It means eternity without salvation.

No. But you should not promote what you believe as if it is established fact. If you do, I or someone else may call you out on it.

I have posted it, several times in several threads including this one. And each time I have posted it, I have made it clear that its what I believe, not established fact. The proper answer is According to Christianity's teachings or According to my beliefs... Anyone who rejects Christianity will go to hell. . But until and unless you can offer absolute proof to back up that statement, which you CANNOT do. It is only what YOU believe.


I have to disagree on this point. The fact that this is a Christianity board does not mean anything posted here has to be accepted as fact.

Separation from God and Christ is God. What is your definition of hell?

It means that one has condemned himself to eternal fire because he has rejected Christ.

You say you've been a Christian all your life and you don't know this basic doctrine?

In this post you say hell is eternal fire. Before this, you said it's separation from God.

Separation from God doesn't necessarily involve fire. So what is your definition of hell?

Just because one asks a question doesn't mean one doesn't know the answer.

It is established fact. It has been established fact for 2000 years.

I'm ready, willing and able to defend my beliefs whenever you think you're ready to challenge them.

And do you think you have the last word?

And you were right. Your belief is your opinion. My belief is established fact.

The proper answer is that which I believe is proper. Your point of view is your own. Therefore, if you recognize that your beliefs aren't facts, that is your business. But I know that my beliefs are facts.

That's true.

All I need to do is provide evidence. I don't have to convince anyone of anything. There are people today who still believe the earth is flat. There are people who don't believe that Americans went to the moon. The fact that YOU don't accept the absolute proof I provide is your problem, not mine. The truth is true, whether you believe it or not.

What you accept as fact is your business. I will accept as fact and teach as facts those things which I consider facts.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Most people as questions when they are looking for answers.

Both. Separation from God in the Lake of Fire:
Revelation 21:8
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Separation from God, in the sense of opposing God, does involve the punishment of eternal fire.

I'm not "most people."
Aha. Revelation.

De Maria you know people come to the religion board, esp the Christianity board, not looking for answers, but with agenda.

I don't see them going to the Islam board and telling them that the Koran is wrong, nor do we, We respect their right to answer on that board, according to their teachings.

So under Scott opinion, that is wrong, We could go over and challenge that Islam is correct and that it is based on false teachings.

I have deleted posts that would do that, but we do not get the same respect on the Christianity board.

A person asks a question here because they wish to get a Christian answer for their question. If they wanted to know what Islam teaches they go to that board, if they wish to know what Buddhist or others teach there is a other religion board.

Sorry Guys I am standing a ground on this one,

On the Christianity board, Christian teachings are facts here.

And here we go with the misguided literalism... Hell is also described as being in chains, it's described as darkness, as a dungeon and several other ways. How do you reconcile all those images? Fire without light? Good trick.

Oh, wait. I think I know: they're IMAGES!! Metaphors. Attempts to describe the indescribable. Using word pictures to connect people with something that most would consider a horrible, unthinkable setting. Not to be taken literally, but intended to make it clear that this is someplace you do NOT want to be. Nothing more.

i.e, where God is not, where Love is not.

I'm sorry, but a fact is something that can be proven beyond any doubt. All the evidence you can provide is based on the Bible and taking the word of the Bible is a matter of FAITH, not absolute proof. You can accept the word of the Bible as fact if you want and I am happy you have found comfort in your faith. But you can't teach something as fact until you can offer absolute proof, which you cannot.

This is something I have never and will never be able to understand. I have no problem with your presenting whatever evidence has convinced you of your beliefs, let the people you are presenting it to decide for themselves what their beliefs will be. If you feel that this evidence is so powerful, then you should be comfortable that they will accept your beliefs. But I have a problem when you say something is a fact, when it clearly is based on faith and belief and is not absolute fact. I am not challenging your beliefs. I can no more prove you are wrong than you can prove you are right. But I expect the same respect. It is as simple as that.

If I were to see someone on the Islam forum or the Judaism forum or the Hindu forum or whatever state that their beliefs are fact, I would challenge them in the same way.

My argument with De Maria or anyone that proposes to teach the Old Testament, the New Testament the Koran or whatever as absolute fact is that there is no absolute proof. There is plenty, some very powerful, evidence to convince people that their religion is correct, but it is ALL still based on faith. If you you or De Maria or anyone says things like; Christianity teaches that.. the Bible says that.. I believe that.. etc. You will have no problem with me. Because that IS fact. You do believe what you believe, the Bible says a lot of things and Christianity has many teachings.

Can you see where I am coming from here? I'll state again, I believe you have the right to believe what you want to believe, but I expect you to give me the same respect. And when you make statements that something based on faith is an absolute fact, then you are not giving me that respect.

As I said above, if you feel the word of the Bible, the evidence that has convinced you is so powerful that it should convince others, then you should have no problem qualifying it as I suggested. But I know the difference between a true fact and a belief based on faith. I will not accept the latter as the former. And I will continue to challenge it.

Look Anna,
If this is what your friend believes, all you can say to her is: what if you are wrong?
Other than that, nobody in this world of ours can tell for sure what waits for us in the other life, if there is another life.
Those of us who DO NOT consider our religion as stupid, at least, have the advantage of BELIEVING that if we behave down here we shall be entitled to enjoy God in his Kingdom. But, of course, this is the base of our FAITH
We cannot prove it. And we will not know whether we are right or wrong until WE ARE GONE!
So what if your friend is wrong?
Gromitt82:D

Now THAT is an excellent response! Thank you.

Was the question moved to religious discussions or was it always here? If it wasn't moved then I don't know why this has to be a Christian discussion. This isn't the Christianity forum.

I myself am a Deist. My beliefs are very similar to Scotts, with a few differences. Don't know all the differences, since Scott and I haven't actually sat down and discusses this. ;)

I do believe that a God created the world. I don't believe that he stuck around to see what we do with it. Here's where I'm a bit different. I want to believe in Heaven, but, I don't believe that you have to spend your life worshipping anyone or anything to get there. If there is a God that cares about what we do here on this earth, then being a good person should be all it takes.

I don't think that simply asking God for forgiveness will get you anywhere. Not if the Christian God is fact. Most of the Christians I know sin all week (cheat on their spouses, beat their kids, steal, lie), and then go to church on Sunday and ask for forgiveness. If the Christian God is real then he would know what's in your heart. That means that he'd know what's in all of our hearts. If you're a good person, do the best you can not to hurt others, and you learn from your mistakes, feel remorse for the bad things you do, then I believe that even the Christian God would let you enter the pearly gates.

Of course this is just my belief. Hopefully I'm right. :)

Dear Altenweg,

If you believe Creation is an act of God, then you believe in the same God as I do, because there can be only one Creator and, therefore, one ONLY God.
Deist or Christian does not matter much! We share slight different ideas about slight different matters. But, in the end, we all believe the same.
Gromitt82

It was moved. It was originally posted in the Christianity forum.

Faith and absolute facts are two very different things.
There is no such thing; it is not mentioned in the Bible. Purgatory is a human construct.

I think that the OP's answer has been sufficiently answered.

Will her friend go to hell? No one, not any human being, can answer that. None of us know for a fact what will happen when we die. None of us know for a fact that our beliefs will get us into heaven, if there is a heaven. No one can state as fact that there is a God.

In the end it all comes down to what you believe. There are many different beliefs. The OP believes in God, so she believes that there's a heaven and hell. But, her friend doesn't. None of us can so who's right. We all have to wait and see.