I honestly believe that Christians do not truly believe in hell.

[Purell]

You claim to believe that hell exists, and it's eternal torment. Let's see, that's being tormented for 10 years straight without even beginning.

Suppose you are tortured in flames for 100 years. Nope, still not even the beginning.

10,000 years? Nope. Keep going.

In fact, Christians believe that this torment never ends for all of eternity.

How can one even fathom such torment.

Now for my point.

You believe this, and yet you are afraid to talk about the gospel to those around you. Why are you afraid of what they'll think of you? Should it matter what they think if you know for certain that they are going to suffer forever and ever and ever? Either you don't care about them suffering, or you don't truly believe it in the first place. I'm going to guess that you would care about their suffering in any given scenario, so I going to go with the latter.

 

[PureX]

You claim to believe that hell exists, and it's eternal torment. Let's see, that's being tormented for 10 years straight without even beginning.

Suppose you are tortured in flames for 100 years. Nope, still not even the beginning.

10,000 years? Nope. Keep going.

In fact, Christians believe that this torment never ends for all of eternity.

How can one even fathom such torment.

Now for my point.

You believe this, and yet you are afraid to talk about the gospel to those around you. Why are you afraid of what they'll think of you? Should it matter what they think if you know for certain that they are going to suffer forever and ever and ever? Either you don't care about them suffering, or you don't truly believe it in the first place. I'm going to guess that you would care about their suffering in any given scenario, so I going to go with the latter.

1. Most Christians, like most people in general, do not presume to know what happens to any of us after we die.

2. Most Christians, like most people in general, really don't care about other people being sent to hell, or how horrible it is, unless it's someone they personally know and care about.

3. Most Christians don't go around debating and arguing about scripture because they don't know it well enough to do that, nor do they care much about what other people think of it.

 

[Purell]

1. Most Christians, like most people in general, do not presume to know what happens to any of us after we die.

2. Most Christians, like most people in general, really don't care about other people being sent to hell, or how horrible it is, unless it's someone they personally know and care about.

3. Most Christians don't go around debating and arguing about scripture because they don't know it well enough to do that, nor do they care much about what other people think of it.

All three points you made seem counter-productive to everything Jesus taught in the gospels as well as all of the teachings in the epistles. What about Matthew 28? "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."

Also, Jesus specifically taught about hell. Are Christians supposed to believe it or not?

 

[viole]

In fact, Christians believe that this torment never ends for all of eternity.

Christians believe a lot of things. They even believe that staying dead three days to return in full glory as the master of the Universe, is the ultimate sacrifice.

How can one even fathom such torment.

Well, you know, after a few thousands years you might get used to it.

Ciao

- viole

 

[Earthling]

Some modern day Christians are trying to water down the hellfire teaching by suggesting it is a separation from God. Others doggedly cling to it in, what I estimate, is a moral superiority complex.

I often give the example of some of the local Jehovah's Witnesses, who don't teach the pagan hell doctrine. They approached a popular hellfire preacher and informed him that the Bible didn't teach hell, and that it was adopted by later Christianity and much to their surprise he answered: "Oh, I know." So they asked him if he taught it anyway to frighten his congregation into attending and he laughed out loud and said: "No. I teach it because if I didn't I would be out of a job."

 

[PureX]

All three points you made seem counter-productive to everything Jesus taught in the gospels as well as all of the teachings in the epistles. What about Matthew 28? "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."

Also, Jesus specifically taught about hell. Are Christians supposed to believe it or not?

It depends on how people interpret what is written. And there is a lot of variation in how people are doing that. It also depends on how convinced one is regarding their understanding of the meaning of the text. Most Christians will say they "believe in" the ideas they think are being presented to them, but there is still a lot of doubt, as well.

Also, Jesus was Jew, and Jews did not then, and do not now believe in a need for conversion to Judaism. Nor did they ever proselytize, then or now. So it is unlikely that Jesus ever commanded anyone to do so. It is far more likely that the religion that evolved after Jesus was gone, and that wrote, edited, and interpreted their stories and texts many times, "embellished" them to reflect their own beliefs and interests as they grew and gained in influence.

 

[allright]

Given that Christians should do a better job of witnessing including myself although I have tried to witness to thousands on the streets of NY whats it to you. Your living as an enemy of the gospel and just looking to find fault

 

[Muffled]

You claim to believe that hell exists, and it's eternal torment. Let's see, that's being tormented for 10 years straight without even beginning.

Suppose you are tortured in flames for 100 years. Nope, still not even the beginning.

10,000 years? Nope. Keep going.

In fact, Christians believe that this torment never ends for all of eternity.

How can one even fathom such torment.

Now for my point.

You believe this, and yet you are afraid to talk about the gospel to those around you. Why are you afraid of what they'll think of you? Should it matter what they think if you know for certain that they are going to suffer forever and ever and ever? Either you don't care about them suffering, or you don't truly believe it in the first place. I'm going to guess that you would care about their suffering in any given scenario, so I going to go with the latter.

I believe that Hell is eternal only in the sense that there is no time there.

I believe I share the gospel every chance I get but not every opportunity to talk to a person allows that and Jesus did not do that either.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

You claim to believe that hell exists, and it's eternal torment. Let's see, that's being tormented for 10 years straight without even beginning.

Suppose you are tortured in flames for 100 years. Nope, still not even the beginning.

10,000 years? Nope. Keep going.

In fact, Christians believe that this torment never ends for all of eternity.

How can one even fathom such torment.

Now for my point.

You believe this, and yet you are afraid to talk about the gospel to those around you. Why are you afraid of what they'll think of you? Should it matter what they think if you know for certain that they are going to suffer forever and ever and ever? Either you don't care about them suffering, or you don't truly believe it in the first place. I'm going to guess that you would care about their suffering in any given scenario, so I going to go with the latter.

I agree. There are a few fanatics who share their faith constantly, and they may believe in it, but it's hard to know.

 

[Muffled]

Christians believe a lot of things. They even believe that staying dead three days to return in full glory as the master of the Universe, is the ultimate sacrifice.



Well, you know, after a few thousands years you might get used to it.

Ciao

- viole

I believe that attribution is incorrect. I don't know any Christian who believes that.

 

[Muffled]

Some modern day Christians are trying to water down the hellfire teaching by suggesting it is a separation from God. Others doggedly cling to it in, what I estimate, is a moral superiority complex.

I often give the example of some of the local Jehovah's Witnesses, who don't teach the pagan hell doctrine. They approached a popular hellfire preacher and informed him that the Bible didn't teach hell, and that it was adopted by later Christianity and much to their surprise he answered: "Oh, I know." So they asked him if he taught it anyway to frighten his congregation into attending and he laughed out loud and said: "No. I teach it because if I didn't I would be out of a job."

I believe there is a definite misunderstanding about Hell taught in the seminaries but the Bible supports an actual place and separation from God probably doesn't bother a sinner a bit.

 

[Muffled]

It depends on how people interpret what is written. And there is a lot of variation in how people are doing that. It also depends on how convinced one is regarding their understanding of the meaning of the text. Most Christians will say they "believe in" the ideas they think are being presented to them, but there is still a lot of doubt, as well.

Also, Jesus was Jew, and Jews did not then, and do not now believe in a need for conversion to Judaism. Nor did they ever proselytize, then or now. So it is unlikely that Jesus ever commanded anyone to do so. It is far more likely that the religion that evolved after Jesus was gone, and that wrote, edited, and interpreted their stories and texts many times, "embellished" them to reflect their own beliefs and interests as they grew and gained in influence.

I believe the testimonies of what Jesus said are true.

I believe it is highly unlikely that a God fearing people would change His word.

I believe Jesus never said follow Judaism but said follow me.

 

[Earthling]

I believe there is a definite misunderstanding about Hell taught in the seminaries but the Bible supports an actual place and separation from God probably doesn't bother a sinner a bit.

I'm not sure what you meant there. Were you saying that the Bible supports an actual place and separation from God, or that if it did it wouldn't bother a sinner?

 

[1213]

...

You believe this, and yet you are afraid to talk about the gospel to those around you. Why are you afraid of what they'll think of you? Should it matter what they think if you know for certain that they are going to suffer forever and ever and ever? Either you don't care about them suffering, or you don't truly believe it in the first place. I'm going to guess that you would care about their suffering in any given scenario, so I going to go with the latter.

Bible tells eternal life is for righteous, and others are destroyed in hell. I don’t think those who are destroyed feel or suffer or do anything else.

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matt. 10:28

But if I am wrong and all live eternally, those who go to hell, get what they want. They want to be without God. And when people are without God, all evil is possible. In this case, they would make it by themselves eternal suffering and would get just what they want, Godless life.

 

[PureX]

I believe the testimonies of what Jesus said are true.

That is your choice, of course.

I believe it is highly unlikely that a God fearing people would change His word.

Common sense would indicate that it's inevitable. Especially when translating it from one language to another, and when the translators are intently passionate, and biased, about the content. And few Jews or Christians believe that God wrote the Bible, and especially not the New Testament.

I believe Jesus never said follow Judaism but said follow me.

This, I agree with. But I don't think he was making any religious proclamations. I think he was talking about walking a spiritual path. He did not see himself as starting a new religion. He did not stop being a Jew. Nor did he ever tell anyone else that they should become a Jew, or follow Jewish texts, rules, rituals, or beliefs. And yet the religion created in his name has rejected Judaism, proselytizes itself, demands conversion and proclamations of ideological adherence from others, and has engaged in atrocious behavior over the centuries as a result of these 'perversions' of Jesus' original message and promise.