ralangley
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- May 30, 2007
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Volumes have been written about hell - its various interpretations and the biblical evidence of its existence or not. I do not have the scholarly expertise to expound on their merits or lack thereof. But I do have my own experience and knowledge that guides me in my
beliefs.
The problem I have with hell comes from Jesus' reference to Gehenna - a burning dump at the edge of town that King James translators called hell. Whenever Jesus spoke of hell, it was actually Gehenna. Since the Jews had all sorts of rules relating to how a dead body should be treated, to be thrown into a burning trash heap was the worst possible fate. It said your life is worthless, no better than trash. Today, Gehenna is a public park. In short, all those lives that were deemed worthless are gone. They do not suffer, they have ceased to exist. (Another way you could look at it is that they've been redeemed, restored through some painful purification process..... I believe Universalists view it this way.)
Regardless, the debate continues. I do believe that God's holiness permits no unholiness. We need Jesus to intercede for us.
I'm not sure if the promise eternal life is granted to everyone.
Interesting topic.
beliefs.
The problem I have with hell comes from Jesus' reference to Gehenna - a burning dump at the edge of town that King James translators called hell. Whenever Jesus spoke of hell, it was actually Gehenna. Since the Jews had all sorts of rules relating to how a dead body should be treated, to be thrown into a burning trash heap was the worst possible fate. It said your life is worthless, no better than trash. Today, Gehenna is a public park. In short, all those lives that were deemed worthless are gone. They do not suffer, they have ceased to exist. (Another way you could look at it is that they've been redeemed, restored through some painful purification process..... I believe Universalists view it this way.)
Regardless, the debate continues. I do believe that God's holiness permits no unholiness. We need Jesus to intercede for us.
I'm not sure if the promise eternal life is granted to everyone.
Interesting topic.
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