Am I a bad person because I don't believe in eternal hell?

[Albion]

Thank you for that. It might be a minority position here, but you are on firm footing there. The second death is not death at all if it is eternal suffering.

It's an analogy, a turn of phrase. If you get eternal suffering you will think it might as well be extinction.

 

[SkyWriting]

It's an analogy, a turn of phrase. If you get eternal suffering you will think it might as well be extinction.

It will seem like eternity. But time will not pass.

 

[NoahSK]

Is annihilationism biblical? | GotQuestions.org

 

[Gideons300]

It's an analogy, a turn of phrase. If you get eternal suffering you will think it might as well be extinction.

Oh, I believe in eternal suffering, but only for rebellious eternal beings who has seen the glory of God first hand and chose their own path.

Now that? That deserves eternal punishment.

blessings,

Gideon

 

[ChicanaRose]

To hear some folks talk, one would think that I am committing a terrible sin by not believing that hell lasts forever.

Well, I don't want to believe that hell lasts forever either. But if God says so, then even if I wished it weren't true, it is what it is.

 

[Not David]

You said "we". I dunno for whom you speaks then.

háidēs
hah'-dace

Thayer's Definition
name Hades or Pluto, the god of the lower regions
Orcus, the nether world, the realm of the dead
later use of this word: the grave, death, hell

I'm still not talking about Hades when referring to hell. And I am sorry you don't get in line with the traditional teaching about Hell, Hades and Gehenna.

 

[RDKirk]

.

 

[timothyu]

It will seem like eternity. But time will not pass.

Like a church service?

 

[timothyu]

Oh, I believe in eternal suffering, but only for rebellious eternal beings

Yep, nothing eternal about us critters from whom the tree of life was taken. Angels weren't so lucky. But if there is eternal life in the Kingdom, then people would be wise to consider the repercussions of eternity.

 

[Greengardener]

When I noticed your question, Light, I thought you were asking if you were "bad" by not believing what a lot of mainliners believe about an eternal hell/torment situation, and I was originally going to suggest that whether you agree with mainliners or not is not relevant, and whether any of us as creatures can understand the bigger plan of the Creator in its entirety (including the question of what to do with unrepentant evil people) is also in question, so based on that, I was going to suggest you go easy on yourself. In reading the replies, I see there's more to the question.

As to addressing the question of hell in general, for myself, I can see a lot of reasons to avoid a place of torment, and I see that we've been given everything we need for life and godliness in our knowledge of Him who loves us. As for how God works that all out, I totally trust His fairness: He delights in lovingkindness, mercy and justice, and I believe without reservation that He's got this one nailed perfectly. My sense of fairness exists because I'm created in His image, but I should always be careful to realize that He is the Authority, not me. While He made us in His image, Jesus is the righteous judge and we aren't in a position to judge something like an eternal destination and how that works out, but He will carry out that perfect will.

In the meantime, I suggest that what might be a better occupation of time if we ourselves want to find ourselves in the "approved" right hand group, is to influence as many people as we can influence with God's love to turn to Him and escape to life.

 

[Silverback]

To hear some folks talk, one would think that I am committing a terrible sin by not believing that hell lasts forever.

God's word teaches eternal punishment for the wicked, and eternal joy of the saved in the presence of God. You of course may believe in what you choose. I make no judgements about you.

 

[Gideons300]

Like a church service?

timothy, I actually LOLed at your response. Thank you for that.

 

[aiki]

To hear some folks talk, one would think that I am committing a terrible sin by not believing that hell lasts forever.

Well, your belief is not in keeping with the testimony of God's word which tells us that it does last forever. (Matthew 25:46; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 14:9-11) Who are you to deny God's word? Why should people let you publicly espouse a false belief unchallenged?

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

To hear some folks talk, one would think that I am committing a terrible sin by not believing that hell lasts forever.

Check out this Anathema of the Emperor Justinian Against Origen from The Second Council of Constantinople in 553 A.D. :

CHURCH FATHERS: Second Council of Constantinople (A.D. 553)


• 9

If anyone says or thinks that the punishment of demons and of impious men is only temporary, and will one day have an end, and that a restoration will take place of demons and of impious men, Let Him Be Anathema.

Anathema to Origen and to that Adamantius, who set forth these opinions together with his nefarious and execrable and wicked doctrine and to whomsoever there is who thinks thus, or defends these opinions, or in any way hereafter at any time shall presume to protect them.




.

 

[Blade]

To hear some folks talk, one would think that I am committing a terrible sin by not believing that hell lasts forever.

Lol..no and God is a just God. Heaven for some would be hell. You can't look at this by what man has been telling you. Well is all over the place. People that say they been to hell. Or its forever or your judged and poof your gone. On and on. People are lost forever ..and lets stop there for a second.. were talking about REAL people that a GOD made. If this was OUR Children we would be talking so much different

So people are lost for ever because they KNEW Jesus was real.. and didn't want Him. If all someone knew heard "Jesus loves you live for ever" and you say no.. you really think that person is lost forever? God in some way will give them a chance.. a choice where they KNOW what they are saying no or yes to.

We are joint heirs with Christ...theres rewards for following Him and so much more. So saying no to Christ they will get the same reward Satan gets. Talk about this LOVE..how can GOD for ever burn them.. He told us "hell was made for the devil and his angels". Man was never on Gods mind. Sorry he is no man and does not think like man. We only see and know in part. So trying to FIGURE this out.. is mute. He wont say anything. He gave us JUST what we need. AFTER this.. we will know

 

[Gideons300]

Well, your belief is not in keeping with the testimony of God's word which tells us that it does last forever. (Matthew 25:46; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 14:9-11) Who are you to deny God's word? Why should people let you publicly espouse a false belief unchallenged?

To be fair, the OP might not have meant hell lasting forever, as much as to whether punishment for those rejecting Jesus was eternal.

On the latter, there are those, of whom I am one, who see it as a second death. i do not see this view as a false belief, but rather simply a view that some brothers and sisters in the Lord espouse to, based upon the scriptures they have taken to heart.

What is your take on the matter?

Thanks,

Gids

 

[GodLovesCats]

We are bad just because we are human? What about the image of God in us? What makes someone a wretched sinner worthy of God's anger and wrath? Does not believing in an eternal burning hell make me the worst of all men and worthy of that very fire? Some seem to think so.

The Bible is crystal clear that the first time a person sins he or she is a sinner worthy of God's anger. I am sure being made in God's image does not mean we are made free of sin because Adam and Eve, both made perfect and in the image of God, sinned.

 

[Gideons300]

Check out this Anathema of the Emperor Justinian Against Origen from The Second Council of Constantinople in 553 A.D. :

CHURCH FATHERS: Second Council of Constantinople (A.D. 553)


• 9

If anyone says or thinks that the punishment of demons and of impious men is only temporary, and will one day have an end, and that a restoration will take place of demons and of impious men, Let Him Be Anathema.

Anathema to Origen and to that Adamantius, who set forth these opinions together with his nefarious and execrable and wicked doctrine and to whomsoever there is who thinks thus, or defends these opinions, or in any way hereafter at any time shall presume to protect them.




.

Do you=espouse to this belief? Not the error of it, but that one being anathema to you... dead to you?

blessings,

Gids

 

[Ozarks Prodigal]

Hello Gracia -

Would you do me a favor and read this blog piece and then give me your feedback.

God’s Hand & Our Free Will

BTW - I do believe Metropolitan Ware is in the camp of Hopeful Universalism. I read a piece by him a while back where he clearly supports the concept.

Interesting article... the author makes a good argument.

 

[aiki]

To be fair, the OP might not have meant hell lasting forever, as much as to whether punishment for those rejecting Jesus was eternal.

On the latter, there are those, of whom I am one, who see it as a second death. i do not see this view as a false belief, but rather simply a view that some brothers and sisters in the Lord espouse to, based upon the scriptures they have taken to heart.

What is your take on the matter?

Thanks,

Gids

I don't take an annihilationist view, nor do I subscribe to the idea that hell is remedial and thus temporary. Everlasting punishment is just what it sounds like. Annihilationism denies the plain meaning of this phrase (from Matthew 25:46). Punishment necessarily entails consciousness. One cannot punish a tree, or rock, or a rubber ball; one cannot punish a corpse, either. So, when Matthew 25:46 speaks of "everlasting punishment" it necessarily means punishment that is consciously experienced forever.

Also, the very obvious parallelism in Matthew 25:46 is violated by an annihilationist or purgatorial reading. The punishment of the wicked is as eternal as the life the righteous enjoy with God after death. If one wants to say that the punishment of the wicked is not so, that it is actually only temporary, they must deny totally the clear parallel laid out in the verse.