God) can haunt you for ETERNITY.

As to your example, you kill person "X" who was going to kill person "Z" 5 years from now. This saves Z's life. What if Z is a good christian and would of went to heaven the day X killed him. Now he doesn't die in 5 years and let's say 10 years from now he renounces Christianity and becomes an atheist. Because you killed his would be murderer, he is now doomed to go from heaven to hell due to circumstances beyond his control.

Wow this can get very complicated. I would say it is impoosible to know if you are doing good no matter the example.

Duke 02-02-2007 06:40 PM

Re: hell
 
Don't worry about hell, as nobody ever actually goes there. Even serial killers get saved at the last minute and get a pass into heaven.

Skidoo 02-02-2007 07:20 PM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
the idea of going to hell for eternity

[/ QUOTE ]

Chapter and verse, please.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you saying hell is not eternal? I have been told my whole life that it is, I specifically remember hearing it that way in church. I will have to reread some of the bible and see if I can find it in there.

Can you explain your position more?

[/ QUOTE ]

The eternal BBQ is a non-Biblical concept from the Greeks. When interpreting any ancient writings, a proper understanding of cultural context and original sources (rather than mere translations) is essential.

dknightx 02-02-2007 07:28 PM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
read revelations, there will be a day that God will defeat the devil, etc, etc. not really sure what happens to people in hell after that.

secondly, you put too much emphasis on the value and importance of life. if you believe in an afterlife, death isn't as bad as it seems.

finally, if i kill someone who would have eventually killed 2 people, am i doing good?

[/ QUOTE ]

Life becomes so much MORE important when you believe in an afterlife, because 1 mistake in your existence here (not believing in God) can haunt you for ETERNITY.

As to your example, you kill person "X" who was going to kill person "Z" 5 years from now. This saves Z's life. What if Z is a good christian and would of went to heaven the day X killed him. Now he doesn't die in 5 years and let's say 10 years from now he renounces Christianity and becomes an atheist. Because you killed his would be murderer, he is now doomed to go from heaven to hell due to circumstances beyond his control.

Wow this can get very complicated. I would say it is impoosible to know if you are doing good no matter the example.

[/ QUOTE ]

exactly, that is why deeds without faith is useless (but faith without deeds is also useless too). I would recommend reading the new testament YOURSELF and making your own decisions. you should not always trust what other people tell you. In this case, everything you've learned/heard about hell is probably (partially) wrong.

Edit: btw, i should add that "not believing in God" does not necessarily mean 100% you will go to hell ... at least that is my opinion (this is one of those hotly debated topics that atheists love to bring up)

madnak 02-02-2007 09:51 PM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
The eternal BBQ is a non-Biblical concept from the Greeks. When interpreting any ancient writings, a proper understanding of cultural context and original sources (rather than mere translations) is essential.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's absolutely absurd. The "fire" part is direct. The "eternal" part varies, but is expressed in various contexts over and over again. Here's a brief bit from an apologetic site, but it really only scratches the surface. For example, the term "asbestos" (inextinguishable) isn't the only one used to describe hell - "awniou" and "aionion" (both mean neverending) are also used.

m_the0ry 02-02-2007 10:25 PM

Re: hell
 
If God does exist but not in the strict Christian definition, do you think it makes him happy to see people read the Bible and then subsequently commit hate crimes against homosexuals?

A metaphor is a rhetorical device. By definition a metaphor provokes thought in the reader by making him apply the hypothetical to his own life. The bible dictates how one applies the metaphores to one's life. You must pray. You must believe in Jesus. You must believe Jesus died for your sins. These are not metaphores. This is not to say that metaphores do not exist in the bible, but they are few and far between. Most can be simply replaced by the golden rule.

If we strip the bible of everything but its power as a metaphore, you're left with a completely dharmic religion. In my opinion, Christianity is the definition of dogma.

Skidoo 02-02-2007 10:29 PM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The eternal BBQ is a non-Biblical concept from the Greeks. When interpreting any ancient writings, a proper understanding of cultural context and original sources (rather than mere translations) is essential.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's absolutely absurd. The "fire" part is direct. The "eternal" part varies, but is expressed in various contexts over and over again. Here's a brief bit from an apologetic site, but it really only scratches the surface. For example, the term "asbestos" (inextinguishable) isn't the only one used to describe hell - "awniou" and "aionion" (both mean neverending) are also used.

[/ QUOTE ]

Absurd? Well, that's your opinion.

Chapter and verse, if you don't mind. Not links.

revots33 02-02-2007 11:37 PM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
The eternal BBQ is a non-Biblical concept from the Greeks. When interpreting any ancient writings, a proper understanding of cultural context and original sources (rather than mere translations) is essential.

[/ QUOTE ]

Phew, glad to hear it! Guess I can sleep easy now. I only wish those priests and nuns who scared me to death as a child knew as much as you do!

Skidoo 02-03-2007 12:11 AM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The eternal BBQ is a non-Biblical concept from the Greeks. When interpreting any ancient writings, a proper understanding of cultural context and original sources (rather than mere translations) is essential.

[/ QUOTE ]

Phew, glad to hear it! Guess I can sleep easy now. I only wish those priests and nuns who scared me to death as a child knew as much as you do!

[/ QUOTE ]

Non sequitur. Western culture adopted much from the Greek worldview.

So you can go back to believing everything they told you.

bunny 02-03-2007 12:55 AM

Re: hell
 
One priest I have spoken to in depth about this (or related anyhow) is that the most important commandment is to love God. Doing good things is not valued as highly by God. It relies on shrugging and saying "Who am I to argue? God knows best"

Personally, I could never reconcile hell with a benevolent God. It doesnt make any sense to me and the alternatives seemed to be drop belief in hell or drop a benevolent god (at least benevolent by human standards, which is all I can go by). It is possible that there is some overarching unknowable-to-humans reason why hell is the benevolent thing to do (perhaps its necessary for justice or something?) but if it is indeed unknowable, then there will never be a reason to accept it - you'll have to adopt it as an article of faith with the rest of them.

dknightx 02-03-2007 01:25 AM

Re: hell
 
here is my personal understanding of hell:

1. eternal? well although the bible references eternal suffering and seperation from God (2 Thes. 1:8-10, Jude 1:7, Luke 16:24, Matt. 25:30,46), i don't think ENTERNAL is to be taken literally. The reason is because one day God will destroy Satan, and then what happens to the people in hell? Maybe they are destroyed too, or maybe something else, i don't know.
2. suffering? well, it will be suffering, but a large part of that is because the absence of God (insert joke here). The gnashing of teeth, and the cries, etc, are because they are apart from God.
3. punishment? yes, there will be punishment, but the key here is that it will be BASED on their deeds as well as propotional to their deeds. See Acts 17:30-31,Rom. 2:1-11, Rev. 20:11-15 and Luke 12:47-49, Matt. 10:15, Matt. 11:24, Rev. 20:12-13. So whats my point ... basically that hell will be different for everyone. It could just be isolation, and time for you to reflect by yourself, dont really know.

so there you have it, lots of i dont knows, but mostly because there is not A LOT of scripture about hell. also, i should point out that i am in the belief that God will rightly judge everyone, and that exceptions are often made for those who have failed to accept Jesus Christ but have extenuating circumstances (youth, not having heard the Gospel, mental illness, etc.).

madnak 02-03-2007 01:26 AM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
Absurd? Well, that's your opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

An opinion with plenty of support.

[ QUOTE ]
Chapter and verse, if you don't mind. Not links.

[/ QUOTE ]

I shouldn't take the bait, but some examples.

"If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire." Matt. 18:8

"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;" Matt. 25:41 (also "eternal punishment" in verse 46)

"If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire" Mark 9:43

"These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power" 2 Thess. 1:9

"just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire." Jude 7 (and while we're on the subject, Matt. 11:22 helpfully clarified the severity of the punishment)

"And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." Rev. 20:10

Bear in mind that this list is by no means complete. There are dozens of such references. This should be sufficient.

Now, when you criticized translations and I went to the original language, you turned around and asked for chapter and verse. Now that I've provided that, I assume your first reaction will be to go back and criticize translation again.

I'm not going to bother getting into that huge debate, particularly since you didn't seem to care when I mentioned it before. I will say that the eternal life of heaven, the eternal reign of God, and his eternal justice are all described using the same words, which are the words used to represent "eternity" in Greek. That virtually all translations, Greek dictionaries, and contextual clues agree, that there's no indication the limited use of the term to describe "only" ages rather than eternity applies in any of these cases (much less all of them), that the occurences are frequently surrounded with vivid descriptions of the extreme severity of hell, and that the entirety of Christian religion would be upturned if God were temporal rather than eternal also serve to make it clear that the "eternal BBQ" is actually the most direct translation of the original texts (and historical evidence also suggests that this was the common interpretation from at least the time Biblical canon was selected in the first place).

Other interpretations indicative of hyperbole or metaphor may have existed from the start, but they were largely removed from any conception that is compatible with Christianity as we know it. The Gnostics, for example, believed that the God of the Bible was the creator of the Earth (the Demiurge), but many sects also believe he was the ultimate symbol of evil. That is one interpretation of God even I can accept.

Christianity is about eternal hell.

madnak 02-03-2007 01:29 AM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
there is not A LOT of scripture about hell

[/ QUOTE ]

And what scripture there is strictly emphasizes how awful the suffering will be and how it's eternal. Not to be taken literally? Perhaps. Please explain to me why Jesus needs to be a hyperbolic blowhard. Does he just want to scare people by grossly exaggerating the actuality of hell? And given that he refers to heaven in exactly the same terms, are we to take such a contingent interpretation there, as well?

dknightx 02-03-2007 01:31 AM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
there is not A LOT of scripture about hell

[/ QUOTE ]

And what scripture there is strictly emphasizes how awful the suffering will be and how it's eternal. Not to be taken literally? Perhaps. Please explain to me why Jesus needs to be a hyperbolic blowhard. Does he just want to scare people by grossly exaggerating the actuality of hell? And given that he refers to heaven in exactly the same terms, are we to take such a contingent interpretation there, as well?

[/ QUOTE ]

well, what word would you use for a very long, indefinite time period? eternal seems appropriate for both saying FOREVER, and FOREVER - x. Also the idea of hell (ie seperation from God) is definitely FOREVER for satan (as you see in the revelations verse you postd). Like i said, once satan is overthrown, im not sure what happens to humans.

madnak 02-03-2007 01:34 AM

Re: hell
 
Well, I suppose if you're going to stick to the Bible, it's best if you take an interpretation that doesn't include eternal hell. Still, I see it as an inaccurate and arbitrary reading, that also happens to be very convenient.

Skidoo 02-03-2007 01:59 AM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
I will say that the eternal life of heaven, the eternal reign of God, and his eternal justice are all described using the same words, which are the words used to represent "eternity" in Greek.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll get to your citations. However, first this one point. Given that the wages of sin is death, if someone so dies (goes completely extinct, gone, finito), how long does that punishment last? That's right, for eternity. And fire is how they disposed of the bodies. No eternal barbecues here.

As for translations (and out of context interpretations), of course that's what I'm going to criticize. That's the whole point.

madnak 02-03-2007 02:03 AM

Re: hell
 
But it's the fire that's eternal in many passages, not the death.

MidGe 02-03-2007 02:10 AM

Re: hell
 
Too many steak and sausages to cook in one hit... You have to keep the bbq going.

vhawk01 02-03-2007 02:41 AM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
here is my personal understanding of hell:

1. eternal? well although the bible references eternal suffering and seperation from God (2 Thes. 1:8-10, Jude 1:7, Luke 16:24, Matt. 25:30,46), i don't think ENTERNAL is to be taken literally. The reason is because one day God will destroy Satan, and then what happens to the people in hell? Maybe they are destroyed too, or maybe something else, i don't know.
2. suffering? well, it will be suffering, but a large part of that is because the absence of God (insert joke here). The gnashing of teeth, and the cries, etc, are because they are apart from God.
3. punishment? yes, there will be punishment, but the key here is that it will be BASED on their deeds as well as propotional to their deeds. See Acts 17:30-31,Rom. 2:1-11, Rev. 20:11-15 and Luke 12:47-49, Matt. 10:15, Matt. 11:24, Rev. 20:12-13. So whats my point ... basically that hell will be different for everyone. It could just be isolation, and time for you to reflect by yourself, dont really know.

so there you have it, lots of i dont knows, but mostly because there is not A LOT of scripture about hell. also, i should point out that i am in the belief that God will rightly judge everyone, and that exceptions are often made for those who have failed to accept Jesus Christ but have extenuating circumstances (youth, not having heard the Gospel, mental illness, etc.).

[/ QUOTE ]

Its really pretty irrelevant whether there is actual fire and torture or whether the gnashing of teeth and cries are because of seperation from God. The point remains the same: Infinite punishment.

FortunaMaximus 02-03-2007 02:46 AM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
here is my personal understanding of hell:

1. eternal? well although the bible references eternal suffering and seperation from God (2 Thes. 1:8-10, Jude 1:7, Luke 16:24, Matt. 25:30,46), i don't think ENTERNAL is to be taken literally. The reason is because one day God will destroy Satan, and then what happens to the people in hell? Maybe they are destroyed too, or maybe something else, i don't know.
2. suffering? well, it will be suffering, but a large part of that is because the absence of God (insert joke here). The gnashing of teeth, and the cries, etc, are because they are apart from God.
3. punishment? yes, there will be punishment, but the key here is that it will be BASED on their deeds as well as propotional to their deeds. See Acts 17:30-31,Rom. 2:1-11, Rev. 20:11-15 and Luke 12:47-49, Matt. 10:15, Matt. 11:24, Rev. 20:12-13. So whats my point ... basically that hell will be different for everyone. It could just be isolation, and time for you to reflect by yourself, dont really know.

so there you have it, lots of i dont knows, but mostly because there is not A LOT of scripture about hell. also, i should point out that i am in the belief that God will rightly judge everyone, and that exceptions are often made for those who have failed to accept Jesus Christ but have extenuating circumstances (youth, not having heard the Gospel, mental illness, etc.).

[/ QUOTE ]

Its really pretty irrelevant whether there is actual fire and torture or whether the gnashing of teeth and cries are because of seperation from God. The point remains the same: Infinite punishment.

[/ QUOTE ]

Perhaps the correct outlook on such a thing is a place where punishment can be administered indefinitely or the place exists eternally.

But, an individual's stay in such a place isn't necessarily eternal?

I fail to see how such an interpretation couldn't be improved given that we have a better knowledge of timespans with increased sophistication of the mathematics behind the infinite and a better appreciation for long spans of time.

Rare, brushed with olive oil and cayenne, if you please.

Taraz 02-03-2007 02:47 AM

Re: hell
 
OP,

You'd probably like Unitarian Christianity or something like the Baha'i Faith. As far as I understand them, I think their philosophy on the whole matter is similar to yours.

John21 02-03-2007 04:06 AM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
But, an individual's stay in such a place isn't necessarily eternal?

I fail to see how such an interpretation couldn't be improved given that we have a better knowledge of timespans with increased sophistication of the mathematics behind the infinite and a better appreciation for long spans of time.


[/ QUOTE ]

There's the saying that the opposite of love is not hate but indifference. And I guess we could say that the opposite of life isn't death, but non-being. So it's not hard for me to make the leap and say the opposite of heaven isn't hell, but eternal non-existence. Although I think if we could look at eternal life as being a possibility and then seeing someone not choose it - it would appear as eternal hell or eternal damnation - a state of non-being you can't come back from.


I don't know, but non-existence seems pretty permanent. But I guess we can't ignore the possibility that time curves back on itself or the presence of a wormhole or two in hell. I figure if we have an out, we can always suck-out on satan. Eventually.

MidGe 02-03-2007 04:37 AM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
So it's not hard for me to make the leap and say the opposite of heaven isn't hell, but eternal non-existence. Although I think if we could look at eternal life as being a possibility and then seeing someone not choose it - it would appear as eternal hell or eternal damnation - a state of non-being you can't come back from.

[/ QUOTE ]

Non-existence seems vastly preferable to eternally in the presence of a tyrant, and given what I see in the world, if it came about due to an intelligence, I am not able to judge that intelligence anything but tyrannical and worse, sadistic.

John21 02-03-2007 05:15 AM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So it's not hard for me to make the leap and say the opposite of heaven isn't hell, but eternal non-existence. Although I think if we could look at eternal life as being a possibility and then seeing someone not choose it - it would appear as eternal hell or eternal damnation - a state of non-being you can't come back from.

[/ QUOTE ]

Non-existence seems vastly preferable to eternally in the presence of a tyrant, and given what I see in the world, if it came about due to an intelligence, I am not able to judge that intelligence anything but tyrannical and worse, sadistic.

[/ QUOTE ]
I doubt that "intelligence" is any more tyrannical and sadistic than the being you see when you look in the mirror. In fact I'd argue they're one and the same.

MidGe 02-03-2007 06:38 AM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
I doubt that "intelligence" is any more tyrannical and sadistic than the being you see when you look in the mirror. In fact I'd argue they're one and the same.

[/ QUOTE ]

All the more reason to choose non-existence, presuming the same applies to you and everyone else.

FortunaMaximus 02-03-2007 06:50 AM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I doubt that "intelligence" is any more tyrannical and sadistic than the being you see when you look in the mirror. In fact I'd argue they're one and the same.

[/ QUOTE ]

All the more reason to choose non-existence, presuming the same applies to you and everyone else.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's as should be. I mean, if you set a criteria that would allow existence to be voluntary.

I agree for many people, infinite existence would end up being a sort of hell. That's not necessarily true of everybody.

A lot of people take solace in eternal life. I fail to see the logic where they're concerned. "But it's paradise! You get to do what you like forever..."

What if you get bored of it? <shrugs>

You should at the very least always have the option to switch yourself off or decide to step aside from existence for long sums of time. What's to say you wouldn't find the interest and motivation to continue in 10,000 years?

MidGe 02-03-2007 06:56 AM

Re: hell
 
[ QUOTE ]
You should at the very least always have the option to switch yourself off or decide to step aside from existence for long sums of time. What's to say you wouldn't find the interest and motivation to continue in 10,000 years?

[/ QUOTE ]

Good point, and I have, and hopefully will, and have posted on this subject before.

But 10,000 years of internet? Bleah! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] ORLY? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]


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