lilithu
The Devil's Advocate
OK, I grew up being taught by some that if one didn't accept Jesus Christ as one's savior then one would be cast into a firey pit and burn in the flames of hell forever. As I grew older I met other Christians who believe that hell is only for the really bad people, and good people will go to heaven whether they believed in Christ or not. And then I met Christians who believed that there is no hell, that God's love is so great that everyone would go to heaven.
Everyone believed that their view was right and the other views were wrong. But when I looked at the bible I saw passages that supported each view. It seemed to me that the bible itself was contradictory, open to multiple interpretations, and people just selectively paid attention to what they wanted to see in it.
But tonight I heard a new view (new for me anyway). It says that yes, those who do not believe in Christ and those who were bad will go to hell. But hell is not forever. Those people who do go to hell will "burn off" their sins if they were bad. (Talk about suffering being redemptive!!) Or they will see the error of their ways and accept Christ as savior. Either way, everyone will eventually leave hell. Everyone will eventually be saved.
I like this view because I like parsimony and this interpretation may be able to reconcile what I had thought were biblical contradictions. But I don't know about it's scriptural validity. What do you guys think? Does it hold water? Please note: I put this in the biblical debate forum because I do want any claims to be backed up by scripture.
Everyone believed that their view was right and the other views were wrong. But when I looked at the bible I saw passages that supported each view. It seemed to me that the bible itself was contradictory, open to multiple interpretations, and people just selectively paid attention to what they wanted to see in it.
But tonight I heard a new view (new for me anyway). It says that yes, those who do not believe in Christ and those who were bad will go to hell. But hell is not forever. Those people who do go to hell will "burn off" their sins if they were bad. (Talk about suffering being redemptive!!) Or they will see the error of their ways and accept Christ as savior. Either way, everyone will eventually leave hell. Everyone will eventually be saved.
I like this view because I like parsimony and this interpretation may be able to reconcile what I had thought were biblical contradictions. But I don't know about it's scriptural validity. What do you guys think? Does it hold water? Please note: I put this in the biblical debate forum because I do want any claims to be backed up by scripture.