Concerning Damnation

[BluePod]

I don't think hell is what modern cultre cracks it up to be. I think that hell would be more like somthing else. A place or state of mind where you can only think, you only have your own mind no input, no light, no darkness, just your thoughts conitualy spining around and around till the return of Christ till you just cease to exsist. That's one of my theories. Also I think that C.S Lewis's descripton of demons in the begining of The Screwtape Letters is better than the funny little guy in red with a pich fork.  

[Card_King1]

Calypsophia

I always found it interesting how the christian faith could morph the concept of Hell which they got initially thru the Jewish religion. in Judaism, Hell is merely separation from god when you die. in essence, nothingness. you dont burn, there's no fire and no brimstone. the christian concept of hell came about as a means of controlling the people by scaring them into believing. I think the worst possible reason to believe in anything is because you fear it. but these faiths arent the only one that have an idea of a place called 'hell'. in I think it's Norse mythology, Hell is a goddess of the furthest reaches of the underworld, and that is also the name of the place.. but it's cold there, and souls arent tormented. it is a place of the dead. that's it. similar to Hades in Greek myth.

given that I dont believe in god as most people do, I also dont believe in 'satan'. to me, god and satan are representations of opposite sides of the same coin.

The Christian faith is not interested in scaring anybody in believing anything. Why? Because the Christian doesn't gain salvation from causing anybody to believe. Hell is a place of utter separation from God. Its not the burning or anything of that sort that makes hell horrible. Its the utter separation from God that makes it terrible. Hell was created for the devil and his angels. Not for people. People were created to be perfect. Hell in the bible is no different than hell in Judaism. If you have a place that is separated from the source of good then how can it not be bad?
Benjamin  

[Je Suis La Vie]

In certain Buddhist lineages, there are a series of Heavens and Hells. In the heavens, you are essentially a "Deva" or "God"(used loosely here). In the Hells, you are suffering different fates. One reaches the heavens by having good Karma, and reaches the hells by having bad Karma. But in each case, one is not there forever. Once the Karma is used up, one is returned to the human realm. I consider myself a Buddhist, but do not believe in these concepts. I believe that hell is a state of suffering in this realm.  

[Calypsophia]

Card_King1

Calypsophia

I always found it interesting how the christian faith could morph the concept of Hell which they got initially thru the Jewish religion. in Judaism, Hell is merely separation from god when you die. in essence, nothingness. you dont burn, there's no fire and no brimstone. the christian concept of hell came about as a means of controlling the people by scaring them into believing. I think the worst possible reason to believe in anything is because you fear it. but these faiths arent the only one that have an idea of a place called 'hell'. in I think it's Norse mythology, Hell is a goddess of the furthest reaches of the underworld, and that is also the name of the place.. but it's cold there, and souls arent tormented. it is a place of the dead. that's it. similar to Hades in Greek myth.

given that I dont believe in god as most people do, I also dont believe in 'satan'. to me, god and satan are representations of opposite sides of the same coin.

The Christian faith is not interested in scaring anybody in believing anything. Why? Because the Christian doesn't gain salvation from causing anybody to believe. Hell is a place of utter separation from God. Its not the burning or anything of that sort that makes hell horrible. Its the utter separation from God that makes it terrible. Hell was created for the devil and his angels. Not for people. People were created to be perfect. Hell in the bible is no different than hell in Judaism. If you have a place that is separated from the source of good then how can it not be bad?
Benjamin

you've apparently not visited an fundamental baptist church. I've witnessed the way they try (and in some cases succeed) to scare people into being 'saved' with references and descriptions of hell. and some sects of christianity certainly do think they gain brownie points with god to make converts. mormons and JWs specifically. somewhere in the bible it tells people go go among the gentiles and spread the word.

simply being separated, does not equal rivers of fire and brimstone and an eternity of torture.  

[Calypsophia]

Antron3001

In certain Buddhist lineages, there are a series of Heavens and Hells. In the heavens, you are essentially a "Deva" or "God"(used loosely here). In the Hells, you are suffering different fates. One reaches the heavens by having good Karma, and reaches the hells by having bad Karma. But in each case, one is not there forever. Once the Karma is used up, one is returned to the human realm. I consider myself a Buddhist, but do not believe in these concepts. I believe that hell is a state of suffering in this realm.

are you sure you're not confusing buddhism with hinduism? there are some places where buddhism is intermingled with other native beliefs. but a 'deva' is a hindu deity.  

[Je Suis La Vie]

Calypsophia

Antron3001

In certain Buddhist lineages, there are a series of Heavens and Hells. In the heavens, you are essentially a "Deva" or "God"(used loosely here). In the Hells, you are suffering different fates. One reaches the heavens by having good Karma, and reaches the hells by having bad Karma. But in each case, one is not there forever. Once the Karma is used up, one is returned to the human realm. I consider myself a Buddhist, but do not believe in these concepts. I believe that hell is a state of suffering in this realm.

are you sure you're not confusing buddhism with hinduism? there are some places where buddhism is intermingled with other native beliefs. but a 'deva' is a hindu deity.

Im quite Positive, because, like i said, I am a Buddhist. In Tibetan Buddhism for instance, and many other branches of Mahayana Buddhism. The language of Dharmic religions is the same because they were all founded on the Indian sub-continent.

This explains it well enough... biggrin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deva_(Buddhism)  

[Calypsophia]

Antron3001

Calypsophia

Antron3001

In certain Buddhist lineages, there are a series of Heavens and Hells. In the heavens, you are essentially a "Deva" or "God"(used loosely here). In the Hells, you are suffering different fates. One reaches the heavens by having good Karma, and reaches the hells by having bad Karma. But in each case, one is not there forever. Once the Karma is used up, one is returned to the human realm. I consider myself a Buddhist, but do not believe in these concepts. I believe that hell is a state of suffering in this realm.

are you sure you're not confusing buddhism with hinduism? there are some places where buddhism is intermingled with other native beliefs. but a 'deva' is a hindu deity.

Im quite Positive, because, like i said, I am a Buddhist. In Tibetan Buddhism for instance, and many other branches of Mahayana Buddhism. The language of Dharmic religions is the same because they were all founded on the Indian sub-continent.

This explains it well enough... biggrin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deva_(Buddhism)

heh, ok. but funny enough, I've found this as well..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deva_(Hinduism)  

[Je Suis La Vie]

Calypsophia

heh, ok. but funny enough, I've found this as well..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deva_(Hinduism)

I know, Dharmic religions are a specialty of mine...lol
Buddhism diverged from Hinduism, Kinda like Christianity diverged from Judaism...  

[Card_King1]

Calypsophia

you've apparently not visited an fundamental baptist church. I've witnessed the way they try (and in some cases succeed) to scare people into being 'saved' with references and descriptions of hell. and some sects of christianity certainly do think they gain brownie points with god to make converts. mormons and JWs specifically. somewhere in the bible it tells people go go among the gentiles and spread the word.

simply being separated, does not equal rivers of fire and brimstone and an eternity of torture.

Actually, I know baptist theology almost better than my own denomination's. And yes I do attend a fundamental baptist church on occasion. Sometimes yes, some people take the call to spread the gospel out of context, but if you look at a large representation of baptist churches(for example the southern baptist denomination). None of them believe that you have to "scare" anybody to salvation.

Actually Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses actually are usually classified as a different religion that Christianity. and telling others about their faith is a lot more than just "brownie points", Its part of their salvation. There is nothing to make these two religions more Christian than Islam or Buddhism for example. They all deny the deity of Christ but believe that he was a prophet or great teacher.  

[Je Suis La Vie]

Mormons do not deny the divinity of Christ. confused  

[hazel843]

invisblebuddy

I'll start sweatdrop
I'm a Wiccan (with some of my own beliefs added in) so I don't believe in hell. I was raised Catholic and was told I was going to hell when I was eight because my parents were divorced and I didn't know my prayers. That is quite literally what the man said to me after confession. Eleven years later, I am still curious as to why that would constitute damnation...

Hi I'm not the same religon as u r but I have friends who r and from wat I know of ur reilgon is tat ur not going 2 hell  

[hazel843]

Also for athiest who want facts and proof before they go in a religion...
Religion is about Beliefs no FACTS

Tell tat 2 my geography teacher, I the only 1 in my class who is religous so at times he puts me on the spot and goes "and 4 those religous fanatics ......" sweatdrop sad  

[Card_King1]

Antron3001

Mormons do not deny the divinity of Christ. confused

Actually Mormons believe that Christ was born a person and that he ascended to the level of God.  

[BeccaLaFae]

locke317

ZiCat

Also for athiest who want facts and proof before they go in a religion...
Religion is about Beliefs no FACTS

Exactly. That is why I see no need to believe in religion. There is not much that can be gained, in my opinion, from just pure belief.

actually im a christian and now both from books and my own conclusions i believe that there actually is a lot of proof for religion (its not just belief)-but if i tried to explain it all i doubt most of you would even believe me so i just want to say i believe in the bible and a creator(God) and that there is a hell and a heaven. so for those of you who think your soul just disappears when you die i just cant agree with that, no offense but if u came from nothing and when you die will again be nothing-what's the point of living, of crying of wanting others to accept or understand you if when you die you will be gone and forget all of your life like it never happened what's the point of living or mourning or anything really? sorry starting to rant but i really just dont get how anyone could be utterly and completely gone ever...  

[Verderbnis]

Sure, religion bases on belief, that's why I do not do faith in anything like god. Also your statement just clearly separated religion from anything like politics and educational systems.

You can't teach in geology or biology classes things basing on beliefs. Otherwise I could tell that earth is a cube and people are empty inside, like balloons, only because I believe it.

And that's a problem you americans have with your religious concerns, a lot of your people think the bible is a fact and it all happened word for word! It simply didn't, it's just full of metaphoric stories.