Why does hell have to be eternal?

[Awoon]

That´s my only problem with it.

In what way making hell eternal makes it closer to "justice"?

Why?

"hell" is mental torment. People who preach and want "hell" for others are tormented in their own minds.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

So is jail.

Then you've contradicted yourself.

 

[Father Heathen]

I believe what super universe is trying to say is that while hell itself is eternal, the duration of a soul's imprisonment there is not.

 

[Lady B]

it makes justice if god is punished in eternal hell, because he believes in it.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

I believe what super universe is trying to say is that while hell itself is eternal, the duration of a soul's imprisonment there is not.

Then he's really not addressing the topic at all, is he?

 

[Lady B]

Dear Me Myself, I think no one but God can answer this question to an exact, but let me give it a whirl with a Christian perspective if I may...

First God is eternal, we, our souls are eternal and though we see our sin as temporary and thus should be judged temporarily, they are temporary in only that we forget them. Our minds cannot imagine eternity in its proper concept nor can we see in our selves our total depravity and abuse towards God our creator. He has not cursed us unjustly, we choose sin and separation, he did not.

I think once we understand the eternal nature of our sins, we can also come to appreciate the profound central truth of Christianity -- the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as an atonement for our sins. Because our sins have eternal consequences (and therefore require eternal punishment), the ONLY proportionate atonement for our sins is the sacrifice of eternal Son of God. Our eternal sins cannot be atoned for by paying a temporary price. But as Hebrews 7:27 says, Jesus "does not need to offer sacrifices day after day", but he "sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself."

I see you have a problem with hell being eternal, many of us do. Let me ask you, do you have a problem with heaven being eternal also? If not why?

This is my Christian perspective, I understand if you do not believe, but I offer it anyway to try to answer your question.

 

[Father Heathen]

Dear Me Myself, I think no one but God can answer this question to an exact, but let me give it a whirl with a Christian perspective if I may...

First God is eternal, we, our souls are eternal and though we see our sin as temporary and thus should be judged temporarily, they are temporary in only that we forget them. Our minds cannot imagine eternity in its proper concept nor can we see in our selves our total depravity and abuse towards God our creator. He has not cursed us unjustly, we choose sin and separation, he did not.

I think once we understand the eternal nature of our sins, we can also come to appreciate the profound central truth of Christianity -- the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as an atonement for our sins. Because our sins have eternal consequences (and therefore require eternal punishment), the ONLY proportionate atonement for our sins is the sacrifice of eternal Son of God. Our eternal sins cannot be atoned for by paying a temporary price. But as Hebrews 7:27 says, Jesus "does not need to offer sacrifices day after day", but he "sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself."

I see you have a problem with hell being eternal, many of us do. Let me ask you, do you have a problem with heaven being eternal also? If not why?

This is my Christian perspective, I understand if you do not believe, but I offer it anyway to try to answer your question.

One the concept of sin is completely arbitrary, and implying that the "consequences" are eternal implies that our hearts and minds do not change or learn. And Jesus' so-called sacrifice was temporary. He came back to life three days later, did he not? Sacrifice implies loss, so tell me, what did god permanently lose? The brief pain and death of the corporal form is trivial and insignificant to a god. Besides, why would god need the gratification from suicide and self-torture just to change something he made in the first place? You tried so hard to scrape together a defense but in the end the whole thing still lacks any logical coherency or consistency.

 

[Heathen Hammer]

Then you've contradicted yourself.

Bingo

 

[Me Myself]

Dear Me Myself, I think no one but God can answer this question to an exact, but let me give it a whirl with a Christian perspective if I may...

First God is eternal, we, our souls are eternal and though we see our sin as temporary and thus should be judged temporarily, they are temporary in only that we forget them. Our minds cannot imagine eternity in its proper concept nor can we see in our selves our total depravity and abuse towards God our creator. He has not cursed us unjustly, we choose sin and separation, he did not.

No sane human being would choose eternal separation. They choose specific actions which you think are bad, but they are most definitely not choosing eternal hell. They are choosing something that you choose to think God thinks deserves eternal hell.

I think once we understand the eternal nature of our sins, we can also come to appreciate the profound central truth of Christianity -- the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as an atonement for our sins. Because our sins have eternal consequences (and therefore require eternal punishment), the ONLY proportionate atonement for our sins is the sacrifice of eternal Son of God. Our eternal sins cannot be atoned for by paying a temporary price. But as Hebrews 7:27 says, Jesus "does not need to offer sacrifices day after day", but he "sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself."

As other have pointed out, the alleged price Jesus paid was temporal.

I see you have a problem with hell being eternal, many of us do. Let me ask you, do you have a problem with heaven being eternal also? If not why?

Because pain is made for us to learn how to avoid it and pleasure for us to learn how to seek it. If pain is eternal, then it makes no sense, because we will be unable to learn how to avoid it, so pain would have eternally failed it´s goal. If pleasure is eternal, it eternally accomplished it´s goal.

You don´t need a reason to do something good for someone else (eternal heaven). You do need a reason to do something bad for someone else (like punishing). And when you do something "bad" with good reason, it is not bad. It is bad to take someone´s freedom away from him/her, but if you did it to protect those who that person could be harming (jail) then there is nothing wrong with it. If you do it so he learns not to do said bad (again, jail) then there is nothing wrong with it.

Mind you, we don´t torture people in Jail. Hell cannot have a corrective purpose like jail because it is eternal, so it fails on that. Hell cannot have a protective purpose like Jail, because then that would mean God is unable to protect the good without making the bad suffer, which would make him not omnipotent.

 

[Lady B]

No sane human being would choose eternal separation. They choose specific actions which you think are bad, but they are most definitely not choosing eternal hell. They are choosing something that you choose to think God thinks deserves eternal hell.









As other have pointed out, the alleged price Jesus paid was temporal.



Because pain is made for us to learn how to avoid it and pleasure for us to learn how to seek it. If pain is eternal, then it makes no sense, because we will be unable to learn how to avoid it, so pain would have eternally failed it´s goal. If pleasure is eternal, it eternally accomplished it´s goal.

You don´t need a reason to do something good for someone else (eternal heaven). You do need a reason to do something bad for someone else (like punishing). And when you do something "bad" with good reason, it is not bad. It is bad to take someone´s freedom away from him/her, but if you did it to protect those who that person could be harming (jail) then there is nothing wrong with it. If you do it so he learns not to do said bad (again, jail) then there is nothing wrong with it.

Mind you, we don´t torture people in Jail. Hell cannot have a corrective purpose like jail because it is eternal, so it fails on that. Hell cannot have a protective purpose like Jail, because then that would mean God is unable to protect the good without making the bad suffer, which would make him not omnipotent.

I gave you what I believe, I did my best,in all due respect: I think that you and others have it all figured out anyway, so why stress in it?.....

 

[Astravalon]

I think once we understand the eternal nature of our sins, we can also come to appreciate the profound central truth of Christianity -- the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as an atonement for our sins. Because our sins have eternal consequences (and therefore require eternal punishment), the ONLY proportionate atonement for our sins is the sacrifice of eternal Son of God. Our eternal sins cannot be atoned for by paying a temporary price. But as Hebrews 7:27 says, Jesus "does not need to offer sacrifices day after day", but he "sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself."

The doctrine of eternal hell actually glorifies sin.

It makes sin out to be so great that it takes an eternity in hell to deal with it. Sin is glorified and God is seriously diminished in this scenario.

It also trivializes the sacrifice of Jesus. One would think that after all he went through that there would no longer be a need for a hell at all. So his sacrifice actually winds up coming across as neither eternal nor even effective.

The whole thing is presented completely upside-down, with hell getting the upper hand and God being rendered impotent.

 

[Lady B]

The doctrine of eternal hell actually glorifies sin.

It makes sin out to be so great that it takes an eternity in hell to deal with it. Sin is glorified and God is seriously diminished in this scenario.

It also trivializes the sacrifice of Jesus. One would think that after all he went through that there would no longer be a need for a hell at all. So his sacrifice actually winds up coming across as neither eternal nor even effective.

The whole thing is presented completely upside-down, with hell getting the upper hand and God being rendered impotent.

really? do you feel it is fair to denounce Christ your entire life and then expect his sacrifice is your ticket to heaven? this is not an election where even though you didn't vote you still live under the winning presedency. christ did pay it all, he did die for you as well as for me and everyone, why do you fight a free gift? a mercy? God is in noway diminished when he offers all the same deliverance and yet some still hate him and stand strong against him.

 

[cataway]

...........lol

 

[Me Myself]

really? do you feel it is fair to denounce Christ your entire life and then expect his sacrifice is your ticket to heaven? this is not an election where even though you didn't vote you still live under the winning presedency. christ did pay it all, he did die for you as well as for me and everyone, why do you fight a free gift? a mercy? God is in noway diminished when he offers all the same deliverance and yet some still hate him and stand strong against him.

The problem with all of this is that if someone dies and wakes up in a weird foggy place and someone says "Hey, everyone was right, Jesus IS real *look* Haven IS real, *look* Hell IS real *look*. Now that you know this, do you accept Jesus?" Any sane person would say "yes".

People not "accepting" Christ is people not believing Christ existed or is a God.

So no one is "fighting free gifts" any more than you are "fighting free gifts" when you DONT click on the "CONGRATULATIONS! YOU JUST WON A FREE CAR! CLICK HERE! " ads that appear on your computer screen.

 

[Awoon]

Let us understand, when religion tells us "hell" is in the center of the Earth, and Earth is only 6000-4.5 billion years old, then "hell" can not be eternal.

 

[Astravalon]

really? do you feel it is fair to denounce Christ your entire life and then expect his sacrifice is your ticket to heaven? this is not an election where even though you didn't vote you still live under the winning presedency. christ did pay it all, he did die for you as well as for me and everyone, why do you fight a free gift? a mercy? God is in noway diminished when he offers all the same deliverance and yet some still hate him and stand strong against him.

Do you feel it's fair that a sinless entity had to die on a cross for sins he didn't commit? There's not much fairness already just with that, so why start now?

Besides, your bible says that God is the savior of all mankind, especially (not "exclusively") of believers.

Do you find the idea of the Father throwing a party in heaven for all the prodigals unfair? Rather like how the 'righteous' brother felt it unfair that a party was thrown for the prodigal son?

 

[Lady B]

Do you feel it's fair that a sinless entity had to die on a cross for sins he didn't commit? There's not much fairness already just with that, so why start now?

Besides, your bible says that God is the savior of all mankind, especially (not "exclusively") of believers.

Do you find the idea of the Father throwing a party in heaven for all the prodigals unfair? Rather like how the 'righteous' brother felt it unfair that a party was thrown for the prodigal son?

i really do see your point. and maybe your right really i wish it were so, for me I hate anyone should perish, I really do

 

[horizon_mj1]

That´s my only problem with it.

In what way making hell eternal makes it closer to "justice"?

Why?

If you read The Secrets of Enoch, it is explained that Hell is a prison within a certain level (sorry can not remember which one off hand) of Heaven. If in fact it is nothing more than a prison, I would guess it would depend on your offense if you would stay indefinitely or not.

 

[Denryu]

We believe that Eternal and Endless are names of G_d, and therefore Endless torment and Eternal punishment means simply that it is God's punishment - not that it has no end.

 

[horizon_mj1]

We believe that Eternal and Endless are names of G_d, and therefore Endless torment and Eternal punishment means simply that it is God's punishment - not that it has no end.

So I take it the belief that God is a forgiving God does not exist in your belief system; the thought that the Almighty Divine can not forgive if so chosen to do so is incomprehensible to me. Sorry Denryu, I miss understood what you meant Long day.