@Lon Tanner Personally, Lon, when I was a child, hearing about "hell" and hades, I took it to heart. As I got older, I realized hell was a conceptual place, it's location and exact details dependent upon the story-teller. While I do not claim to be an Atheist, not caring in particular what diverse folks choose to believe or disbelieve, hell remains to me only a concept, belief in which is aimed at promoting one unproved idea or another. Frank
I am sure you realize Frank that you could be labeled an atheist because you think of hell as being conceptual.
I think there are many Christians who think of both Heaven and Hell as concepts. That does in no way make them Atheists. God can exist in many way in the minds of humans.
To add to Don's comment, some number of mainline religions say that Hell is eternal separation from God and not a fiery place. I believe this is the position the United Methodist Church. If I'm not mistaken, the current thought is the original concept of Hell was an allusion to the burn pits just outside of town back in the day. One can make what one wants of the evolving opinions and concepts of a religion that's millennia old.
I tell you what I believe. Lon needs to stop questioning everybody about their beliefs, accept his own or find a minster to answer all these questions. He is obviously wrestling with the devil.
No one could have said this better, @Gloria Mitchell , and you are absolutely correct. What any of us think or believe about our faith, God, and the afterlife; none have any effect on Lon’s life, only our own, and our opinions do not change anything. Lon has to search and find his own truth, whatever that is, and even if he is not interested in finding that for himself; he should stop asking everyone else about their faith and beliefs.
I wrestled in school years ago Gloria but not since then. I will continue asking questions of SO members on many subjects.
What I think or say has very little impact on this subject. But the bible does. In the shortest possible manner, here is what it says. Jesus used strong words of warning about hell because He believed it is real and filled with unspeakably horror. Often He taught that those who didn’t accept His sacrificial life of perfection to atone for sins of humanity (all have sinned and come short of the glory of God) would be thrown into outer darkness where there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth. He offered the way out through His sinless life and became the sacrificial Lamb, and His death on the cross, met God’s standard of perfection. When we choose to accept this, we become heirs and joint heirs, and His triumph is now imparted to us. His followers can then defeat sin, death, and the devil, with the aid of the Holy Spirit who indwells and empowers us. This invitation is open to all (He stands at the door and knocks) to trust in Him to receive eternal life rather than the opposite, which is eternal punishment that we all deserve for our sin. Each person must choose to believe or not, it is a personal decision.