What is Hell?

[SaintMarco]

I often think about Hell and wonder what it is. The bible claims that in Hell you are burned permanentely over a scalding fire. I can't image that, as the pain would just be too unbearable to take.

I wonder if this is true...

Perhaps Hell is a terrible state of mind and not a place where you endure physical pain?

 

[GraceInHim]

I believe it is real.. just as the Devil is real... when the earth swallowed up the Israelites during Moses time, God was not kidding.. but Jesus came to die for our sins, so that we may believe, repent, follow what he said and be saved from it..

 

[Sophia7]

Pope John Paul II addressed the Catholic view of hell in an audience in 1999. I don't know if you have read what he said, but since you have a Catholic faith icon, you might be interested in reading it:

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/1999/documents/hf_jp-ii_aud_28071999_en.html#top

 

[USMC]

Hell is an existence without the presence of God. This in and of itself is pure torture on every level of existence we can imagine, but is only compounded with the presence of Satan, who hates us extremely. I've always though that imagery of fire and heat describing hell has always been an analogy for the dryness and thirst that those who go there will experience, thristing for God's presence and life, but unable to quench it. Of course, I could be wrong, and it could very well be a literal fire that burns.

 

[Angel of God]

I often think about Hell and wonder what it is. The bible claims that in Hell you are burned permanentely over a scalding fire. I can't image that, as the pain would just be too unbearable to take.

I wonder if this is true...

Perhaps Hell is a terrible state of mind and not a place where you endure physical pain?

Hell is a spiritual level where souls are suffering as
material bodies.....
It's only a similarity.

 

[Entertaining_Angels]

Hell is eternal separation from God. The Bible is pretty clear about the 'fires of hell' so, yes, I'd say it's a place of eternal suffering.

 

[Soon Rev 22:11-12]

Hell in English comes from several different Hebrew or Greek words.

I think you are asking about the final fate of the unsaved. If so, check out this:

Hell: Eternal Torment or Annihilation?

or this

"Immortality: Conditional or Innate."

or this

 

[Eruliel]

The Opposite of Heaven.
So convert Paradise before God, the beautiful natural state we're meant to be in, and turn it into an ugly unnatural imbalance, seperation from God and every other unnatural thing on this earth...Illness, thirst, want...
I think that God is going to convert Earth into the lake of fire. *shrug*
Slainte!
Eruliel

 

[ContraMundum]

Hell is discussion theology with some of the people at CF.

(No, seriously, if Hell didn't exist, Jesus would never have preached it. God cannot lie.)

 

[grateful heart]

Hell is a 5 story parking lot with no free spaces and no one wants to move unless someone gets in their car and leaves, and there is nothing you can do about it, cant get in cant get out= Hell

 

[Zurich]

The Bible says that God will render an infinite punishment upon non-believing sinners for the violation of his law; thus hell is the the experience of God's judgment rendering an eternal penalty for sin.

Whether or not there is material hell-fire is of little consequence, because the reality is that the punishment will be as infinite as God is infinite. Non-Christians deserve it and it is an expression of God's justice to punish them. At that time, everybody will recognize that this punishment is a glorifying thing.

 

[Timmothy]

College

 

[CFpetRESCUER20]

You are so funny. Try being in the biology major.

College

 

[SaintMarco]

Non-Christians deserve it quote]

So you're saying that Jews, Buddhists and people of other religions all deserve, (and will go to), Hell?

 

[Zurich]

Non-Christians deserve it quote]

So you're saying that Jews, Buddhists and people of other religions all deserve, (and will go to), Hell?

What does the Bible say? That is my answer.

 

[SaintMarco]

What does the Bible say? That is my answer.

I personally don't think that people go to Hell just for being non-Christian. As long as they live a good life, they will probably avoid Hell.

 

[grateful heart]

I personally don't think that people go to Hell just for being non-Christian. As long as they live a good life, they will probably avoid Hell.

Well the Bible disagrees with you on that

 

[Zurich]

Well the Bible disagrees with you on that

The Bible says that God will punish unbelievers for their sin.

 

[Zurich]

God is loving to his children (christians), and not all are his children. To deny that there is a punishment for the violation of God's law makes a mockery of God's justice and holiness.

It is impossible to read the bible and not come away with the doctrine that: "Yahweh is slow to anger, and great in power, and will by no means leave the guilty unpunished" Nahum 1:3. Vengeance is God's -- he will repay! Romans 12:19.

God will smite all the wicked, godless non-Christians and people who do not know and honor him as the sovereign law-giver and law-enforcer.

The wrath of God will be deserved—totally just and right. Paul labored to show this in the first part of this letter to the Romans. Let me remind you of how he said it: “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (Romans 1:18). Wrath does not come without warrant. It is deserved. The truth of God is known (Romans 1:19-20). And the truth is suppressed. And the fruit is ungodliness and unrighteousness. And on that comes wrath (Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:6).

 

[PlumTea]

When a Christian says they are saved... what exactly are they saying they are saved from? I believe it is from the wrath of God, & his punishment is made complete with hell. And hell won't exactly last forever... it will be tossed into the lake of fire which will last forever. I know that the believers willl be given new bodies & likewise I believe the unsaved will also have bodies that last forever. I don't think it is cruel for God to punish sinners for their crimes, especially when he gave his son so they wouldn't have to. We don't really come to God simply out of fear of hell ( or at least we shouldn't). The thing that should drive the person to the cross is the knowledge that we have sinned against a holy god & truly deserve hell, but he first loved us and so we don't have to go.