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lilithu said:And as for those good people who won't accept Christ even in hell and are awared "a portion of God's glory" what if they later decide that they accept afterall? Do they then get "exhaltation"? Or did they miss their chance? What I'm asking is, is there ever a point of no return? Is there ever a point when it's too late to change? If so, when does it happen?
I see this life as a testing ground. Experiencing mortality is absolutely essential to our eternal progress. However, just because this life is not the end of our learning experience, we can't assume that the opportunities we've been given while we are here will be disregarded once we reach the Spirit World. God knows who has had a legitimate opportunity to accept the fullness of His Son's Gospel and who hasn't.Victor said:Playing devils advocate here. If at any point one can repent/turn back to God and be given a second chance after death (thats assuming they had no chances in the terrestrial world) then what purpose would this world serve?
~Victor
Namaste Searcher,Searcher of Light said:As I read the NT, I always got the impression that hell was/is/will be (since its outside of time) forever. I also got the impression that hell is just God giving the "false" christians and other false religious people (although how/if someone could be punished for what they do not know I will leave up to Him. I also leave the idea of "false" religion or christianity to Him) what they wanted: a place where He doesnt impact them at all. Although, the fact that God created Hell in this idea means He already did impact them, but the course of their "future" (for lack of a better word) would be left entirely in their hands, forever. My last impression from the OT and the NT is Hell is more of a mental second guessing. Every missed opportunity to do good would be remembered. Hell could be thought of as eternal 2nd guessing. Hell could be thought of as an eternal place where people will live exactly as they wished without God's morality encroaching on their self reliance and decisions.
Hi searcher,Searcher of Light said:As for the fire, I am not certain yet to read it literal or not. As of now, I am taking it as a metaphor to help us in our limited understanding of what it would be like. Metaphors, parables, and other related methods of teaching were all employed by Jesus and the Apostles.
defense of truth said:Yes, hell is eternal. Because As God put in the Bible. THe hell is the place of the condemened it means they are the condemend ones they shall suffer for eternity
No crap especially living with MY wife. Ughhhhh! When I was a nurse in ICU I remember a man in his 90's. His heart and breathing stopped several times. Each time theman was revived with the paddles and manual CPR. I had tolaugh when the man finally screamed STOP IT! LET ME GO! This was a very memorable moment in my life.Kowalski said:Do you or anyone else know anybody whose has been in hell, no ! Oh well then, Hell must remain a purely hypothetical notion, totally unproven and without any reality other than the imgination. But if you want to see a place as like as hell maybe, go watch the movie' Event Horizon' and advance it frame by frame through the hell scenes, now that's how it ought to be for sinners.
Hell, the real hell, is in being alive.
Cheers
K
YmirGF said:For me, Hell would be 10 minutes, stuck in a elevator, with Barry Manilow singing in the background. Now that, THAT, would be torture and that would be Hell.
Or perhaps a single minute in front of Pat Robertson, and I HAD to explain something to him. THAT would be Hell. (Prolly get my own "Patwa" out of the deal though.)
A Young Women's President told me once that she was always scared to go to hell because of the hellfire, etc. Then she was reading once and the verse she was reading it said something to the effect of, "it was AS IS hellfire and burning." Remember I'm paraphrasing. So she explained to me that it's not fire, burning ,etc, it will be as you are suffering, but you won't really be burning.Katzpur said:Actually, I'm not convinced that Hell is a place of eternal burning either. I think my definition would probably be pretty close to yours.
I don't believe that the absence of God is possible.michel said:I agree with katzpur, although I am one who believes that hell is the mere absence of God.:shout
Well, that's too simplistic. I think atheism is just as plausible as theism, and just as good a way of speaking of the Great Mystery. But a theism that supposes the absence of God is possible seems to make God not so much the Ultimate Reality as a sort of mythical being.MidnightBlue said:I don't believe that the absence of God is possible.