Is Hell permenant? (punishment, reincarnation, eternal, faith, Satan)

[FFH]

Originally Posted by darkpenguin

I had a thought, how can hell the way religious minded people see it really be that bad?

God has allowed me to feel at times the pains of hell or a portion of what it might be like to be in hell and if it's anything like what I felt to the small degree that I felt it I don't want any part of it, not even for minute..

Hell was however prepared to fulfill the demands of justice, as a due punishment for sin and can serve as a negative motivator to bring a person to repentance who wouldn't normally change the direction of their life if there were no consequence for their actions. If there were no punishment for sin the whole world would be in chaos.

I think i've felt what it would be like to be in hell to some degree and It motivates me to avoid hell at all costs. It keeps me going, kind of a negative motivator. It keeps me in the right direction, even if just to get through this life. I know a greater life awaits at the end of this one if we endure this life with all of it's bad stuff.

After all why would the 'devil' punish you for doing his bidding on earth?

The devil is jealous of us because we have bodies and he doesn't. He would destroy us in a second if God allowed him to. The only thing holding him back from completely destroying all of us, is God. God in His mercy lends us our very breath every day in spite of our sins. The is a day of grace for all of us, but then comes judgement when all will be judged according to their works/righteousness and beliefs.

[FFH]

Originally Posted by Sonflour

ever notice how you can sometimes feel like you burn when you are ashamed of something), and hell can be on earth and one of our own personal making as well.

Bishop Kallistos Ware once said, "the gates of hell are locked from on the inside."
I don't think God puts us in hell as punishment, I think we put ourselves there and the more we wallow in the filth of our sins the harder it is for us to go back to him. Thus it may indeed take some individuals seemingly forever to get out, but there is no reason to believe that they cannot eventually come back to God, even if they are in hell.

Also remember the time frame we're working with. It may seem like forever to us, but a lot of time is a little for God. Thus, thankfully because of his infinite love, mercy and patience...even the worst of us can come back to him...even if it takes us...seemingly forever.

I couldn't have said it any better. Your thoughts seem to be synonymous with mine on this.

Just recently I lost quite a bit of money in the stock market after being home for over a year trading stocks for a living, when I began to feel a fire in my head and throughout my body at times, that's the only way I can describe it. I got the message God was sending me, which was that I needed to get back to work so I could recover financially before I got myself into financial trouble. God uses the pains of hell as a negative motivator so we will do the right thing. We don't have to actually be in hell to experience it's aweful conditions, but He gives us warnings or samples of what if will be like in hell if we don't change the course of our lives in a major way.

[darkpenguin]

Originally Posted by FFH

God has allowed me to feel at times the pains of hell or a portion of what it might be like to be in hell and if it's anything like what I felt to the small degree that I felt it I don't want any part of it, not even for minute..

Hell was however prepared to fulfill the demands of justice, as a due punishment for sin and can serve as a negative motivator to bring a person to repentance who wouldn't normally change the direction of their life if there were no consequence for their actions. If there were no punishment for sin the whole world would be in chaos.

I think i've felt what it would be like to be in hell to some degree and It motivates me to avoid hell at all costs. It keeps me going, kind of a negative motivator. It keeps me in the right direction, even if just to get through this life. I know a greater life awaits at the end of this one if we endure this life with all of it's bad stuff.

The devil is jealous of us because we have bodies and he doesn't. He would destroy us in a second if God allowed him to. The only thing holding him back from completely destroying all of us, is God. God in His mercy lends us our very breath every day in spite of our sins. The is a day of grace for all of us, but then comes judgement when all will be judged according to their works/righteousness and beliefs.

Thats not really convincing enough for me to believe and follow god and to be perfectly honest this 'god' expects way too much of us whereas the Devil really doesn't, we do his work regardless everyday no matter what faith we are.
I think the Devil would be satified enough with the work we do for him whereas I don't think anything is ever going to be good enough for god no matter how much we repent.
Not that it matters to me at all as i'm quite happy with what I think will happen to me and my loved ones when we die, I just thought i'd point out that loophole to all the people who are afraid of going to hell.
The message being - It really isn't that bad and probably would be more fun than a constantly happy heaven!

[James the Persian]

Originally Posted by darkpenguin

Thats not really convincing enough for me to believe and follow god and to be perfectly honest this 'god' expects way too much of us whereas the Devil really doesn't, we do his work regardless everyday no matter what faith we are.
I think the Devil would be satified enough with the work we do for him whereas I don't think anything is ever going to be good enough for god no matter how much we repent.
Not that it matters to me at all as i'm quite happy with what I think will happen to me and my loved ones when we die, I just thought i'd point out that loophole to all the people who are afraid of going to hell.
The message being - It really isn't that bad and probably would be more fun than a constantly happy heaven!

It's only 'not that bad' if you persist in adhering to the peculiar medieval misconception that those in hell are punished by demons. Unfortunately, as I said, this is not what the Church teaches. If you accept that the hell of Christianity exists then it really is all that bad, not that I expect you do.

James

[darkpenguin]

Originally Posted by JamesThePersian

It's only 'not that bad' if you persist in adhering to the peculiar medieval misconception that those in hell are punished by demons. Unfortunately, as I said, this is not what the Church teaches. If you accept that the hell of Christianity exists then it really is all that bad, not that I expect you do.

James

Fair enough, if thats what other people want to think then I do feel bad for them, fortunately my mind is free enough not to have to think that way or rely on religion to guide me on my way, I make my own destiny and make my own path as I follow it!

[James the Persian]

Originally Posted by darkpenguin

Fair enough, if thats what other people want to think then I do feel bad for them, fortunately my mind is free enough not to have to think that way or rely on religion to guide me on my way, I make my own destiny and make my own path as I follow it!

There's no need to feel bad for me. My beliefs with regards to heaven and hell are quite different to those of western Christians and I'm quite confident that God is not going to punish anybody with eternal torment (though some of us may punish ourselves in that way). My mind is perfectly free and I certainly don't need to rely on religion to guide me in any way. I believe my faith is the truth and so I follow it, nothing more. As a convert with very chequered past in terms of faith, though, I accept that my reason for believing may be less than usual.

James

[Kcnorwood]

I 'm guessing the words FOREVER & EVERLASTING are beyond some people understanding. Funny how when it's in front of your face they will tell you that it doesn't mean that.....

[FFH]

Originally Posted by darkpenguin

Thats not really convincing enough for me to believe and follow god and to be perfectly honest this 'god' expects way too much of us whereas the Devil really doesn't, we do his work regardless everyday no matter what faith we are.
I think the Devil would be satified enough with the work we do for him whereas I don't think anything is ever going to be good enough for god no matter how much we repent.
Not that it matters to me at all as i'm quite happy with what I think will happen to me and my loved ones when we die, I just thought i'd point out that loophole to all the people who are afraid of going to hell.
The message being - It really isn't that bad and probably would be more fun than a constantly happy heaven!

What can I say. other than heaven and hell are real and everything in between. This life is the "Plan of Happiness" and God wants us all to be happy and He does this by allowing us our free agency to choose and beleve the way we want.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by FFH

Spirit Prison and Outer Darkness are not the same place as hell/lake of fire in my opinion.

Then we apparently disagree.