Do You Believe in a Literal Hell ?

.... Is it an actual physical place where some will go when they die? If so, what do you think that place is like? Is it a "Lake of fire" as the Bible suggests or something different? I know in recent years the percentage of people who believe in hell as been steadily declining, even among those who describe themselves as Christians. More people are likely to believe in Heaven apparently than in Hell. While I believe that neither place makes a lot of sense, I am curious as to how many think there is a literal place where many will burn for an eternity.

If you believe it's a real place, what do you think it's like and where is it? Fire? The devil? If you don't believe in a literal hell, why not? Polls show that more Americans believe in heaven than hell but that belief in both have declined. Could it be that people just can't fathom a loving God casting his creation into a fiery everlasting torment?

It's a real spiritual place. After we die, our bodies are buried but our souls move on to another place. I believe that Hell is the absence of God, the absence of happiness.

The Christian belief (I'm sure you'll find this absurd), is that "there are two types of people in this world: Those who say to God 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done'" (The Great Divorce, CS Lewis, 75).

The Great Divorce and Dante's Inferno give pretty good representations of Hell. Their Wikipedia pages have good summaries but I doubt you'll check them out. But these stories are merely allegories; the actual structure is not exactly known, but I believe it is different for every person. Whatever someone dislikes, that is part of their Hell.

If you believe it's a real place, what do you think it's like and where is it? Fire? The devil? If you don't believe in a literal hell, why not? Polls show that more Americans believe in heaven than hell but that belief in both have declined. Could it be that people just can't fathom a loving God casting his creation into a fiery everlasting torment?

To the bolded: God does not "cast" us down into Hell, we choose it. The Church gives us essentially a map to Heaven; it includes practicing basic moral principles among many other things. If you choose to not follow this 'map,' you go to Hell. Think of the definition of Hell as this: "I am my own." Hell is what we want for ourselves, Heaven is what God wants for us. Christians believe that God knows better than we do about what we want, since he is omnipresent and created everything that is, has, and will exist.

It's a real spiritual place. After we die, our bodies are buried but our souls move on to another place. I believe that Hell is the absence of God, the absence of happiness.

 

The Christian belief (I'm sure you'll find this absurd), is that "there are two types of people in this world: Those who say to God 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done'" (The Great Divorce, CS Lewis, 75).

 

The Great Divorce and Dante's Inferno give pretty good representations of Hell. Their Wikipedia pages have good summaries but I doubt you'll check them out. But these stories are merely allegories; the actual structure is not exactly known, but I believe it is different for every person. Whatever someone dislikes, that is part of their Hell.

Damn, does that mean my hell will consist of spending 24/7 for infinity listening to Sarah Palin or Sean Hannity!

I better get right with the Almighty and fast!

Damn, does that mean my hell will consist of spending 24/7 for infinity listening to Sarah Palin or Sean Hannity!

I better get right with the Almighty and fast!

I'll be sure to pray for you.

I've been to Arkansas and narrowly avoided death there, so to answer the original question, yes.

It's a real spiritual place. After we die, our bodies are buried but our souls move on to another place. I believe that Hell is the absence of God, the absence of happiness.

 

The Christian belief (I'm sure you'll find this absurd), is that "there are two types of people in this world: Those who say to God 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done'" (The Great Divorce, CS Lewis, 75).

 

The Great Divorce and Dante's Inferno give pretty good representations of Hell. Their Wikipedia pages have good summaries but I doubt you'll check them out. But these stories are merely allegories; the actual structure is not exactly known, but I believe it is different for every person. Whatever someone dislikes, that is part of their Hell.

Somebody took Coach Herts' religion classes at Cov Cath.

Heaven = The complete presence of God.

Hell = The complete absence of God.

And to answer the original question as posed in the thread title, yes, I do believe in hell, as do I believe in heaven.

Why is it that people of no belief, who in my mind are taking the easy way out and are the truly close minded (I can do whatever I want in life because there's nothing else) seem to take such pleasure in ridiculing those who do believe?

Why is it that people of no belief, who in my mind are taking the easy way out and are the truly close minded (I can do whatever I want in life because there's nothing else) seem to take such pleasure in ridiculing those who do believe?

This.

I believe that there is a literal Hell. The Bible says there is. As a believer, that's good enough for me.

Who remembers our old albeit young friend CCH5432?

He left us for some reason. InItToWinIt seems to have taken over the mantle of young thinking male on BGP. Well done.

Who remembers our old albeit young friend CCH5432?

 

He left us for some reason. InItToWinIt seems to have taken over the mantle of young thinking male on BGP. Well done.

ThrillVille gets completely ignored, aye? :lol2:

ThrillVille gets completely ignored, aye? :lol2:

Heck, he's now moved on from "young."

Somebody took Coach Herts' religion classes at Cov Cath.

 

Heaven = The complete presence of God.

 

Hell = The complete absence of God.

 

And to answer the original question as posed in the thread title, yes, I do believe in hell, as do I believe in heaven.

My theology prof at Southern, William Hendricks: Hell is the ulcer in God's stomach. If God is believed to be Omnipresent, then he must be present in Hell. If not, he would be less than God. He is present, but relationship is not possible. His analogy was: which is worse? To be punished n sent to your room, or punished but remained in the room with your parents.