[Clough]

Originally Posted by cozyk
Your response sounds so angry? Why is that?

I do apologize to you, cozyk and anyone else posting on this thread, if what I have posted sounds angry and seems to be a response to this thread that you have started. There are at least a couple of posts that are missing from your thread.

My posts here really aren't a response to what you have started on this thread. But, are a response to someone who came on here last night and was posting things here and on other threads that appeared to be attempts to just start arguments about what people believe.

That person's posts here and on other threads have now been removed and that former member has also been removed from this site.

I'm sorry about the confusion here!

[cozyk]

I do apologize to you, cozyk and anyone else posting on this thread, if what I have posted sounds angry and seems to be a response to this thread that you have started. There are at least a couple of posts that are missing from your thread.

My posts here really aren't a response to what you have started on this thread. But, are a response to someone who came on here last night and was posting things here and on other threads that appeared to be attempts to just start arguments about what people believe.

That person's posts here and on other threads have now been removed and that former member has also been removed from this site.

I'm sorry about the confusion here!

;) No problem, thank you for clearing this up.

[LifePaparazzi]

Despite what you may have heard, the concept of hell is an invention of religion. The concept did not even come about until the 15th (or so) century

Lets look at it from a logical standpoint. If you believe in God, you know that the bible teaches you that "God is Love" and "We are his children".

Now think about this; If you had a child that did something really bad, would you punish it with torture... for ever and ever and ever and ever etc.

Of cause you wouldn't . Also, the bible tells us that "The payment for all sins is death" So, basically, if you are a bad individual of whom God would never approve, you would simply die. You would go in to total oblivion, never to be mentioned again.

God can see deep into our hearts. He can determine whether you are worthy or whether you should just be gone forever.

Now, you will find that many people will try to quote you with scriptures to prove their case. You will hear about "sheol" and "hades". But when we go back to the original scriptures for these words, you will find that they are not what people are calling "Hell"

The concept of hell is highly illogical. It was invented to get people to come to church and give. It was instituted by the churches as a ploy.

[Galveston1]

[QUOTE=LifePaparazzi]Despite what you may have heard, the concept of hell is an invention of religion. The concept did not even come about until the 15th (or so) century

How can you make this statement? Jesus preached about Hell more than possibly any one else recorded in the Bible, and that was way earlier than the 15th century.

[N0help4u]

To me I see hell as a literal yet abstract place. For example the 'burning' in hell I see like when your emotions are strong, like say you get embarrassed or something and you feel like you are burning up inside. I think it is sort of like that with hell when peoples sins are 'revealed' to them. Their emotions will burn from knowing the hurt and torment they caused by the wrongs they did.
That is just the way I picture it but not necessarily how it is.

[cozyk]

[F]:) [

I've gone back and read every post in this thread. I've come to a conclusion that I already had for quite awhile. You can find a verse in the bible to support just about anything you want. You can even pick because there is conflicting scripture about the same subject. And then, on top of that, you exercise your right for interpretation of that scripture. No wonder there is so much confusion in the christian faith.:rolleyes:

[mr wendal]

Heaven and Hell?? are you serious?
You're asking people all over the world to start talking about this?
If you're catholic, ask your preist and even he will try to skirt the question.
It's all about faith. In order to have faith that there's a heaven, there needs to be an equal and opposite plain of existence. If it weren't for fear of hell Evil would be more prevailant for two reasons, firstly... If Evil isn't in Hell, it has to be here among us. and secondly... People would have nothing to fear as repercussion.
If you have faith then you believe blindly. If you truly have faith then no matter what you hear from others, Hell is a very real place.
I must disclaim however that while I took religious studies and religious education for many years I am an athiest. I do not believe in heaven, hell, white utopian paradises or firey pits.

Not believing in something does not make it either exist or not , you can stand directly in front of me and I can pretend that you're not there , but that does not change the fact that you're there
The fact that I can awake each morning and see the beauty of creation , the sunrise , the world around me in all it's splendor makes me to know that there is a God that created all of this , as for the radar effect , God placed in each of us a conscience that , while some folks don't heed that inner voice that tells them that hey what you just did is wrong ,that does not mean it is not there, they just did not heed it
Now if there is good then there must be evil ,the scales must be balance so if I believe that God created a heaven , which I do believe he did , then to balance that scale there must be a hell.