Heaven and Hell...Do they exist?
Religion & Science
Do you believe in heaven/hell?
Heaven and Hell...Do they exist?
Do you believe in heaven/hell?
- yes
- 18 votes
- no
- 16 votes
- i dont kno
- 6 votes
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well, i rlly want 2 kno ur point of veiw on heaven and hell. do u thnk thy rlly exist? if u do, how wud u go 2 1 of them? i mean, dos it depend on how bad uve been? the mistakes uve made? how "good" uve been?
i personally...hav no idea if thy exist...if thy did...well, i thnk 2 get 2 hevean...u must hav had a good heart, filled w/ luv...i mean u cudve made a million mistakes and done a million bad thngs but if it was all done for the cause of sumthng good...then u desearve 2 go 2 heaven. but if u had an evil heart \and liked hurting pp and making bad thngs happen and evrythng u did in ur life was only for urself, for ex...u help the police capture a bad guy, but u only did it for the $...then thats bad and greedy. its also selfish and mean. so then, u wud go 2 hell...
i hope that was clear...and if u were kind of in the middle and didnt kno which 2 choose...well ud be sent bac 2 earth and complete ur tasks there!
sry...that last comment must hav messed evrythng up, but anyway. wats ur veiw on heaven and hell? do u believe thy exist/ if thy did, how wud pp be hosen 2 go in2 them?
I don't believe in a god so I think that no such places like heaven or hell exist. But also I think that such question is meaningless. You'll see it for yourself after death, no one really can tell if such "places" exist. Maybe heaven/hell is a state of mind? We think that the body is dead but mind (soul?) may still be alive. But I really don't believe in such things. Death is the end of life.
PS. Can't you people write normal? Ever heard about proper grammar? Think about other people reading your words.
The Concept of heaven and hell has always been a topic that has thrown me into a brick wall. If god does exsist, and he is infallible, filled with eternal love and all that, then the concept of Hell cant possibly make sense. If he understands all the he should be able to look at reasoing and situational based problems that might have made you steal that food, or money. God is all knowing-thus all understanding.
Now If i trully believed in 1 God then i would have to say that if he goes by the Heaven and Hell standard, then he cant possibly be a god by the human understanding of what a god is.
And if he does then I dont consider him and god, and Heaven can be just like a hell if you live in a world completely devoid of life and hate.
Our world of risk and danger is what makes our world worth living in
If heaven only has that which is good, then I am in Hell because ive lost my will to exsist
Thats my own personal Matra, keep that in mind next time you consider what heaven and hell are really like.
I would like to start by saying that this text is difficult to read.
I don't believe in heaven or hell depicted in religions.
I believe that mortals create their own heaven and hell in their minds.
In order to clarify what I mean I'll use a patient who is paranoic. He sees dead people with chain saws around him all the time telling him that he is going to die when he is going to sleeps in a most horrible and excruciating death. There is no threat around him and yet he continues to think that something wants to kill him.
If mortals can create such delusion surely that can conceive a hell with demons and eternal fire or a heaven with angels and eternal peace.
It reinforces my point that heaven and hell are conception of the human mind.
I think that when you die, you don't go anywhere. Not heaven, or hell. But I don't know for sure, it might exist, but it seems a bit outrageous to have you soul go somewhere after you die. But it can just be a state of mind like ^Yu-huang said.
True. Average human uses about 10% of their brain. So how do we know what would we be capable of when using 100%? Maybe Jesus did exist and he was such person. But we don't really know what our mind is capable of. Just look at fantasy book writers. They're creating new worlds, creatures, languages. So maybe Bible, god, heaven, hell, all this was created by us. That's what I think - that religion was created by humans. No supernatural power involved.
well that's a good question too bad i dont really have a good answer but what i think is this. i am not sure if heaven and hell exist but i feel they are concepts created by humans to keep humans in line. you see very religious people want salvation, or most people do, so they thought of being rewarded for behaving, if you will, in the mortal world is comforting. also no one wants to burn eternally in the infernal flames of hell if it does exist. that's what i think.
I believe there is a heaven and a hell. I believe that the only way to get into heaven is through Jesus Christ and if you don't follow him you're going to hell.
yes, I believe, God is all-knowing all-seeing all-powerful all of that. That is why we who are sinners have been condemned to hell. He gave us the whole world. the power to rule over everything in it. all the food in it at our disposal. with one tree in exception. and what do we do? we run to that tree and eat from it. even though that was the one and only thing he told us we could not do. commiting that act was a sin and instantly made us sinners. and as sinners we cannot enter through heavens gates we cannot have any sort of relationship with God. but God loves us. so in his love for us he came down taking on a human form, Jesus Christ, and lived a holy perfect sinless life as a human, and sacrificed himself for our sins. so, if we accept Jesus Christ's sacrifice as our own, we are removed of our sins. thus, making it possible for us to once again have a relationship with God, and be allowed into heaven. that's what I believe.
Hell is a place reserved for people who type like you.
Not true.
Uh....Not only did god put the tree there but he made humans with the tendencies to be curious and deceptive. God is omnipotent and omniscient, he set them up to fail at the very start because he knew exactly what would happen. You can't even paraphrase your religion without it sounding flawed.
If you built a robot and it kicked you in the balls would you punish it? No, you'd fix it. You built it. Any mistakes it makes are a result of your own incompetence.
in the biblical sense there is a heaven and a hell!:s
but in real life, the life herself is otherwise called heaven or hell.
for me he definition of those terms are in your mind. u're the one who can define heaven, who can define hell. is up to u if u believe it or not.
No problemos me with that:P
take care
i think heaven and hell is a threat.....be good for ur whole life and u'll go to heaven. be bad u'll be burn and sent down to hell. either way i don't believe in it. i think when we die we're just gone. heaven is a comforting thing to hear but i don't believe it's true. plus i think heaven and hell r scary if it truely did exist. if i'm in hell i don't wanna be burned and tortured for enternity...what happened to the merciful god? if i were in heaven i wouldn't have a life and i wouldn't be able to think or do anything cuz heaven in some perfect thingie where everything is pure and good. plus it would be boring if nothing happened.
puddl3: y did god place the tree of knowledge there in the first place? y did he create man with curiosity and temptation? if god made us he should surely be able to predict our actions which i bet he did so y did he place it there where it was easily in our reach.
and kytel i believe in everything u said.
point made i don't believe in heaven or hell. it's just something human's made in their mind
I think that heaven and hell is a necessity due to the holy nature of God, who rewards the righteous and punishes the unrighteous. I think that's it's the spiritual version of the physical judicial law, which puts people to jail and sometimes kills them. If you think it's a threat... well in a way it is, just as the police would threaten to give you a fine for speeding (breaking the law), God would threaten you with hell for disobedience.
I think God allowed us to have the freedom to make an informed choice. The tree of knowledge is said to be the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
"And out of the ground Jehovah God caused to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food. The tree of life also was in the middle of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." - Genesis 2:9
So if man did not eat of the tree, he wouldn't know what is good and what is evil. That brings us to the question: God allowed us to make an informed choice. So he knew that we were going to disobey him (out of our own free will) when he placed the tree there. Doesn't that make him indirectly responsible for our sin?
I think it does... in a way, although man did disobey God's simple command out of his own free will. However God did also love us enough to suffer for us and prove his love for us by dying for us on the cross, providing a simple path towards salvation that we can either accept or reject. For those who do not accept God's offer for salvation... I think that they only have themselves to blame for going to hell.
well i would always think that the space was heaven and the earths core was hell ..........
Hey! Thats the name of my username in almost every forum/group I join in(the only reason that my username is heavenANDearth in minitokyo is because somebody owned it already, my real constant username is heavenANDhell).
Anyway, back to the topic, yes, I do believe in the afterlife because I refuse to believe that we are but carbon life forms here on earth whose only purpose is to live and waste life away because when it end, it just stops! That really freaks me out so there has got to be an afterlife waiting for us when we die.........
I believe in heaven but I don't really believe in hell because if God is a forgiving God, I think we all deserve to go to heaven!
I'm sorry, but did you read what you just wrote?
We have to pay for sins' that have been made by two people who lived eons ago.
What kind of God who is all knowing and merciful would do that?
And no saying that he sacrificed himself for us makes him hardly merciful. Because he gives us only two choice; you chose me and go to heaven or defy me and go to hell.
The only thing it shows is his selfishness and his needs to be worshiped by us lower beings.
Also even if what you say is correct, there would be no honor to go there if you don't deserve it. I rather burn in hell knowing that I deserve to be there than going to heaven knowing that I was unworthy. But that my opinion.
I agree with that definition. If hell does exist, it would be its purpose.
Now I doubt that fits the definition of omnibenevolent.
I actually agree with what you say. If there is a god with the quality given to him by the Christian, then this is what would make most sense.
Forgiveness is conditional. You are forgiven only if you repent. You might think this does not fit the definition of omnibenevolence but I think it does. Only a fool will forgive a person who does not truly repent. A friend steals form you and you forgive him. That is perfectly fine. However, what if you have heard him say behind your back: "It's ok to steal from Yu-huang. Just ask him to forgive you afterward and he'll overlook the offense." Now is it benevolence to forgive him or is it just naivety?
God is omnibenevolent because he is willing to forgive any sin so long as a person repents, not because he will forgive every sin.
Forgiveness is only conditional when it comes to mortal. A God is suppose to be a perfect being who knows all and understands all. Therefore, there should not be a condition. Either he forgives fully or he does not.
It is said that a mothers' love for her son is the only love that is real.
Because even if her child might end up doing misdeeds she will always love him regardless of what he/she might done.
If a mother is capable of that, don't you think that your God can do that too?
Also, your example would apply if I was a normal mortal. Unfortunately for your example I'm not.
Even if they were to steal from me I would forgive them because for me material wealth and possessions are meaningless.
I'll tell you this story:
There once was a Zen Master Ryokan of Japan who lived in a small hut at the bottom of a hill. He led a simple life. One night, a thief entered his hut but found nothing worth stealing.
Upon Ryokan's return, he bumped right into the thief. Ryokan said, "You might have come a long way, but I really do not have anything of value here. Yet, I cannot allow you to go back empty-handed. The only thing I have that is of value here is the shirt on my back. I will give it to you as a gift."
The thief, bewildered, accepted.
After he left, the half-naked Ryokan sat down watching the moon.
`Poor fellow,' he mused, `I wish I could give him this beautiful moon.'"
If a simple man is capable of that surely God is capable to do likewise.
That is why I don't believe in the existence of Hell.
Heaven is were the just go when they die, hell is were the bad will go when they get judged. I think that the hell isn't in use, yet. It will get in use when Jesus send all the bad people to dwell in there along with the devil and all his angels.
Heaven is were all the people who believe in Him will live until he came back to the earth. I believe that all the people who have died in my family is in there, and I am going to meet them when I die.
About Heaven:
"There are many rooms in My Father's house. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going away to make a place for you."
John 14:2
About Hell:
"I saw all the dead people standing before God. There were great people and small people. The books were opened. Then another book was opened. It was the book of life. The dead people were judged by what they had done as it was written in the books. The sea gave up the dead people who were in it. Death and hell gave up the dead people who were in them. Each one was judged by what he had done. Then death and hell were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Revelations 20:12-15
Yes, God knew we would fall. And of course I would change a robot I built so that it would obey my every word. But, would I love that robot by forcing it to obey me? No, God loved us so he gave us free-will. If he hadn't we would just be robots, we wouldn't be capable of knowing his love. He knew we would fall and let us, because other wise we wouldn't have known how much he loves us.
A gift that's demanded is no gift at all.
We don't pay for their sins. We pay for our own. They were only the beginning. Every descendant of them has fallen into sin. Not one human being on earth has never sinned, excluding only Jesus Christ.
He is God. He can do whatever he wants. He could've cast us all into hell the moment we were born. But, because of his love, he did not, he didn't punish us right away, he gave us a chance to right our wrongs.
I partially agree with that last part... I would almost rather burn in hell knowing I deserve it then be allowed into heaven though I do not deserve it. But in reality. No one wants to burn in hell for an eternity. Hell is a thousand times worse than any man is capable of imagining.
That is true. Think about it a little bit more. If a mother loves her son and he does wrong, what does she do? She punishes him. Because of her love, she punishes him, so, that he might know right from wrong, and choose right over wrong. God is no different. He loves us. So he shows us his punishment for us if we will not do right.
I agree with most of what you just wrote.
But why did he not simply make us all perfect. He is a God after all.
Creating something flaw would be queer wouldn't you agree?
Would you mind defining sins in your religion?
Also, why only Jesus did not sin?
There are other beings who lived like he did.
And yes I know that the story but I want to read from you. I don't want to be blame for putting words that you did not say.
I don't pretend to know what hell is like if it exist. However, how can you face Him knowing that you don't deserve to.
And no saying that you have been forgiven for your sin does not change the fact that you know what you did.
I agree. The child needs to learn. But will she punish him indefinitely? (Don't answer that, its a rhetorical question)
It does not change the fact that some decide even after they have been raised; to do what is wrong. Once he has grown and no longer restricted by the rules of the mother, he can do anything he wants including killing of another sentient being. She will definitely be hurt to know this. But do you think the mother will stop loving him?
It will be a really boring world, don't you think?
"The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, "Go down to the pot-maker's house, and there I will let you hear My words." So I went down to the pot-maker's house, and saw him making one on the wheel. 4 But the pot he was making of clay did not come out like he wanted it. So the pot-maker used the clay to make another pot that pleased him.
Then the Word of the Lord came to me saying, "O people of Israel, can I not do with you as this potmaker has done?" says the Lord. "Like the clay in the pot-maker's hand, so are you in My hand, O people of Israel."
Jeremaiah 18:1-6
Turning now to the first human pair, we see that Adam and Eve were created perfect--physically and mentally. God even gave them a perfect moral start, for he implanted in man a conscience. That is why the apostle could properly say that God's law is 'written in men's hearts.' (Romans 2:15) Could that perfect human pair sin? Or, to be perfect, should they be incapable of sinning, made so that they could only obey, only go in the right way, never deviate from the course outlined for them? If you made a machine, say an automobile, you would make it so that it always went in the direction you turned the steering wheel, would you not? So, then, should not the first human pair have been like that in order to be perfect?
No. Why not? Because they were not made to be machines, to perform like machines. God, the Maker, purposed that they should exercise free moral agency, that is, be able to make personal moral decisions, choose between right and wrong, between obedience and disobedience. Remember, the Maker sets the standards and requirements, his will governs. Therefore, if the human pair had not had this ability to choose, they would actually have been incomplete, imperfect, according to God's standards. (Compare Genesis 2:15-17; 3:2, 3; Deuteronomy 30:19, 20; Joshua 24:15)
But suppose someone argues, "Yes, but if they were perfect then they should only have chosen what was right." This is the same as saying that they had no choice, for if you can only "choose" one thing, you really are not choosing at all. So to argue this way is simply to substitute a personal idea in place of God's own standards. Those standards required that the human pair be capable of choosing either good or bad. Why? Because only then could love enter the picture. If they obeyed because they could do nothing but obey, then their service would be automatic. But God granted them the ability to choose, so that they could serve because of love in their hearts. Or they could become disobedient because their hearts had become selfish. How could that happen?
This would depend on what they fed their hearts, from which their motivation issued forth. Just as their bodies, though perfect, required the right kind of food to function well, so also they had to feed their hearts with right thoughts and reasonings. Perfect Adam could not eat dirt, gravel or wood and still enjoy perfect physical health; if he tried to breathe water instead of air he would drown. His perfection was relative, limited to the human sphere of life. In the same way, if he chose to let his mind and heart feed on wrong thoughts, this would lead to entertaining wrong desire and finally would produce sin and death. This is exactly what happened, and by his disobedience Adam, of his own choice, entered into imperfection.
"But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn, sin, when it has been accomplished, brings forth death."[b]--James 1:14-15[/b]
*sigh*
God is omnipotent. He built every aspect of adam and eve, right down to their tiniest flaws. He said they could live happily in eden as long as they didnt eat the fruit.
GOD KNEW THEY WOULD EAT THE FRUIT WHEN HE PUT IT THERE!
GOD KNEW THEY WERE UNWORTHY TO LIVE IN THE GARDEN BEFORE THEY WERE EVEN CREATED.
Why did he set up adam and eve with a test he knew they'd fail? Why would he test them at all if he's omniscient? Why would he punish them for HIS OWN FAILURES if he's omnibenevolent?
Furthermore, if god knows exactly what you're going to do before you do it, what's the point of being born and living? God already knows if you're going to heaven or hell before you're even born. He could easily cut out the middle man and send people directly to heaven or hell using his omnibenevolence. You have no free will because god created everything about you and your path is already known. Whether you're "saved" or not is a foregone conclusion.
Strawman. If you were building a robot to love and a robot to make its own decisions then that's what you would do. The robot was simply an example. I was just using it as a metaphor about punishing your own creations for your own failures in making them.
Yes...He set you up for failure so that you could know his love. I guess that makes about as much sense as the rest of your religion. WTF are you babbling about?
A mother punishes their child for many reasons. Mostly as a mechanism to teach them how to act in the future and give them a negative incentive for doing something wrong. They're essentially molding them for the future.
God sends people to hell for ETERNITY. How does that teach anyone? What's the practical purpose of torturing someone for eternity? Couldn't he just as easily blink them out of existence or does he get pleasure from hurting people? For what purpose would god punish someone for ETERNITY for what are minor acts in comparison in their short life on earth. It's like hacking off a child's arm for stealing a piece of candy (or in god's case, stealing a piece of candy that you told him to steal). The punishment doesn't fit the crime.
The problem is everything about god and reality don't seem to fit together. Looking at all this what is the simplest solution? Here's a hint - Making up convoluted excuses to allow god to have all his godly attributes and not be screwing over humanity is not the answer.
The correct answer to all these paradoxes.....God is Imaginary
Think about it. It makes perfect sense.
"Why do my prayers go unanswered?" Answer: God is imaginary
"Why do bad things happen to good people?" Answer: God is imaginary
"Why does god put worshiping him above all other moral obligations?" Answer: God is imaginary
"Why are there millions of horrible diseases and deadly animals?" Answer: God is imaginary
"Why do all muslims think christians are wrong and all christians think muslims are wrong?" Answer: God is imaginary
You can go on forever with all the problems of religion and that simple answer fits them all perfectly. It's the giant elephant in the church that everyone avoids making eye contact with through fears of hell.
well... i dont think that there is a haven or hell because i dont think there is a god... to you one thing might be 'bad/evil' but to the other it might not be. god is only there in out minds to make us think that we're not alone and that someone'll help us get through the 'bad' times. but it's really us that did all the work.
i have a good friend who once told me that cause i dont believe in god i will go to hell after i die and she, who think there is a god, will go to haven. but it i dont believe in god, then there would be no haven or hell, right? i think it's all about how we think, how our own minds work. it might be there... it might not be, only the dead knows. but i dont think i want to die just to find that out! lol
"you know when you pray for something really, really hard? god is the only one that ignores you"