Does anybody have even a sneaking fear of hell???

population

As above

Going through a bit of a weird one at the moment, I think possibly as a result of my Fathers death last summer. Essentially I dont believe in organised religion. I do not believe in any of their interpretations of "God" because it just all bases itself on harm and exclusion of others.

I do however believe that there may well be something that we cant possibly understand or explain, hence any quantifying of God has been pointless.

But.....

Lately I have been thinking about the existence of Hell quite a bit, feasibly because I am reading alot about the 12th century and the spectre of Hell litters every aspect of 12th century lives. I have read some fairly puritanical descriptions one after the other and I am ashamed to admit this because it goes against all my common sense, but I am actually starting to fear Hell. A freind asked me what did I have a harder time beleiving in, a heaven or a hell, and I said without hesitation "Heaven".

Bearing in mind that if we go by the Christain mantra of Heaven and Hell, why is it that I have no faith that a heaven exists, yet I am starting to entertain the concept of hell. Am I having a Catholic hangover

Borneo Fnctn

I don't really fear hell because I don't believe it exists. It sounds horrible alright. When I think about it, I say to myself "that would be horrible if it was real." I think the same when I watch a horror film. It was invented to keep people in line out of fear. If the Bible said "Believe in Jesus if you like. It's up to yourself. You're going to heaven either way" there'd be allot of empty seats in churches.

Dinner

Nope, no fear here either. Similarily, I have no hope/fear that heaven exists. If I get landed in some heavenly court room and god/Thor/Zeus is willing to overlook the good things I may have done in my life and send me to hell because I didn't believe in him then that would just go to show what a bastard he/they are. I think I'd have a good chance at talking my way out of it anyway...


Hope god doesn't read this post or my plan will be ruined.

Latchy

Bearing in mind that if we go by the Christain mantra of Heaven and Hell, why is it that I have no faith that a heaven exists, yet I am starting to entertain the concept of hell. Am I having a Catholic hangover

Strangley enough it is probably something lot of Catholic , lasped Catholics and Athiests alike vison more than anything ,Hell over Heaven .
Maybe because we are thought it's a lot harder to get into the later ( Heaven) .

Hell is a reality for a lot of people here on Earth .Heaven is pure Escapism.

Galvasean

I have never lost sleep over the taught of going to hell. I guess the idea seems so outlandish to me, much in the same way I don't worry about the Boogey man or monsters in the closet.

Latchy

I dont lose sleep either .I think any fear of hell may be deep rooted in our religious teaching which might in some cases, be a hangover from childhood ,when kids were literally scared to death ie, you do this or that , your going straight to hell .

Handsome Bob

This is the beauty of the idea of hell. Wouldn't it be so much easier for people to dismiss organised religion if they weren't threatened with looming eternal damnation?;)

It is normal to think about such things OP, especially in the aftermath of bereavement. Just live a good life without harming anyone, that should save you from any potential "Hell".:pac:

Dades

I find it incredible in this day and age, in the First World, that there are otherwise intelligent adults who genuinely believe there is an actual place called Hell that sinners and non-believers will go to spend eternity. It just never ceases to amaze me.

So no.

The Mad Hatter

I'm kind of afraid of the sort of grown-ups who believe in hell...

Lab_Mouse

no hell(i hope).As an agnostic I consider myself a lazy thinker.

Is there a god?dont know dont care,gonna behave the way i do anyway.Is there a hell?dont know,dont care.Havent killed/raped anyone yet so i think my worst offence so far is premarital sex and for a while I did covet my neighbours wife but got over it without doing anything(lucky me cos she turned into a fat pig!).

It would be a cruel god that would send me to hell for the above but Im fooked if there is maybe?

Latchy

The Mad Hatter wrote: »

I'm kind of afraid of the sort of grown-ups who believe in hell...

I avoid them like the plague.

Handsome Bob

The Mad Hatter wrote: »

I'm kind of afraid of the sort of grown-ups who believe in hell...

How so?

The Mad Hatter

LZ5by5 wrote: »

How so?

They seem to have voting power in direct inverse proportion to their sense.

Galvasean

LZ5by5 wrote: »

How so?

I myself would be wary (rather than fearful) of any mind that chooses freely to believe in such a perculiar notion.

Handsome Bob

The Mad Hatter wrote: »

They seem to have voting power in direct inverse proportion to their sense.

Galvasean wrote: »

I myself would be wary (rather than fearful) of any mind that chooses freely to believe in such a perculiar notion.

It is a strong notion to dismiss though no? Especially if you've been programmed since day one to believe in it. Sometimes when that is the case intelligence doesn't even come into it.

Latchy

Lab_Mouse wrote: »

Is there a god?dont know dont care,gonna behave the way i do anyway.Is there a hell?dont know,dont care.Havent killed/raped anyone yet so i think my worst offence so far is premarital sex and for a while I did covet my neighbours wife but got over it without doing anything(lucky me cos she turned into a fat pig!).

Some people even believe the thought is as bad as the action .Imagine that eh ?

kiffer

Hell(eternal punishment, with or without fire) was, I think, one of the first things to go for me...

I worry about the sort of mind that thinks that Hell is real... I can't imagine how they reconcile the idea of eternal punishment with that of a loving, compassionate, forgiving or just God...

All I can think of is 'doublethink' and/or a fundamental lack of compassion/empathy...


There are several reasons for punishments...
A short list include; Rehabilitation/Education, Incapacitation/Societal protection, as a Deterrent, for Restoration, or as Retribution

Eternal punishment in hell can not rehabilitate for obvious reasons...
Eternal punishment does not act as a deterrent for anyone that does not believe in it, OR for people that don't believe that they will go there for what ever reason.
Eternal punishment does not offer any protection to society, either on Earth or in Heaven(where presumably they would be unable to sin anyway what with being constantly bathed in the light of God and all that)...
Eternal punishment does not Restore or make up for the sins/crimes committed... by suffering for ever you are not making anything better.

Retribution... is frankly totally at odds with the idea of a loving, compassionate or forgiving God... (what about Just? is torturing someone for even a few millions of years a just punishment for any temporal crime? let alone torturing them for Eternity?)


So either:
God is compassionate and there is no Hell(eternal punishment/torture/suffering)
OR
God is not compassionate and there is a Hell...
OR
God does not exist and there is no Hell...

That said I guess God could be compassionate and Hell could be simple oblivion... a state of non existence... but then that would be at odds with the text of the Bible...

What have I left out? Limbo, purgatory, Sheol, Tartarus...?

Gordon

I always have a sneaking fear of hell, that's why I don't actually go into town on a Saturday.

Latchy

Gordon wrote: »

I always have a sneaking fear of hell, that's why I don't actually go into town on a Saturday.

Exactly ,fear of the living Hell ( as oposed to the other one ) is a very sobering reality .

Sam Vimes

LZ5by5 wrote: »

It is normal to think about such things OP, especially in the aftermath of bereavement. Just live a good life without harming anyone, that should save you from any potential "Hell".:pac:

I'm afraid not. Take a look at the first four commandments. God's quite vain you see so the most important important thing to him is not that you live a good life or treat people well, it's that you kiss his ass. Fail to do that and it doesn't matter if you cure cancer, you gonna fry

Galvasean

LZ5by5 wrote: »

It is a strong notion to dismiss though no? Especially if you've been programmed since day one to believe in it. Sometimes when that is the case intelligence doesn't even come into it.

I didn't say anything about intelligence as such. If it is a case that it has been programmed into them, then their mind is in fact warped. Warped minds are not to be trusted.
Hmmm, perhaps that wording comes across as being a bit harsh? But I honestly feel that no right thinking member of society would think another person would spend an eternity of anguish and suffering for not believing in the same version of a God that (s)he does.

Húrin

Dades wrote: »

I find it incredible in this day and age, in the First World, that there are otherwise intelligent adults who genuinely believe there is an actual place called Hell that sinners and non-believers will go to spend eternity. It just never ceases to amaze me.

So no.

Atheists on boards.ie have this amusing tendency to think that their opinions are the obvious truth to everyone.

Latchy

The Atheists on boards.ie might be better occupied looking at more earthly goings on than their obsessions with the afterlife ie , hell .Sure it might do their mental health a lot of good to .

Galvasean

Húrin wrote: »

Atheists on boards.ie have this amusing tendency to think that their opinions are the obvious truth to everyone.

A bit like the vast majority of boards.ie posters so

I've yet to encounter someone who taught their own opinion was wrong.

robindch

Húrin wrote: »

Atheists on boards.ie have this amusing tendency to think that their opinions are the obvious truth to everyone.

Given that we're outnumbered, say ten to one, I think most of us have cottoned on that it's a truth which is anything but obvious to everybody

Latchy

Galvasean wrote: »

A bit like the vast majority of boards.ie posters so

I've yet to encounter someone who taught their own opinion was wrong.

What about The Mods .Even when their wrong their right but that's something everybody has to except as part of boards rules.;)

kiffer

Latchy wrote: »

What about The Mods .Even when their wrong their right but that's something everybody has to except as part of boards rules.;)

Um... If the mods are wrong you can take it to the helpdesk can't you?
You're not allowed to raise it as an issue in the thread or in the forum where the problem developped and for good reason.

Zillah

I would be very very afraid of the notion of Hell if it struck me as anything other than an utterly farcical and childlike notion. If you actually stop and think about the psychology behind it you'll really feel a lot better. Hell is a combination of a childlike fear of authority, coupled with a powerful tool for control. Nothing more.

If that's not enough, then remind yourself that most religions on the planet have their own unique version of Hell, which should help you remember that they're all talking a load of primitive, stupid nonsense and you should slap yourself for lowering yourself to believing their idiocy.

Zillah

Húrin wrote: »

Atheists on boards.ie have this amusing tendency to think that their opinions are the obvious truth to everyone.

No no...most of us are painfully aware of how utterly deluded believers are.

aidan24326

Húrin wrote: »

Atheists on boards.ie have this enlightened tendency to know that their opinions are the obvious truth to everyone with a properly functioning brain.

Fixed.

Tar.Aldarion

Obviously not, what a concept, oh my, I mean it's good for books of fiction and films, to keep me entertained. Tis good lore.