Ahh...controversy. Intellectual conversations are rife with it, families are torn asunder by it, school boards thrive on trying to eliminate it. You should probably know that I am not someone who shies away from controversy or controversial topics. Quite the opposite, in fact. I believe that controversy and the topics that define it have much to teach us, and I am confident that the subject of this blog will only serve to reinforce that belief. Remember the golden rule of 204--to disagree is not to disrespect.
In 1999, a Gallup poll indicated that only approximately 60% of Americans believe that there is a hell. Out of that 60% only 4% were convinced that was their destination. So, first question--do YOU believe that hell exists? If so, do you know what it looks like? Smells like? Feels like? Where did your belief come from? Your parents? Your church? Your friends? What do you have to do in order to get there?
The word that is used most frequently in the New Testament for hell is Gehenna. Gehenna is a reference to the Valley of Hinnom located on the south side of Jerusalem, which served as the city's "garbage dump" during Jesus' time. The fires that burned here never went out. The Old Testament makes a reference to sheol as being a place where spirits reside (Deut. 32:22) and some of them will be resurrected to "everlasting life," while others are bound for "everlasting contempt" (Dan. 12:2) One is a worldly destination, the other spiritual. Which one sounds more realistic to you?
Dante Alighieri was a prolific writer who wrote the epic narrative poem titled Inferno in which the main character, Alighieri himself, travels through nine circles of hell. The main theme of this particular work is that there is a perfection to God's justice. Sinners on earth are relegated to various circles (or levels) of hell depending on the severity of sin. This would seem to indicate, at least in Alighieri's eyes, that there are varying degrees of sin and that each one is punishable in its own way. Do you believe this? If so, what is the worst sin that you can imagine and how should it be dealt with in hell?
Lastly, is it easily reconcilable to think of God as being the embodiment of love and grace yet imagine that it is through his word that people descend into hell, which is, ostensibly, a place of eternal suffering?
Think about it and let me know.
(50 pts/400 words)
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I'm going to hell that's for sure according to my family's religious standards. But I'm pretty sure that by the time I finish writing about this blog that I'll end up in even a deeper part of hell.
ReplyDeletePART 1
ReplyDeleteI guess I’ll start this blog off with some controversy. I’m Catholic, technically. Really though, I’ll just consider myself an Atheist. I was baptized, but my parents divorced when I was three. Since then, I hardly went to church. Living with my mom, I never really learned the Christian religion. At all. I’ve never had a “first communion”, nor have I read the Bible in depth. From the time I can remember, I’ve always been ashamed of my absence at the church. However, when I began to learn more about religion in school, and explored in depth the different faiths around the world, I became extremely skeptical about the whole religion idea. As hard as I tried, I truly could not imagine heaven or hell. Since I’m not really attached to the Catholic Church, I suddenly saw how it really worked. And to be perfectly frank, I wasn’t impressed. The only religion that actually made sense to me was Buddhism. It was considerably, in a nutshell, cool. My belief system transformed into one simple theory: there is some sort of spirit above, but it is unknown where it lurks. So, to answer this controversial question, I would have to say no. I do not believe in hell. At least, not the religious sense of a hell.
In my personal belief system, death is something that has a life of its own. I don’t really want to know what’s after death, because I’m just scared. If you’ve been a sinner your entire life, I’m sure the afterlife has something in store for you. I just don’t know what happens. I do not have the religious experience, knowledge, or confidence to tell you exactly what I know. This is because I don’t know. Honestly, none of us know. We’ve never died, and so how are we to be truly sure that hell exists? By stories? How do these stories exist if the writers wrote it on Earth? They couldn’t have been dead. I know it’s complicated and I’m not considering every aspect, but these questions have always haunted me. Maybe I am just too optimistic to believe in such a dark and foul place. When reading Hell by James Joyce today, I became both very depressed and truly doubtful that such a place literally exists. Figuratively, there are a million hells.
PART 2
ReplyDeleteThe hell you live through after life is the painful regret one has to deal with. If you’ve performed an immoral sin, then the indescribable guilt and regret you must suffer is the ultimate hell. The people that you have effected from your sin will also haunt you in the afterlife. That “fire” of remorse will never extinguish; it will burn the last strokes of life left in you, and you’ll probably wish your days on Earth were sketched out differently. How? I’m unsure. Nonetheless, between the Old and New Testaments, the passage that seems more realistic in terms of my personal beliefs has to be the Old Testament. I don’t necessarily agree with all of it, but it does remind me of the Hinduism belief of reincarnation, which I am extremely fascinated by. It seems realistic that once you die, you are then reincarnated into someone (or something) else. Depending on how good or bad you were in your last life results in what body you are in for your next life. For instance, say you started a massacre in one life. Once you die, you’ll be reincarnated into suffrage, like into a poor cow’s body. Once you die, you die, and you no longer get to live life. However, if you have lived an innocent and productive life, you then are reincarnated into another long and happy life, and the same pattern continues. Of course, I don’t believe you remember your past life. Maybe that’s where déjà vu comes into play..? Ok, I think I’m pushing it with the crazy theories!
I don’t think categorizing sins makes hell any more believable. In fact, I believe it makes it less believable. Alighieri’s point of God’s justice seems legitimate to me. I believe there should be justice to sins, but I am unsure on what this justice exactly is. The belief of “hell” is complicated enough, and Alighieri’s belief of “the nine circles of hell’ does not help. I just can’t imagine it. True, a sin can be punishable in its own way, but I don’t think nine circles of hell is the right imagery.
Lastly, the whole “God loves everyone and is forgiving” is one of the biggest contradictions I’ve ever heard. The thing that is the most funniest is that worshippers who sin get away with it by a simple prayer. They expect God to just forgive. If God was so forgiving, then why would he create a place that would suffer his own creations? This just reminds me of when every time someone says “I want to thank God for saving me. He was watching over me.” Well, what about those who were unfortunate? Did God just not like him and decide to kill them? Again, this whole thing is so skeptical. I’m sorry for the passionate believers in Christ and God who will disagree with me, but I wasn’t raised in the Church. My beliefs were created from watching the news, hearing stories, and over thinking this subject way too much. I have a massive imagination, but my religion imagination is just nonexistent. But when you mention UFOS, ghosts, and evolution, my imagination will go out of this world!
After what I just wrote, and if Hell does exist, then I guess I'm joining JV :/
ReplyDeletePart 1
ReplyDeleteI believe there is a hell. I do not believe that hell is a place you physically go, but a place your mind goes. I believe that hell is different for everyone. The agonizing pain a person’s soul suffers after his or her death not only depends on what he or she did during their life time, but also what their fears are. For example, if two peoples biggest fear is spiders and one of those people killed a person and the other killed twelve people; than the person who killed one person will have to live in a place where spiders are all over the floor. Where as the person who killed twelve people will have to be restrained and let spiders crawl all over their body for eternity.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteMy belief is branched off my father. We believe in evolution and the big bang. However, we still believe that there is some higher being. Therefore, if there is a heaven there must be a hell. My version of hell is not my fathers. It came from his belief of their being a hell, but my thinking that it is a souls place and what happens to you there is my own. I’m not sure how I came up with it.
In my opinion you have to do something excruciating to go to hell. I do not think your sexuality, religion, marital status, whether you have a baby out of wedlock, or any of those other common sins will get you to hell. To go to hell I think a person has to have no remorse, or control....
Part 3
ReplyDelete...For example, if a man hits a boy with his car and the boy dies, but the man feels horrible about it; I do not believe the man goes to hell. If a man shoots another man out of anger, and as soon as he realizes the consequences of his actions, feels remorse, I do not believe that man goes to hell. However, if a man robs an old lady and the old lady is forced to live on the streets and the man feels no remorse than that man will go to hell. I don’t think it is actions that send people to hell; I think it is their souls.
I believe that the spiritual destination is more realistic than the worldly destination. I do believe that there are varying degrees of sin and that each one is punishable in its own way. The worst sin I can imagine is a man raping little children. I don’t believe that people who do this over and over again, and say they are sorry are sorry. If they were really sorry and felt they couldn’t help themselves they could get castrated. I have no idea how a child molester should be punished in hell. Whatever the punishment is I hope it is so agonizing that, even the most twisted minds on this planet would never even have thought of it.
Part 4
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that there is one man who makes the decision of where every person on this earth ends up. I do believe there is a higher power. However, I see it resembling the Supreme Court. I think there are a set of rules and regulations that decide whether you go to heaven or hell, which was made up by this group, and they make the decision only for people who are on the border line.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePART 1:
ReplyDeleteHell, maybe I’m an optimist but I honestly feel like everyone should be and can be forgiven. I know most people will pull the Hitler card or something and I’ll get to that. But, it just doesn’t make sense to me how the most forgiving entity in the world would make a place filled with so much suffering without an escape hatch. I believe that Hell is like a limbo. For the sinners who need it, they go for as long as they need to until they finally see the error of their ways. Once they see it, they’re free to apologize to those they hurt and are then admitted into Heaven.
As for what Hell is, we Catholics are supposed to believe in this fiery pit of forced labor. Really? You want someone to contemplate their sins so you make them do work? Again, this just makes no sense to me. Mental torture is way more efficient. You can make a criminal do work on the side of the road for 10 years and they can still come out the other side and do more illegal activities. Hell would be much more effective if it was an intense version of a jail cell.
Picture this if you will: Hitler in a straight jacket sitting on a rickety stool in a dirty, rusty concrete room without any doors. In front of him is a projector screen showing a “movie” with each of the people he hurt in his entire life. It would consist of a background, their death(or pain) at his hands, an alternate ending of how their life would have turned out had he not decided to start a genocide, and finally an alternate of his life had he taken the right path. Show him one or two lives and it may not sink in, but show him 6 million lives, something tells me he would start to feel pretty bad. No matter how long it takes, when he finally gets it, he is forgiven and an elevator appears on one of the walls and transports him up to heaven. It’s basically an intense session of confession, except your dead and are going to stay there until you get the message that you did something sinful in your life. That’s my version of Hell, my mind is just way too logical to believe in the hot pitch forks version.
PART 2:
ReplyDeleteAs for the levels/intensities of punishments, it depends on the sin. NO a person who lies is not getting the same punishment as a murderer. That’s just ridiculous. You go to Hell for real crimes i.e. murdering, molesting children, raping, etc. People make mistakes, it happens…quite frequently actually. Serial killing, that’s not a mistake, that’s premeditated insanity and in my opinion, the worst form of a sin and would be dealt with just like the movie cell, as would all real crimes.
In the end, God is a nice guy, nice enough to forgive anyone who goes to confession. So what if that confession came after death? God is not a punishing person, he just wants everyone to admit their sins and be forgiven. Everyone deserves a second chance; God above everyone else should believe this.
Alex N:
ReplyDelete"We believe in evolution and the big bang. However, we still believe that there is some higher being."
I could not agrre more with this statement. In my opinion, God has the attention span of a two year old. One day he was playing with the other planets and was like, "I'm bored..." and just created a big bang which formed Earth. Once formed, he took seven days to make everything on it. That's what really baffles me with the whole controversy of creation. Why can't everyone compromise? It makes sense if you think about God starting the big bang. That's just my thoughts. (And yes I realize that barely has anything to do with your post, or Hell. I just wanted to put that out there (= )
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ReplyDeleteChrissy-
ReplyDelete“I wasn’t raised in the Church. My beliefs were created from watching the news, hearing stories, and over thinking this subject way too much.”
I feel entirely the same way you do, Chrissy, Just like you, I wasn’t raised in the church, in fact, I didn’t even know what religion my parents were until I asked them… in 9th grade. But unlike you, I didn’t feel ashamed of my absence in the church as a child. The whole idea of religion is preposterous, in my opinion, minus the moral codes they enact. I think that they way we shaped our beliefs is better than simply agreeing to what your parents believe in. With the news and stories and personal thought, I think we become better people, with more individualized personalities. And in the end, we like ourselves better. So Chrissy, I hope you like yourself based on your self-made beliefs! =)
Part 1-
ReplyDeleteI was baptized, I've grown up Christian, and I went to preschool at a church and now I go every Sunday. Nobody's ever described hell to me exactly, but they've said there is one. Just learning about it's purpose, which is basically everlasting torture, I came up with my own theory about it.
Growing up, people have read me the bible like my parents, pastor, etc. They would describe hell as being horrible, but they never really described its looks or smells or feelings that it brings to the people there. My theory about hell is that it's the it's different for every person. For example, if I hated spiders, guns, knives, losing friends/family, and insane people, then my hell would consist of all of that in the most torturous way possible. I'd be surrounded by knives and spiders would be crawling on me all while insane scary people were all up in my face screaming and holding guns up to the heads of the people I care most about. And on top of all that, I'd be really really hot all of the time and would constantly smell smoke and throw up, because throw up smell is what I hate the most. But, despite all of that, I really think that hell is only as bad as your sin. Even if I was scared of all of that and probably more, and I had a smaller sin that I didn't ask forgiveness for, my hell wouldn't be all that bad it'd just be as bad as my sin was.
Part 2-
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've learned God is the judge of whether a person is going to Heaven or hell. But, I think he bases everything on intention and how much you really are sorry. God wants people to go to Heaven, I'm sure, so he will give people second chances if they ask for it. If a person did a little sin like stealing from Wawa, then God won't want to punish them, and if they asked for forgiveness he'd give them it. However, if they didn't care that they stole and continued to steal, then they'd go to hell.
I think the Old Testament is more realistic. When people die, they aren't all just sent anywhere. Those people are sent to a place where they are judged to be sent to Heaven or hell. Their lives are looked at and if they truly are sorry for their sins and have asked for forgiveness and meant it, then they will have eternal life. However, if they are had bad intentions for their sins and never asked for forgiveness, then they are sent to hell.
I agree with Dante Alighieri about how there are varying degrees of sin and they're all punishable in their own different way. The worst sin I can think of is killing someone right in front of their family or friends. Not only is that horrible to do the the person that's being killed, but it hurts the people who witnessed it for the rest of their lives. They have to live with that memory and think about it over and over again each day, torturing them on the inside. When this person is sent to hell for this, they should be punished in the worst way possible. They should have to be tied down to a chair while the person they murdered took shots at them. The pain of being shot would never stop and their greatest fears would pop up randomly and scare them and hurt them emotionally, too.
I know that God sends people to hell for eternal suffering, but they bring that on themselves. God gives everyone a chance to go to Heaven. Even if people make mistakes and they're truly sorry and ask God to forgive them, they can have eternal life. So, technically God is trying to embody love and grace. He's being fair in the fact that he gives everyone an equal chance to earn their ticket to heaven.
Alex Nikolinos
ReplyDeleteI don’t want to criticize your blog, but I just can’t help it. There is just so much that I can comment, but I’ll just go with a few. For one, you said “I do not think your sexuality, religion, marital status, whether you have a baby out of wedlock, or any of those other common sins will get you to hell” I’m sort of confused because you kind of imply that sexuality, religion, and marital status are sins. I’m pretty sure that’s not right. But I see what you mean: the labels that society gives you do not determine whether you go to heaven or hell. I think that those labels shouldn’t determine anything about where to go. I’m not talking about where to go in the afterlife but where in earthly life. These labels are just ridiculous, and I totally agree with you when you say that they shouldn’t determine where you go (just in a different way). Also, I really like your examples. They make everything very clear—especially the one with the spiders. I never thought of hell that way! Finally, I have to add that I laughed so much after I read “If they were really sorry and felt they couldn’t help themselves they could get castrated.” Really Alex? Hahaha! But I like your humor.
Though my mother is a protestant, or some form of Christianity, I was born and raised a Catholic. I went to CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) for nine years. In second grade, I received my First Holy Communion, and in eighth grade, I went through the sacrament of Confirmation. After eighth grade, however, the program was no longer offered. It was the responsibility of both my parents, and myself to go to church. Aside from a few times, we never did. I feel as if I have failed and that I should still go, because I do believe in the Catholic religion.
ReplyDeleteI do believe in hell. Although I don't exactly see a painted picture of pitchforks and flames, I believe there is a devil that is trying his hardest to pull everyone into the trap of wrongdoing, instead of being faithful to God. Despite the degree of the sin, a sin is still a sin. Say for example, a child misbehaves in school. One student verbally abuses the other, so the other student stabs him with a pair of scissors. Though the severity of one punishment is greater than the other, both of the students are still punished. I don't believe hell has layers, but that every sinner goes there.
As of right now, I believe I'm going to hell. I believe wholeheartedly in confession, and that it can stop you from going there. In order for that to work, however, you must truly be sorry for your mistakes. I could easily confess to my sins such as not going to church every week, and repair my relationship with God, but I know that I still won't go every Sunday. It isn't fair for someone to forgive you for something you did wrong when you know you are going to do it again. For that reason, I don't go to confession and try make amends.
My religion right now is based on my relationship with God. Although I try my best not to sin, I don't exactly follow the Commandments. I do pray every night before I go to sleep, and when I wake up. I know that God loves me, and that is all that matters to me right now. Hopefully, someday when I am older, I will be able to abide by all of the Commandments, but as a young teenager, that isn't exactly what comes first in my mind.
As for the babies, Catholics believe in a place called Limbo. Though all children are born with original sin from Adam and Eve,if they aren't baptized and they die at a young age, they go to Limbo. It's a middle ground between Heaven and Hell.
Taylor
ReplyDeleteI really love the way you talk about the movie cell. I think it’s a great way to aid the mentally twisted killers in this world. I really agree with you that punishing something physically does nothing. That’s why I really hate it when I hear about the stereotypical picture of a jail: men breaking rocks with axes. If a hell existed, which I’ll think about more as I finish my own blog, our universe would be a great place with the hell you believe in!
Taylor: You said "You go to Hell for real crimes i.e. murdering, molesting children, raping, etc."
ReplyDeleteYou go to jail for those things. The punishment of the crime either determines if you get a prison sentence, house arrest, etc. But all of those actions have consequences right? That's what I believe with Hell. Despite the severity, you still committed the sin. Sinners go to Hell, and so you still go to Hell no matter what the sin. (That's just my opinion though)
Chrissy: Though I am Catholic and do believe in Hell, you make one of the most valid points ever. "None of us have ever died." I agree (Well obviously.) What I mean to say is that some people have to experience things for themselves to believe something is true. Others can base their knowledge off of what others say. It just depends on the person. You make a very valid point though
ReplyDeleteChrissy- With every blog you post I can’t help but read and think to myself, “Get out of my head.” I have agreed with every blog you have posted so far and this one is no different. I was afraid that my belief would cause some controversy, but when I read yours I knew that I was not alone in my opinions. My favorite line was “If God was so forgiving, then why would he create a place that would suffer his own creations?” You managed to shock me with a very intricate question. The entire blog you posted was well thought out. I liked how you were able to go beyond popular belief and express your true feelings. “We’ve never died, and so how are we to be truly sure that hell exists?” This is another amazing rhetorical question that provides meaning in the blog.
ReplyDeleteI have adamantly refused to discuss my religious views in a scholastic context for years. They are as controversial as they are disproved of by the general public, and very personal to me. It is the result of much experience and searching that has led to many judgments of systems of belief that could make an enemy of me. However, this is a discussion ripe with controversy, so here it goes.
ReplyDeleteMy parents are fairly open-minded, especially when it comes to religion. As a result, they never impressed on me a system of beliefs, or even guidelines as to what I could or could not believe. What I believe developed from personal experience, and is minimally impacted by research, which I have been doing lots of since sixth grade. I don’t believe that there is any heaven or hell: there is only the world, which is broken down into concurrent levels. This is complicated, but my point is: no heaven, no hell, just earth. People die, their soul detaches from their body, and it returns to the soul of the earth. New souls come from the earth, and it repeats as necessary. That’s the simple version, anyway.
It seems completely unrealistic that a list of rules set by mortals should determine what happens to a person’s soul after they die. There is no reason that one soul is of greater worth than another, thus allocating them to either a fiery pit or beauteous paradise. It makes even less sense that inherently corruptible mortals could decide what is right and wrong for the powers that be. They have so much to gain for living a lie! To me, the highest law is natural law. What is true of the higher power can only be learned through experience – any other doctrine is guidance to find truth, even if it comes through knowing falsity. So there are sins, because there are laws, and the greatest sin I can think of is waste. But, there is no spiritual punishment for any crime against nature. There are consequences that make the world a worse place. (The soul that returns to the earth? It can become tainted by committing crimes against nature, and by being reabsorbed taints the earth. Very bad.) I believe, perhaps falsely, that I have come to know divinity, and there is no punishment for the unenlightened or reward for the devout followers. So in a way, the world that we know could become a living Hell if we do not seek truth and live properly.
Were there a Biblical Hell, no person who ever lived could have gone to Heaven. Or perhaps Heaven would be like a frat party, with every holy man who ever lived (about twenty-seven in number) there livin’ it up, figuratively speaking. In Dante Aleghieri’s Inferno, I would suffer eternally in the First Circle, the place reserved for pagans, the unenlightened. But I’m not worried. There is no way that the highest power, the sum of all spirits, would have a place set aside like a garbage heap to punish an inherently imperfect system by throwing it away and wasting it. The great mystery would not commit the ultimate crime against itself.
Hannah:
ReplyDelete"But, I think he bases everything on intention and how much you really are sorry."
This is one of the main points I was trying to make. I want to end up in Heaven, but I know that I am going to continue to make some of the same mistakes. I feel that life is a journey and that people are going to continuously make mistakes to continue on their journey. That's why I believe that someday, it will be of greater focus. That's kind of irrelevant,I just wanted to say that I agree.
I apologize in advance if my beliefs are confusing.
ReplyDeleteWhen people ask me about my faith I usually tell them I'm "a different kind of Christian" because I don't feel like explaining myself. The truth is right now my faith is pretty unique, which I guess makes me Unitarian Universalist, but I've grown to really dislike religious labels. I'm also a Taoist, which is not a religion but a philosophy on life, nevertheless it has heavily impacted my view on hell and the like. Here's the thing, I believe we all have an inner nature that we must follow. The way I see it "bad" people are people who go against their inner nature. "Good" people are people who follow their Taos meaning they are true to themselves. Basically as long as what you are doing is part of your inner nature you aren't doing anything wrong. One of the worst sins you could commit (aside from hurting another in anyway) is to lie to the world by being something you're not. That's why I don't understand the Christian belief that homosexuality is a sin. Someone who is gay is just being true to themselves and following their Tao. Wouldn't it be worse for that person to stay in the closet, lying to the people around him? Then what if he get married and has children? He's hurting others and himself by not following his Tao. If it helps, think of the world like Jedi see the universe in Star Wars (you can laugh, but the whole idea of The Force is pretty much based on Taoism). The dark Jedi are the people that tasted the dark side and abandoned their Tao because they saw a chance to become more powerful. In the end however it always ends up hurting them. Abandoning your Tao sometimes leads to temporary satisfaction, but in the end it always turns out that you should have stayed true to yourself.
Now all of that background information on what I believe should help you understand my view on hell. I think we create our own hells on earth when we abandon our Tao, because like I just said it always ends up being a bad idea. I also think that when you die there is a heaven and there is a hell, but hell is a really hard place to go. You just have to be honest with yourself. If you really listen to your inner nature you are doing nothing wrong. Hell is the place for people who go so far against nature that they hurt others physically and mentally without remorse. I can't tell you what its like because nobody has ever died and come back to tell about it. I also think you can be forgiven by God if you are truly and utterly sorry for your wrong doings, but for the most part I think wrong things are hard to do. It all goes back to following your Tao. The worst sin I believe is murder, because you are taking a human life. That goes against nature in every way.
I realize that my ideas are unique and kind of hard to understand. Taoism isn't the most widely recognized philosophy out there. Taoism isn't just about following your inner nature either. There are so many other factors that play into it. If you want to know more about it read The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff, it'll change your outlook on life.
Kristen D- I do not agree with everything that was said in your blog. Yes, I do respect your opinion on the topic but not everyone agrees with everything. You mentioned in your blog that despite the degree of sin, a sin is still a sin. From what I remember from my good old CCD days, a person can go to confession and God is supposed to forgive them. If you went to confession after everything you did, can you still go up to heaven?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, you do not have to go to church every week to be considered going to heaven. I am not a religious person, but it’s not about committing your whole life to that one “God,” it’s about knowing and believing he exists. Don’t worry about going to hell at age 16 go out and experience life and not worry about after-life.
Kristen (in response):
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree, how can a person who steals a candy bar go to Hell on the same terms as a child molester? You cost someone a dollar, or you scar someone for life. People are far from perfect and they don't always make the right decisions, but should they really be damned to Hell because of a few mistakes? And to that, should the child molester really get admitted to Heaven no questions asked just because he went to confession? I have to say no, I think your admittance to either Heaven or Hell should be based on your life as a whole. Those real criminals i spoke of, they're done, they need to serve at least a little bit of time in Hell. As for someone who stole from Acme or wherever, they messed up. But what if the go on to win the nobel peace prize, they just forgot to go to confession? Do they really deserve Hell for that mistake.
If we really want to get picky, politicians. They (some of them) save our country from falling apart and they happened to have an affair. Shouldn't their good outweigh their mistake?
Chrissy:
ReplyDeleteAs I formulate my own response, I want to give a huge thanks to Chrissy for making it ten times less awkward for me to talk about my religion… or lack thereof. My parents, grandparents, and four out of six of my aunts and uncles are atheist. That is to say, they aren’t especially religious. My family doesn’t go around denouncing God or being cruelly insensitive to religious beliefs, which is the impression many seem to get of atheists. Rather, my family doesn’t go to church, practice a religion, or generally accept the idea of God. But more on that and where I come in when I post.
I can definitely relate to what you here: “We’ve never died, and so how are we to be truly sure that hell exists? By stories? How do these stories exist if the writers wrote it on Earth? They couldn’t have been dead.” This has always bothered me too. I’m sure that each religion has its own explanation for how humans “know” what the afterlife brings (perhaps the writers were divinely inspired), but since my life lacks an emphasis on religion, I have trouble accepting that this is truly possible.
Kristen D
ReplyDeleteI don't think there's a strict code to abide by in life. I think everyone is different and their relationship with God is different, so shouldn't they be held to what's on the inside? Not a set of rule that was written so long ago? I respect your opinion and I believe in the basics of Christianity, but I think we all have something inside of us that guides us through life. As long as we follow that guide are we doing anything wrong?
Just to clarify. I didn't really make it clear in my post but I think there are certain things that are inherently wrong within everyone's nature, like stealing and murder. Just thought you guys should know that before I get attacked for being morally loose or something.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAlex
ReplyDeleteThats why I added on to my post. There are some things within everyone's nature that are inherently wrong. Rape, murder, theft, they're just wrong. Anyone who says its in their Tao to rape someone is lying and looking for justification for their evil actions.
Kristen D
ReplyDelete"It isn't fair for someone to forgive you for something you did wrong when you know you are going to do it again. For that reason, I don't go to confession and try make amends. "
Although I disagree with you that there is only one god. I do agree with you thought on forgiveness. If a man does something wrong, but is truly sorry i believe he should be forgiven. However, if he shows no remorse but simply apologizes it doesn't count. It's like when you were a kid and your mom would make you say "Sorry", and you mumble under your breath, and then she would say "Say it like you mean it."
"As for the babies, Catholics believe in a place called Limbo. Though all children are born with original sin from Adam and Eve,if they aren't baptized and they die at a young age, they go to Limbo."
I was wondering about Limbo. Can babies get out or do they stay there for ever, are there people there to take care of them?
Stephen W
ReplyDeleteI just went back up and saw it. It was the post before mine. I must have missed it, that was kinda stupid. Sorry Stephen!!!!
Growing up my opinions have been skewed by my parents. My mother drilled the belief of God into my head from the time I was born. Until eighth grade I had attended CCD, (sometimes referred to as “Catholic Church Detention” by the rebellious few) and a few times I even road my bike to attend Church. After I received conformation I never looked back.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time believing in the idea that has no evidence of existence. Therefore, I do not believe in Hell. The idea of a “world” consisting of punishment is unethical. Every person goes through life with some sort of hardship, isn’t that our punishment enough? Yes, some men kill and others live a more peaceful life but there is a reason. In my opinion, everything happens for a reason. I was always taught that God has a plan for everyone and he knows what is next in a person’s life. However, if he plans for people to kill other people could He be considered the evil one?
In class Ms. Bunje brought up an excellent point. Maybe we are all living in Hell right now. I had never thought about that point but the more it runs through my mind the more I think she is right. It is sad to say but the truth is, what if this “life” we are living is only a test? Perhaps there is another world of existence. We’ve all heard of the song “Only the Good Die Young” by Billy Joel, this could be so they can get out of this place called “Hell.” In truth, I don’t believe in the afterlife hell, but I believe that parts of a person’s lifetime can be considered their own hell.
I am not much of a spiritual thinker, so the more realistic term for hell can be considered the one of the New Testament. “Hell” brings a gloomy description to my mind like a place with fire that can be considered a “garbage dump” that no one wants to visit. I do not agree that there are different levels of Hell. In my opinion the problem with some religions are there are too many different beliefs for one idea and each has a loophole. If you believe in hell, separating it into different levels should not be an option because it allows some people to sin without being punished as much.
God can be looked up to by many people. I use to pray until I realized that it would never work. God can be forgiven for sending people into Hell because he is not perfect either. Everyone has their flaws and can be considered evil at points in their life. Seeing flaws in the people you look up to helps you realize that life does not have to be perfect.
Chrissy H.
ReplyDelete"The people that you have effected from your sin will also haunt you in the afterlife."
I love this! You wrote that so well. I never even though about the people the people who went to hell effected.
"Well, what about those who were unfortunate? Did God just not like him and decide to kill them?"
I agree with this statement one-hundred percent. It always bothers me when people say that what happens to you is God's plan. I do not believe that. There is no reason for a three year old baby to be stricken with cancer, and die. I don't know how some people can consider this God's plan. If there really is one man who puts us on this earth, than I still don't believe that what happens to us once we get here has anything to do with him or fate.
I'd like to know who's responsible for creating an idea of having a person reach a place of "everlasting contempt." The whole idea just baffles me. Hell, I don't think it exists at all. In my religion, well my family's religion, it's taught that you don't have to see things to believe it. No one in the world can guarantee that this place exists, so why should I believe in it?
ReplyDeleteI feel like such an idea of a place was just created as a disciplinary action, a concept so that people would follow the laws that were placed upon humans. We're all lead to believe that when we do bad in the world, we need to be punished. Hell is seen as punishment.
Instead of hell and living a life eternal depression, I think that we all get reincarnated into a different thing in the world. I used to think, when I was younger, that when people passed away they turned into something beautiful like the stars. I mean, if there's millions of them, wouldn't it make sense that every person that dies turns into one of those floating satellites in space?
I'd like to say that because of my church and religion, I'm more pushed away from the idea of hell and more drawn to the thought of being reincarnated into better things.
With the Bible, I think that it's just a guide to a Christian’s insanity. I believe the stories. I just don't believe how the church interprets things. It's exactly like how I believe in God, but don't believe in the priests that control the system.
Finally, I think sins should have different punishments but I don't know how each should be punished. I know that none of us have the power or ability to decide such fate. If anything though, it shouldn't be manual labor or anything. It should be something that resembles what one has sinned for. If someone is a rapist, then they should be raped back. That's the worst analogy, but it should go by the "an eye for an eye rule."
God is a higher power who is the most forgiving because he uses himself as an example for all the other people in the world. Therefore, God would not make a place to damn people because they’ve made mistakes. Growing up, I’ve stitched together all the contradictions that my religion has cooked up with their scriptures. Is it bad? Most likely. But, I guess we’ll all see when we die.
Kristen,
ReplyDeleteI think I'm in the same situation as you in a way. I know that there's a God out there watching me, if not God, then at least some kind of guardian angel. Even though I'm not the best person, I try my best to not sin. Though some things I can not help, I still try to avoid those that can be deemed sinful.
My parents too are in the situation of not practicing religion and making sure to go to church every sunday. I think that's what pushed me away from God. I'm not unhappy though, I think I'm even better with it. I found inner peace within myself. I think I'm a transcendentalist. Join me?
Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely with you when you say that physical labor will do nothing for a person as punishment. It's completely true because it's just like giving punishments in school today, some people even enjoy getting discipline like being sent to the ISS. My question is though, how would you measure the degree of punishment of each person? I mean some of them could be taken lightly by the person committing the crime.
JV
ReplyDelete"If someone is a rapist, then they should be raped back. That's the worst analogy, but it should go by the "an eye for an eye rule."
I agree with your theory of punishment. I believe that the people who go the hell are those who do not feel remorse for what they have done. Therefore, the "an eye for an eye" rule, I believe, is the perfect way to try and show them what they have done wrong.
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteI was watching this episode of Tyra about these gay people putting their innner feelings aside just to get married to women. It was the craziest thing ever. I do agree with you on the point that believing in your inner nature is the way to go. For me, that's what I go along with but with a little twist. I still believe in the higher power but not all the 'rules' that go along with believing in this higher power.
I’ve never ascribed to any particular religious doctrine. Simply put, I’m mostly atheist with a little agnostic thrown in. Does this mean I look down on those who believe in some sort of supernatural entity and go around actively preaching that there’s no God? Absolutely not! In fact, I’m a bit envious of people who can hole-heartedly ascribe to a particular religion. It must be comforting to go through life with at a fairly good idea of what happens in the next life, whether your actions will allow you to go somewhere pleasant, and, if they don’t, what you can do to reconcile your wrongs. Since my family is composed largely of more-or-less atheistic folks—four of six aunts and uncles, their children, my grandparents, and my parents and brother—my childhood has lacked religious influence. As a result, I have spent much time mulling over the idea of the supernatural on my own. In generally, I find it very difficult to accept the notion. The whole concept behind God-based religions boggles my mind. I tend to view things scientifically—perhaps too much for my own good—and have trouble accepting the abstract concepts behind religion: Where is God? Who/what is God, really? Which God, if any, is real (there are thousands of faiths!)? Why would he want to create Earth? Why did God create troubles, from annoying flies to gargantuan natural disasters, which harm not only sinners but also the “godly” and innocent animals? Sure, every religion has its answer to my various points, but the most common, “God works in mysterious ways”, doesn’t satisfy me one bit. Other responses are so varied that I can’t just accept one and say, “sure that makes sense” because there is no way for me to know what’s true. As far as I know, no living human has communicated directly with God and heard his answer. This is where things get nice and easy for those who fully accept a religion. If you whole-heartedly believe, you don’t question your religious doctrine; you just accept what’s been written in a wholly book, taught by a religious authority, et cetera. My skeptical self, however, cannot simply accept—I want something concrete. And since concrete proof and abstract faith don’t mix, I’m up the creek without a religion, if you’ll pardon the cliché.
ReplyDeleteI shy away from saying that I’m totally atheist, however. The existence of our bountiful Earth in a sky of lifeless planets… The beauty of the world, especially that found in nature… The way some events go so perfectly they seem preplanned... Such things make it hard for me to totally dismiss the supernatural. Perhaps our universe is an accident. Perhaps Lady Luck is the reason we’re all here. But perhaps not. I don’t believe in God, but I feel like there is something I should believe in. That something is out there. I just can’t put my finger on it.
As far as Hell goes, I don’t buy it, though that’s probably because I don’t have any specific religious philosophy. Obviously, almost everyone has a different view of Hell (pit of flames for all sinners, different levels for different sins, Earth is Hell, et cetera), so it’s hard for me to address the issue directly. I don’t think it’s reasonable that everyone who has committed a sin of any sort be sentenced to an eternity of torture. I find it hard to believe that confessing sins makes them magically better unless you truly repent your wrongs (no offense intended, forgive me, I lack experience in the religious realm). The Earth equals Hell theory doesn’t sit well with me; even if our planet isn’t perfect, I love this place! But then again, I’m not God. I don’t know what he thinks or how he operates, or even if he exists at all. I don’t ascribe to a certain religious doctrine, so I won’t simply accept a particular religion’s idea of Hell.
As far as the Old Testament and New Testament ideas of Hell, I think that the Old Testament view would be more effective punishment, though neither sounds especially realistic to me. If I’m interpreting this right, the Old Testament Hell is more of a punishment for the soul/inner-being/whatever-you-want-to-call-it while the New Testament version is more of the bodies burning in fire idea. “Everlasting contempt” sounds like more of a mental punishment than anything else, and from experience I know that while physical wounds heal, mental wounds rarely do. Though the physical (fire/burning/etc) Hell would be just as eternal as the mental, mental torture would be far harder to endure than physical suffering.
ReplyDeleteAgain, though I don’t believe in Hell, I think it would be more effective and fair to have “levels” of Hell. For the sake of argument, let’s say that Hell is a pit of fire where all sinners go. Would it really be fair to send someone who committed a minor sin—say using God’s name in vain without confessing sin—to such eternal torture? I don’t think so. Personally, I think if there is a Hell, it should have many, many levels to it, most with the option of getting out. For the least sinful of the sinners, there would be a somewhat unpleasant hell, like prison on earth, where they could sort of serve their time until they came to terms with their mistakes. For worse sins, there would be more intense punishments. The worst sin I can imagine at the moment is murdering or permanently damaging (think creating a quadriplegic or something of the sort) a person or people out of hatred and with full awareness of one’s actions. I would punish this with whatever the sinner hated most. Perhaps that would be darkness and snakes. If that was the case, the criminal would spend eternity in empty darkness surrounded and covered by thousands of serpents. If there wasn’t anything in particular that the criminal hated (hard to believe, but possible), I’d have a generic punishment on hand. It would consist of shackling the person and tying them, clad in noting but their undergarments, to rock in the middle of a swamp of blood thirsty Lower Bank-style mosquitoes! Buzzz, buzzzzz, buzzzzzzz!
I do find it hard to understand why God punishes sinners by damning them to eternal torture. I personally think that almost everyone—aside from, perhaps, the worst criminals—deserves forgiveness if they repent their wrongs, even if that repentance comes after death. In some cases, sinners may realize the true enormity of their sins and repent them only after spending a few weeks in Hell. In others, the sinner might not realize they sinned or might forget to confess their sin at confession (if one accepts this as the way to be forgiven). I could definitely see myself falling into the latter category!
Kelsey:
ReplyDeleteI understand that life on Earth can sure feel like Hell (4-5 ½ hours sleep, endless flow of school work, not being able to devote enough time to sports pr family life… ugh!), and I get that Earth could be a “test” that, if passed, would unlock a new world of existence to humanity. However, I cannot bring myself to accept that Earth itself could be Hell. Sure, there is plenty of suffering here (criminals, disease, natural disasters, personal and family problems), but there’s a lot of good in the world too. For every thief, murderer, and backstabber there’s someone good to watch society’s back and keep baddies at bay. For every hurricane, tornado, flood, and mosquito, there’s a beautiful flower, mountain range, beach, and butterfly. Even family and personal problem, there’s someone with a heart who’ll be a friend when one is needed most. The way I see it, the good balances out the bad, and the bad balances out the good. If humans did not experience suffering, they wouldn’t fully appreciate the more pleasant aspects of life. If Earth was Hell, suffering would grossly outweigh good.
I shall post my responses before my entry. I still need to think this over a bit.
ReplyDeleteChrissy -
"I don’t really want to know what’s after death, because I’m just scared."
This is something I don't understand that maybe you could explain: why are people afraid of death? The concept, the process, the result, anything. Why are people afraid of it? That's something that jumped out to me when I read your entry. That's just something I don't understand. Also, I agree with you on the statement about how God is always forgiving. I don't understand how that is not at all questionable to the Christians of the world. Maybe I'm being a bit brash about this, but that concept doesn't make sense to me at all.
Kelsey -
"God can be forgiven for sending people into Hell because he is not perfect either."
That statement, I found that extremely interesting. Haha I'll have to mull that over as well as my overall opinion of hell.
So, I have a question for you, my fellow not-really-a-Catholic. If you don't believe in Hell, does that mean you don't believe in Heaven because there is no evidence that exists as well?
Also, I agree with you on using different levels as an excuse or a way to make people feel better. Sometimes I even think people use religion in general as a scapegoat because they're scared of opening their minds to the other possibilities out there. Some people just need that structure. Personally I was turned off by the Catholic structure, but some people live off of it.
JV -
"With the Bible, I think that it's just a guide to a Christian’s insanity."
Although I agree that the Bible and structure of the modern church is a little more extreme than it should be, I think it is kind of harsh to call it "insanity". Just throwing that out there. Is insanity really what you meant or was that in lack of a better word?
As for your "eye for an eye" concept. That's interesting. I haven't heard that one much. That makes sense. But, how about if it's an accident? What if someone accidentally injured another? Should they be punished and injured over and over repeatedly for a mistake? Where is the the line drawn for what is a legitimate sin or not? I think that should be a question for everyone as well: What is "sin"? Ah this topic is too complex!
Part 1:
ReplyDeleteI am a Christian. I believe in God. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe in heaven. And I most certainly believe in hell.
The thought of hell awakens every sense. I’m not sure why, but I have always cringed at the sound, or more appropriately, the noise. Matthew 13:50 discusses the “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Other translations say “wailing and gnashing of teeth.” That turns my stomach. Wailing is bad enough, and I’ve never heard the sound of gnashing teeth, but if I close my eyes right now, and I imagine the sound of gnashing teeth, I want to vomit. And hell is eternal and irreversible. If I can’t imagine only the sound of it for five seconds without feeling sick, I cant grasp the torture of hearing that one sound for all of time.
Bunj pointed out to the class, when we were discussing the rhetorical mode of description that smell is difficult to capture, but that when it is captured, it brings about the most pungent connections. Hell has a distinct smell. Revelation 14:10, as well as other passages, mention the “fire and brimstone.” Brimstone is a name for sulfur. You know the smell of rotten eggs? Well that’s just a sulfur compound. Imagine pure sulfur, burning. That’s hell. Dr. Pamela Dalton, a sensory psychologist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, was asked by the Department of Defense to create the world’s most potent stink bomb. After testing a variety of smells on volunteers, Dr. Dalton concocted a formula of rotting human corpses, human waste, sulfur, and a hint of overripe fruit. That’s a stink bomb. Multiply that tenfold and imagine the aroma permeating through you dry, cracked lips and invading your mouth until you feel as though your whole being is filled to maximum capacity with that smell. That’s hell.
As for looks, Hell is a place filled with fire. According to scripture, it is within the earth. We all know that the center of the earth is molten lava. Whether the writers of the bible were correct in their interpretation of hell as actually being in the center of the earth, or that was just the only way they could put their description into words, it’s pretty safe to say that hell is hot. I’m really not sure what the sights of hell, beyond fire, will be.
The feeling of hell is the description that I think truly captures the nature of hell. Torment. Fear. Thirst. Pain. Heat. Luke 16:23-24 gives this frightening description of hell: “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’”
By now, with the way I am citing bible verses, it is pretty obvious where my belief of hell originated. Interestingly though, it does not come directly from church. It comes largely from conversations I have had with a man from my church named Jeff. He used to come to my house every other Sunday night for a bible study and dinner. The bible study was only for the adults, so afterwards, I would pull out my bible and talk about whatever I felt like talking about with Jeff. We would thoroughly breakdown whatever it was that I was questioning. I distinctly remember discussing hell with him. He seemed to know every place to look for a subject, so I still have the sections from our talk highlighted and annotated.
Part 2:
ReplyDeleteHell was originally created for Satan and the fallen angels who followed him, but then people began to reject God. Those people are the people who will end up in hell. This is hard for me to say. I don’t want people to go to hell. I wish I could bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat and be happy (sorry I couldn’t keep the Mean Girls reference out). However, if I were to try to board a plane to San Diego with a ticket to Alaska, I wouldn’t be going to San Diego. There is only one way to get on that plane, and it is with a ticket to San Diego. Without one, I’m in airport security, I know I sound like I’m preaching, and this really is probably the very definition of preaching, but there is only one way to heaven, and without fulfilling that requirement, a person will end up in “airport security.”
As for the different names for hell in the bible, there is Sheol, which means “grave” and does not actually mean hell, but is the waiting grounds before Judgment Day. Then there is Hades, which is “a place of torment,” and usually refers to hell. There is Gehenna, which was the name for Jerusalem’s burning garbage dump, that, when used in the bible, always refers to hell. Finally, there is “the lake of fire,” which is the final place that nonbelievers in Jesus will go. It is questionable whether that is hell itself, or a sort of new hell that will be put into place after the end of the earth, as described in Revelation.
I believe that the term Gehenna was used in a figurative sense, or for lack of a better way to describe hell. A burning dump in biblical times, would have housed more than household trash we encounter in modern times. Burning flesh is said to be one of the worst smells imaginable. Lepers could not be buried in normal cemeteries for fear of spreading the disease, so it is my guess that they would be incinerated upon death. Between the fires, the smell, and the taste of the air in the Valley of Hinnon, Gehenna was probably the closest description of hell the biblical writers could muster.
I do not believe that there are different levels to sin that determine the severity of hell for an individual. A sin is a sin is a sin is a sin. The only sin that will place a human in hell is not disbelief in God, for even Satan and his demons believe in God, but non-acceptance of Jesus Christ as God, and the savior from sins.
“For there is no partiality within God (Romans 2:11).” I believe that. The law and its consequences are clearly stated in God’s word. And when it comes to people who have had no formal brush with Christianity, such as Native Americans before the Europeans, “God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of world, his invisible attributes- his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse (1:19-20). Essentially, for those who have never heard of Jesus, or our definition of Christianity, admittance of divinity is enough. To me, what is really unfair is that a god, who could have chosen otherwise, came down to earth, lived a blameless life and then died a painful, torturous death, so that he could plunge into hell and set the believers free. It isn’t unfair that someone bought the wrong plane ticket; it’s unfair that someone who didn’t have to gave up his jets to get us where we want to go, for free.
We’re all sinners. We really all should go to hell, but Jesus made a way out. Either you take it, or you don’t.
This summer my friend lent me a DVD that changed my view on so many things. Even though it was a cartoon, it really struck me as deep and made me really think about God, Heaven, and Hell, and if they even exist at all. The movie was about two close brothers who tried to resurrect their mother using alchemy, but failed miserably, losing even more. The older brother’s arm and leg were taken from him, and the younger brother’s soul was put into a suit of armor. The first rule of alchemy, equivalent exchange, plays a big role in the whole story as the brothers search for a stone that will give them their normal bodies back. At the end, when confronting the villain, they are told that there is no such thing as equivalent exchange; that their whole perception of life had been a lie. She uses an example that a man can work incredibly hard, but still live a life of poverty, whereas a person can be born into a rich and luxurious life without doing a single thing. You can raise all the hell you want in your life (haha. Get it? Hell? ) and still end up in the same place as a pure person… decaying in a grave.
ReplyDeleteJust like Kristen, I spent nine years in CCD. I attended church when I was supposed to, had prayers memorized, and beliefs shoved down my throat. Today, I am at crossroads. Two different opinions and beliefs fight inside me trying to win me over. (What you’d expect from a Gemini) I feel like I really do have a devil and an angel on my shoulders. The day where my brother was sick in the hospital, I was so desperate and confused that I began to pray. I prayed every night begging God to let him live. I was so terrified and confused that praying to God was the only thing that gave me comfort. It was the only thing at the time that made sense. My brother did turn out okay, so I figured having faith did work. Maybe equivalent exchange was real. A year ago, when my grandfather died, my beliefs were flipped upside down. I was angry, cold, and relentless. I had prayed for him at church every Sunday, and prayed every night before. Where was the equivalent exchange? That was the point where I slowly began to lose faith.
I don’t know what to believe in right now. I’m so confused about everything that it scares me. My brother now goes to CCD, and as my mother practices prayers with him, I watch and constantly wonder if any of it is really true. Right now, I send out prayers to my family and friends before bed. If God does exist, hopefully they help. If not, at least I tried. Right now instead of believing is something that may not even exist, I’ll spend my life believing in myself. I won’t depend on God to have each step planned out for me. I’ll still have my morals in mind with each choice I make, but I won’t constantly be on my toes in fear that if I make the wrong choice, I’ll be sent to a fiery pit below.
ReplyDeleteKTG-
ReplyDeleteI had the same problem as you did. When my aunt died I was angry at this supposed God and I thought that if he really existed that he would have saved my aunt. Sure, she died becsuse of an alcolocic sin, but she was the best angel I knew. How could you not save someone that gave up so much to make the people around her happy? I never really beleived in God, but I think this may have been the final break in my ties with him. But like you I don't worry about hell. I really don't care if that's where I wind up. I'm going to have one hell of a time getting there! (haha so punny!)
JV-(forgive me for this one <3)
ReplyDeleteI love the part of your blog where you talk about how the bible was just created as a guide for Cristian insanity. I, however, take it to another extreme. I think the whole entire idea of practicing a religion until your toungue can no longer utter another prayer is rediculous. I beleive it is just one more thing that proves how gullible humans are. I beleive religion as a tule used for a governmental purpose. I see it as a means to keep people in check, to make them stay orderly and not cause problems. I think when people call these bible passages laws the're exactly right. If heads of society can find a way to scare people into having good deeds, damn it, they'll find a way! So many wars and battles, (literally as well as a battle between two individuals) are fought over religion. Right now, Palestine and Israel are fighting over a strip of land that they deemed to be holy. They don't even know if it really is holy! I feel like religoious intolerance and the need to impose religion upon others is a waste of time and can only be hurtful. I' sorry to rant, but that specific part of your blog caught my eye. The only thing is, I see religion as a tool to govern people. You may think it's just a crazy conspiracy theory, but the fact that so many people just blindly follow religion (as well as blindly follow the bible in your case) just gets me every single time.
Stephen (boyfriend)-
ReplyDeleteYou said that Taoism isn't widely reognized by people and that it's hard to understand, but I feel like it's all around us. Commercials tell us to expres our inner being. Musicians always say that when they create music, they're expressing themselves in ways that they couldn't do otherwise. I beleive that people always beleive that they should do what satisfies their inner being, the only problem is that sometimes they don't. For the most part, everyone knows that they shoul express themselves and that they shouldn't pretend to be something they're not, they just could never put a name to it. The only aspect in which I don't think a lot of people understand Taoism is that they don't think of it as a way of life, but I'm glad you do.
Keep being youself!!!!!!!!!
I have been freaked out on by any religious person I’ve ever met, no matter how kind of a person they are in general, for not believing in God. I’ve been damned to hell by so many people I can’t even count…
ReplyDeleteWait…
Doesn’t that sound wrong? Religious people, for God’s sakes (for lack of a better expression), these are the same freaking people who believe that you should have great moral character and respect everyone you come across! How the hell do you get away with attacking me because you don’t think I’m living my life the right way? What, do you think you’re God now and you can damn me to hell (which I don’t even believe in to begin with)?
That’s what I want to scream at the top of my lungs to make people understand that religion isn’t the only thing that matters in the world. The extreme religious people aren’t really living. They aren’t enjoying their life to the fullest because they’re so worried about this looming fear of hell if they sin.
I’m not directing this to all people that believe in God; I’m just pointing out the flaws in the behavior of those who practice religious intolerance to others. Most religions preach respecting and being kind to others, so why can you disrespect other peoples’ religions?
I don’t believe in hell and I don’t believe in heaven. I think the main reason is because I’m not as concerned about what happens when I die, as I am with living it up while I can. Why should I live my life obeying every single little rule that a book tells me I should follow and not have as much fun as I can? Even if I get damned into this so-called hell, I’m going to have as much fun as I can while on the way there!
For those in period 11, they heard my explanation of “hell” today. For those who didn’t, well here it goes. The conventional picture of Christ is the long white beard and the long white and draped cloak outfit that he has on. I think the leader of “hell” is the anti-christ. They have a long black beard and they wear all red. Then, there’s you… You’re just a little speck in a giant circle of fire. In this circle, you have to do intense physical labor. The labor involves moving things; it could be anything that weighs more than you do. That anything could range from moving giant bricks to the other side of the circle for no reason at all, or pushing a giant wheel in circles until your legs buckle and you can’t push anymore. But, you have to keep pushing because there’s the anti-Christ above you on a black throne poking you with his giant red pitchfork and threatening to hurt you even more. He also yells insults at you t make you feel like crap mentally.
ReplyDeleteIt’s ironic how funny that can sound and I’m not even joking. That’s how I view hell.
I think my non-belief comes from me having the need to see something to believe it. Nobody can show my God, so I don’t believe. This is also why I believe in the Old Testament more than the New Testament. The fact that the Old Testament gives a specific place where you will go if you sin is believable to me. I can easily imagine something that is real.
If I did believe in hell, I would say that all sins are not punishable I the same ways. You cannot possible tell me that you would mix a murderer and someone who drank underage and just didn’t confess in the same punishment. That doesn’t seem fair to me at all. God’s all about giving people a fair chance, right? So why would you say that it’s okay for him to let such despicable people mix with innocent ones in hell?
I don’t think that you can call God the embodiment of love and grace if he’s the one that created hell. How can you say that he loves all people if he sends the people who don’t believe in him to hell? Personally, if he does exist somehow, I don’t appreciate the fact that he can just control my destiny because I didn’t worship him. It almost sounds like a power trip to me. Like worship me or suffer for all of eternity. That’s the kind of crap that dictators pull!
I don’t mean to offend all of the ones who believe in God and his divinity. With all of this being said I find the study of religion fascinating. It helps me try and imagine what’s going on in other peoples’ minds. It helps me discover possible ulterior motives behind their actions. I love the study of Buddhism and Hinduism and I especially love the study of all the old Greek Gods, which I why I liked the Odyssey so much. I just don’t believe I should have to confess to something that made me happy just so someone can save me that I don’t believe to exist.
Dearest JV,
ReplyDeleteGreat question, you're right, it's definitely difficult to choose a punishment right for everyone but I think it's possible. As I said, I don't believe a few minor mistakes are going to get you a ticket to Hell, just the crimes that are really ruining other people's lives. A lot would work with the whole movie thing, but if you really have a tough cookie I suppose as, I believe Alex N. said, "Eye for an eye." It's a bit unethical, but hell, it's not Heaven.
Alexis
ReplyDeleteNow that I read it, I think "insanity" has a little too strong of a connotation attached to it. I think it definitely is a lack of a better word.
And to the sins thing, I don't believe that an accident would be counted as a sin. I mean, nature can take its course with anything. Accidents do happen and as long as the intention of someone is not malicious in any way, then I don't think it's a sin. If that makes any sense.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI don't understand what you mean by taking it to another extreme. What you believe is, for the most part, along the lines of what I believe about religion. :)
RANDOM THOUGHT:
ReplyDeleteWhy can't Hell be like an overnight camp or one of those intense weight lost spas that Oprah goes to and instense of losing weight, people lose their inner troubles and sins, and make them better people? Why does it have to be evil, can't it be just like a cleansing process to make better the sinners for the next life ahead of them?
Plus, I want to hear more from other religions. Where are Maryam and Uroosa?!
I LIKE JV's RANDOM THOUGHT.
ReplyDeletenow onto my thoughts...
Kristen: “I believe there is a devil that is trying his hardest to pull everyone into the trap of wrongdoing, instead of being faithful to God.”
Kristen, I’m glad you agreed with my “valid point”, but some points that you brought up in your blog is totally contradicting mine. This specific exert is a great example of our religious differences. I know you were raised Catholic and I wasn’t, but this idea of the devil still just does not make sense to me. Do we really have to be faithful to God in order to not be trapped in hell? That just doesn’t make sense to me. Technically, I’m not faithful to God. So, am I automatically destined for hell? It baffles me how people of other beliefs, Buddhists, Hindus, and even Atheists, are not even taken into consideration in the Christian religion. If they aren’t faithful to God, they are just going to hell. Is that what you’re trying to say in this? Because from what I’m getting, you’re just saying how the devil, somehow, is making people come over to the “dark side”. Not everyone in the world is faithful to God. Is this “wrongdoing” referring to not believing in him? I’m not criticizing you, but I’m just trying to understand something that just does not make sense to me.
"The way I see it "bad" people are people who go against their inner nature. "Good" people are people who follow their Taos meaning they are true to themselves. Basically as long as what you are doing is part of your inner nature you aren't doing anything wrong. One of the worst sins you could commit (aside from hurting another in anyway) is to lie to the world by being something you're not. That's why I don't understand the Christian belief that homosexuality is a sin."
ReplyDeleteStephen- I really enjoy your array of beliefs. In my opinion, it is both valid and completely reasonable. Being yourself is the basis of your life. I’m Chrissy, so I should be Chrissy. Not that girl who used to be Chrissy, and now she is a drug-addict. (I’m not a drug addict, I was just giving an example! Haha) If you aren’t the person you were when you were born, then you just are wasting any good nature. Being good isn’t that hard. If there was one sin that I’ve always been hesitant towards, it would be lying. I also completely agree with you when you stated that lying is probably the worst sin. Lying is just a method in which you aren’t being truthful, and thus you aren’t being true to yourself. I’ve always been an advocate for marriage equality. Why should it be a sin for just being you? Your Taoist beliefs make a very solid influence on me, and I thank you for sharing it. And no, your beliefs aren't confusing.
“If God does exist, hopefully they help. If not, at least I tried. Right now instead of believing is something that may not even exist, I’ll spend my life believing in myself. I won’t depend on God to have each step planned out for me. I’ll still have my morals in mind with each choice I make, but I won’t constantly be on my toes in fear that if I make the wrong choice, I’ll be sent to a fiery pit below.”
ReplyDeleteKTG, this is a really good belief system, in my personal opinion. Although I never went to CDDD and am surer about my religious disagreements, you seem to be questioning the higher authority (God). I don’t think it’s shameful in doubting what’s out there. Honestly, we don’t know for sure. Believing in yourself is much more valuable in the long run, and I totally respect your confidence. Also, the belief of equivalent exchange has always failed to help me. This is also the basis for my current disagreements with religion.
Chrissy:
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you didn't think my post was confusing! Haha. Its all about being yourself and following your Tao.
i finally got my internet hooked up, so im going to answer this tomorrow =]
ReplyDeletePart One
ReplyDeleteI never grew up on any particular religion; my parents never embedded in me to follow one particular religion. This may sound obscure, but my beliefs on the afterlife come from sixth grade social studies unit devoted to the Egyptian lifestyle. One day our class was learning about Egyptian’s views on what happens in the afterlife. The teacher began explaining their views and as the lecture progressed on I found myself deeply connected to the Egyptians opinion on what happens in the afterlife. I discovered like the epic Egyptians I do believe that “death is not the end, but a transition into a different life. Feeling a deep connection to the views of the Egyptians I decide to dig deeper in research to get a better overview of their beliefs. I always believed the day you die marks the day of judgment, and that happens to be the views of the Egyptians. To the Egyptians once you die it marks they day to determine your destiny. The heart played the judge in uncovering where a person was destined to be in the afterlife. After, someone died the Egyptians made sure that a person’s heart was measured to untangle their destiny in the afterlife. If one’s heart was “light as a feather” on truth, order and justice they were destined to leave eternally in the realms of Osiris (god). If a person’s heart failed to meet the requirements of a pure heart the repercussions were fatal, as the person’s heart was devoured by a monster- god. I strongly agree with the views the Egyptians held for the afterlife but my heart doesn’t agree a hundred percent. I feel the heart or character of a person is judged the day we die, but I strongly disagree that our hearts our devoured if they don’t live up to certain expectations. This is where hell comes into effect because I feel the person’s soul/spirit is sent to the ghastly realms of hell. What differs from many other religions on my thoughts of hell is I feel your only there temporarily. The presence of the devil may influence ones soul but I feel that in hell you get a shot on redeeming yourself. That’s why I believe that hell is an unbearable place to live because it shapes a person to rise above their sins and acquire forgiveness.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteSince there was never a dominant religion that played significance on my life my religious views are complex. The words of the Old Testament speak truth to me because being a self-acclaimed Hindu I believe in reincarnation. I believe the day you die you enter anever ending cycle of life. After God weighs the pureness of your heart he makes his decision on what you will portray in the next life. This may sound crazy but I believe the ones whose spirits were sent to the realms of hell get a chance to redeem themselves. If they fail to do so, God sentences them to come back as an insignificant minuscule being. In my heart of hearts, I cannot convince myself to believe that life is really over once we die. I know it’s a realistic and logically concept but I seem to always stick with my intuition leading me to the belief that we do live life in another form. I feel like we come back to view life through a new set of eyes and to learn and try new things we missed in our past life, but maybe the reason why we have no recollection of our past lives is because God erases them to enable us to view our new life through a whole new perspective.
Dante Alighieri makes a profound point in recognizing that there are various degrees of sin. I totally agree with him on that point but my belief differs is his belief in the nine circles of hell for depending on the severity of your sin. I do believe in the idea of hell, but I don’t believe there are nine circles. There are various types of sins that people commit that are severe or not as severe. Mainly, the ones shipped to hell are the ones that committed unimaginable (such as intentionally murderers), acts of sin. They are the ones who have to ask for forgiveness in order to obtain success in the future.
I know this might sound strange but I believe that God even though he created hell still exemplifies the embodiment of love and grace. Mainly, I believe he created “hell” like humans do so in creating court systems. In both situations the repercussions may present an unfavorable outcome but justice is being served and a lesson might be learned from this outcome. I feel God l holds so much faith in people that sending them to hell is a test to measure this very faith. If the person’s true faith is shown in a positive manner than they proceed on to a better life, if not God has no other choice but to make their lives insignificant and dreadful. Overall, I believe God loves everyone in mysterious ways but must approach us with different tactics in order for us to understand our true destiny.
Chrissy- I really love your theory about déjà vu because I find a lot of truth in that theory. I totally agree with you on how you believe in reincarnation and how we come back because I just feel there is more to dying then just dying. I also i am really glad that you have no religious background like me because it doesnt make me feel as though I am an outcast!
ReplyDeleteKel- I really love your idea that we experience 'hell' in our day to day experiences. It give me a whole new persepective that maybe the criminals who were sent to jail already paid their dues. I thought your blog was well written and I felt you werent afraid to expose your true feelings on your views about hell.
ReplyDeleteThere is no Hell. There has never been any proof that a red monster with horns chases people with a pitchfork around fiery pits. How can people be so convinced there is when we have never been able to contact anyone who has died? As if it were happening all over again, I can see myself sitting in kindergarten coloring, when a classmate said something about the devil. My teacher promptly informed us that Satan looks at us and smiles, every time we mention or think of him. At the time and for the next few years, I was terrified and vowed to forget the devil. I believe this type of childlike fear is the major propeller of Hell theories. When told something that horrifies us so much, many people don’t jump up to question it. They feel much safer when they avoid thinking of it or just give in to it’s demands. I am no longer in kindergarten, and intimidation does not qualify as evidence for me anymore. In Catholic school, we would learn that God loves us more than we could ever imagine and is merciful, but in the same lesson they would tell us horror stories of Hell. I refuse to believe that God has multiple-personalities. I have done some incredibly stupid things, but I have always felt something inside of me and found something in the world, which I believe to be God. He has been there for me and carried me through many hard situations. Needless to say I would not be here without God. However I have lost many friends, and others whom I loved and trusted. I believe God is more merciful and compassionate than any human can be. Your relationship with God is the true epic love of your life, and is available to anyone no matter what faults they have. Then why would God’s punishment for those who disappoint him be so much worse than any human’s. I believe God sincerely want us to learn and improve. Every hardship is a trial and a chance to create a better self and connection with God. If you never sink to the depths of sadness, how can you rise to happiness? Easy, you can’t. If God didn’t give us the chance to experience mistakes and pain, we would not be able to love him. If he let us just be pampered in heaven, we could never be anything more than pets to him.
ReplyDeletePeople can still suffer though. I have always believed the worst way to die is to destroy yourself. Whether you die from suicide or a broken spirit, the state you must be in to deal your own fatal blow surpasses all physical pain. The worst suffering you can undergo is self-induced. I believe that God enlightens us more every day. Humans could not possibly handle all of the knowledge and wisdom of the universe and beyond, all at once. Someday those who try to ignore their sins and evil desires or attitudes will have no choice but to stare upon and understand them. We will all be forced to do this, for no human is without faults or mistakes. Once we can no longer pretend we are innocent, we will punish and maybe even hate ourselves. We will see no good coming from our own existence, only evil. That is when God will comfort us and show us the good inside of us. God is inside all of us, so everyone must be beautiful and good. The worst sin is to try to be God. It may seem like no one ever commits this, but everyone has. When you lie in judgment of others, worship yourself above God, or hate God’s creation, you are trying to push yourself into his position. People often do not see or choose not to see themselves committing this grave offense. Heaven and Hell are overly simplistic to me. If earthly civilization can be divided into thousands of different lifestyles, cultures, and beliefs, how will we magically fit into two groups after death? Although I have many ideas about spirituality, God, and the afterlife, I primarily believe that the majority of information we will never know or understand on Earth. It is all a great epic novel and we only get pieces of the kindergarten version of it. I believe that is all we can comprehend for now. We will know and understand more when we are meant to.
"It's exactly like how I believe in God, but don't believe in the priests that control the system."
ReplyDeleteJV:
Although our beliefs in afterlife don't exactly match, I share your belief in God but disbelief in "the system." Christianity, to me, is not the forced rituals and memorized prayers and blind following associated with "religion," but a faith. I full-heartedly believe in God. He is one of the only things I'm truly sure abuot, but I don't buy into all the religious mumbo-jumbo. Christianity is me and my God, not me, my God and some guy from Rome who wears a funny white hat.
KTG- Like you i am utterly confused in what to believe in the whole religious aspect of life. I have these obscure views and often take different sections of other religions believes. What i really love about your blog is that you professed that you are going to believe in yourself. I love how you are focusing in on the future and I feel the exact same way. I mean I voiced my opinion on what i feel happens in the afterlife and if there is hell, but I totally agree with you that we should focus on the present and believe in our current lives.
ReplyDeleteMy Roman Catholic upbringing taught me that hell is a place a person goes after they die if they have defied God and did not repent their sins. It is a place for those who ignore God’s Ten Commandments, disrespecting themselves and the people around them. People who are only interested in bettering themselves and willing to step all over other people on the way will be given a one-way ticket to the devil’s dungeon.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about hell, I picture a cold, dark, underground pit with heatless flames everywhere. The flames aren’t for “decoration” though, they’re for the fools who try to warm themselves, but are instead burned in vain. The devil sits on a throne above the dwellers of hell as the leader of sin. He yells and screams just to hear his vile voice. The sinners below him are ravenous, freezing, exhausted, and plagued with illness; they will stay this way for all of eternity. Hell smells of the most repulsive stenches on Earth, ten times more concentrated, and all at the same time. Burning flesh, rotten eggs, human waste, and fermenting trash are just a few of the odors wafting through Hell’s atmosphere. The sounds of crazed voices screaming and wailing echo off the devil’s pit. Ear-piercing shrieks exit the mouths of the dwellers of hell.
As I stated above, my Catholic faith influenced my belief of the devil’s wretched dwelling. I remember learning about heaven and hell in religious education classes every Monday night from first through eighth grades. The teacher would always ask us what we thought was in heaven and what was in hell. Listening to my classmates and teachers throughout the years helped me formulate my own opinion of the two places, and also swayed my views toward the religious side of things.
Sin is sin whether you bully a classmate or murder your neighbor. If you do these things without contrition, you will go to hell. With that said, there are no varying degrees of hell. A sinner will go to the same place no matter which Commandment they disobey. Since all sins are equal, there is no “worst sin” because they’re all bad; therefore, all sins are dealt with equally in hell.
I do not believe, however, that God created hell. Since the devil would never obey him, I think God was fed up with him and sent him underground to do whatever he wanted without bothering the innocent people who wanted to live by God’s word. From that, the devil created a place completely opposite of heaven and earth for people who worshiped him to go when they died. In other words, God had no hand in creating the repulsive place called hell.
Once you’re in hell, you stay there forever. When you die, it’s too late to repent your sins and claim you are sorry for committing them. Even though God is the ultimate forgiver, He knows that you have had your entire life to repent but thought it was more important to indulge in the ways of the world instead.
Alex N: "I do not believe that there is one man who makes the decision of where every person on this earth ends up. I do believe there is a higher power. However, I see it resembling the Supreme Court."
ReplyDeleteI sort of like that idea. It would be nice to have a bunch of higher powers decide what happens to us. I like the idea a lot actually. However, I do not think it is that way but thanks for telling us that. I think I am going to have to think about that for a while.
Jourdan- "I am a Christian. I believe in God. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe in heaven. And I most certainly believe in hell." I really like how clear that was. You basically summed up your beliefs into a short little sweet paragraph. I love how simple it was and easy to follow. Your writing was awesome.
Sarah C- "I have been freaked out on by any religious person I’ve ever met, no matter how kind of a person they are in general, for not believing in God. I’ve been damned to hell by so many people I can’t even count…" I sort of know where you are coming from with this. The super religous people do not seem to like my view of the afterlife at all or my belief on God and heaven. I also have been damned to hell by quite a few people but hey, I am sure a load of others have, so we won't be alone.
" I’d have a generic punishment on hand. It would consist of shackling the person and tying them, clad in noting but their undergarments, to rock in the middle of a swamp of blood thirsty Lower Bank-style mosquitoes! Buzzz, buzzzzz, buzzzzzzz!"
ReplyDeleteJessie:
This reminds me of the story of Prometheus from the Greek myths. He had quite a rap sheet against the gods. He tricked the Titans into eating bare bones instead of good meat. He stole fire from the gods. He hid a prophesy about the overthrowing of Zeus from the head hauncho himself. As punishment for his actions, Prometheus was tied to a mountainside, where an eagle would eat his liver. Each day, the eagle would return to find Promethius's liver renewed and he would devour it again.
It's interesting how the Ancient Greeks thought of punishment similarly to how many people today do.
Sorry to say, I do not believe in Hell. I can honestly say that I do not believe such a loving God would be able to create a place of such pain and horror. To explain, my view of the afterlife is probably very different than something you have ever heard. I believe that there is a middle way, something that is after life but before heaven. It is here that you are looked upon on whether you can go to heaven right away or whether you have to change your ways. I sort of see it as that movie about the dentist who sort of dies but becomes like the tooth fairy in the middle stage and than once she has changed her ways, she wakes up where she had “died” before.
ReplyDeleteIf you can’t go to heaven right away because of something you have done in your life that you have to try and fix or have unfinished business with family, than you either go back to Earth in some ghost like form or take like a class like thing in the middle stage to see the error of your ways. Some of this may sound completely dumb because a rapist can still go to the same heaven as a churchly old woman who never did anything wrong, but the way I see it is that everyone needs another chance and we all should have the chance to be forgiven.
God is not a dumb God though. He knows what is in your heart. Whether you have actually learned your lesson or not will be quite clear to him. If you have not learned your lesson, you are destining to be in the middle stage unable to peacefully go to sleep for the rest of eternity. However, once everything is alright and you have made peace with your loved ones and yourself, Heaven is open to you.
Lastly, I believe there is one God. One, big, powerful, almighty God. He is it, and he is the one to make the final decision. He is the one who started the big bang in which our Earth was created and he created people and had them evolve through evolution. God is the one we pray to at night and he hears us when we talk. He gives us what we need and not what we want. He knows what is best for us.
Note: No one really helped me create my view of the afterlife. My father is a Buddhist and my mother is catholic. Neither of them are very religious and so my childhood was no full of Sunday School, church, and my holy communion. In fact, I still can’t go to church and have the bread that should represent Jesus’ body. My beliefs are mine and created by me alone but they are what I see that works in the world and I would rather no one get angry at me about them. Religion is not something I discuss freely and if my grade was not to write this blog, I would have skipped this one altogether.
I’ve never really been a religious person. I’ve never really gone to church; actually I think I went maybe once to a real church sermon. I’ve also never been baptized so I’m not really any particular religion. I do believe in God though. The whole hell and heaven thing has confused me for a while as far as if it exists or not. When I was younger I believed in it after watching certain fictional movies but as I became older I wasn’t really sure anymore. I guess in a way I do believe in hell but I don’t picture it with fire and a devil with a pitchfork. I believe in heaven too but I see it as more of a waiting place. I still think it is a happy, bright place but it holds the non sinners for a temporary amount of time. I believe that there is a cycle that exists between life and death and heaven and hell. I think that people, who for the most part are sin free, end up going to heaven after they die. The only thing is I don’t think that they remain there forever. I think they wait there to be reincarnated. I believe minor sinners (such as people who have lied or committed a very small sin) are sent to heaven also but are not reincarnated as quickly as those who led a sin free life. Those who have committed major sins are sent to hell where their punishment is basically that they are not reincarnated or at least not for a very long time depending on how bad the sin was.
ReplyDeleteStephanie W.-
ReplyDeleteAll that I'm going to say is that you shouldn't be sorry about your beliefs. :)
I imagine hell as this place that is just bland, boring and silent where sinners must be silent unless they are repenting. I think once God realizes that they are genuinely sorry and believes that they have changed then he will give them a second chance. In this case they may be admitted into heaven but they must wait until everyone else is reincarnated before themselves. Major sinners such as murderers would remain in hell longer than anybody else. I believe that God does care which is why he sends certain people to hell. I don’t think he is going to send killers back to Earth just so they can murder people all over again. No I don’t believe that people remember their past lives but I do think that they carry some old aspects and instincts. I think God sends people to hell to change them so that their sins do not reoccur.
ReplyDeleteChrissy—I definitely agree with what you wrote about reincarnation. I agree that depending on how productive your life is you will end up with a better or worse life once reincarnated. Actually I agree with a lot of the things that you wrote. I believe that a certain type of hell exists but I feel like there is no concrete proof to show what it is because like you said none of us have died before so we can’t really know for sure.
ReplyDeleteJessie—First off I don’t think there is anything wrong with not believing in a certain god. Everyone has different religious views. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing to depend on intuition over logic sometimes though. That’s just my opinion, I think I depend on intuition a little more then logic which is probably why I see things that way.
Kelsey C—I agree that there are bad parts in everyone’s life but I don’t agree so much with the fact that being on Earth is hell. It might seem that way some times but what about all the funny and happy moments? Or the moments where you might just think of how beautiful this world is? If Earth was hell would these moments exist? I know at times I have thought of Earth as hell but those times have only been in my worst moments.
Part 1:
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the blog, instantly a quote came to mind by Gia Marie Carangi, "The pains that have burned me and scarred my soul, it was worth it, for having been allowed to walk where I've walked, which was to hell on earth, heaven on earth, back again, into, under, far in between, through it, in it, and above."
The particular subject of hell is something that I never quite decided whether or not I believe in. Like Kelsey, many other kids in school and probably every other Filipino, I was raised a Catholic. I was baptized, confirmed, the works. According to the church, I am Catholic. But, despite all of this, I never considered myself for one second a Catholic. I have always toyed with the possibilities that heaven, god, hell doesn't exist. I have toyed with the possibilities of the existence of reincarnation, the existence of multiple gods or godlike people. But I suppose right now, this second, I believe a form of hell exists. I believe hell is a place people go when they have committed sin. They are tortured, in their own individual, personal hell, and when they have experienced all the pain that they have put upon the one they sinned against, the person is reborn and sent out to live another life. I do believe there is a form of a devil, but not in the traditional pitch fork, spiky tail way. I believe that the devil is a shape-shifter and it can take form of anything that will tempt you to sin. I believe that the devil is basically anything that allures you into sinning and when I say sin, I mean actually go out and plan to hurt someone either physically, mentally or emotionally out of malice or angry passion. My belief was fashioned out of a combination of theories from other people that I've heard. And depending on what your sin was, murder, torturing someone, or even bullying someone or stealing, you will feel that personal hell as long as you made the other feel that personal hell, then will be sent back to live again, try again.
Between the New and Old Testament views of hell, I think the New Testament view is more realistic. I'm for the majority spiritual. I don't believe that hell is a physical thing, something that you can just describe and it would apply to everyone. I don't believe hell has a set location or anything, hell is something personal and different to everyone, just like how the concept of "home" or "paradise" is different for everyone.
Although I feel like some sins should be taken more seriously than others, I do agree that putting sins in categories like that I think is just an excuse, just as Kelsey said. Kind of like how when kids barely get a C in school by like, 1 point and suddenly they're okay because they passed. They barely passed, but they passed. This is almost how it is when they look at the circles of hell. People will use it as an excuse when viewed that way. They'll think, "well at least I wasn't bad enough to get into that circle". But still, regardless of the fact it bothers me people would use the circles as an excuse, it's something I really believe. I think some sins should be punished more severely than others. Murder, in my opinion, is the worst sin. To take someone's life, a beautiful gift and the only one an individual will have (that they know of), out of malice is horrible and it is worse than any kind of emotional or physical scarring you could give to someone, just to completely take away any chance of them to even recover or live.
Part 2:
ReplyDeleteThe Catholic image of God, in my opinion, is just confusing. How could someone be praised as all-forgiving and mighty when he is responsible for judgment and damnation. I don't understand how that's respectable at all. That whole image of god just doesn't make sense. "God's plan", original sin, etc. None of it makes sense to me. I am not sure myself what I think about God. I cannot even imagine that there isn't anything beyond the physical world, there is definitely something more, I always thought there was just a higher power, but I never thought of it like that. I never though that a higher power would have so much structure, regulation, malicious power and be so judgmental. I'm not sure I know anything about my beliefs, but it's nothing like that. It's nothing like the Catholics believe. I am not a Catholic, no matter what the church says. I believe there is a hell, a personal hell designed specifically for every single life out there.
I guess just being raised in that religion made me believe everything I was told. I do believe that relationship with God is of utmost importance, but when it comes to Hell, I believe that that is where sinners go. Not keeping Holy the Sabbath day is a sin, and I don't do that, so yes I do believe that I will go to Hell. That's only as of right now though. It isn't a main concern of mine being sixteen years old, but I do try to remain faithful.
ReplyDeleteSarah L:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on how life is a series of trials to make ourselves better people. I think of life as many different paths. There is one main, ideal path (the perfect life) but that path always has a series of obstructions blocking the way. This forces us to take detours on smaller paths through the woods. In the end the detours always lead back to the main path, but we can never stay on it forever. Everything in life has a meaning, including those detours along the way. We just have to learn from them.
JV:
ReplyDelete"I'd like to know who's responsible for creating an idea of having a person reach a place of "everlasting contempt." The whole idea just baffles me."
I don't think any one person created the idea because hell is found in so many different cultures. I don't think the idea was created to ensure people follow the laws but rather to satisfy humanity's need for vengeance. People need to know that there's some sort of punishment for the "bad" people and there's a reward for the "good" people. It makes people more comfortable with living, knowing that there will be action taken against those that mistreated them.
Kristen:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely. I also went to CCD and made my First Holy Communion and Confirmation so I know exactly where you’re coming from. Just because you don’t faithfully go to church, though, doesn’t mean you’re going to hell. The way I look at it, religion is your personal relationship with God, not your relationship with a priest or pastor. As long as you pray and keep God in your life, He will save a spot for you in Heaven.
Kels:
I’m sorry you don’t believe in God anymore. It’s understandable how certain events in your life can lead you to think this way, but don’t give up on Him! I agree with your theory of God having a plan for everyone, but as for the murderers, we still have free will. God has a plan for us that he wants us to follow, but by sinning we wander off of His path and merge paths with the devil. I also agree with you when you said, “life does not have to be perfect.” Life is about making the best out of every situation, like meeting someone on a bus and asking if they’ll be your best friend.
Jourdan:
I love reading your blogs, they are always entertaining and intellectual (especially the Mean Girls allusion :)). We have pretty much the same view of hell and after reading your blog I learned so much! I love how you cited the Bible and made God’s word easy to understand and apply to everyday life. How do you know all of these facts?! Anyway, your blog inspired me to explore my religion and try to develop a closer relationship with God.
Steph
ReplyDelete“Sorry to say, I do not believe in Hell. I can honestly say that I do not believe such a loving God would be able to create a place of such pain and horror.”
I absolutely agree with this. I can’t believe God would actually make something so awful for people who are supposed to be his children, especially if he already planned out our destinies. That would be horrible to make a life that’s already going to hell.
In response to what you said about a middle stage, I’ve always just hoped that was true. I used to watch Ghost Whisperer religiously and it’s just so fascinating. I really wonder if it’s all true. I mean there’s no real way to tell, but I like to think that happens.
Chris
“I don’t necessarily agree with all of it, but it does remind me of the Hinduism belief of reincarnation, which I am extremely fascinated by. It seems realistic that once you die, you are then reincarnated into someone (or something) else.”
I’ve always loved the idea of reincarnation, too. It goes against everything I’ve been taught but it’s just so interesting. I hate to talk math/science in an English blog (Sorry Bunje!) but it makes perfect sense, energy cannot be created or destroyed. So how does God really keep making new people? I also think it’s funny how against this idea most Catholics are. I was forced into one of those Catholic surveys on the boardwalk and I mentioned reincarnation. The girl just looked and deadpanned, “That doesn’t exist.”
JV: An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. One violent act does not deserve another, whether it makes someone feel better about it or not. I'm going to use the child molester cliche. That child will not be comforted by the knowledge that his aggressor is off getting his ass pounded in jail or something for what he did, because s/he has been violated. What would make things right would be receiving aid in helping make things right again, physically and mentally. So truly, I believe, punishment is only to prevent further crimes, not to right the wrongs committed. Wrongs are righted by hard work and dedication.
ReplyDeleteJessie B.: "I’m a bit envious of people who can hole-heartedly ascribe to a particular religion." I can see how that is an enviable trait, but I like to think that faith comes through experience. You may have heard that those people who have survived harrowing encounters in their lives emerge with renewed or strengthened faith, and like that I think that faith cannot be found except with experience. That's why I have such strong faith in what I believe, I've lived it.
ReplyDeleteJordan: I like how you support your point of view with the direct Biblical quotes - King James' version? The quotes are significant, not like those signs you see on the side of the road with mostly made-up Apostle John quotes. 6:16 seems to be the bible thumper catch phrase for some reason. The lake of fire I have seen mostly referred to as Cocytus, if you wanted a name for it. Oh, and I'll be sure not to gnash my teeth near you!
ReplyDeleteSarah: "Right now, Palestine and Israel are fighting over a strip of land that they deemed to be holy. They don't even know if it really is holy! I feel like religoious intolerance and the need to impose religion upon others is a waste of time and can only be hurtful." I echo your sentiment. In my culture, all things are holy (except Qlippoth, demons, but that's another story), so a single strip of land is not worth shedding blood over. One must be satisfied with what else there is: we all share a sky to live under, and we should be happy with that. An individual life is just as precious as a purported holy land, and should not be wasted so that one nation may claim acquisition of it.
ReplyDeleteBrynne: "This may sound obscure, but my beliefs on the afterlife come from sixth grade social studies unit devoted to the Egyptian lifestyle."
ReplyDeleteMuch of my beliefs are similar to the ancient Egyptian views. The branch of this system of belief that I associate most with is called Hermetic, and has given rise to such famous orders as the Golden Dawn and the Freemasons, in one way or another. I would like to recommend an English translation of "The Hermetica", written by an Egyptian scholar who was referred to as Trismegistus ("thrice great"). It's very good, and encompasses some ideas that are similiar to Taoism, elements of Christianity, and Judaeism.
Taylor: You're ideas are really sincere and sweet. However, I feel like you're being naively optimistic (not that optimism is naive). If Hitler was in that movie cell, for any amount of time it wouldn't be sufficient because his beliefs were brainwashed so heavily and deeply into him. While watching everyone he killed, he would of smiled at his "success." He was insane, and there really isn't any amount of film that could change that. With that said, I like your idea of repentance after death, because sometimes it really does take a long time (possibly longer than your lifetime) to realize you were genuinely wrong about something.
ReplyDeleteKristen: I'm in the same boat girl! I went through all the sacraments of initiation into the church however, i rarely go anymore. While I want to go, my actions definitely speak louder than my words. haha. This is probably why I value my personal relationship with God, just as you had mentioned. While reading this, I could picture you saying it. You have a great voice, and expedient reasoning.
Stephen: I never knew you were Taoist. I never even knew what Taoist was either, but its a very low-key natural way to look at life. It was very interesting how you described no Hell, and I enjoyed your explanation of how you were meant to be true to your inner Tao, and by following it you are doing "good." I very much agree on that, because being "good" is completely subjective.
I was born into a Roman Catholic family. I have received my baptism, 1st communion, and my confirmation in 8th grade after about 9 years of CCD. I go to church pretty regularly. I pray at night. I celebrate the Catholic holidays. I’ve never fully agreed with the guidelines and “truths” set down by my church though. I do not think it is disgusting or sinful to be gay. I have a lot of gay friends and they are no less of a person than I am. I believe that abortion should be the woman’s choice, (along with the man’s if would still continue to support the woman if she had the child) not the church’s, government’s, or the public’s. The discrepancy of faith concerning this blog though is the Catholic image of hell. I whole heartedly disagree with the fiery, hot, terrible, inescapable, devil-with-a-pitch-fork, Hollywood hell. If a human could imagine something so vividly, and give such definite details, there is no way it can exist.
ReplyDeleteMy personal interpretation of hell is much more abstract. The first thing is how you would end up there. I believe that everyone would end up there, because whether it was adultery, murder, or even a mere lie, everyone has sinned. Like a few people have said before me, I see hell as being more of a pit stop, a place where your soul can go for as long as it needs to to become cleansed. This totally distinguishes the Catholic idea of a torturous hell. In my heart, I can not imagine that the God I have been taught about could possibly create such a horrible, terrible place, especially one that lends no forgiveness and casts eternal pain onto someone. After learning about the Hindu faith, I really like the idea of reincarnation and it sort of plays into my image of hell except for the idea that something’s reincarnated form is affected by their former life. I believe that after our souls are “cleansed” they would be let back into what I can only describe as a “reserve” of souls that may be used in the next person. I’m sorry if my ideas seem foggy or unclear to others, but it’s hard to explain. Next, no person can have the same hell, because no person is the same. The measures in which a murderer’s soul would be cleansed is different from the way a liar and a cheat’s soul would be cleansed. Obviously, due to my explanation of hell, I believe in a spiritual hell rather than a physical hell. A physical hell seems totally unrealistic to me because our bodies are so temporary in comparison to….well….everything. Think about it! Even the oldest person only exists for a blip of time. Also there is so much more to a person than their bodies. Our bodies merely get us around but without our minds, souls, thoughts, or dreams, our bodies would be worthless anyway. Why would we be restricted to them for eternity?
Dante’s idea of the 9 levels of Hell as expressed in Inferno does make some sense to me. I do not agree with his definitions of hell, but I do see his idea of the different levels depending on severity. Like I said before though, I do not see hell as a place for torture, but rather a place for soul-cleansing, repentance, and forgiveness from the higher power. I feel like I’m getting a bit repetitive, but in order to answer the question fully there is no way around it. I do disagree with the fact that there are 9 levels. Every human being before us and after use could not possibly be split into 9 definite categories. There are infinite hells, (I feel like I’m getting a bit repetitive, but in order to answer the question fully there is no way around it) one for each person, because again, each person is different and so are their sins.
I believe in Heaven, no doubt, but I have never given a moment to think about Hell. I mean I know not everyone goes to Heaven so where do they go? I don’t imagine a steamy and fiery and hot place that smells of burning corpses, but I look at it differently. I picture Heaven to be amazing and to be a place that answers all dreams and there are no worries, so my vision of hell is complete opposite. Maybe it’s like Earth all over again, bringing troubles on a daily basis but doesn’t bring such sorrow as in the passage we read. I don’t mean to bring in Heaven constantly but giving it time to brew in my mind, I feel that Hell is left undescribed compared to Heaven. This belief of a blurry Hell doesn’t come from my parents or friends or religion. I am not baptised but I go believe in God. I have never read the Bible or gone to a single church for more than two months. However I am aware of Heaven and I imagine it to be what would make me happy, for it is such a better place than Earth. Hell and its picture came about just now in my own mind. In order to get to Hell, I think you have to be really ignorant and rude – not making any positive impact on a person’s life and never taking lessons from life for the better.
ReplyDeleteIn a more realistic view I see “everlasting life” winning the argument. As I do find myself believing in the spiritual view, I find I picture Heaven and Hell being a place where you, your body, ends up for the rest of time.
I agree with the statement indicating that there are varying degrees of sin and punishments that follow each differently. I say this because of my previous explanation of a way to end up in Hell would be to never impact, on a positive note, someone’s life or take a lesson for the better from one’s own life. Killing someone would be followed by a consequence less harsh compared to killing a whole family or building of people. I think the worst sin is killing all but one member of a family, for the reason that that one living person is left alone for the rest of their life. I am all lovey-dovey and I could not imagine losing my whole family and having to be stuck here, that is the ultimate punishment on Earth. In Hell, it may be dealt with a chore that is so gruesome and unbareable that one regrets their life and has to deal with that for ever.
I think God has made a path for everyone. I take this situation as he has planned out a nice and understanding and nondemanding life for everyone and it is on us to make of it as we wish. He gave us life and roads to choose from and the ones that really spend their time on Earth as best as they can, he rewards them. Those who fail to appreciate his grace and hurt people and themselves then why do they deserve Heaven? It may be a contradiction for he loves us all yet punishes some, but I feel like it’s on us to prove to him that we deserve Heaven over Hell.
Chrissy: I totally agree with you when you say that you’re scared about life after death, or not life after death, whatever is right. I mean I don’t see myself as a sinner but by the books I have a spot reserved for me in Hell. I do not have a set religion either so I have no way of being sure what is promised to the sinner and the saint. But one thing I have learned about religion is just to have faith in yourself and whatever you belief and you will end where you want.
ReplyDeleteHannah: I like the way you talk about the Old Testament. I’ve been told of this decision making before but I never really understood it. Have you seen the new show Drop Dead Diva? Well long story short, this lady died and was sent up an elevator to a room filled with other people and workers behind desks. Those workers spoke to each individual and looked over their life and then decided if it was their time to die or to go to Heaven. I didn’t know that was as real as it is explained, but I can so imagine it the way you explain.
Kelsey – So what happens after life? If there is no hell, are you implying that everyone goes to Heaven? One thing I have a hard time learning is history because a group of grumpy men could have gotten together and just wrote all this down to ruin my life, so I understand needing proof to believe it. Fighting for you to believe in hell or heaven would be a contradiction, for the fact I can’t prove it, and mean, I hate when people shove religion down anothers throat. But where do people go then? I’m not calling you out as much as it seems like it, I’m confused though.
Response #1 Alexis
ReplyDelete" I cannot even imagine that there isn't anything beyond the physical world, there is definitely something more, I always thought there was just a higher power, but I never thought of it like that. I never though that a higher power would have so much structure, regulation, malicious power and be so judgmental."
I totally agree on this part of a higher power. I usually just say that I believe in God because there is really no other way to explain it. I don't know if God is male, female, dog, spider, sunflower, who knows! Maybe God is like the Force in Star Wars. It is just too hard for me to even think about accepting that after this life there is nothing. All of this, humanity, the earth, everything can't be just an accident. I can't fathom that all of these emotions, thoughts, our souls, just vanish after our chemical reactions stop. It's just too....sad :(
Yes, I believe hell exists.
ReplyDeleteThis is what religious people conventionally picture when they think of hell: God casts sinners down, down, down into a place of eternal suffering where they are forced, sometimes by a pitchfork, to travail in deep pits of fire. This is what I think: Godly refers evil people down into a scentless, cold, dark place of suffering where they are infected with mental anguish in solitude until they are truly sorry. Once they are truly sorry, as God will know because he is God, they will be elevated into heaven. God will also determine who is good and who is bad. He will not judge solely on action, but on a variety of factors to determine a person's level of goodness. Bad people will have hell with less suffering than evil people because God will fashion unique and independent hells for every person that is referred to it. Thus every soul has its own hell that is reflective of the soul's level of badness.
I believe in this hell because I want to. It is nothing more than a product of my imagination. My religion is the Religion of Simon Vuong. I establish my own rules and my own beliefs. I believe in a loving God who is willing to forgive everyone, and have envisioned my version of hell accordingly. I have my own religion because I disapprove of all other religions, at least, the ones that I am aware of. They, to me, seem like corrupted institutions interested only in profit and control.
The Old Testament's reference of sheol sounds more realistic to me. A worldly destination cannot be considered hell because a worldly place is bound to the laws of universe. Therefore, suffering in a worldly hell is not effective because it lacks the supernatural and the idea of eternal suffering. People torturing other people, which is unjustifiably wrong in itself, will eventually lose creativity and effectiveness. As sinners are tortured, some will inevitably die with time leading to a problem with afterlife. A spiritual hell is therefore more realistic and reasonable because it avoids these problems, solving them with a list of endless hellish possibilities.
I do not believe in the nine circles of hell, although that does not mean I do not acknowledge its possibility. I do not believe in it because I like what I believe. I have a feeling that he, like me, created his own version of hell. I respect him for it but, I am not so easily persuaded into believing new ideas. In fact, I do not even know if my own belief is true. It is simply what I envision it to be. Perhaps hell really does consist of a fiery pit or nine levels; all of this is unknown. What I do believe as true, however, is that there is a hell. I do not know for sure what it looks, smells, or feels like, but I can guess. And my guess is that everyone is wrong, including me. My belief of hell is only what I wish it to be.
I think that it is absolutely contradictory for God to be all loving, but yet for him to still banish people to hell for eternal suffering. It is better to forgive late, but truthful apologies, than to hold a grudge and never forgive at all. If God banishes souls to hell forever, then he is holding a grudge. Entities that hold grudges cannot possibly be considered as the ultimate source of love. Therefore, I like to believe that a prisoner of hell can be freed.
Taylor- I didn't really write that heaven is like you stay in for a little bit until you're like ready to be good again and go to heaven, but the way you said it makes a lot of sense. I never really thought about that, I've always just heard that it's eternal for the people sent there.. but after reading about what you wrote i kind of think that could be a possibility of hell too.
ReplyDeleteThe miserable, fiery underworld known as hell cannot possibly exist. It sounds so unrealistic to me that once you die, you can go anywhere. Once you’re dead, your body is either cremated or buried in the ground and that’s it. That’s the end. I don’t mean to put it so bluntly, but those are my beliefs.
ReplyDeleteIt’s very hypocritical of me to pray to God to help me through tough times or to pray to him in hopes that he will make everything okay since I don’t believe that it’s possible that there is a higher being watching over us at all times. However, I want to believe. I wish I could honestly say that God is real and heaven and hell are places that exist for those after death. The term atheist makes me cringe and I don’t want that to be me. However, I cannot honestly say that I see all of this as possible.
Part of the reason I have this belief may be because of the fact that I never attended church. That’s a lie. I’ve attended church maybe a dozen times during my entire existence, but what’s the difference, right? Every time I’ve attended church, not only have I been bored out of my mind, but it sickens me how everyone is so robotic and sound so depressive when reciting prayers and other readings together. I’ve never been able to grow fond of religious functions and I believe that this as part of the reason I never found an interest in learning more about them. Religion has never been a part of my life. I’ve never been baptized and I’ve never attended a CCD class or been part of a youth group, but I’m okay with that.
When I hear hell, I imagine a place depicted in movies, engulfed in fire, with sinners laboring while dripping in sweat. I imagine a scorching place with a temperature that can almost burn the skin off of the people who reside there. I then see a devil, who just laughs at the laborers while continuing to bark orders at them. The people who are sent to hell are there to work for all eternity and the devil doesn’t allow them any breaks. They must suffer because of the bad deeds they’ve done.
Since I don’t believe in hell, I don’t believe that there are multiple levels of it. However, it makes sense that people who’ve performed worse deeds should be punished for them, but who’s to judge what the worst sin is? I believe the worst possible sin is brutally killing someone. Accidents happen but for someone to intentionally plan out a brutal murder should definitely be punished. But then again, that’s why we have jail on Earth. Jail would be unnecessary if everyone was sure that that person would just be punished in hell. However, no one knows or will ever know for sure if heaven and hell are real places so that’s why places such as prisons were established to create consequences before death.
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ReplyDeleteChrissy: I know where you’re coming from about never being immersed into a religion, learning all the details of it. I’m glad you’ve discovered a religion, like Buddhism, that you find interesting. I’ve always wanted to research religions more to find where I fit in. I hear this and that about different religions, but I don’t know what’s true. Also, I completely agree with your thoughts on God’s forgiveness. It just sounds crazy to me that he could so easily forgive anyone through something as simple as a prayer and still create such an awful place.
ReplyDeleteAlex N: I liked your thoughts on hell and how it is a where your mind goes, but not you physically. This makes more sense to me than the usual idea of a hot, miserable place where sinners labor for all eternity. I also really liked how you said that it’s the person’s remorse that determines their destination after they pass. Like I said, accidents happen but if someone intentionally plans out a brutal murder, they should definitely be punished more severely.
Kelsey: Like you, I really liked Ms. Bunje’s idea she shared in class about the possibility of us being in hell right now. Many people say, “I’m in heaven,” when something good happens or, “This is like hell,” when something doesn’t go their way. I think heaven and hell are simply ideas that were made to sway people from committing horrendous crimes, however don’t truly exist.
Simon- I completely agree with you that God creates different hells for different people! Like if a person is like really really bad then they're going to have a horrible hell. However if they just lied a few times their hell won't even be that bad. Once they're proven themselves worthy, they can be elevated up to heaven. I like the way you worded it all.
ReplyDeleteKristen- You really don't have to go to church every Sunday to fix anything with God. Honestly, I go almost every Sunday only because it makes fixing things with God so much easier. It can still all be fixed without going to church, it might just be a little harder because you might not know any guidelines of what to do. But you can still fix things without going to church!
ReplyDeleteI don’t believe in the exact hell you’re all preaching, I believe that all spirituality and religion is connected within and is wrapped around your aura. Therefore we are all able to come up with our own version of faith due to the fact that we are able to expand our mind through deep relaxation and meditation. I don’t believe there is a proven theory of hell, it all consist solely in your mind. My beliefs were created in my mind, I believe the bible/ any other book of religion is just another effort put towards the world trying to make a perfect utopia. I’m very interested in all religious theories but I wouldn’t sleep right if I said that I believe the bible. I’m not saying that any other “religion” you may have is wrong I just don’t personally believe in it.
ReplyDeleteMy father is Jewish and my mother was Methodist/roman catholic until her early thirties. The only way my parents religion has affected me is when we celebrate holidays. I do follow Judaism more than Catholicism due to the pressure my father’s side puts on me. For example my Father wants me to marry a nice little Jew boy where I would rather marry a large Puerto Rican man with no exact religion. (Stephen that obviously means you). I center my life around spirituality and the capability of belief. To get to my personal hell I have to travel along the path that I would help me arrive to any place which would be between the cracks of my mind. In order to get there you have to set yourself in deep relaxation and take the opposite direction on the path to fulfillment. I believe in reincarnation which basically is a belief that some essential part of a living being (in some variations only human beings) survives death to be reborn in a new body.
To sum part of my belief up here is what I truly think -- Spirituality becomes at once the indicator of one's nearness to their inner “god” and the measure of one's usefulness to fellow beings. Spirituality enhances the ability to discover beauty in things, recognize truth in meanings, and discover goodness in values. Spiritual development is determined by capacity there for and is directly proportional to the elimination of the selfish qualities of love. I believe the goal of human self-realization should be spiritual, not material. The only realities worth striving for are divine, spiritual, and eternal. Mortal man is entitled to the enjoyment of physical pleasures and to the satisfaction of human affections; he is benefited by loyalty to human associations and temporal institutions; but these are not the eternal foundations upon which to build the immortal personality which must transcend space, vanquish time, and achieve the eternal destiny of divine perfection.
ReplyDeleteReligious habits of thinking and acting are contributory to the economy of spiritual growth. One can develop religious predispositions toward favorable reaction to spiritual stimuli, a sort of conditioned spiritual reflex. Habits which favor religious growth embrace cultivated sensitivity to divine values, recognition of religious living in others, reflective meditation on cosmic meanings, worshipful problem solving, sharing one's spiritual life with one's fellows, avoidance of selfishness, refusal to presume on divine mercy, living as in the presence of God. The factors of religious growth may be intentional, but the growth itself is unvaryingly unconscious.
Kristen -- I respect you wholeheartedly for your beliefs but I don't think you should be searching for forgiveness within god, at least not yet. You should forgive yourself and see that if your god is actually real he will forgive you under all circumstances. You need to take a step back and breathe , we all make mistakes sometimes and there isn't always time to go to church or whatever, all you need is faith. Walking into a church will not cleanse your soul it will just work as a sugar pill. If you're told church will change things you will believe it , you need to think about why you feel the way you and why you're in this mind set. They you talk about forgiveness with god truly reflects your personality.
ReplyDeleteKaitlin H- I could not agree more with your entire blog! “who’s to judge what the worst sin is?” This was a really good point. The fact that you were not exposed to religion could have an effect on why you believe there is no Hell. I was exposed and chose to believe there was no Hell, but I think in order to really develop and opinion you should try to experience both sides. Your whole entire first paragraph was indeed blunt, but was well worded and actually hooked me into the rest of your blog.
ReplyDeleteoops The way you talk**
ReplyDeleteThere is no Hell. Religion is something I believe was created to keep people in line. Similar to how teachers control the minds of children, religion controls the mind of people. It’s the age old principle of reward and punishment. “Do your homework, and you’ll get an A. Be disruptive, and you’ll get a detention.” “Be good, and you’ll go to Heaven, but be a bad bad boy and you’re going to Hell Hell Hell.” I don’t believe there is a devil waiting to torment evil souls. I don’t believe in judgment day. I don’t believe anything that has to do with Hell except for the fact that it scares people into “being good.” Just how society wants them. Oh, and by the way, I’m Catholic.
ReplyDeleteThis belief I have came to me all own my own. Everything about it arises from my own personal deductions. In CCD, I would ask the teacher questions about Jesus, God, the devil, redemption. They were never answered. But I still argued. I remember this question being one that I brought up. After church, my teacher said, “Since none of you bowed before entering the pew, you’re all going to Hell.” The kids laughed, but as a fifth grader, I said aloud, “I don’t believe in Hell.” I was pulled aside. This never settled well with me. If I don’t believe, then I’m a lost child? A sinner? The more questions that went unanswered, the more times I was told to just shut up and be acquiescent, the more I realized it all was a lie. When I finished CCD and got my confirmation, I walked out of that church knowing I would never go back. As far as I’m concerned, if my soul is incongruous with purity, then I don’t want to go to “your” Heaven anyway. As Huck Finn said, if stuck up civilized people go to Heaven, Hell would be better as long as he’d have Tom. Haha.
Heaven. Yeah, I don’t believe in that either. But one thing I need to get across is that I am not Atheistic. I believe in a God. Not in the Christian sense though. I don’t refer to God as “Him,” and I don’t believe in the bible at all. But I do believe there is a universal force that pushes things forward. And, unlike Christian religions, I believe this force is closer than we think. I don’t pray, because that makes it seem like God is somewhere far away and can’t be attained. No. It’s like how Hellen Keller described love. We all have these lights within us that interconnect us at the heart. Not literally, but figuratively. This light is our inner God. We all are a piece of this Force and so is everything natural and unexplainable. When we die, we go through different forms and transformations, but we are all part of a greater thing, meaning we are all greatness by our own right.
The last thing I want to say is why I don’t believe in Heaven or Hell, rather than why I can’t believe what my faith tells me to. Heaven and Hell both are final resting places for the soul. I genuinely believe the soul never rests, that it is always in motion, that there is no end. Thus, just out of this simple, understandable and relevantly non- controversial belief, I can’t believe in Heaven or Hell. It would be counterintuitive. I don’t believe life is trying to purify ourselves so we can make it to Heaven. Life, contrarily, is trying to rip off and tear apart all the gunk society allows congregate on our soul. Life is the journey of trying to just be us at our core, and letting your soul’s beauty shine.
I feel like I wandered off topic here, but it feels good to get this down on paper. To wrap it up though, there is no hell, there is no heaven and we are all more powerful than we think we are, powerful enough to not let our future and happiness ride on the decision of a so-called greater divinity. We are our own Heaven and Hell.
Religion is such a touchy subject, but I really wish it wasn't. Personally, my beliefs, in its entirety, come from outside influences such as books, television, and other observations. I have never been raised up on religion. My parents have never enforced a religion onto me. In fact, I never knew what religion my parents were until I asked them--when I was 14. I always did not want to worry about it or assumed it was either Buddhism or Christianity. Either way, I follow no religion. I don't believe in religion. But I do believe that there is a higher power. All of this EARTH and LIFE must have come from somewhere. Believing in one thing I can do, but practicing rituals, being baptized, following my life based on a book...No, I simply cannot do that.
ReplyDeleteThis leads me to say: There is no Hell.
I view what happens after death in a more physical and scientific way. One of popular views of the afterlife is that people's spirits look, think, and feel (as if they had flesh) the same way they did when they died. A lot of our personalities and looks come from our physical being. How is it possible that our memories and personalities, which reside in our brains, be a part of our soul? From the way we look to the way we think, most of who we are result from physical things and influences from the outside. So if deceased people cannot feel, the 'fires' of hell are worthless and are basically a fantastical entity. I believe that when we die, our bodies are left on earth to decompose while a small part of us transport to another body or life form: reincarnation.
Along the idea of a "hell", I find it very difficult and ridiculous to believe that people are separated based on if they were "good" or "bad" while living in Earth. For one, everyone sins or else they wouldn’t be human. And the definition of "good" or "bad" varies from person to person. The best example, I can think of is adultery. Some people believe it's the worst possible sin ever while others believe it's no big deal. Also, how can God, or any higher being, punish someone for who they've become? People become who they are based on their surroundings. I believe when everyone is born, they are basically a clean slate entering a world full of different types of influences. If they happen to be, by chance, born in a dangerous neighborhood where killers run loose and recruit the young, how can God punish them for that unfortunate setting? It's that setting that made regular people become killers. I believe that if that same person were born in a devotedly religion household, they would become a completely different person--one who would not end up in "hell."
And the concept of Hell as a place just bewilders me. For example, I see no way that hell can be a world destination as the New Testament says? In this world, there are trillions of people living at this very moment--not to mention all the people (EVERYONE) of the past. It seems more realistic, if a hell actually exists, for it to be spiritual, but how do human know or find out about that? When we die, we don't come back. We don't come back and say "So yeah, I was just at hell and this is what it’s like." Where did people come up with these beliefs? How do they "know"? To me it just all seems like a bunch of made-up stories, most of which have very different versions of Hell. Every time I read something written about heaven or hell, like a bible, I become very skeptical. For instance, Dante Alighieri's idea of nine levels of hell, I automatically think of a movie because the idea just brings such a fictional sense to me. Nine is just such a random number. And as I said before, it would be so hard to categorize how bad the sin is.
ReplyDeleteFinally, I think religion is just too complicated and extremely self-contradictory. The way I see it is that millions of years ago, when the Bible arose, the stories that got pasted down through the years became distorted. Whatever truly happened, I doubt that most of the stories and tales are true. Religion is, basically, a huge contradiction. The idea of God being the embodiment of love and forgiveness while being the ultimate punisher is just ONE of the many contradictions. I think people want to believe that there is some all-powerful person to look out for us. I like to believe that there is no hell--that whatever the higher being sends us, there is only a new life right after the end of an old one.
The idea of religion really angers me because of what it does to people. It creates wars. People die from it. People hate each other for it. We waste (yes I used the word waste) a huge part of our lives with religious stuff when we could be enjoying life. Rather than enjoying life, religious people pray and follow sometimes very tedious rituals. Why do we need to worry about this so much? We are here on earth--That is a truth. Do we seriously need to spend so much blood, sweat, and tears arguing how life began? There is never a one-way answer to something we will never find out until we die. We should just LIVE the life we 'were given' rather than argue over how it happened.
Robbie -- I envy you for having parents that don't enforce religion. To me that must be one less thing to worry about. Personally every time I see my father he has to remind me of his religious expectations.
ReplyDelete"I don’t believe that there is any heaven or hell: there is only the world, which is broken down into concurrent levels. This is complicated, but my point is: no heaven, no hell, just earth. People die, their soul detaches from their body, and it returns to the soul of the earth. New souls come from the earth, and it repeats as necessary. That’s the simple version, anyway."
I love that , it really hit me hard. I agree for the most part, I'm happy I found that someones view is close to mine. I think you're really open-minded which I love to death. I enjoy reading your blogs and comments. :}
Dee Dee-- "There is no Hell. Religion is something I believe was created to keep people in line. Similar to how teachers control the minds of children, religion controls the mind of people. It’s the age old principle of reward and punishment. “Do your homework, and you’ll get an A. Be disruptive, and you’ll get a detention.”"
ReplyDeleteI agree I believe that the biblical aspect of hell was created to help form a utopia of non open minded people that will believe anything. What ever happened with the truth girl? ( haha ) On that note, I'm happy you're original and realistic with your thoughts, it gets boring reading the same perspective over and over again.
"Right now, Palestine and Israel are fighting over a strip of land that they deemed to be holy. They don't even know if it really is holy!"
ReplyDeleteSarah L:
I share your opinion of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. A "holy war" is such an oxymoron to me. I feel like the people who initiated and now continue this conflict felt more strongly about geography and the history of religion than the spirituality of religion. And it is the spirituality that truly makes the religion. Rather than reading history books about where religious ancestors lived, these people need to pull out their torahs or qu'rans and see what actually makes up their respective religions.
Sarah L:
ReplyDeleteI just realized we started off our blog with the same sentence. This doesn’t surprise me, since out of all the people in the classes I believe you and I think the closest alike when it comes to deeper topics. The funny thing is, we were both raised really involved in our religions, and yet have come to believe so differently. I think that’s really good. I don’t think religion is necessarily brainwashing, but to a certain degree some people become close minded to all other possibilities. I really like the points you made in your blog and your reference to the teacher scaring you, I can completely relate. CCD wasn’t very nice to me. And of course, you write so well.
Sarah C:
As I read your blog, I laughed. Your description of Hell reminds me of that journal you wrote in Rock’s class about your million storied house. I can’t say I agree with you, but I absolutely understand where you are coming from. I’m not religious AT ALL, so I don’t believe in Hell period, but I definitely don’t see your logical way of thinking as faulty. I do agree with the power trip thing and how it all just doesn’t seem to make sense. That’s what makes me believe what I do, so it’s weird we both saw the same incongruities. And of course, you’re perfect. :]
Lauren D:
Although we’ve never really talked about this, I find I wasn’t surprised while reading your blog. It seems like something you’d feel and think, so I’m glad I have some familiarity with you. If you have read my blog, you’d see that I believe in 100% the complete opposite. I don’t believe in God, Christ, Heaven or Hell. But I still try to be as pure as I can be. It’s in my character to feel sorry when I do something wrong, and try my best to do all the right things. I may not openly confess to a higher being, but I want to and try my best to be the best Kale Nagasaki there is. So, that leads me to my question. I won’t be offended. But based on all of this, do you believe I am going to Hell?
In the Islamic religion, Hell exists, as it does in mostly all monotheistic religions. It is to teach us right from wrong. I mean Allah [God] (swt) could have created us as a perfect race, yet he did not for the reason to allow us to know what is right and what is wrong. I believe everything that my religion says about Hell. It's mentioned in the Quran that it has seven doors leading to a massive fire pit. This fire crater has different levels and those levels are dependent upon the severity of the sin committed. I do not know FOR SURE what it looks like, smells like, or feels like, but I do think it is a place with unimaginable torment and pain. In Islam, on Judgment Day, one must cross over Hell in order to get to Paradise (Heaven). If the weight of one's sins causes them to fall to Hell, then Allah [God] (swt) will decided what level of Hell he/she must admit to. I think God is still the embodiment of love,grace, and forgiveness even with the existence of Hell. It's a place for punishment for those who refuse to do what is right. If one is a Muslim and truly abides by the beliefs of Islam, Allah (swt) will release him/her from the fiery tortures of Hell and admit them to a level of Heaven. However, if one is a "non-believer" of God, then he/she stays in Hell for eternity.I firmly believe this is the way things are. I mean, this is my religion and I know there are a lot of different religions and beliefs in the world, so I don't want to sound like I'm right and everyone else is wrong. No way. I respect every single other religion as I am suppose to according to Islam (But that isn't the only reason why I respect them though, haha).
ReplyDeleteEven though nobody has experienced death and came back to retell what really happens and if there really is an afterlife, I still have faith in my religion enough to believe what it says is the truth. That's just me though.
In my opinion, the worst sin is murder. I agree with Alexis. Taking away the gift of life from someone, something that I think was given specialy to them by God is the most horrible crime. Life is the most valuable thing anyone could have and to have have it stripped away from you is just terrible and the murderer should suffer. This is what I believe in and I have faith in my religion. I'm not an extremist who does every single thing according to the Quran though. Like I said, I understand there are many religions out there that have a completely different perspective about this topic than Islam, and I totally respect that and so I'm not implying that my beliefs are right and everyone else's are wrong (just to clear that up).
PART 1
ReplyDeleteI am firmly, and for most of my life have been, an atheist. I don’t believe in the whole heaven and hell thing and that ‘bad’ people go to this horrid place where they rot indefinitely in a prison of loathful pain. And on the other side, I don’t believe ‘good’ people have some hidden, divine palace of reward waiting for them when they pass away. I was not raised to follow any strict religious belief, and that’s the way IO think everyone should be raised. Parents have no right to force religion upon their children just like they have no right to force something such as racism or any other radical ideology. I think those who rely on an organized religious group for their morals and beliefs are extremely weak and cannot realize the truths of the world. Only the truly foolish could honestly trust so much in an organized group of unproven truths, of false beliefs insurrected by a once tyrannical and money driven ruler. I am a strong believer in no belief, and I think everyone should be. This one quote, one of my favorites, sums up my religious beliefs:
“Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear.” -
Thomas Jefferson
So, that said, hell as a location, one specifically designed (in a certain faith) to be a place of eternal torment, is not a thing I find feasible. I don’t think there is a place where the misbehaved souls must experience unworldly agony at the expense of others. Having lived for 16 years, I have felt the influence of countless others trying to force religion on me. Its everywhere, from the religious programs on TV to the friendly neighbor that is secretly nudging you to go to church, religion is present in everything that we do. It is because of this that I can paint a picture in my mind of what hell would be, not that it is at all my belief. Everyone can picture the stereotypical devil with horns and a pitchfork forcing the evil souls to work under his command. Ideas such as these have been instilled in the young to create fear in evil. It is this fear of evil that is holding us back from thinking on a deeper level and experiencing the world’s truths.
PART 2
ReplyDeleteThe aspect of a ‘hell on earth’ or a situation that would be considered hell-ish is much more believable to me. I can understand how and why someone would consider their life a living hell. I have and am, in tough times at home. These matters don’t really need discussion at this time, but I have truly been through a lot and am still going through a lot. I understand the pain and torment people must face in their everyday lives, often times for no reason of their causing. Some people are just thrown into life in a horrible situation, it’s not their fault, they didn’t do anything wrong. They need not be chastised for where they come from or how they live, but can be expected to make the best out of things. So, while a hell on earth situation is totally understandable to me, I think people need to make the best out of their situation and deal with their individual problems in the ‘right’ way. (Right not being the following of a religious group, but by living to their standards of what is right and wrong) The whole idea of different degrees of sin, in my opinion, is true, but not in correlation to hell. People can commit different levels of ‘sin’ but not be classified in hell for these sins. A horrible sin such as rape or murder isn’t punished by a deeper level of hell, but a deeper level of moral suffering. The sinner must live with this sin their whole lives, no matter what form of repentance they seek, and that itself, is worthy of being dubbed “hell”.
The idea that this all gracious God could possibly cast his creations into a pit of horrid suffering just makes religion look even less feasible. God as an all powerful being that shares his immaculate love with everyone on earth is a notion that makes me sick. How could this almighty God stand by and watch as thousands are murdered for a reason not spurred by them? Why would this loving God allow innocent children to be slaughtered in times of war and babies to be born dead on arrival? How could he stand by and allow horrible atrocities to occur? When is he going to step in and prove himself to be the loving and caring caretaker he is claimed to be? Humans have no God. They have no higher being to look to whenever they are in trouble. When you are faced with a life and death situation, there is no guiding force to be there to save you. There is no almighty force that is always there to guide you and there never will be. We can’t rely on some colossal mighty force to solve all of our mortal problems and to believe so is foolish. Repentance is a lie created by a foolish religious group meant to control the masses and give them a sense of false security. Men need not repent with a God, the deepest and most meaningful form of repentance is learning from your mistakes and bettering yourself as a result.
"I do not believe, however, that God created hell. Since the devil would never obey him, I think God was fed up with him and sent him underground to do whatever he wanted without bothering the innocent people who wanted to live by God’s word. From that, the devil created a place completely opposite of heaven and earth for people who worshiped him to go when they died. In other words, God had no hand in creating the repulsive place called hell."
ReplyDeleteLauren D:
You asked how I know all of these facts. I can't rattle off all of the bible verses off the top of my head; I got them from a compilation of notes that I jotted in church services and while talking to that guy Jeff that I mentioned in my post. Based on what you wrote about the origins of hell, I thought you'd appreciate these verses:
Matthew 25:41
“Then will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!"
Revelation 20:10
"And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever. "
Basically, hell was created by God as a place of banishment for Satan and the angels who followed him. God's original plan wasn't for people to sin and go to hell, but he also didn't want to create robots, so he gave us free will. Many people choose to sin and reject God, so God sends these people away from Him.
Kelsey C
ReplyDelete"I was always taught that God has a plan for everyone and he knows what is next in a person’s life. However, if he plans for people to kill other people could He be considered the evil one?"
That is a very good point. It is because of the inconsistencies such as these that I could never become a Catholic. I feel as if the religion, when exposed to its own inconsistencies, twists its own beliefs to remain consistent. When that is not possible, I tend to hear a phrase similar to this: "We as imperfect humans, cannot fully understand the plan of God."
It is nice to see that you are a independent, free thinker and that you are not afraid to challenge what you have been taught. I also like your addition of Billy Joel's song because it shows that you put a lot of thought into your post.
JV Gonzales
"Hell, I don't think it exists at all. " Nice pun!
Sarah C
Oh, how I agree with you. I hate the idea that I'm going to hell simply because I do not believe in God. I love your comparison of God to a dictator because I feel the same way. I think that God, in this sense and specific religion, is like a dictator in that he requires everyone to follow him and punishes those that do not. A God like this is a jealous, weak God. If He is actually perfect, then He sure does not act like it.
"But, you have to keep pushing because there’s the anti-Christ above you on a black throne poking you with his giant red pitchfork and threatening to hurt you even more." Sarah, if I was taught that version of hell, I certainly would not believe in it either. I could not help but chuckle at that conventional description of hell for I find it childish and lacking of depth.
Lauren D
Disagree I do.
Sins are not created equal. Stabbing a pregnant mother one hundred times after raping and mugging her is in no way on the same level of evil as saying, "Oh my God." I cannot and will not ever understand how these two acts can even be remotely on the same level. Although they are both bad, brutally killing another person is a hundred- no, a thousand times worse than saying "Oh my God."
I cannot help but feel that your story of hell's creation is nothing but that- a story. Haven't you ever questioned the original source of that information? How did the author of that idea even come up with that idea? If author was simply writing down the message of God, how can you know that the message is really from God and not from the imaginative processes of the brain? If this is really what you believe then by all means believe it, but I encourage you, Lauren, to ask questions.
Steve
ReplyDeleteI think you have gained a lot of insight through your search for a faith you can really believe in. A lot of people who are placed in situations where they are different, judged, or alienated follow their instinct and turn to self-defense. Instead you took a harder but more rewarding path. You actively persued truth and your own life. My comment may seem random and unrelated, but it ties into your references to Taoism. I agree that one of the worst things you can do is dislocate from your true self or destroy yourself. I believe God created us all in his image (not in a physical sense). We are all beautiful and sacred originally and remain so at our cores, so for people to sin at all they must not be in sync with their true selves.
Maryum:
ReplyDeleteJust out of curiosity, what does the (swt) after Allah mean?
Justin -- I'm going to reply to this in a bit . But I can already tell that I'm going to want to punch you in the face when I'm done reading it.
ReplyDeleteWith everything I have observed from the world so far, I believe the ultimate goal in life is to live life accordingly in order to achieve one’s spirit in heaven. I feel as if the concept of hell is obscure for a human to fathom, especially after reading Joyce’s Hell. All I received from the reading is that hell sucks, really bad and I didn’t need to read that to know that. No offense, for those who enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteSo to answer the question, I believe hell does exist BUT it occurs in many forms. Meaning one could be living life in hell at this very moment on earth and one can also live life in hell after death. Only God can judge where one belongs.
As a Hindu, I’m a firm believer in karma. Karma alone establishes one’s measure of success during and even after life. Karma is the reason why people suffer and why people prosper. Karma does not always work instantly, for instance, if a person sinned one day then couple hours later they will automatically pay for it. Maybe somebody is paying for their sins right now because of what he/she did in their past life. Exactly why so many people live destitute lives and so many of the ignorant prosper? I have no idea, I only can only rely on karma. Like I said, only God can judge but I don’t understand my religion enough to make such a conclusion.
So then what’s the point of hell if they are going to pay for sins by reincarnating? Well, according to my parents, God doesn’t always design everybody’s life in such a way. If the sinner does not ask for forgiveness and continues in the path of evil then they will have to go to hell, they have to suffer. I believe if one is truly sorry for their sin then God will forgive them but they will not make it to heaven unless they are transformed completely or continue on the reincarnation cycle until they become the human that lives life right.. Every creature reincarnates until it reaches its last stage, which is a form of a human. If they happen to live life by God’s rules then they will definitely reach heaven and if they don’t, then they reincarnate or go to hell.
My parents never described hell to me and I’ve never questioned about it. But I believe such a place has to exist for great sinners, those who have sinned in a higher degree. Other than that there is not much emphasis of hell in Hinduism. My teachers gives discourses, at my temple during Sunday sabha, about living life towards dharma. That’s all. Even the summer conventions that I usually go to lecture the same in different ways.
Everything I must have said might be recondite. I would understand because my religion is polemic compared to what many of you who reads this believes in. To put it plainly, I believe more of God’s love and grace rather than the torments He is able to give for a sinner. I know hell exists. And I know that God, when asked for forgiveness, He has the power to forgive anybody, no matter how big or small it may be. I know if the sinner is truly sorry, and realize their mistake God will forgive them. Which is why I focus on making God happy by following the path of dharma… so I don’t go to hell, wherever or whatever it might be ( J) .
(I hope everything I said make sense, took me forever to do this!!!)
The idea of hell as being a whole other world seems ludicrous along with the whole idea of religion. The main reason for religion whether direct or indirect was to give an answer for the unknown, to give an “after” to death. I do not believe in any religion because simply I am an atheist, and therefore don’t believe in hell. My belief came from my studying of religions, I have read the bible and many exerts from other scriptures. I have made my own notes on beliefs on the topic and annotated many religious works and ultimately found them full of contradictions and primeval teachings. My parents never took me to church, but I have studied religion enough on my own to make my opinion clear. I obviously wasn’t always an atheist, but from a young age I started to question death and the afterlife. By about the age of twelve I declared myself an agnostic, which is not necessarily the belief in god but a possible higher power than government. As I investigated further, a couple years later I was convinced that there is no higher power or life after this one on earth. I do not believe in a hell nor a heaven or any form of reincarnation.
ReplyDeleteEven though I believe that no such place as hell exists I can still understand the great physical and mental burdens that one could consider “hell”. People are born into the world without education, a structure of society, and instantly thrown towards the cruel world with just the clothes on their back. This is my conception of hell, not a place full of flames. I know the people in America making 200 grand a year could easily say “it’s their fault” and they actually aren’t experiencing hell, but they don’t know until they suffered this same life. So I do believe that hell is possible but only through the hardships of life without a way to escape it.
On the topic of Dante’s Inferno, I think it is just another warped mind rambling on the subject of hell. The reason I say this is his inner-most circle of hell. It is not a person who murdered masses of people who gets to take this level, but the one who commits adultery. At least Hitler can have it better than a person who made a mistake out of love for a married other. As I said before, the primeval opinions do not apply to today and therefore should not be used today.
God supposedly is the all powerful, always was, and controller of fate who seems fits to damn any person who does not believe Jesus as their savior to an eternity of hell. Therefore in the Christian faith, almost everyone in Asia will perish in eternal flames because of their difference in culture and beliefs. I do not think God controls who we are and what we are to do, and I do not believe he is the savior after we are “relived from our sinful lives”. Religion is just a spark of belief and an answer to a question that bears no exact truth. Hell is just a paradox made to make sure that everyone else follows in their footsteps.
I honestly don’t know what to write. I believe in God. I believe in Heaven. I believe in Hell. I just don’t spend loads of time thinking about it. See, the way I see it is that there really is no point in thinking about all of it. No matter what I personally think about Heaven or Hell, it would be the same regardless. Just because I imagine (I don’t) Hell as a big empty room full of nothingness doesn’t mean that’s what it is. But, I guess that’s not really the point of this blog, so here it goes.
ReplyDeleteI’ve always had two contrasting views of Hell. There is the first one, which is the traditional one represented by James Joyce’s “Hell”, and then there is one that I believe a few others on this blog have already discussed, and might be a more “perfect” Hell. I think a far more effective Hell would be one in which the individual revisits everything they truly regret and hate about themselves and their lives. Maybe for a killer, that wouldn’t even be the merciless killings, but rather some moment in their childhood that they felt truly helpless and defeated. Everyone has moments in their pasts that cause them excruciating emotional anguish each time they are revisited. Physical pain can only make its point for so long. Emotional and mental pain lasts forever.
There’s that part of me, the part I was raised believing, the part that believes wholeheartedly in all of it, and then there is a part of me that stops and thinks every once in a while. A long time ago, I realized that religion and the rules that naturally came with it could be a very good peacekeeper. It could very well be something that was made up to keep people in line, as no one wants to be that person that goes to Hell. It’s so much easier to control people when there is a reward promised at the end. And, in this case, it’s impossible to prove that there is no reward! But honestly, where’s the fun in that? I have a tendency to be idealistic, and it often comes back to haunt me. However, in this case, what is the point of not believing? Hopelessness is one of the least desirable things I’ve ever encountered. Nothing destroys a human’s very soul more than having no hope. Even if someone doesn’t believe, why not? What’s the advantage of just melting away into the Earth? How could it possibly be a bad thing having hope for a better life later on?
One of the things that has always bothered me the most about religion is condemnation. As referenced earlier by Deanna, why is it that people say “You’re going to Hell”? No one would ever have their mind changed by someone that constantly made fun of them and taunted them. The whole idea behind religion is loving, caring acceptance of people. If these people don’t even practice their own message, then they’re just as bad off as the nonbelievers. Maybe religion itself isn’t bad, but the structure and stupid rules made up by some people are.
Anyway, regardless of what it is, Hell is not good. I don’t want to go there. Any type of eternal suffering isn’t really what I’m looking for. Although I’m sure a large portion of this blog made no sense at all, I believe. I just hope that this was understandable enough to get my point across. Was it?
You guys have no idea how hard it was for me to type this in some organized manner. >.<
ReplyDeleteHere it goes…
I was raised in an environment where a certain religion wasn’t forced upon me. My mother is a Jehovah’s Witness, my father an Episcopalian. One of my uncles follows Islam, and several other relatives are either Buddhist or Taoist. It’s expected that someday I’ll find something to devote myself to, but for now, I have no idea what I am. I believe in many aspects of each religion or philosophy that I mentioned above, but I cannot commit myself to one specifically. Despite this, I can commit myself very strongly to my innermost beliefs and thoughts. For starters, I don’t believe there is a Hell. From what I have gained since a young child, God is a merciful and extremely compassionate being. He is more compassionate and understanding than any human is to another. He forgives all sins if there is true and sincere repentance from the sinner himself. He holds no grudges and loves us in such a way that we cannot even imagine. If He loves and cares for us so dearly, why would he send us to a place of eternal damnation after we die instead of having our souls return to him? Our overall relationship with God should be filled with trust and love, despite where we are in our lives. I don’t believe God would ever destroy the relationship that we have with him all because we committed a few sinful acts in our lives. He wants us to learn from our mistakes and rise up as better people from them. The only way we can do this, is by experiencing the repercussions placed upon us by our own wrong-doing. If we did not experience any form of punishment, there’s no way we would be able to learn, and our relationship with God could not grow.
However, I still believe that humans can create their own forms of hell, whether that be spiritually or physically. Although God does forgive most sins if the sinner truly is sorry, there are some sins I am not so sure he forgives so easily. For example, the murder of another human is a terrible and huge sin. For most, I think (and dearly hope) that the one convicted honestly regrets his actions and prays for forgiveness. In doing this, essentially he has already created his own hell. God will eventually forgive him, but on Earth he will be prosecuted and shunned from general society. To add to this, the torment he experiences in his mind will be huge. He has to live with the regrets of taking another human life, and constantly wondering if God will truly believe his sorrow. This hell is obviously different for every person, but I believe it changes dependent on each person and the sin they committed. To me, sins have varying degrees and motivations. I can’t place the person who accidently caused an accident and killed two people in the same category with the serial killer who killed three women purely for the ‘fun of it.’ They may both include that taking of another life, but the reasons/causes behind those two are totally different. Although I can understand the sentiment that ‘A sin is a sin, and there’s nothing else to it’ I just can’t understand how that can apply to all and every circumstance.
All in all, I don’t believe there is a hell. I don’t think a merciful God would ever send someone there. I do think that some sins are more forgivable than others, but given time and true repentance, I think that most sins can eventually be forgiven. I believe that people can create their own forms of hell both in the physical world and spiritually, and that our relationship with God is one of the most important things in my life. Of course, no one can possibly know whether all of these beliefs are true. And that’s probably because it’s not our place in life to know.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"A horrible sin such as rape or murder isn’t punished by a deeper level of hell, but a deeper level of moral suffering. The sinner must live with this sin their whole lives, no matter what form of repentance they seek, and that itself, is worthy of being dubbed “hell”."
ReplyDeleteJuston H:
What about the murderer or the rapist who feels no remorse? There are people out there who have sick and twisted ways of thinking and are quite proud of their sins. There are others who are quite literally sick and don't understand the ramifications of their actions. There are others who justify everything they do. And don't forget that different things may be more acceptable in contrasting cultures. I just don't agree that ALL people who commit a crime will suffer a moral hell.
Deanna:
ReplyDeleteI may not agree with you, but at least what you said makes sense. It's kind of irritating when people say that religion is stupid, but don't give any reasons at all why they say so. While I may disagree, your ideas made sense and were well-presented.
*sorry I jump around so much, there was so much to write and think about*
ReplyDeletePart 1
There damn well better be a hell or everyone can expect to see an enraged Paki on the verge of going postal. I know what you are thinking? I’ll be dead, so how can I be angry. Well, tsk tsk. If you know me at all, then you know that I can preserve anger even in the face of death. Okay, now back to the topic.
Every since I was a child, my parents have drilled into my head the idea that if I was to do anything wrong, God would know (just like Santa, Jon Williams) and sent me straight to the fiery pits of hell. That may seem slightly intense for parents to tell their six year old daughter, however at the Zeb house, my parents believe in brutal and terrifying honesty (their version of honesty). My parents scared me at night with these notions of hell, because their parents had done the same to them. Religion is a vital aspect of my household. My parents believe everything the Koran says, verbatim. My parents handed down their strong religious beliefs to me such as the tradition that has been in my family. That is why I believe in Hell. I believe in the Koran, not because of my parents attempts to force me in to submission, but rather because I love most aspects of my religion. It’s my rock, where I find peace from all the idiotic dramas of life itself.
My image of Hell has been greatly tainted by Joyce’s exert. Wow, you really can’t get that dude’s voice out of your head. I had never imagined what hell would smell like before, but now I can almost smell the burning, decaying bodies. The burning scent. The disgusting stench.
When I imagine Hell, all I see is fire. The great fire that’s fuel “is man and stones” (quote from Koran, Surrah 1). I hear screams of agony and cries for forgiveness that fall on deaf ears. I see devastation, pain, agony, and even repentance. (Please excuse the morbid qualities of that paragraph; I just got in the zone.)
While Gehenna, a worldly designated hell, may seem to some realistic, to me it sounds the complete opposition. I know I am being utterly biased, however my beliefs are the only aspect of life that makes me strong. The belief that one day I may go to heaven, if I play my cards right, sometimes gets me through the day. That belief is what keeps me from purely mean and evil. I understand that may make me sound shallow, but I think I have a good rebuttal. I realized a while back that life sucks. There are some good times, but in general most humans never receive the level of happiness that they desire. So can you blame me for wanting more? Can you blame me for hoping that even if life is horrible that one day I might make it to that supposed paradise and feel as if there was a reason for all the pain and trouble? I deal with enough realism from life itself; I NEED some spiritual faith to stay optimistic.
There are many levels of sin. You can not possibly compare a rapist to a petty shoplifter. When I imagine the punishments that God gives, I image him sitting as a judge in court (excuse the trifle comparison). Would a judge send a shoplifter to jail for life for stealing some candy? No. So then why would God send that same shoplifter to an intense hell where he has sent a murder or rapist? I find God to be merciful. I believe God sees the world, not in black and white, but shades of grays such as humans do.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteI believe the worst sin to be rape. In my mind, murder can be excused in some instances, such as in the case of self-defense. Thefts can a necessity due to poverty. However rape can never be justified. How can one defile another in such a manner for no reason at all? I hope rapist receive the harshest punishments that God can think of. I hope they fell a “millionfold”(Hell by Joyce) of the pain that they subjected on their innocent victims.
God is love in my mind. He forgives if asked. He does not force anything on anyone, but rather waits for us, patiently, to find him. But I believe God to represent balance. The Yin and Yang. God gives every man free will. We have to take responsibility for our decisions in life, so why wouldn’t we in death? The good get rewarded while the bad are punished. Isn’t that a beautiful balance?
Dear Simon,
ReplyDelete'I believe in this hell because I want to. It is nothing more than a product of my imagination. My religion is the Religion of Simon Vuong. I establish my own rules and my own beliefs.'
Haha! I love that part. And I pretty much feel the same way in my beliefs because I cannot prescribe to one religion. Although I don't necessarily believe with your whole blog entry, I do like the fact that you had the confidence to create your own religion. :P
Kaitlin H:
ReplyDeleteYou're certainly right about being bored at church. It's funny how one of the biggest turn-offs for people is religion itself. They want to believe in the ideas and morals of the religion, but they hate how structured and boring it is made to be. That's a problem for just about everyone.
Deanna: I like how someone like you, who was raised catholic, can think for themselves and not blindly follow a misguided and unwise religion. I totally agree with how you said religion was created to keep people inline. I think the weak minded hordes of humans need something to look up to, to follow. If not for religion, the weak would have no basis for morals or the ability to decipher the worlds truths and lies.
ReplyDeleteShelly- Your views on life and spirituality are interesting and much more feasible, but not completely feasible, than most religions.
"Spirituality enhances the ability to discover beauty in things, recognize truth in meanings, and discover goodness in values." This particular sentence, as you already know, isn't 'to my liking'. I don't think people need a sense of spirituality to do any of these things. People don't need spirituality to do the right thing or experience things to the fullest. I like your beliefs but, like any other set of beliefs, I cant completely agree with any of these things. [ t.b.a.w.y. ]
Alix: I admire your ability to not conform with your religion. I have noticed that most people here don't conform to religion. However, if you don't agree with some of the major controversies of your religion, whats the point of following it? Why do you still follow one, when you can believe in a few principles from one religion and some from another? There are a plethora of other options. We don't need to have come from a high power. Why must we conform to a certain religion to explain our existence? I'm not trying to bash your religion, but just open up a new thought process.
Sarah C: I whole heartedly agree with everything your saying. One of the worst parts is that I do not lecture people on my beliefs, so why should I stand and listen to someone trying to belittle me on the way I live. I hate when very religious people accept no other possibility and pretend that any rebuttal I may utter is completely wrong and a waste of breath. This is the correct way to live? If this is the correct way to live then I guess I don’t want to be correct. You put my views, not only pious beliefs, but simply how I view the religious community as people into perfect sense.
ReplyDeleteKaitlin
ReplyDeleteI respect you for thinking for yourself, instead of believeing what others tell you to. Although I am religious and spiritual, I have doubted God and an afterlife a lot. I think I have come to the conclusion that we can never be positive of anything concerning God on earth. That's where the whole faith thing comes in, and that also plays into my belief that lif is a trial and a chance to learn and grow. When you discover things for yourself, you always understand them better than if someone just told you. I don't think you should ever feel bad about not believeing in God or being able to find him. C.S. Lewis, a well-known Christian writer (Narnia, Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, etc.), was an atheist for a long time before he found his faith. I don't mean to sound patronizing. I just believe you find your beliefs and faith when you are meant to.
"and then there is a part of me that stops and thinks every once in a while."
ReplyDeleteLucas S:
I think I know exactly what you mean. Everyone experiences doubt to some extent. As I am extremely inquisitive and will dig deep for an answer, doubt has always strengthened my beliefs as far as religiion goes. Justin posted the Thomas Jefferson quote: “Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear.”
In my opinion, a belief is nothing without questions against it.
Hannah:
ReplyDelete"But, I think he bases everything on intention and how much you really are sorry."
That is true, God allows those in heaven who really are sorry and know what they did wrong and have accepted him into their lives. An apology can either be real or fake, God knows, so why would he allow the fake people into heaven? So you're right.
Sarah C: Oh dear girl, I'm a religious person, and we do live and we do have fun. I have fun, don't I? I'm not saying you're wrong and I mean your opinions are your opinions, but I just think religion isn't to keep people in line, because there are religions that don't have God, etc. It is just something you believe in. I believe in Heaven so I know not to fear death once I die. I also believe in God because he put me here and with a purpose. It isn't a matter of rules and to restrain us, it is to give, those who believe in it, answers. Like you don't know what to do in a situation, you just find it in the Bible or you ask God to help you. But don't get me wrong, your blog was funny and enjoy seeing like the alternate perspective on religion. My dad is pretty preachy, so to hear another side is pretty nice and refreshing, but we do have fun and I don't really hold back.
Jourdan: I liked reading your blog because it further and insured what I am about to write about. It is hard to sum up our beliefs and why we believe what we believe in one blog, so I liked reading yours.
Taylor:
ReplyDeleteI agree that emotional pain is more efficient than physical punishment. However, people like Hitler wouldn't necessarily feel remorse for their killings. As Jourdan said earlier, there are some twisted, sick people out there who actually enjoy their misdeeds. I like your general idea though... I guess it would just need some fine tuning?
Alix Lalachinpoo - "In my heart, I can not imagine that the God I have been taught about could possibly create such a horrible, terrible place, especially one that lends no forgiveness and casts eternal pain onto someone."
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way. I also think that if God has everything planned out for us, why would he plan for us to sin just so we can be sent to hell? It's all really confusing.
Pooja - "Karma alone establishes one’s measure of success during and even after life. Karma is the reason why people suffer and why people prosper. Karma does not always work instantly, for instance, if a person sinned one day then couple hours later they will automatically pay for it. Maybe somebody is paying for their sins right now because of what he/she did in their past life. Exactly why so many people live destitute lives and so many of the ignorant prosper? I have no idea, I only can only rely on karma. Like I said, only God can judge but I don’t understand my religion enough to make such a conclusion."
Karma is basically like equivelent exchange in my opinion. I have to disagree with you because I can't get myself to believe in either. Like I said in my response, someone who does all good can die in a car accident, and in that accident, a sinner could end up living. Where's the karma in that? :/
Kristen - "I guess just being raised in that religion made me believe everything I was told. I do believe that relationship with God is of utmost importance, but when it comes to Hell, I believe that that is where sinners go. Not keeping Holy the Sabbath day is a sin, and I don't do that, so yes I do believe that I will go to Hell. That's only as of right now though. It isn't a main concern of mine being sixteen years old, but I do try to remain faithful"
I feel the same way. Since I've constantly practiced my religion basically my whole life, when I wrote that post I felt like I was betraying God if he does indeed exist. If so, I guess I am going to Hell also. I don't know what to believe! It's not fair!
In the comic, Evil Diva, Hell is like Disney World. :D
ReplyDeletehttp://www.evildivacomics.com/?p=298
http://www.evildivacomics.com/?p=325
Jourdan: The murderer of the rapist who feels no remorse is not right in feeling no remorse. Anyone who kills someone, no matter what their justification, isn't right. There is no justification in taking another's life, no matter what the circumstance. Maybe some people wont knowingly experience remorse, but it will always be there in their lives. Sure, some may be sick and twisted, but that doesn't change the way they experience torment. It is my hope, maybe not in all cases, but that sick and twisted person will eventually realize their evil ways and feel this remorse. Things will eventually catch up with people, and the truly enlightened (not religious enlightenment, but life enlightenment) need not worry about not experiencing their remorse. I don't know, maybe not EVERYONE experiences this remorse, but I'd hope that they would. There is no clear answer to anything worth educated discussion.
ReplyDeleteJessie B: I understand where you are coming from because I share almost the same beliefs. Even though I believe there is no proof in order to throw myself blindly at religion, I do think it otherwise dumb not to. The positives coming from religion are well organized such as having a strong faith and heighted hope, but I cannot look past the contradictions that fall in so many ways. I can never be completely sure about religion until I have grasped the meaning of all, and because that is nearly impossible I may never know what it is to be as such. To have faith and hope in something that I know is real is almost impossible for me to do, but I respect those who base belief on it.
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ReplyDeleteDear Kaitlin,
ReplyDelete'Once you’re dead, your body is either cremated or buried in the ground and that’s it. That’s the end. I don’t mean to put it so bluntly, but those are my beliefs.'
I like that you put it so bluntly. It's straight to the point, which is what i was trying to achieve in my blog (Whether I did that or not is another story)
Besides that, I think its perfectly okay that you can't see Heaven, Hell or anything else as a possibility just yet. Growing up, I felt the exact same way, until eventually I began to believe those things for myself. Just that fact that you want to believe could be the road to truly believing these things in the future.
Thanks, Justin! I agree that everyone SHOULD feel remorse, but I don't believe that everyone actually does. It's a sad thing to accept, but it's just an observation of mine. And I really like that last sentence. I whole-heartedly agree with it, but I've never put that belief into words. I'll definitely end up quoting you one day.
ReplyDeleteGwen: I respect the varied religions your family practices and for you to study and see beyond just what your parents are deserves respect in itself. “Despite this, I can commit myself very strongly to my innermost beliefs and thoughts.” I understand this very much, because I do not believe in any kind of organized religions I often question my ability to understand my innermost beliefs and true feelings. Does it take a God or larger figure to understand on a larger scale? I have tried to put myself into different positions and reasoning but still cannot seem to reach the connection between myself and higher power.
ReplyDeleteComments:
ReplyDeleteTo Deanna N: Deanna, you said that the soul is always in motion, so then wouldn’t Hell and Heaven justify that belief? In Hell and Heaven our souls continue to live after death. It isn’t a resting place, but rather a continuation of life itself. However in this continuation, the good guy always wins. I remember reading or hearing somewhere (I can not remember from where), "You should believe in things worth believing”. Isn’t that worth believing in? That unlike life, the bad guy never gets the happy ending.
To Gwen C.: Gwen, you said God forgives everyone that's sincere, while I totally believe support that belief, what about the few with no remorse. You said there was no hell. Then is there no Hell for them? Are they not punished? Do they just get away scott-free?You can only forgive those who ask for it.
To Lucas: I also believe in the whole "the two contrasting views of hell". Primarily, I think of fire when I think of hell. But after I give it some thought I also think of more personalized types of punishments. I believe that God punishes each person independently, deciding which would be most effective in inspiring remorse.
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ReplyDeleteDear Roos Roos,
ReplyDelete'I believe the worst sin to be rape. In my mind, murder can be excused in some instances, such as in the case of self-defense. Thefts can a necessity due to poverty. However rape can never be justified. How can one defile another in such a manner for no reason at all? I hope rapist receive the harshest punishments that God can think of.'
Whoa, the thought of rape actually didn't even come to my mind when i was writing my blog post, but I completely agree with that. I can see someone committing a sin without meaning to, but I have never heard of 'accidental rape'. Thinking about that and all the other incidents I may not have thought of just boggled my mind. ._.
Thank you Lucas. Your opinion means a lot to me. I don't think religion is stupid, not at all. I feel it's a very accessible medium to bring people together. But once things start getting technical, I start to have doubts, that's all.
ReplyDeleteJustin, I can understand where you are coming from and really appreciate your input. Just don't be too harsh. I don't mind because I mostly agree, but you don't want to offend. I learned that last week, haha.
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ReplyDeleteUroosa: I never thought about it that way. But I still can't agree, haha, sorry. Heaven is in a sense life after death, but it's more of a "utopia of everlasting bliss." That, to some people, may be a happy ending, but not to me. If you're happy all the time, then happiness eventually will mean nothing. You need the battles, the learning experiences, the hardships. Heaven can't provide that, so whether it exists or not, I'm not going! :]
ReplyDeleteJV: I completely agree that sometimes during interpretation, aspects of many religions are manipulated. Corruption is in every religion, which is why I do not let anyone think for me. I interpret the Bible, Torah, and Koran as I see fit. I never just blindly follow the opinion of any religious official. I believe it to be idiotic for one to never learn their religion for themselves but rather accept whatever anyone tells him/her because they are supposedly "right". PSHHHH. RIGHT MY FOOT
ReplyDeleteRoos Roos!
ReplyDeleteOi, it would have made it clearer if I answered those questions in my blog post, huh?
I don't think that the people who show no remorse will just get away with it. I think that God will forgive those who ask for it, but for the people who don't, I don't necessarily believe that He would just send them to a place to burn and be punished forever. To me, there's some place after death ( that's not hell ) where the souls of the people who committed such crimes can be cleansed, and possibly forgiven.
Like Jourdan, I am a Christian. I believe in Heaven and I believe in hell. I believe in God and Jesus. I believe the only way to get into Heaven is to be saved. Being saved means accepting Jesus into your life as your lord and savor, that is the only way to get in; it is your ticket to heaven. Religion is not a law, it is a belief. That is why I’m not a bible lover, I just believe in it. I haven’t read the bible, but I got to church every Sunday to just get the idea of it, to help guide my life into the right direction. I accepted Jesus into my life in 5th grade. That it is when I knew I believed and God and I am on this earth for a reason and I know he has a plan for me. Therefore I am not scared to die because I know I will be going to heaven.
ReplyDeleteThe Christian faith is different: If you did something wrong, not knowing at the time it was wrong, then you can be forgiven. For those who murder without a purpose or good intention, that is a sin. Sin is base upon your intention. For example, if you have sex before you married and your intention isn’t to just get it over with and you’re in love and you’re happy and you trust the person, that isn’t a sin. But if you ask forgiveness and ask God to guide you in the right direction, then you are forgiven. Same with drinking, if you drink to get drunk that is a sin, but if you drink to relax and your intentions with the drink are good, then you’re not sinning.
I always paranoid about my faith because I wanted to be a good person, the perfect person who God can use to spread his faith, but when my dad told me about if your intentions are right, then you’re safe and as long as God knows you’re still with him and believe in him and you truly are sorry, then God still sees you as one of his children. God just wants to have a relationship with you. If you pray and talk to him and go to him for guidance then he is happy and heaven will be your eternal home.
It is not easy for God to place people in hell, because it saddens him to send his children into hell. Imagine telling your child to go to hell, which it is what it is like. Imagine sending your child into a pit of darkness, where you are alone. Hell is dark and smells like sulfur and has pits of fire. It is the scariest place and I do not want to imagine hell. But being scared of hell allows me to be better because I would rather be upstairs in the never ending party I like to call Heaven!
I am not trying to say all your views are wrong, I am really nervous I offended people, but it is just what I believe and how I am raised. I plan on teaching my children the same thing; to have morals and guidelines and to always have a head on their shoulders. But I am also not saying that people who have no faith are evil people and do not deserve a spot in Heaven, but I just want to make sure there is a spot for me and I am on the v.i.p list in Heaven.
P.s: I really don’t want to offend people, I just believe this and this is why I do.
Response #2 Roooosaaaaa
ReplyDelete"I NEED some spiritual faith to stay optimistic"
I think that is why I am so strong in my beliefs that there is, in fact, an afterlife. If I went day to day thinking "wow, I'm one step closer to absolute nothing-ness", I don't feel like there would be a reason to live. (that sounds really depressing, but it's the only way I can convey it.)
Megan S:
ReplyDeleteDon't be nervous that you offended people. Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind. And besides, it's just your beliefs. It's not like you're trying to force them on everyone.
Megan S. : Stop apologizing, hahaha, you are not offending anyone. I do agree with you about the whole dying thing. I m not afraid of dying either. I am just afraid of going to hell. Death is quick. Hell is eternity.
ReplyDeleteSarah C: "Most religions preach respecting and being kind to others, so why can you disrespect other peoples’ religion?"
ReplyDeleteI can see where you're coming from in your blog however I think most religions teach their followers to respect other religions. I know Islam and Christianity do and most other religions probably do too. The way people act depend on the person. For example, the Muslim terrorists who choose to blow themselves up while taking the lives of innocents as well are obviously following the religion way too literally and extremely. But they are just a small handful of people among millions and millions that choose to behave this way. There are extremists in every religion that choose to go overboard with their beliefs.
Pooja: Wow, I have never really studied Hinduism that much so I never really realized the similarities in our beliefs. I agree, a place like Hell has to exist for those who have committed a sin. Like, a person cannot just get away with rape because it would not be fair to the victim who had to suffer. I mean, I too believe God is loving but those who have sinned should pay for what they did. You know?
Deanna: "Religion is something I believe was created to keep people in line. Similar to how teachers control the minds of children, religion controls the mind of people."
To me, religion is such a beautiful concept. I think religion gives people hope, faith, and something to believe in when they lose some of that hope. Yeah, it keeps people in line, but it does not control people and their minds unless they allow it to.
Alix L: That is exactly how I feel as well. When the nothingness tries to take over, i consider the fact that I am not such a bad human being and maybe, just maybe God is proud of me.
ReplyDeleteLucas: thanks, I just don't want why I am saying is taken out of context.
ReplyDeleteRoosa:I like that line: "Death is quick. Hell is eternity."
Lucas: I like the quote "Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind" Just letting you know it is very insightful.
ReplyDeleteTo Gwen C: Raoist disgust me. There are the scum on the bottom of our shoes. No. They are worse. When I think of horrible people, rapist are always the first to come in to my mind.
ReplyDeleteKTG:
ReplyDeleteTo respond to: Where’s the karma in that? Well if you read all of what I wrote, karma does not occur instantly, in many cases it can occur randomly. We don’t know what we have done in our past lives. Everything has to have a balance. Either you pay for whatever you did or go to hell. It’s hard explaining karma, even I myself have a hard time comprehending to it. If the person does die in the car accident then their work on earth is done. There is probably a high chance they made it to heaven if they were good their whole life so far, since they’re last stage was a human. I don’t expect you to agree with me… I’m just explaining to you that this is what I believe may happen.
To Deanna N: I m not trying to change your views, but this is why to interesting for me not to comment back on, haha. Heaven is not just happiness, it is being content. In my vision of Heaven you have whatever you deserve. So therefore if wants spice in your afterlife, you can recieve it as easily as wanting it.
ReplyDeleteTo Gwen: sorry but can you explain this non-hell to me further...I am really curious. Is it an environment, a test....?
ReplyDeleteResponse #3
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, JV I didn't see your random thought until AFTER I posted my blog, and I realize now that what you said basically sums up my idea of "Hell". I like the intense Oprah weight loss camp comparison. I see "hell" as more of a stopping point. Where you check your sins at the door. Depending what you did you might be there longer but after that your soul is free to go on it's way.
Maryam!!
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I knew about the Muslim belief is that their God was called Allah. Now that I read yours I learned more. I liked how you had faith in your religion and you knew what you were talking about (unlike me). Everything just made sense and you backed up your religion very well. I feel as if all religions have the same idea but they are implied differently. For instance many religions believe in heaven and hell, it’s just the matter of how one’s reach it or what one goes through or where it even is. If many religions believe in such places then why do others disapprove of it so much?
Roos Roos,
ReplyDeletehmm..What do you mean? Like the place the the people go who had no remorse after they committed a sin? I can't really explain it. That's one of the things I couldn't find a way to get down properly. I can't actually describe it to you (sorry!) but I just feel like there's a place they go after they die, where they wait and cleanse their souls. I can't really place a type of environment on it. In my head, its just a barren land, with nothing particularly striking in it. Its kind of like Purgatory..only...not. Gah. Does that make a little more sense? I'll try to think of a way to explain it better..
I am Roman Catholic. I go to church almost every Sunday, I have received all sacraments available at this point in my life, and my religion teaches me that very bad people get very bad punishments. My parents re-enforce these ideas, and I see no flaw in Hell’s existence so I can accept it (i.e. I do believe in Hell). To me it resembles literally “lakes of fire and brimstone” and all those things that James Joyce spoke of. A lot of people said that their versions of Hell were based off of a person’s greatest fears. My only reason for disagreeing there is that people can overcome fears, which is why (to me at least) it would not be sufficient punishment for some sins (getting there later). You really can’t go wrong with fire and everlasting agony.
ReplyDeleteThe people who go to Hell cannot be classified as people. The things they did and the intentions and thoughts that they had twist them away from humanity and make them monsters, creatures who think and act foreign and repulsively as compared to a typical human. These things go to Hell quite easily. Now, I’m talking ‘bout the creepy “eat-your-flesh-because-I-like-when-people-die” creepers, not the “He-pissed-me-off-so-I-shot-him” folks. Another fast-pass to eternal damnation would be, in my own personal opinion, heinous crimes against children. In the grown up world, the victim isn’t always just a victim but possibly the catalyst as well. Children, children don’t make people kill people. It just doesn’t happen. A child holds a type of innocence that needs to be cherished and encouraged and respected. Killing (or otherwise abusing) a kid is like killing (or abusing) a unicorn. You’re just messed up (and now I think y’all have the gist of it).
Kristen D. mentioned in her blog that we Catholics believe in Limbo, or purgatory. I am taught that when a person dies, their soul goes to purgatory, the not-so-glorious waiting room for heaven, and then from there moves up. How long a soul must wait to get through the pearly gates is gauged by how he or she lived his or her life. I am pretty sure I’m not going to Hell as of this evening, but I am QUITE sure my wait in purgatory will be a lengthy one. Anyway, purgatory is a time of reflection on the life lived. While no description is ever given, I imagine it to be a big white room with wooden chairs for souls to sit and meditate on their past; not exactly luxurious but it’s still better than burning forever.
I feel like I have to elaborate a tiny bit more on how one gets to Hell. Looking back I realized I left a really big gap between sins. When it comes to murder, I think that God weighs a few things in his mind. First, why did you kill the now dead person? If the answer is self defense as opposed to “that bitch had it coming”, I think God will give them brownie points. Then He considers remorse. True, legitimate remorse is, in my book, the key defining point of a crime. If I hit my brother and did not feel a lick of regret afterwards, then that sin holds more weight than if I injured him but felt terrible about it. Those same “guide lines” apply to stealing, lying, and cheating, but rape and abuse are a different story (they don’t accidentally happen). Remorse is the sole deciding factor. My religion says God knows all, thus he knows how to judge a sin.
Because He CAN judge sins and sinners, I am not put off by the fact that God sends people to Hell. It hurts Him to do so because all people, regardless of how they live their lives, are God’s children and He loves each and every one, but He cannot forgive those who do not ask for forgiveness and thus He has no other option. But I don’t think Hell is too crowded either.
I get you ....I think haha. So it molds into each person kind of. That is a really interesting idea Gwen. I can see how and why God would do that. He is merciful right and would want to give everyone a second chance to make it right. WOW MIND BLOWING.It just makes sense
ReplyDeleteHaha. phew. I was hoping that you'd get it somehow. xP
ReplyDeleteJustin -- As you know I respect your views and it is very seldom I tell people they are wrong when it comes to belief and opinion. I can't help but want to poop on your face. When you wrote your comment you didn't feel. You don't write with emotion , you write well but it lacks emotion. You're not portraying how you really feel. I just want you to be honest with yourself.
ReplyDelete"I understand the pain and torment people must face in their everyday lives, often times for no reason of their causing. "
You don't not even the slightest bit. You need to learn to be truthful with yourself.
(d.f.t.r)
Megan S.- I'm really happy you talked about God a lot too. I was pretty nervous about getting all Jesus-y but I am catholic and GOd is a big deal to me. I'm particularly pleased that I'm not the only one who mentioned that God doesn't LIKE sending people to Hell. I think some people tend to over look that. I completely agree with everything you had to say and maybe we'll see each other in heaven at some point =]
ReplyDeleteDylan M:
ReplyDeleteI remember how you were trying to ‘persuade’ me in what you were trying to say in this topic. After reading this, you make it sound there is no hope and people can not have faith. I still disagree with what you said especially part where religion is an answer for the ‘unknown’. I NEED to have faith, without it I will be like you. Always negative about the world. Knowing me, I really can’t argue. I’m a peacemaker (haha), so I’m just going to accept in what you believe in and move on.
Hell, hell, hell. I’m sure at one point all of us have said out loud, “I’m going to hell for this.” I know that I have. But then again, I don’t know that I truly believe in hell. Honestly, I never put much thought into it. I was raised Catholic but I never really paid too much attention to religion. All that my family does is say prayers before we eat. I pray from time to time if it’s for something important, but other than that I never really cared. So as far as what I believe or don’t believe, I really don’t know. I’m the kind of person that has to wait and see before I believe what happens when we die.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, many shows and cartoons always portrayed hell as a fiery, red, laborious place. There would be a devil, with horns, a long tail, and a pitchfork, torturing those unfortunate enough to be stuck down there. Even in Constantine, hell was a hot and dry place with many demons and lost souls. But I cannot honestly tell you what I think it looks, smells, or feels like without the influence of these images. I think if hell existed it probably would be just like that- a hot, dry, place with lots of fire. There would be no real smell, just a dry burning heat every time one would inhale.
The New Testament’s views on hell, Gehenna, seems more realistic to me. I don’t know how or why they would consider that to be hell, because it was just a garbage dump, but the idea of a place where spirits go to await their final destination just seems too made-up for me. But maybe that’s just the non-religious side of me speaking.
Dante’s view of hell seems very interesting, but unlikely. To me, hell is hell is hell is hell. If there really is a hell, all the sinners would be there together, dwelling together in some fiery, dry, ugly place, or however you would picture hell. It just seems like Dante’s vision is too complicated and that everyone should simply reside there together.
Most religious people view God as a magnificent and perfect being that does no wrong. At least, that’s what I’ve been exposed to. Others however, feel as though whatever He does is right, even if its something that we would find wrong. To them, if someone dies, it was God’s doing and that He must have had a reason. So to say that it is easily reconcilable to think of Him that way and to also think that he can send people to hell is true for some people who firmly believe in Him. Once again, I wouldn’t really know.
Lucas! (Lu-Lu)- I LOVE that you talk about how "convenient" it is that religion just so happens to try to keep us all behaving well. As we just discussed via AIM, I think the problem is that someone somewhere said,"Hey! Instead of just believing in a higher power and leaving it at that, lets make this a good way to keep everyone being good". But then again thats not entirely a bad thing. Humanity NEEDS a heaven and a hell. One to scare us into behaving and one to entice us to behave. Cover all the bases!
ReplyDeleteChrissy: well, I guess I'm going to be joining you and JV. I love how you wrote your blog though, and i agree with some of your points. As I said in mine, I'm not too relgious, so what you wrote makes more sense to me.
ReplyDeleteAlex V: I enjoyed reading a blog from a religous perspective. Yours was really good! Your answer was firmly grounded by what you believe, while i feel as though mine was more along the lines of talking in circles (mostly because I am incredibly tired). I want to be able to write like you!
Megan S: When i read your blog, I could really feel the faith and emotion that you put into each word. If i truly believed in God and the religion, I have a feeling I would have a view that is similar to yours. P.S. I love how you called Heaven a party and how you want to be VIP, i thought that was funny. =]
Dylan-Just a note, the Christian faith does not teach that all other religions will burn in Hell. Not how we roll.
ReplyDeleteAs I grew up my parents instilled in me the harsh reality that if I sinned during my lifetime that I would be met by a swift punishment upon my death and sentenced to an eternity in the depths of hell. What a bunch of bullshit. Through listening to others I have learned that there are many different interpretations of hell, but the people who do believe in it always bend the rules a bit so as no to include themselves with the damned few that have been cursed a life in its fiery pits. As for the Burning question, no I do not believe in hell. The idea of a large cave at the center of the earth which burns with the intensity of the sun and which the sinners of the world are confined to is completely preposterous. I do though believe in a higher power though, with most religions on this planet having a sole leader there must be some truth amongst it. But an idea of “hell” seems completely irrational. No matter how bad hell is it cant have a stench worse the the boy’s bathroom at oakcrest or our locker room. If I were to believe in hell it would be in a more spiritual sense, I can see the idea of various levels of sin, such as crimes. If you stole from a candy store I doubt the police would send you to the electric chair, I guess the same idea applies for hell? This reminds me of a quote from Pirates of the Caribbean “ The deepest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers.” I guess Captain Jack Sparrow had the same idea as Alighier that the most remote and painful parts of hell were occupied by the most evil and foul beings. No I really don’t believe in the idea of different levels of hell mostly because I don’t believe in hell in general. But I suppose if their was such a place, the worst sin I could fathom would be a priest raping and killing a small boy on Sunday in a church inside of the confession booth. Doing this action would most likely grand you entrance into the VIP section behind the velvet rope next to Hitler and H.H Holmes.
ReplyDeleteOh Jon Williams, you make me chuckle.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kyra!! That makes me feel all warm and cheerful knowing that my writing doesn't suck! And yours didn't spin in circles. I felt that it was more stream of consciousness, but thats okay because it could be followed. And I hope you don't get to wait and see if Hell exists, that would be bad. I agree that nowadays it is difficult to see past the pop-culture view of Hell to decide our own beliefs but kudos for trying!! =]
ReplyDeleteThats what im here for Gwen=]
ReplyDeleteLucas:
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way at the beginning. I believed in those three concepts, as well as my additional ones. I never really spent time thinking about it, especially hell. My religion mostly guides us to live life on the right path. So how can I know that consequences besides knowing the fact that one might go to hell, or reincarnate? For me, I just knew I had a religion and I accepted it. Asked a few questions here or there, but never really bothered to ask what hell would be like since it was pretty logical, that if it is a place for those who sin then it’s bound to be bad.
Uroosa:
ReplyDeleteBut why would you ever want to be content? That would mark the end of all progress, all learning, all curiosity, all wonder. May I never be content! May I always have this hunger for exploration. It's what makes life fun. :] There's always something more humanity will dream for and try its best to achieve. That's the beauty in living! I don't think that beauty should end with death. May I never be complete, may I never be content! Kale Nagasaki without a challenge?! That my friend, is hell.
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ReplyDeleteRed flames swirling around the sinners body almost burning him to a crisp. Sharp, needle-like objects piercing his back. Turning around, his eyes widen at the image in blood red… The Devil, with his jagged pitch fork and sly smirk. The evil from the devils eyes is more than enough to make the sinners skin melt to the floor, and his nose bleed helplessly from the scent of his own burning body. Just kidding.. However, this was exactly the thought of many people long ago and some even today. The question on my plate today is does Hell even exist? To answer the simplistic paradox of the question, I can most honestly say.. .I don’t know.
ReplyDeleteBeing Catholic, I can almost guarantee a few of my ideals were garnered from my religious education, but not as many as the ideals I had received from my mother. I believe that everything in life is so completely without a doubt subjective that its hard to know anything for sure. However, If on your deathbed, and your mind whispers to you that you haven’t been a good person then you would go to “Hell.” My version of what “Hell” is a space of total darkness and silence. There’s no movement, because there is nothing to move toward, and the feeling of being for once in your life alone… You are without family, without friends, without anything , not even your body because only your spirit goes. Since, you are just there, that loneliness will basically overcome your entire being and wash your mind completely. The feeling of vulnerability forces you to let go of all materialism and face your self. Then after you have passed rock bottom, you get to try again. In your new life, your spirit takes that loneliness it felt and uses that to make you better.
God, doesn’t hurt. He only supplies options and opportunities that we on Earth get to choose from. Each choice has a consequence and that consequence adds to who you are. In turn, this brings us back to the idea of subjectivity of “good.” As a person, you must feel fulfilled, and accomplished, if not then even if you have been an saint your whole life you still will go to “Hell” because your spirit needs to feel complete. Once your heart and mind are sound, your spirit will finally be able to learn. Learn not academically, but truth; learning the truth and reasoning of life is everyone’s essential goal which must be reached.
1960’s. The English Invasion. Mop-tops. Fitted Suits and Box-Ties. Harmonization. John, George, Paul and Ringo conquered the world with their many platinum records, and robbed the hearts of millions. Girl wanted to have them, and the boys wanted to be them. It was a given that you liked the Beatles because even to this day, aren’t the Beatles one of everyone’s favourite bands? Or maybe there are exceptions.
ReplyDeleteThe summer 1966, the Beatles arrive to Manila, Philippines. You’d figure nothing out of the normal, just mere chaos with thousands of people screaming; however, the Beatles were in fact, rioted by a frenzy of offended Filipinos. Not only did ‘the Beatles snub the Queen’, but most of the Filipinos were offended by John Lennon’s remark, ‘We’re more popular than Jesus.’ The rioting was so bad that the Beatle’s transportation and room service were shut down, and the Beatle’s were forced to manhandle their way onto the plane. So, with all of that said, it is safe to prove my fact that The Philippines remains to be one of the top five most catholic countries.
In my Roman Catholic religion, I would be in lowest level of Hell because everything I’ve done is practically considered a sin, which made me feel the need to critique the Roman Catholic Church. On the brighter note, this week’s questionnaires are quite intriguing and leave me wondrous, dream-eyed and curious, seeing that I have moderately studied Theology before. Ever since my studies of Theology started, I’ve been knit-picking the concepts, and perspectives in every religion that seemed to be related to my morals and beliefs. When it comes to the concept of Hell, I do not believe in it. Through my studies, I’ve evaluated each religion, and I believe that if there were such a place as Heaven and Hell, that they’d be ‘completed’ with flaws. If Heaven were created of all of the good-moments in our life, or whatever WE wanted, they we would be desensitized to what we are passionate about. Or if your wife dies, and you marry another, but then you die: two wives and a husband in heaven some day? That’s weird. Even Heaven continues flaws such as ‘what is considered bad’. One of the most intriguing religions seemed to be Buddhism, and after studying such a religion, many of perspectives have changed as well. I believe in the Rebirth process of Human nature through Buddhism, which makes sense.
The reason I don't believe in Hell also, is because in the Christians religions, it is believed that God forgives no matter what.
ReplyDeleteHe he were to forgive no what, then no one would have to forgive, right?
Megan S- It's so wonderful that you're still strong and kicking in your religion. It takes a lot of willpower and strength to be able to believe strongly in such a religion. You're faith in God is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteJordan S- The passages that you pulled out of the bible, also made my stomach churn. When you mentioned such words about Hell, I was alarmed about it because I keep forgeting about the Hell factor in religions. Your writing is beautifully written, doll-face!
ReplyDeleteWhy shouldn't hell exist? I like to believe that hell exists for people that are not remorseful for their sins. People in hell should be subject to eternal damnation for being eternally proud and unrepentant for their actions. I think other people should think hell exists to keep them in line. I want people to have something to fear in their afterlife so they do not act, for lack of a better term, evilly(which I just found out is a word). I'm not a control freak, but I would like people to grow up with a general set of ideals to abide by that would maybe make the world a little bit of a better place.
ReplyDeleteAs for a description of hell, I would describe it just like James Joyce. He describes hell in a way that would make it be feared. In Joyce's time, I'm sure that a description of hell like that in sermons at churches would definitely have an impact on the behavior of the church-goers and little kids with no reason not be bullies or serial killers.
A spiritual hell seems much more realistic than a physical hell, at least to me. I like the idea of a spiritual hell just because it is, in fact, an idea. A physical hell can be denied a lot easier than a spiritual hell. A serial killer can very easily claim that there is no physical hell even if they've been in jail for a dozen years. Someone must let the idea of a physical hell consume them to acknowledge that there is actually a physical hell on Earth, but, because a spiritual hell is already so much more popular, it is harder to avoid. It's harder for that same serial killer to deny that they are destined for a spiritual hell when every prison guard tells it to them everyday.
I think hell should be specific to each person, not just based on level of sin. I see hell as more of being personalized to the specific fears of the damned more than anything else. I think that makes hell simpler while also tormenting each demon in hell in the worst way possible. I also don't really think that there is a such thing as a “worst sin.” I think that there is a clear line between hell and heaven for those that are remorseful and those that aren't remorseful for their sins.
Alex N.
ReplyDelete-I agree with you entirely where you said “To go to hell I think a person has to have no remorse.” That's exactly, and I mean exactly, how I feel about hell as well. I do think that there is a clear set of rules, similar to the supreme court as you said, as to whether someone should go to hell or not.
Robert F.
-I think I understand why you say that it is preposterous that mortals should determine how other mortals are treated. But the thing is: I believe in hell because I choose to believe in hell. I want there to be a place where horrible people go. It gives people a reason to live a lie.
Gwen C.
-I think you should expand your religious views more than what you've already been exposed to. I know that sounds weird but what I mean by that is that you say you had many religious influences as a child. I think that your views should reflect on what you've explored and discovered, not merely what may have been instilled in you as a child.
Let me start off by saying that I do believe in hell. Hell is not where a p[person body goes though, their souls go there to suffer for eternity. When asked what hell is like I think of a dark hallow full of screaming souls. I picture a devil with a pointed tail horns and a pitch fork. He is standing over a red fire with men in chains walking toward it and the devil poking them in the back. It reeks of scum and burning bodies. The only noises heard are the screams of the tortured souls and the devil’s deep roar. It’s so hot that a mortal would melt if they were to go there, only demons and the damn can live. The air is so thick with the burning bodies smell that a normal man who suffocate.
ReplyDeleteI got my version of hell from a combination of sources. Church gave me the basic idea of hell. Movies put the thoughts of more detailed pictures of hell into my mind.
To get to hell you have to commit sins and than not repenting to God. If someone doesn’t believe in the one and only God, then they will go to hell. It’s easier to go to heaven than hell. God will always forgive a person for their sins. No matter how horrid the crime God will still love and forgive them. The road to hell is paved with good intensions.
We could be in hell right now a not even know it. If that is so I think it’s only the bad times that can be called hell. Well than ill follow a very good song,” if your going through hell, keep on going, if your scared, don’t show it, you might get out, before the devil even knows your there.”(Rodney Atkins) This implies that there is still hope that even if you end up in hell you can still get out. This could just be a legend to scare people into repeating their sins. Why would suck a loving being create such a horrible place? I believe hell is truly real, although I hope to never find out. I know I’m going to pray and just go to heaven. i dont want to be tortured for ever.
(Part 2 on my blog)
ReplyDeleteIf I don't believe in this whole hell thing, it's sort of tough writing this... Especially because I'm posting so late. Anyways, I believe that there are Gods inside of all of us, in the sense that WE control the environment that surrounds us. We control it by not only our perspectives, but our mere presence and air that shifts the energy in the room.
I do, in fact believe in a God, but I believe that God hardly controls any part of your life.
Justin H:
ReplyDeleteI find it hard how anyone couldn't believe in a God, but I have been there before too.
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ReplyDeleteDeanna:
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you're going to hell or not, it's not my place to decide. But, if you stay true to your character and keep being as kind as you are, I'm sure you'll have nothing to worry about. :)
Jourdan:
Thanks for the versus! They're really descriptive and are pretty close to the way I envision hell.
Simon:
I never asked questions because I have faith in God and in the Bible. I was taught growing up that the Bible is 110% true, so I never thought to question my creator. About the sin thing, any way you defy God is a sin. It doesn't matter if you stab someone or use His name in vain, sinning is sinning.