if there is a God, who is supposed to be a loving God, the concept of hell is ridiculous..who came up with that?
I don't know really, but if there wasn't I might. The Onion invented the "new tenth ring" of total bastards to accomodate the flood of corporate business people so other sinners wouldn't have to be with them. Sheol is the old concept. It meant something like going down into darkness, density, the underworld. Jesus, who went there is the one who talks about how full of torments it is. You don't see it in the OT, unless some version has translated sheol to hell....? Maybe sheol was just the land of the dead and Jesus took it like DC is the bundy ranch, ordered propane burners and said "yo bitch! Hotsie footsie!" ?
I do not know....But hell can be upsetting to me. Because there are some truly amazing people and to know that they would go to hell because they didn't believe in god, really upsets me. And it confused me and is why I am on the search to find out what I really believe because at this point I do not know.
Moral dualism was first seen over 4000 years ago in Egyptian religious beliefs. It might have been around before, but if anything we can blame the Egyptians for that.
As with all biblical concepts, Hell is an invention of mankind to ensure obedience to those in power, especially since those in power are usually the ones who want everyone to believe in the magical sky daddy for the purposes of mass behavioral control. There is also the invention of the devil, in relation to hell, as a scapegoat. If one does not want to assume responsibility for his wrong-doings, simply blame it on a fictional character.
Humans came up with hell. In barbaric times they felt it was needed to incorporate it in their spiritual beliefs in order to keep some morality in check. It has not only or mainly to do with getting rid of responsibility.
As with all biblical concepts, nuclear weapons are an invention of mankind to ensure obedience to those in power, especially since those in power are usually the ones who want everyone to believe in the magical science daddy for the purposes of mass behavioral control.
Jeffery Dahmer, proof and evidence of genuine Hell. Every man who walked into Jeffrey Dahmer's apartment walked straight, directly into Hell itself. The horror and gore. Could you imagine the terror those men must have felt? It *is* possible to suffer a loss of contact with God. Condemnation is real and so is Hell.
If they're truly amazing people, they're probably believers in GOOD. They probably have God with them but they just don't know it.
Not to preach but if you are a seeker then I would suggest Gnostic Christianity. Gnostic Christians do not discriminate against women and gays and is a Universalist cult. Just these facts make it a more moral religion than Christianity. There are many different Gnosticisms but this link will give you a basic idea. http://www.thesongofgod.com/tgc/basic_beliefs.html Regards DL
I think people make something moral, not the religion itself. Different christians, different morals. Not all gnostics, even if they are part of the same branch, are morally the same. Perhaps people don't join a religion for reasons focussed on morality in the first place these days (more out of spirituality). Who needs a cult to not discriminate against women and gays. Oh there's no hell, well, you don't need a cult to acknowledge that either.
