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I don't think this is Hell, I think this is life. There's too much to be enjoyed, little kids, candy, sitting under a shady tree with a soda after a day of yard work. Feeling successful, getting a project turned in after the stress of too much procrastination, Going back to bed after waking up early but realizing it is Summer Holidays. Sure, there is bad, but How would we recognize the sweet without the bitter?
Has anyone ever thought this? -- What if this life, here on earth, is actually hell, and that's why it's hard and there is suffering?
What if we did something really really bad previously, and we were sent here to start from scratch to learn the basics of good behavior, such as cooperation? Here, where life is hard, where too much heat or too much cold, too much dryness or too much flooding rain can all kill; where disease is rampant if unchecked, and sometimes even if treated; where there are more questions tha answers, we MUST rely upon one another in order to simply survive as earthly beings.
Maybe we're being taught to be good to one another by being forced into a situation where we will, at some point, depend upon one another's help. Therefore, even if for initially very selfish reasons (I want others to help me at some point--so I'd better help them first--that way they'll be kindly disposed toward me in the future), we'd be slowly learning to be better people. Or souls. Or oobie-doobies. Whatever.
It's 1:18 AM. There is a very good chance that absolutely NONE of this post is making sense given my sleep-deprived insomniac state. But on the off chance that any of it does make sense...what are your thoughts on this?
I totally understand what you are saying here. But how would explain why seemingly some people have much harder and unhappier lives than others? Why are some rich and some so poor they have trouble feeding their families, were they poor people worse prior to this life? Why are some born with or aquire terrible physical conditions or disease and others not? Again would they have had to be the worst in the previous life or is it just a fluke? I don't think this could be hell, although I don't know what it is...just too much of it is good to be described as hell in the traditional sense. So maybe it's more like a trial or test of our selves, to see if we have the right stuff for heaven?
I don't think this is Hell, I think this is life. There's too much to be enjoyed, little kids, candy, sitting under a shady tree with a soda after a day of yard work. Feeling successful, getting a project turned in after the stress of too much procrastination, Going back to bed after waking up early but realizing it is Summer Holidays. Sure, there is bad, but How would we recognize the sweet without the bitter?
I agree, manic, but that's part of my point. I explained it later in the thread after my OP but I know I get overly wordy at times and people probably skim...I would, LOL. Anyway...I don't think hell would have to have no good at all in it, nor would the infliction of pain have to be the point. The point would be that we would all be thrown into a circumstance where we would literally have to get along. We would have to learn cooperation. We would hopefully learn empathy. And we would need to work to make things nicer, to make things happier and better (which we do...cleaning up neighborhoods, etc.). It would be a lesson. But it *would* be true (and is true) that we are never quite "all blissed out here," no matter how many good things happen. There is always something around the corner that we have to work out. Sometimes it's something we don't mind working out. Sometimes it's something that's excruciating. Sometimes it's somewhere in between. But one way or another, we are never at the point of being *permanently* happy, as long as we're on the earth. It would be impossible.
But then again...I'm not really trying to convince anybody...I mean these are just my thoughts...something I've been wondering about.
I totally understand what you are saying here. But how would explain why seemingly some people have much harder and unhappier lives than others? Why are some rich and some so poor they have trouble feeding their families, were they poor people worse prior to this life? Why are some born with or aquire terrible physical conditions or disease and others not? Again would they have had to be the worst in the previous life or is it just a fluke? I don't think this could be hell, although I don't know what it is...just too much of it is good to be described as hell in the traditional sense. So maybe it's more like a trial or test of our selves, to see if we have the right stuff for heaven?
That's such a good question, and one I've asked myself regarding Christianity as well. I don't know. Maybe so that people who have it very hard, have to reach out even harder to others. Maybe so that other people can see them and feel empathy and try to make it better. Maybe it's symbiotic.
I can't say for sure since this isn't exactly a religion or anything. I don't have a book to go by. It's just a weird idea.
I'm also wondering...if you do turn all these questions around as to why some people have to have things so bad, then why from the Christian view would some people have to have things so bad? You know? That's not a question that can really be answered by Christianity either. It isn't really ever addressed "logically" except in the reincarnationist religions, Hinduism and Buddhism; otherwise it's definitely a mystery to the rest of us. Generally the Christian answer tends to be, "it doesn't really matter, since this life on earth is short compared to eternity. We won't be worrying about earthly suffering then." But you notice that doesn't actually answer the question. So...your guess is as good as mine.
Anyway...I don't think hell would have to have no good at all in it, nor would the infliction of pain have to be the point. The point would be that we would all be thrown into a circumstance where we would literally have to get along. We would have to learn cooperation. We would hopefully learn empathy. And we would need to work to make things nicer, to make things happier and better (which we do...cleaning up neighborhoods, etc.). It would be a lesson. But it *would* be true (and is true) that we are never quite "all blissed out here," no matter how many good things happen. There is always something around the corner that we have to work out. Sometimes it's something we don't mind working out. Sometimes it's something that's excruciating. Sometimes it's somewhere in between. But one way or another, we are never at the point of being *permanently* happy, as long as we're on the earth. It would be impossible.
You just described spending a week with my mother-in-law...very scary indeed!
If this was indeed hell then there would have to be some explanation as to why we've been put here. I think someone suggested it was because of something we'd done previously but I don't recall anything before this particular lifetime. It sounds like reincarnation is being suggested or something that would have given us a chance to be bad before we were born. It makes no sense to me.
I guess that's all in how you look at life. I would think this is more like heaven than hell. Yeah, you have the bad times but you have to taste a little of the salt to realize the sweet of the sugar. But, seriously, I don't believe in heaven or hell and I don't buy into the fact that we are going somewhere when we die.
Ever wonder if aliens put us here and they are just sitting back and watching what a miserable, wreck of a human race we are?
If this was indeed hell then there would have to be some explanation as to why we've been put here. I think someone suggested it was because of something we'd done previously but I don't recall anything before this particular lifetime. It sounds like reincarnation is being suggested or something that would have given us a chance to be bad before we were born. It makes no sense to me.
There's never a good explanation for why we've been put here. The Christian explanation is that God told Adam and Eve to create us--AFTER he had already seen that they were disobedient and that any person originally from them would be doomed to a life of struggle after which they'd either pass a test and go to heaven or fail it and burn in strugging suffering pain for all eternity. But...he said to go ahead and procreate all of us anyway. I see a lot of balking at the thought that maybe we've done something bad before--but NO balking that we are born in an extremely negative state due to something we ourselves never even did. Y'all would rather think we're being punished due to something we didn't even do, than being taught a lesson on something we really did do?
Oh, as for the something bad part...obviously this theory pretty much includes reincarnation. Another hard thing for many to swallow, but hey, like I said, it's not on me to convince anybody--I mean I could just as easily put out a theory that we're all aliens and I wouldn't have expected anybody to agree to that one either. So--I'm appreciating all the replies and insights!
I guess that's all in how you look at life. I would think this is more like heaven than hell. Yeah, you have the bad times but you have to taste a little of the salt to realize the sweet of the sugar. But, seriously, I don't believe in heaven or hell and I don't buy into the fact that we are going somewhere when we die.
Ever wonder if aliens put us here and they are just sitting back and watching what a miserable, wreck of a human race we are?
AH HAH HAH HAH GCSTroop, I never even read your replly until after I'd made my reply talking about aliens!!! Oh that is too funny, same wavelength. I do think some people in fact have an "alien origins" theory. Whatever theory a person has, the alien one, Christianity, babies popping out of Zeus's head, the earth is hell theory, it's definitely going to have components that are pretty hard to believe.
I too think there's a lot of good to Earth Hell (bwah!), see above. I'm glad you're enjoying your life--I love hearing that--I wish you continuing happiness. Actually, I pretty much wish us all happiness.
Jerz, I didn't skim....you're very funny (the temporal lobe seizure thingie) and you actually think about things like I do. Remember folks, I spent many, many years questioning God. I never doubted He existed, but I wasn't living for Him either.
I guess I'd better not say anymore about what I did question, because my thoughts were (and sometimes still are) pretty out there. I will say that I like to think there are different degrees of heaven and of hell, but that is not Biblical.
And plad, GCS....I don't mean to rain on your parade, but you really need to go and read my testimony on the other thread. (And LuLu's too) Jerz and the others are right....some people suffer more than others, and there is no explanation for that. What you read is just the tip of the iceberg with me.....I'm almost 44 and my whole life has been this way.
Why am I not angry with God? Because He's not responsible for it, He just allows it. Satan is responsible, and I pray every single day for that b****** to "get behind me, satan, in the name of Jesus Christ" because of my weaknesses. God saved ME.....from certain death by my own hands.
I believe He allowed me to suffer because He wanted me with Him. I'm pretty stubborn so He allowed whatever it took (and this was it) to bring me back to Him. You know how stubborn and relentless I am for Christ? Well, God saw that in me as a heathen sinner and wanted me to be speaking up for Him because He knew once He had me, He had me. Can you imagine how much damage I could do as an atheist? He wanted my attention, and it took this horse's arses' entire life to come crashing down for Him to get my attention.. And I am sooooo entirely thankful from the bottom of my soul that He saved me from myself so I could get right with Him and spend eternity with my Saviour. Now, I'm happy and this life means nothing more to me than an opportunity to bring others to heaven with me.
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I don't have a book to go by. It's just a weird idea. 
Y'all would rather think we're being punished due to something we didn't even do, than being taught a lesson on something we really did do?
I knew this would get some wordplay, Jerz
) to bring me back to Him. You know how stubborn and relentless I am for Christ? Well, God saw that in me as a heathen sinner and wanted me to be speaking up for Him because He knew once He had me, He had me. Can you imagine how much damage I could do as an atheist? He wanted my attention, and it took this horse's arses' entire life to come crashing down for Him to get my attention.. And I am sooooo entirely thankful from the bottom of my soul that He saved me from myself so I could get right with Him and spend eternity with my Saviour. 
