If Hell is a place of eternal torment

[Meow Mix]

If Hell is a place of eternal torment, do you think it is good that God allows a place like this to exist?

How do you reconcile finite crimes with infinite punishments?

What is your theory of justice: for instance, Hell seems purely retributive: since someone is ostensibly there forever, there could be no rehabilitative purposes for it.

What about belief? Some worldviews believe that people will go to Hell for mere nonbelief in a savior or religion in general. How do you reconcile that without thinking your god is terrible?

Basically, for those that believe in Hell as a place of eternal torment, can you help me understand why you believe this is real, and why it doesn't cause you to think your god is a monster?

 

[lewisnotmiller]

It's even stranger where people believe in an omnipotent, omnibenevolent, omnipresent God, and also an eternal Hell without room for redemption.

 

[We Never Know]

If Hell is a place of eternal torment, do you think it is good that God allows a place like this to exist?

How do you reconcile finite crimes with infinite punishments?

What is your theory of justice: for instance, Hell seems purely retributive: since someone is ostensibly there forever, there could be no rehabilitative purposes for it.

What about belief? Some worldviews believe that people will go to Hell for mere nonbelief in a savior or religion in general. How do you reconcile that without thinking your god is terrible?

Basically, for those that believe in Hell as a place of eternal torment, can you help me understand why you believe this is real, and why it doesn't cause you to think your god is a monster?

What if there are two god's? One good and one evil and they both can make things happen.

 

[Viker]

What if there are two god's? One good and one evil and they both can make things happen.

That's dualism, like in Zoroastrianism. It excludes an all powerful and all benevolent sole God above all.

 

[We Never Know]

That's dualism, like in Zoroastrianism. It excludes an all powerful and all benevolent sole God above all.

In my understanding of religion there are two rulers, god and the devil.

 

[We Never Know]

That's dualism, like in Zoroastrianism. It excludes an all powerful and all benevolent sole God above all.

Maybe in the same lines of if one parent says no, go ask the other. Both have power.

 

[Meow Mix]

What if there are two god's? One good and one evil and they both can make things happen.

I suppose that would make sense for theists that don't believe their god is omnipotent.

 

[Stevicus]

If Hell is a place of eternal torment, do you think it is good that God allows a place like this to exist?

How do you reconcile finite crimes with infinite punishments?

What is your theory of justice: for instance, Hell seems purely retributive: since someone is ostensibly there forever, there could be no rehabilitative purposes for it.

What about belief? Some worldviews believe that people will go to Hell for mere nonbelief in a savior or religion in general. How do you reconcile that without thinking your god is terrible?

Basically, for those that believe in Hell as a place of eternal torment, can you help me understand why you believe this is real, and why it doesn't cause you to think your god is a monster?

My guess is that, at the time people were writing about these things, their only real view and understanding of authority was generally some king or comparable figure, who ruled with an iron fist and imposed all kinds of painful and horrible punishments on lawbreakers. That was just the normal thing to them, so it likely seemed just as normal to expect the King of Kings to act in a similar manner.

Of course, there's the idea of Purgatory, from which one might be paroled eventually.

 

[Viker]

I believe Hell to be only metaphoric for what many use as a "trash pit" for both deities/daimons and other undesirables. I can't conceive it being real. Why?

 

[Viker]

In my understanding of religion there are two rulers, god and the devil.

Maybe you should research Zarathustra. Seriously.

 

[Father Heathen]

Justice is when the punishment is proportionate to the crime. What offense can any human commit that's equal in severity to eternal damnation? Also, what point is there to punishment without penitence, atonement, and rehabilitation? Sadistic gratification?
As for crime, it's typically defined as an action that endangers, harms, or violates the right of an innocent person; I.e. something that victimizes. So when it comes to errant beliefs being deemed an offense, who's the victim? An insecure god with a frail ego?

 

[We Never Know]

I suppose that would make sense for theists that don't believe their god is omnipotent.

If they both are equally all powerful they both could be omnipotent in a sense as they can do anything which would include changing what tge other sets forth.

 

[We Never Know]

Maybe you should research Zarathustra. Seriously.

I'm not religious and have no desire to research much on any religion.
They are like frozen popsicles they are all the same, just a different flavor.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

In my understanding of religion there are two rulers, god and the devil.

Then you don't believe in an omnipotent God. Fair enough. A God with limits isn't in control of everything, and this can have a major philosophical impact.

 

[We Never Know]

Then you don't believe in an omnipotent God. Fair enough. A God with limits isn't in control of everything, and this can have a major philosophical impact.

Neither god has to be limited. They both can be all powerful to where no matter what the other does, the other can change it.

 

[shunyadragon]

. . . only in ancient mythology.

 

[We Never Know]

Then you don't believe in an omnipotent God. Fair enough. A God with limits isn't in control of everything, and this can have a major philosophical impact.

Look at it this way .. The diamond is considered to be the toughest thing we know of, but compared to another diamond they are equal.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Neither god has to be limited. They both can be all powerful to where no matter what the other does, the other can change it.

It's not logically coherent to have 2 omnipotent beings. What happens when they play poker?

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Look at it this way .. The diamond is considered to be the toughest thing we know of, but compared to another diamond they are equal.

They're tough, they're not unbreakable though. Omnipotence is more than just 'really, really, really powerful'.

I get that you can have multiple super powerful beings, powerful beyond our comprehension.
But 2 omnipotent beings? No...they limit each other.

 

[We Never Know]

They're tough, they're not unbreakable though. Omnipotence is more than just 'really, really, really powerful'.

I get that you can have multiple super powerful beings, powerful beyond our comprehension.
But 2 omnipotent beings? No...they limit each other.

Yet each diamond, being all tough, can damage each other. Its not a limit. Its they are equal.