Do you believe in Hell?

[flmagi]

Anyone want to discuss some deep issues?
Discuss, not argue.
Do you believe in Hell? What do you think Hell is?
Is there a grading system when you die, that decides whether you go to Heaven or Hell? And what if you fall short by just 1 point, is there a re-do exam?
Do you get a second chance after you go to Hell?
If all young children that die, go to Heaven, then doesn't abortion assure these babies a place in Heaven? Where as, if they were allowed to grow, live and die, certainly some of them would go to Hell?

[addict3]

Here ya go magi………..IMO…….,

I do not agree that it was in God’s plan for Adam and Eve to have eaten the ‘apple’.

God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden. God specifically told Adam not to eat from the tree of “Knowledge of Good and Evil” or he would die. Then God created woman.
Satan came into the picture in the form of a serpent and persuaded Eve to eat from the tree of “Knowledge of Good and Evil”.
Adam and Eve were banished from Eden and God placed an angel/cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the east gate to Eden so they could not have access to the “Tree of Life” which would have given them eternal physical/human life.  (Gen.)

This is an instance of what I think is “free will”, God did not take their free will from them, he just made it impossible for them to exercise it.

I believe God did write laws for humans to obey. God wrote the 10 commandments/laws in stone for Moses, and Moses said they were written ‘By the finger of God’. (Ex.)

The Bible states that Jesus was the son of God many times. The first chapters of St. John and, the first epistle of John are 2 that come to mind.

The Bible does mention life before Adam and Eve, also there is scripture regarding behemoths that walked the earth in a different age, or stage in the development of the earth, many preachers and teachers speak of this………..I must defer to someone with more knowledge, I can’t recall exactly where at this time.  

Perhaps in our finite minds, we could challenge Gods reasoning on his timeframe of bringing his son to us so that we could document it but, I wouldn’t want to be the one to challenge him on this. I do not think he objects to questions, research, or clarification if we are studying and seeking knowledge of his word.

I am with the others who stated you have to have faith….I believe he wants us to accept him by faith, not prove himself to us.
I accept the Bible as his proof………on faith.

[LateAugust]

I don't believe in religion, as it is all man made......   Catholics, Jews, Protestants, Muslim, etc etc  which one is the "right God" or the only acceptable religion?  It is really interesting of you read the history of religion that goes back thousands of years and how similar the parables are to those in the current Bible (whichever version you use).   The Bible has been interpreted  a bazillion times with  so many  different versions  or perceptions,  which is the "right" Bible?  

I was raised hell fire and brimstone,  words can't do that life experience justice unless you have lived it!!!  I believe religion minimizes God,  look at what happened in Ireland  and they were praying to the same God  and dying in the name of the same God.  

     A serial killer can go to heaven because he asks for forgiveness before they put the IV in his arm to end his life,  so he repents  and flies off to heaven,  however if you are a good and loving person, and you die in a car accident  ( hence the prior notice)  and haven't begged for forgiveness you are going straight to hell?    There was another post on a journal I think that discussed this,  and boy were the Christian arrows flying at me.  Perhaps that is why I am so anti religion now, I grew up in such a judgemental and God fearing environment, it was really rather sad.  And a life I will never return to,  but please don't discount my beliefs or Christianity.

I still think the God I believe in,  shakes his head at all the wars, the torture, deaths, and ridiculous behaviour  (and lets not forget praying for the football team to win) that humans do  all in the name of the Lord.    It's all way over my simple head.

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

Well, I have been following this post since I saw it and responded.  Refreshingly enough the views seem to fit my experience very well.  The first place I was in my NDE / OOB night at the ER was as I described a moonscape; stark, bleak, didnt want to be there. As I think about the responses I feel that the first stop could have been a place without God. A place that was totally uncomfortable. The next stop was so different from the first that it is hard to describe. A feeling of serenity and total content. A feeling that all was right with the world. A place where a person dwelt with God.  I surely dont have all the answers...... but I know what I went through. Even have the hospital bills to prove it!~

[teko]

I dont believe in religion either. I am a bought by the blood born again adopted Jew. As adamant as some are that say they do not believe. It makes me sad. I am a believer but have not always been so. Let me tell you all just one story.

Several years ago, I was diagnosed with stomach ulcers.
The x-rays and tests were taken, I was diagnosed and told I needed surgery as they were about to break thru the stomach lining. So, we set a date for surgery the following monday morning and I went and got all my pre-op testing done.
Now I had been searching for answers just like many of you here. I had question after question and I had a no it all answer for all of them. On Saturday nite I went with a dear friend to a service in our local neighborhood. I was a baptist at the time and was curious about the full gospel service, I had heard horrid things about. They were called holy rollers, everyone laughed and made fun of them.  At this service, I listened to multiple people sing, and it was beautiful. I listened to the message and at the end when they started praying over people, I went to the front.  The pastor prayed over me and I went into a dream state that I cannot describe. He prayed that I be healed in the name of Jesus and as he prayed, so did I.  I felt like I was sitting on the lap of God and I just wanted to stay there. Anyway, the following monday when I went for my surgery, the doctor took another film to find the latest of how bad and where these things were.  I will never ever forget the look on his face when he came into the room and told me he could not find them! We had the films from late the previous week, just a matter of a few day and then this film.  He was puzzled to say the least and told me that that was impossible. I told him about my experience and he looked at me stunned and said, Well, that is the only explanation cause these things dont just go away!  I have no doubt, none that God exists. None...

[outotown]

very well said, amen
Im a real hillbilly, have what I call a Good enough diploma see i cant even spell By the way good enough diploma stands for GED im uneductated, I dont have all the answers Id like to think I do but I know I dont. But I have experinced The Lord in my life and know what he has done for me. I think if I found out that all this religeon stuff was false I would still want to live my life they way I do, loving my fellow man, and doing what I can to help. OH by the way you dont need religeon for that.

[LateAugust]

I am happy for you that God chose to heal you.   I remember when I was about 14 and we had another evangelist in our church during the week  and   every single service this evangelist had the parents of a little boy  about  5 or 6  lead him to the alter in his wheelchair  so he could be healed......    the little boy never walked and this evangelist had the gall to say it was because this small child didn't have enough faith?!   It still appals me.     Nor did   God  chose to heal my 24yr old from cancer. Actually she was the most religious person in our immediate family,  other than my parents being the religious fanatics, if it is for punishment  my daughter  never smoked, never drank  never did drugs,  homecoming queen,graduated college cuma sum lade,  she was truly as close to the perfect child as you could get.  But God didn't think she was worth saving.     Our perfect baby that died in a freak accident after birth, so innocent so beautiful,  God decided she also shouldn't live.......   perhaps it is for my own sanity that I can't believe God decides whom will die and when and how.......   or who is worthy of living another day.    Losing my father, fiance, close friends  that was all secondary to burying my children.......    but for me and others,  we believe in God, however we respectfully disagree in the religion of an angry and judgemental God.