My theories on why Hell cannot exist...

I believe in the concept of God, but as to what God is I don't know, really I don't it'd be ignorant of me to say its this or that, because in all honesty I have no clue, I just know there is more to this life than what is here on this planet, and in this physical body.

Christianity good concept but I feel it's been taken over by sinster forces as most religions are just tools to control others to force it's opinions and idealisms on them.

I think everyone has the ability to have a personal connection with "God" being open to it is the problem.

Religion should be a personal thing, not a controlled, told what to believe and what to pray type of thing.

I also think Jesus existed, I don't think he was white, or black, I think he was arab looking just my personal belief, and color doesnt really matter to me at all though.

But back to Hell, I think its just something used to create a god fearing population.

I believe in an afterlife I am just not sure what to expect.

Would just like to add, doesn't it say that Satan is the God of this world? I think Hell is here, this is the test, wether or not you become negative and positive i nthe afterlife, I think after death there is still so much more.

And even if there isn't a single God type perhaps we are just part of the God, the flow of energy and life.

Originally posted by Maddas
This message is directed to all of those who believe that hell cannot exist, and therefore has been created to 'scare' people in to believing in god. And Therefore Naturally God and Heaven do not Exist either.

Firstly you are all deluding yourself's because you are living on the vey edge of heel iself, and its torture and punishiment.

Hell is not a Physical place. It is where our souls go when we pass from this world, if we have pulled ourselves away from the light of God. When we have cursed and blamed God to the point that we have forgotten who he is. Then we have condemed ourselves to hell. God does not condem man to hell, man condems himself.

Purgatory is the place that souls are trapped. These are the souls of people that have not pulled themselves compleately from Gods grace, but nonetheless have committed sins that need to be repented for. Essentially these are the souls of people who will not ask God for forgivness.

So Naturally if hell exist then so to must heaven. And this is where a soul goes when it knows God and his loving forgiving nature.

Simple stuff really !.

Feeling's can some times trick us and our feeling are how the devil will trick us to forget god and eventually end up in hell.

The only thing that we can trust is faith. Which is not an easy thing to obtain for some people. But when you do have it the answers are clear and simple.

I respect your beliefs, but your answer doesn't address the questions that I asked originally.

"The Christian faith teaches that the God of the Bible is infinite, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent (or existing EVERYWHERE, knowing EVERYTHING, and being ALL POWERFUL).

If this is the case and God is omnipresent, then nothing can exist that does not have God present within it. Also, since God is infinite, nothing can exist that is not contained WITHIN God.

Since God is in everything, It would be within and around "Satan" and the "fallen angels" as well. God may be able to cast them out of heaven, but how would It cast them out of Itself, if God is infinite?

If God is all knowing, It knew from the beginning, which of us would believe, and which of us would not. God would have to have chosen who It was going to condemn to "hell", before humans even existed. If that were true, then God would be a God of hate, not love."

Lysergic , I know that you are still fairly young and I understand where you are coming from.

Saying you believe in the concept of God but do not know what that is . Is an admission to me that you are really in to minds as to weather there is or is'nt. It also tells me that you are not in a state or ready to 'look' for God.

God will not come to you unless you are ready for him.

Jesus told his disciples... "blessed is he who does not see and still believes"

To stand back from God because his Churches (Religions) which are basically run by man have caused much harm over the years is stupid. Not one reliogion on this world is free of sin. Forget the this stuff and concentrate on your relationship with your creator, then take in the message.

I read some post but miss a few, sorry if i repeated some points, any way here it goes. I believe if there is a Hell there must be a Heaven, everything needs a balance of good and bad (the ol' ying and yang).

I believe there is no God because we (as in the human race) always need answers for our existence, so therefore Humankind can come up with as much as speculations, theories, ectera, as much as they want we will never know, when we do die, we'll never tell the living cuz it's impossible.

Now on life: I think it's a big test weather you succeed to live in Paradise determines on ur actions in life.

Now on Death: i wouldn't know the feeling cuz im not dead...yet

Go ahead argue these points there vague as hell, but thier my opinion on how our existence, universe any thing else that needs answers work.

Originally posted by jezebel


"The Christian faith teaches that the God of the Bible is infinite, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent (or existing EVERYWHERE, knowing EVERYTHING, and being ALL POWERFUL).

And He is ! But not just the christian faith, This is true of the divine being in all faiths.

If this is the case and God is omnipresent, then nothing can exist that does not have God present within it. Also, since God is infinite, nothing can exist that is not contained WITHIN God.

But if you denie that God exist's , does this stop him from existing.

Since God is in everything, It would be within and around "Satan" and the "fallen angels" as well. God may be able to cast them out of heaven, but how would It cast them out of Itself, if God is infinite?

See my post again, Satan is the concept of man having free choice to do what he wants with his life, if he makes the wrong choice, going in the oposite direction of Gods will he condems himself unless he goes back to God for forgiveness

If God is all knowing, It knew from the beginning, which of us would believe, and which of us would not. God would have to have chosen who It was going to condemn to "hell", before humans even existed. If that were true, then God would be a God of hate, not love."

No, God has given Man free will. he created us in the image if himself, we have a choice. If we accept God into our lives then the fulfillment of his plan for us will be relasied. If we do'nt then we will never be at true peace within ourselves, continualling struggling to understand what life really is. This is the concept of hell.

I believe that Hell does not exist because I believe that Heaven does not exist because I believe that god probably does not exist.
How could he allow children to suffer slowly from disease and famine as their dieing parents watch them. Are you so far removed from places where this happens that it doesnt influence your religious opinion. People are dieing in the streets by the thousands and we are watching television. bugs are eating people alive, people who are too weak to protect themselves from flies--As you adjust the thermostat in your living room to a desired comfort level, someone is covered in legions and filth that would make you puke. These people know hell first hand and they beg for peace and serenity...Are you gonna tell me that because they havent been "baptized" or "saved" or "know the truth" they wont "get into heaven"??? They deserve it more than the pope if it actually exists. If they chose a baked potato over a bible whos sending them to Hell?? What hell

I just cant believe that god would allow such sufferage and I can't believe he would allow HEll to exist. I can't believe in Demons because they just seem too fairytailish. I dont knwo what the "hell" to believe.

Hmm..thanks for the answer Lysergic. Most of that I agree on, especially where you say that religion should be a thing that you make a personal connection with God, not a controlled thing, good view

I try to do this already, yes, I do follow the Roman Catholic rules, but I try to maybe 'alter' it a little for a more personal connection. Also, Maddas, you didn't answer the question. If there is a hell, and God exists everywhere, wouldn't he have to exist in hell?

-wD

I'm Not saying that God does not exist in hell. He does. But the people in Hell do not know God. Not because they have never heard of him but because they have had the chance to know him but have turn their backs and deny that his power is omniopotent. They have gone against his word and sinned very badly, and are not repentent for their sin's. They know not God and are therefore constrained to never knowing the inner peace and beauty that he can offer.

On the other hand believers know God and entrust their lives with him. By doing this they may not have the fairytale life of wealth and never having to want nothing, some people will go from one trial to the next. But because they have entrusted their life to God they have an inner peace that in the end things will be all right. No matter how hard this life might be in this world life everafter with God is reward enough from the trials of this life.

I'm not sayiing that the dying children who have never had the chance to be told of God ( Not just the christian god but of any god of any religion) does not mean that God has forsaken them to hell. Some people have a harder life than others, some need their faith tested more than others. I don't have the answers as to why this is so, only God knows.

Many people pull away from God because they look at how religions and beleifs cause war, poverty and struggling. Other look at church leaders and their corrupt personal lives and allow this to create their opinions on how bad a religion is. When instead we should be listening to the message of the teaching s of the religion with our hearts.
Some like Kristine look at the world situation as it is now and ask how can a God of love and peace exist and allow this to happen to his children, (he Can't). But some of these starving children God is all they have and though their stomach are empty and the hunger pains pang, they are at peace sprituality because they are with God.

At the root of it all religions are good teaching peace love and understanding. But many religious people cant see this and believe that theirs is better and the other should be done away with, causing war.

Originally posted by jezebel

Originally posted by Maddas
This message is directed to all of those who believe that hell cannot exist, and therefore has been created to 'scare' people in to believing in god. And Therefore Naturally God and Heaven do not Exist either.

Firstly you are all deluding yourself's because you are living on the vey edge of heel iself, and its torture and punishiment.

Hell is not a Physical place. It is where our souls go when we pass from this world, if we have pulled ourselves away from the light of God. When we have cursed and blamed God to the point that we have forgotten who he is. Then we have condemed ourselves to hell. God does not condem man to hell, man condems himself.

Purgatory is the place that souls are trapped. These are the souls of people that have not pulled themselves compleately from Gods grace, but nonetheless have committed sins that need to be repented for. Essentially these are the souls of people who will not ask God for forgivness.

So Naturally if hell exist then so to must heaven. And this is where a soul goes when it knows God and his loving forgiving nature.

Simple stuff really !.

Feeling's can some times trick us and our feeling are how the devil will trick us to forget god and eventually end up in hell.

The only thing that we can trust is faith. Which is not an easy thing to obtain for some people. But when you do have it the answers are clear and simple.

I respect your beliefs, but your answer doesn't address the questions that I asked originally.

"The Christian faith teaches that the God of the Bible is infinite, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent (or existing EVERYWHERE, knowing EVERYTHING, and being ALL POWERFUL).

If this is the case and God is omnipresent, then nothing can exist that does not have God present within it. Also, since God is infinite, nothing can exist that is not contained WITHIN God.

Since God is in everything, It would be within and around "Satan" and the "fallen angels" as well. God may be able to cast them out of heaven, but how would It cast them out of Itself, if God is infinite?

If God is all knowing, It knew from the beginning, which of us would believe, and which of us would not. God would have to have chosen who It was going to condemn to "hell", before humans even existed. If that were true, then God would be a God of hate, not love."

you have it wrong, it nowhere says god is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent (or existing EVERYWHERE, knowing EVERYTHING, and being ALL POWERFUL), god does not control our fate, he knows how it might go but the path is ours to choose and if we choose not to believe then we are disconnected from god, being sent to hell is due to our soul being lost and disconnected from god, it has nothing to do with punishment, god is a god of choice, he is indefferent to love or hate.

about this part "Since God is in everything, It would be within and around "Satan" and the "fallen angels" as well. God may be able to cast them out of heaven, but how would It cast them out of Itself, if God is infinite?"

hell is disconnected from heaven but part of god at the same time, you have to remember your mind can only understand so much and in only current understanding capability, we cant possibly comprehend non-capporial(cant spell) reality in any way, thats like roaches trying to understand nuclear fission.

god wrote the bible in ways that we can understand the higher existence after death, and added things here n there to test faith because he realised intellectual people would see errors and created many other ways to make us question it but he wanted to see if we would find hidden but true meaning to seek enlightenment on their own.

life is a test of faith which have many paths that are up to us, if we go to hell its our own doing and not gods choice nor his desire to do so.

Originally posted by namehere

you have it wrong, it nowhere says god is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent (or existing EVERYWHERE, knowing EVERYTHING, and being ALL POWERFUL), god does not control our fate, he knows how it might go but the path is ours to choose and if we choose not to believe then we are disconnected from god, being sent to hell is due to our soul being lost and disconnected from god, it has nothing to do with punishment, god is a god of choice, he is indefferent to love or hate.

about this part "Since God is in everything, It would be within and around "Satan" and the "fallen angels" as well. God may be able to cast them out of heaven, but how would It cast them out of Itself, if God is infinite?"

hell is disconnected from heaven but part of god at the same time, you have to remember your mind can only understand so much and in only current understanding capability, we cant possibly comprehend non-capporial(cant spell) reality in any way, thats like roaches trying to understand nuclear fission.

god wrote the bible in ways that we can understand the higher existence after death, and added things here n there to test faith because he realised intellectual people would see errors and created many other ways to make us question it but he wanted to see if we would find hidden but true meaning to seek enlightenment on their own.

life is a test of faith which have many paths that are up to us, if we go to hell its our own doing and not gods choice nor his desire to do so.

Good to see someone trying to get the same message across that I'm trying to.

People with intelect usually have there faith tested more than other because they create more questions for themselve and sermise other anecdotes. Blinding themselve from the truth that is usually staring them right in the face.

Originally posted by namehere
you have it wrong, it nowhere says god is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent (or existing EVERYWHERE, knowing EVERYTHING, and being ALL POWERFUL)

I beg to differ:
OMNIPOTENT: having virtually unlimited authority or influence

Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Acts 17:25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
Acts 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation

Revelation 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

OMNIPRESENT:present in all places at all times

Psalms 139:7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Psalms 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou [art] there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou [art there].
Psalms 139:9 [If] I take the wings of the morning, [and] dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Psalms 139:10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

INFINITE: extending beyond, lying beyond, or being greater than any preassigned finite value however large
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Psalms 147:5 Great [is] our Lord, and of great power: his understanding [is] infinite.

Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

, god does not control our fate, he knows how it might go but the path is ours to choose and if we choose not to believe then we are disconnected from god, being sent to hell is due to our soul being lost and disconnected from god,

If our fate is known by anyone, God or otherwise, then it is decided(unless you know of a way to trick God and cause It to be wrong). We can't know what the plan is for us, so we believe we have free choice. Obviously, this was done because people cannot accept the reality of the situation. The fact still remains, if God knows you are going to do something before you do it, then God has predetermined your actions. Since God was supposed to have known everyone before they were born, then It also knew what path each person would take in life, before they were born.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He hath made every [thing] beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

John 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
John 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

it has nothing to do with punishment, god is a god of choice, he is indefferent to love or hate.

So spending an eternity in utter torment and suffering is just the way it goes? And God has no say in the situation? Or maybe It could show compassion to the suffering, but doesn't think they're worthy of mercy? Is it a case of do as I say, not as I do then? And this doesn't bother you?

about this part "Since God is in everything, It would be within and around "Satan" and the "fallen angels" as well. God may be able to cast them out of heaven, but how would It cast them out of Itself, if God is infinite?"

hell is disconnected from heaven but part of god at the same time, you have to remember your mind can only understand so much and in only current understanding capability, we cant possibly comprehend non-capporial(cant spell) reality in any way, thats like roaches trying to understand nuclear fission.

So God is a part of hell, but is indifferent to the suffering that fills it? I agree that we cannot even begin to comprehend the nature of God, but this assertion feels wrong down to my very core.

god wrote the bible in ways that we can understand the higher existence after death, and added things here n there to test faith because he realised intellectual people would see errors and created many other ways to make us question it but he wanted to see if we would find hidden but true meaning to seek enlightenment on their own.

God doesn't make errors to trick intellectuals and It doesn't try to make us question It's existence. That would disprove the claim that God wants all men to go to heaven, since it would cause many "seekers" to be intentionally misled.

life is a test of faith which have many paths that are up to us, if we go to hell its our own doing and not gods choice nor his desire to do so.

But if God is omnipotant and all knowing than he created some us for no other purpuse than to go to hell. whould you have a child that the doctors told you would be messed up and than torture it for being deformed? This along with orignal sin whitch dooms new borns and infants who are unbaptised to hell makes a mockery of any kind of "loving" god threoy.

This is part of the problem I have with the whole christian religion.

And I am not some kind of rabid athiest I was at one time gonig to be a priest but the more you study the bible the more you see it for what it is.

JUST another attempt of man trying to figure out what cannot be figured.

Just my 2 cents

The problem of evil. Definately relevant to this thread. There are many more characteristics to the god of christianity, such as All-loving, All-forgiving, and Justice. However justice can not prevail due to love and forgiveness. I believe that I am explaining this all wrong. But a hell must exists, in order to punish those that had done wrong, whether it's through "karma" or another form of punishment. Perhaps ones punishment is reincarnation. Having to live a life where suffering and pain are everywhere. Just a thought.

Originally posted by IKnowNothing
The problem of evil. Definately relevant to this thread. There are many more characteristics to the god of christianity, such as All-loving, All-forgiving, and Justice. However justice can not prevail due to love and forgiveness. I believe that I am explaining this all wrong. But a hell must exists, in order to punish those that had done wrong, whether it's through "karma" or another form of punishment. Perhaps ones punishment is reincarnation. Having to live a life where suffering and pain are everywhere. Just a thought.

Why? Why must there be a punishment? Just because we punish each other here in our world for things we define as wrong? God is not limited to our rules. Who are we to say that there MUST be a place that the people who did us wrong or that rejected God will reap their just desserts? Isn't the definition of all-forgiving, to forgive all? Jesus' instructions to us were supposed to show us how to live as a reflection of God. Some of the key commands were "Love thine enemy", "Turn the other cheek", "love your neighbor as yourself, even as I have loved you". If anyone can forgive our transgressions, it is God.

Also, "evil" is subjective to the observer. Just because one person thinks something is evil, doesn't mean that everyone else sees it the same way. How would you know what "good" is if you didn't have "bad" to compare it to? We know what light is because we know what dark is. We label things like "good" and "evil" because we make judgments by comparing something to it's opposite. If we didn't give anything those labels then everything would just "be". God doesn't exist within our world of labels and definitions. Just because we deem things to be "evil" doesn't mean God does too.

Also, "evil" is subjective to the observer.

I have to disagree.

Bad is subjective Evil is not.
How would someone torturing and killing a child be subjective? Was ted bundy subjective? how about hitler? how about stalin? pol pot? How about the burning of thousands for witchcraft?

Need I go on?

Somethings are EVIL.

Originally posted by jezebel

Originally posted by namehere
you have it wrong, it nowhere says god is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent (or existing EVERYWHERE, knowing EVERYTHING, and being ALL POWERFUL)

I beg to differ:
OMNIPOTENT: having virtually unlimited authority or influence

Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Acts 17:25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
Acts 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation

Revelation 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

OMNIPRESENT:present in all places at all times

Psalms 139:7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Psalms 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou [art] there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou [art there].
Psalms 139:9 [If] I take the wings of the morning, [and] dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Psalms 139:10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

INFINITE: extending beyond, lying beyond, or being greater than any preassigned finite value however large
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Psalms 147:5 Great [is] our Lord, and of great power: his understanding [is] infinite.

Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

, god does not control our fate, he knows how it might go but the path is ours to choose and if we choose not to believe then we are disconnected from god, being sent to hell is due to our soul being lost and disconnected from god,

If our fate is known by anyone, God or otherwise, then it is decided(unless you know of a way to trick God and cause It to be wrong). We can't know what the plan is for us, so we believe we have free choice. Obviously, this was done because people cannot accept the reality of the situation. The fact still remains, if God knows you are going to do something before you do it, then God has predetermined your actions. Since God was supposed to have known everyone before they were born, then It also knew what path each person would take in life, before they were born.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He hath made every [thing] beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

John 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
John 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

it has nothing to do with punishment, god is a god of choice, he is indefferent to love or hate.

So spending an eternity in utter torment and suffering is just the way it goes? And God has no say in the situation? Or maybe It could show compassion to the suffering, but doesn't think they're worthy of mercy? Is it a case of do as I say, not as I do then? And this doesn't bother you?

about this part "Since God is in everything, It would be within and around "Satan" and the "fallen angels" as well. God may be able to cast them out of heaven, but how would It cast them out of Itself, if God is infinite?"

hell is disconnected from heaven but part of god at the same time, you have to remember your mind can only understand so much and in only current understanding capability, we cant possibly comprehend non-capporial(cant spell) reality in any way, thats like roaches trying to understand nuclear fission.

So God is a part of hell, but is indifferent to the suffering that fills it? I agree that we cannot even begin to comprehend the nature of God, but this assertion feels wrong down to my very core.

god wrote the bible in ways that we can understand the higher existence after death, and added things here n there to test faith because he realised intellectual people would see errors and created many other ways to make us question it but he wanted to see if we would find hidden but true meaning to seek enlightenment on their own.

God doesn't make errors to trick intellectuals and It doesn't try to make us question It's existence. That would disprove the claim that God wants all men to go to heaven, since it would cause many "seekers" to be intentionally misled.

you dont understand what i said at all, you'll find the truth if you think differently, knowledge wont open you to god but faith in his word and not thinking so deeply that you lose its actual meaning will.

Originally posted by Amuk
Bad is subjective Evil is not.
How would someone torturing and killing a child be subjective? Was ted bundy subjective? how about hitler? how about stalin? pol pot? How about the burning of thousands for witchcraft?

Somethings are EVIL.

"Evil" is just a stronger word for "bad"
Bad adj.: morally objectionable
Evil adj.: morally reprehensible

"Evil" things that people do, are only evil to those who are hurt by the actions. Hitler, Stalin, Hussein, the Taliban, Christians, the Klu Klux Klan, etc. have all committed atrocities that most consider to have been "evil".

The designation of "evil" to their actions is subjective because the people responsible for the hated actions did not percieve themselves or their actions as evil. Most of them believed that they were performing a service to mankind, and/or following the will of God. Hitler thought the Jews were the epidomy of evil, the Taliban thinks the Western world is corrupting the rest of the planet, the witch trials happened because people thought the victims were in league with Satan, etc.

So if you think you are "good" and they are "evil", but they thought they were "good" and you were "evil", who is right? It depends on the perspective of the person answering the question.

Now do you understand why good and evil are subjective? It's a very complex subject, and it goes against our individualistic, human instincts, so I understand why so many people reject it. For those of you who reject it based on the Bible, consider this:
Everything that happens, good or bad, is for a reason. If there is a divine plan for us all, then who are we to label any aspect of that plan "evil"? Even the "betrayal" of Jesus by Judas and his crucifixtion by the Jews, was pre-planned and necessary for the completion of Jesus' mission. Therefore, neither Judas nor the Jews did anything "evil". They just did what was required of them within the Grand Scheme.

Jesus explains this principle in the Gospels, but it is a little too cryptic for some to see. The best illustration is found in the Taoist philosophy. Here is a brief explanation of Duality:

When one labels something as a good, one automatically creates evil. That is, all concepts necessarily are based on one aspect vs. another; if a concept were to have only one aspect, it would be nonsensical.

The reality of good and evil is that all actions contain some aspect of each. This is represented in the t'ai chi, more commonly referred to as the yin-yang symbol. Any action would have some negative (yin) and some positive (yang) aspect to it. Taoists believe that nature is a continual balance between yin and yang, and that any attempt to go toward one extreme or the other will be ineffective, self-defeating, and short-lived. When people interfere with the natural balance by trying to impose their egoistic plans, they will not succeed; rather, the non-egoistic person allows nature to unfold, watching it ebb and flow from good to bad and back again.

Another way of understanding this is that the sage person understands the reality of good and evil, whereas the fool concentrates on the concept of good and evil. The sage knows that any evil will soon be replaced by good, the fool is forever fruitlessly trying to eliminate evil. Good and evil are just empty conceptual abstractions that have no permanent independent existence.
www.beliefnet.com...

To namehere:
If my understanding and responses to your post missed the mark, I apologize. I would appreciate it if you would reply to each of my errant statements, so that I can better see where you are coming from. I'm not sure which part of your former post I misunderstood. Thanks.

And for the record, it is not my intellect that has caused me to question the typical human interpretations of the Bible. It was something in my heart, when I was a child, that told me something wasn't right with what I was being taught. It is that same instinct which helps me sort through the barrage of false information that is hiding the truth. I may not fully understand the message until I die, but I will not resign myself to simply accepting someone else's interpretation. The Truth exists within each of us, and I will choose to listen to It over men any day of the week.

Since the beginning,,,,


Be a good samaritan. Love and honor eachother. FOLLOW and OBEY the "Rules". And when you die,,,,you will not cease to exist,,oh noooo,,,you will live above the clouds in eternal bliss.


BUT,


Be evil. Act out of line. Or dare you defy any type of "order" and when you die,,,you shall burn in eternal flames under the ground!



[Edited on 7-1-2004 by Stress]

[Edited on 7-1-2004 by Stress]

[Edited on 7-1-2004 by Stress]

Hell is a place controlled by satan master of the darkness. What goes on there is his business. I assume he punishes his followers because they are not able to help him overthrow god or the creator.

Problem with Satan is that there is no forgiveness no matter what.

I equate hell as being the boiler room of a large building, the place where few ever go and nobody comes out of.

and as others said here it is a place devoid of god's love because those there chose that kind of existance.