If the traditional concepts of heaven and eternal hell are true... (Buddhism, bible)
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If the people I love most wind up in Hell, I guess I'd have to assume that they deserved to be there. But only because I can't imagine a coin flip deciding where one goes for eternity.
If the people I love most wind up in Hell, I guess I'd have to assume that they deserved to be there. But only because I can't imagine a coin flip deciding where one goes for eternity.
So, you would be happy and content hanging out in heaven, even though you know that some of the people you loved the most during your life on earth are in hell?...cuz they deserve eternal torment?
I've asked this question many times. The answer that I got most was that you won't remember your loved ones on earth. Another answer is that God will make sure that you are "OK" with it, and not be sad about it.
I'm wondering how many people here believe in the traditional concept of eternal punishment in hell?
For those of you who do believe, how would you answer this question:
If you go to heaven while one or more of the people you love most in life ended up in hell, how would you feel?
Hell is a Christian concept. I am not a Christian so this question is not a question I ask myself. The people in my family and in my life are good people.
Hell is a Christian concept. I am not a Christian so this question is not a question I ask myself. The people in my family and in my life are good people.
The same goes for me. I was hoping to get a true-blue traditional Christian to address this question because it was one of the top questions (on my long, long list of questions) that led me to believe that Christianity is grounded upon deeply illogical and profoundly immoral foundations.
I am not really a Buddhist, but it is insightful to compare Buddhism and Christianity on this point. The concept of compassion in Buddhism suggests that we work to alleviate suffering. This seems right to me.
The concept of eternal hell suggests that an all-powerful, all-knowing God purposefully created a universe in which he is powerless to alleviate eternal suffering.
I could never love or worship such a God. Thus, if the traditional Christian God really does exist, then I will end up in hell, because I could not love such a God. So far as I can see, worshipping such a God is not just illogical, but downright sick.
Yes, I believe what scripture reveals about hell and eternal torment.
Well, being that all those destined for hell (whatever hell is) are all volunteers, I find it very sad.
Suppose someone puts a gun to your head and forces you to choose: "I will shoot either you or your child. Which will it be?" Presumably you will choose to sacrifice your own life to save your child. But is it really appropriate for people to say "You volunteered to be shot"?
Many of the people who would "volunteer" to suffer eternally in hell would be those who could not, in good conscience, love a god who would purposefully create beings who he knows will spend eternity in hell. Can you see the tragic irony here? The only people who can be truly happy in heaven are the people who can set aside their love and their conscience so that they can ignore those who suffer.
Also, although we have free will, our freedom has limits. We cannot choose our basic nature. (You need to already have some basic nature in order to make any sort of meaningful choice.) Our emotions stem mostly from our basic nature. We cannot generally "choose to love;" we simply love, or not. If I am unable to love god, then do I really "volunteer" to suffer in hell?
I could not be happy in heaven knowing that people are suffering in hell, and I cannot, in good conscience, twist the concept of "volunteer" to such an extent that I would say that people volunteer to be in hell.
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