Why do people even believe in hell?

[Samof94]

It seems wrong and unethical. At least North Korean prison camps don’t make you immortal in the worst possible way. Why would someone in the 21st century in a Western democracy believe in such a doctrine in today’s world?

[Samof94]

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

I believe that the eternal patience and forgiveness of the Lord erases Hell as a theological necessity. Eternal Hell was invented by man to keep people in line, but it is inconsistent with a benevolent, merciful, eternally patient God. Your story will go on, because if there's not a happy ending, it is because God's ultimate plan has not yet been fulfilled.

That is not to say there will not be loss. And that loss may be simply having all of one's efforts in this life revealed as nothing more than selfishness and wasted potential.

There is uncertainty here, as with all things. But the more intimate I have become with my faith, the more I doubt the existence of eternal suffering, which neither corrects sin nor allows the sinner to repent for what they have done. It is purely a threat of retribution, not restitution.

Hell seems like the kind of tool that a conquering army would use to intimidate people.

[Samof94]

Because hell is a terrifying place for humans and threatening children with it if they so much as question what they are taught will teach them from an early point in life not to question what they are told and they will be more likely to carry that habit of not questioning their beliefs for as long as they live and likely pass on this belief to their children.

I strongly agree.

[Samof94]

Lies, fear, and emotional manipulation.

One Germanic warlord refused to convert because he was told his ancestors were in hell.

[Samof94]

I have met far too many clever people who were desperately immoral to deny the reality of Hell.

I beg to differ. The idea of a Sikh man going to a Christian hell makes zero sense.

[Samof94]

I have met far too many clever people who were desperately immoral to deny the reality of Hell.

I beg to differ. The idea of a Sikh man going to a Christian hell makes zero sense.

I’m not sure what you mean by that.  If Christianity is the correct religion, a Sikh can go to whatever hell Christianity teaches the existence of.  If Sikhism is the correct religion, a Christian can reincarnate.  If a religion is true, it’s true.

What I mean is that non Christians in a Christian hell shows how absurd the idea of Hell is.

[Samof94]

Look at John Shelby Spong statement on the issue of Hell. This man is a pastor and he even acknowledges the position of Hell was used as a scar tactic by the church, something that those who are serious about their faith should look into.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF6I5VSZVqc

Look at Michael Behe statement on the issue of Evolution. This man is a biochemist and even he acknowledges the position of Evolution was used as justification for Holocaust, something that those who are serious about Evolution should look into.

He’s not a credible source by any definition. They used social Darwinism, not evolution. Whales did once live on land and have legs.

[Samof94]

Hell seems like the kind of tool that a conquering army would use to intimidate people.

Tbh a belief I've had for quite a while is that many religious norms and tenets hold not really a "spiritual" use, but rather a very pragmatic one. Nothing about God giving us orders but rather something that had a practical application here on Earth, certainly at the time the religion was "invented".

My go-to example is the Jewish and Muslim restrictions on various food, born not out of God giving us orders but rather because poorly cooked pork or whatever could have given you an illness back in the day. Of course it isn't applicable now but the religion has stuck with that.

Hell indeed is just another tool like that. It's much easier to convert people to your religion when you tell them that if they don't, they'll burn in hell for eternity rather than telling them "sure, it's fine if you don't convert ".

Of course the real incentive wasn't hell or the lack thereof but rather the invading army which has been destroing villages in your kindgom or whatever. I find "Convert or we'll burn you at the stake" more convincing than "convert or you'll go to hell when you die" personally

Exactly. The problem with hell is it isn’t a credible threat to people who don’t already believe.