Should sinners go to hell forever

1. 72

   Darrell Robertsposted 11 years ago

   Should sinners go to hell forever
   
   Since human beings live for such a short period of time, do you think that it is fair that sinners should burn in hell forever.  Does it seem fair?

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2. 37

   edhanposted 11 years ago

   If one repents then one will be forgiven.
   
   It takes lot of guts to admit one's wrongdoings. I believe that everyone may commit wrongdoings but when realize it earlier and repent before it is too late.

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3. 82

   Catherine Kaneposted 11 years ago

   I believe the agreement is untl one learns better and repents. Think the two thieves on the crosses on either side of Christ.
   
   At that point, it's not proportional to how long you live but rather how fast you learn, which seems just...

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4. 83

   Freeway Flyerposted 11 years ago

   No. We humans don't have the slightest conception of what the concept of forever means. Anyone who accepts the notion of either an eternal paradise or place of torture haven't thought about these ideas very deeply. I also don't see why it has to be an either/or proposition. Since we humans (and the world in general) are a mix of positive and negative qualities, it seems odd that the afterlife consists of only two extreme options.
   
   http://freewayflyer.hubpages.com/hub/It … the-Letter

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   1. 72

      Darrell Robertsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for such a thoughtful answer.

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5. 59

   joanakeposted 11 years ago

   by looking at the equation of time forever is definitely not a fair measurement of suffering for people who have committed sins. humans were not made to be perfect and erring is part of the package called life.
   
   However I do believe that repentance is not sufficient alleviation from any sort of punishment. Only does one repent and actually goes on to atone for their mistakes should the sin be written off as truly forgiven

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   1. 82

      Catherine Kaneposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      in theory, though, Jesus has paid the bill for our sins, so if we repent, that's all that's necessary.
      Look at the two theives on the crosses at the crucifiction
      
      It's not a question of what's fair. God has made it better than that.

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   2. 72

      Darrell Robertsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Something to consider, thanks

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   3. 59

      joanakeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Catherine,
      
      Not everyone is Christian. On a less spiritual level per say someone committed murder and pleas guilty - he is in repentance. But that does not remove the mandatory jail or life sentence that the judge imposes. Just food for thought.

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   4. 82

      Catherine Kaneposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I get that joanake. "Render unto Caesar" and all that..
      
      This question seemed aimed more at the afterlife, though, which is a very different kettle of fish...

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6. 59

   OneFineG467posted 11 years ago

   I used to think about this myself ..should they outlive their life in hell than the life they had in earth... fear of ending up in hell somehow affects people concious from doing bad deeds....we do get a strong feeling that heaven and hell do exist maybe its because we are taught that way since childhood..

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7. 80

   Electro-Denizenposted 11 years ago

   No it does not seem fair lol! Of course not. Not when contemplating the Divine being of compassion behind all things. It doesn't make sense on so many levels.
   
   In fact, is so profoundly ludicrous that at least that gives some of us a clue as to the nature of this argument i.e: man-made, and as a whipping stick to ensure moral rectitude. Boy, if you spit again, I will take your Lego away foreveeer!
   
   People die after lives mixed with good and bad actions. They learn from it with the aid of helpers on the other side, as it were, then move on to learn more stuff depending (or more likely having to re-learn the same thing!)

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   1. 72

      Darrell Robertsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      nice answer thanks

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8. 71

   CBartelmeyposted 11 years ago

   For all its simplicity, this is really a complicated question and I do not have the most orthodox of answers.  I do think that there is a consequence for all actions, and certainly there is a consequence for actions of cowardice and another for those of valor.  But what do you ultimately get if you have nothing but cowardly actions, well you should get a heart.  Just like the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz.  Your inwardly directed actions or actions made out of fear or weakness should not go unnoted by those around you, nor should they go unnoted by you for that matter.  Every one of us has the power to change and grow into something different than we were yesterday, as do we all have the power to help a man in need and help him see the error of his ways. 
   
   I think that is what should ultimately happen to a sinner, they should outgrow their sins through their own doing, or more importantly, through the help of others.  And what if that doesn’t happen?  Well while I do not believe there is an eternal hell that we were destined to burn in if we do not do a certain set of things, I do believe that the world we live in should give us an indication if we are succeeding as a whole in overcoming sin or not.  Because I think the only outcome we can see in the struggle against sin is the outcome of the reality that we are living in.  Is the world generally becoming a better place, or is it continuing to degrade?  I think that is ultimately the price for sin; that its effects are seen and felt here every day, rather than in some distant place that we go to when we die.

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   1. 72

      Darrell Robertsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Interesting, someting to contemplate.

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9. 56

   feenixposted 11 years ago

   If sinners are, in fact, going to burn in hell forever, I had better go out and purchase an abestos suit to get buried in.

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10. 61

    BrianMI6posted 11 years ago

    "Fair" has nothing to do with it.  Fair is a quality which is pretty much made up by each individual.  I'm sure that a child rapist would say that it wasn't fair to go to hell.  Same goes for that woman that recently decapitated her 7 month old.
    
    The question is, "Is it just?"
    
    Justice is what God is interested in, not fairness.  The fact of the matter is that God is an infinitely high being and we owe him an infinitely high amount of reverence.  Our violation of his laws and standards or our refusal to obey his commands are INFINITELY high offenses. 
    
    The just thing is to issue an infinitely powerful punishment which fits the crime.  The problem is that most people don't have a proper understanding of God's holiness.  If they did, they'd realize that God is far more angry when someone lies than WE are when someone rapes a child.  People tend to give themselves a pass and assume that since "everyone lies" we should all somehow get a free pass for pretty much every sin we commit.
    
    The truth is that it totally makes sense for sinners to end up in hell forever because it is the only way in which justice is served.  Anyone who thinks that this is NOT justice...well....they're wrong.  Why?  Because God made the universe and owns it so he gets to make the rules.  Nobody gets to say that he's doing a bad job at it because he DEFINES what good is - not us.

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    1. 82

       Catherine Kaneposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       But He has also said that, by Jesus, our sins are all forgiven. So at that point, His rules say that eternity burning is neither just nor fair
       
       I think that you're thinking of this in terms of human justice and kinda missing the Divine Point here

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11. 72

    Darrell Robertsposted 11 years ago

    Thank you all for your answers.
    
    I use to think that people shuold burn in hell forever if they committed certiain crimes. Then I was having a conversation with a close friend and she helped me to realize that forver or eternity has no end.  What crime can a human being possibly commit that would land them in eternal hell?  Then I found a doctrine that tells us we get reincarnated, man I was relieved, because at one point I thuoght I would be one of the people roasting for eternity.
    
    Best wishes to all.

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