Well, another facet to this is to what degree it is punishment. I've heard descriptions of hell that are all over the map:
In A Clockwork Orange, a priest describes hell as "a pit of endless and unendurable suffering."
In The Inferno, hell is described at length in much the same way.
I've never actually read a biblical account of hell. Where would one look?
Many describe hell as simply an eternity without "God's grace". Would that be so awful for someone who rejects God to begin with?
I kind of want to take a metaphorical view on this. I tend to see the ideas of heaven and hell as a strange and often hyper-extended metaphor for dying fulfilled or dying cold and empty. Once you're dead, there's no going back and changing how you felt spiritually when you were alive, because you're dead. In that sense, it's eternal. It won't change. Does that mean that you "go" someplace and are tortured or given euphoria? I don't know if I can really see that.
On the other hand, if you consider that religion might have been made up by people as a control mechanism, it's entirely obvious why hell is eternal. It's meant to scare the bejesus out of would-be sinners and dissenters so as to make them clamour for salvation. I mean, an eternity of torture is scary as... well as hell. I can't think of anything scarier. So if you wanted to scare people, and had been given "poetic license" to invent any sort of supernatural thing you wanted, wouldn't the concept of an eternity of torture be a pretty effective tool to invent?
It's a hard question, and I honestly don't have an extremely great answer off the top of my head. I did do a little googling to get my gears going, and I came across this one person's view,
"I think that’s a valid explanation for why hell is eternal, but it’s somewhat long and hard to understand. The real reason that hell is eternal is because the Bible says it is. But what’s a good way to explain that to people who don’t care about the Bible?
It’s no surprise that people ask this question. It’s our fallen human nature to ask. I can’t imagine that a very high percentage of the criminals sitting on death row think they deserve the death penalty. I can’t imagine very many speeders in traffic court agree with the fine they’ve been given.
God, being just, is obligated to punish guilty sinners for breaking His law. Is it really any surprise that those guilty lawbreakers don’t like the punishment that’s been promised to them?
I think the best way to answer the question is to remind the person of their guilt, and that it’s their nature to whine and complain about it. The guilty don’t determine their fair sentence; the Judge determines the sentence. It is only ours to take our punishment or run to the Savior."
I agree for the most part with this guy. I'm not entirely sure if the Bible says why it must be eternal, but it definitely says it must be. Salvation is eternal, it seems like the opposite makes sense.
I firmly believe that man has little conception of how offensive sin is too God - how repulsed God is by sin. If we were aware of this, we'd strive much more to not do so.
Since mankind has some aspects of God's nature, due to us being created in his image, I think comparing Human nature to God's nature is acceptable to a degree. Let's look at how we punish offenses.
- If I killed a fly that was buzzing around the room, you'd probably thank me. - If I killed a lizard running around, some people would find this cruel. - If I killed a rabbit for no necessary reason, a larger group would find this to be cruel. - If I killed a dog or cat for no reason, the majority of people would think I should be punished. - If I killed a homeless man for no reason, I would be punished more. - If I killed a mother for no reason, I would most likely be punished even more. - If I killed the President of the United States, I would most likely be punished even more (life-sentence or death penalty).
We have eternally offended THE highest power. The King of kings and Lord of lords. It would be unjust, for God in his Holiness, to allow the scum of the earth, mankind, to even experience eternal bliss. God created man, man spat in God's face and said "No, I'm God!" Man deserved no more than to suffer eternity without God.
God cannot bear to look at us, however, He loves us. Despite man's repulsive short-comings, God allowed an escape from our judgment.
Well, another facet to this is to what degree it is punishment. I've heard descriptions of hell that are all over the map:
ReplyDeleteIn A Clockwork Orange, a priest describes hell as "a pit of endless and unendurable suffering."
In The Inferno, hell is described at length in much the same way.
I've never actually read a biblical account of hell. Where would one look?
Many describe hell as simply an eternity without "God's grace". Would that be so awful for someone who rejects God to begin with?
I kind of want to take a metaphorical view on this. I tend to see the ideas of heaven and hell as a strange and often hyper-extended metaphor for dying fulfilled or dying cold and empty. Once you're dead, there's no going back and changing how you felt spiritually when you were alive, because you're dead. In that sense, it's eternal. It won't change. Does that mean that you "go" someplace and are tortured or given euphoria? I don't know if I can really see that.
On the other hand, if you consider that religion might have been made up by people as a control mechanism, it's entirely obvious why hell is eternal. It's meant to scare the bejesus out of would-be sinners and dissenters so as to make them clamour for salvation. I mean, an eternity of torture is scary as... well as hell. I can't think of anything scarier. So if you wanted to scare people, and had been given "poetic license" to invent any sort of supernatural thing you wanted, wouldn't the concept of an eternity of torture be a pretty effective tool to invent?
It's a hard question, and I honestly don't have an extremely great answer off the top of my head. I did do a little googling to get my gears going, and I came across this one person's view,
ReplyDelete"I think that’s a valid explanation for why hell is eternal, but it’s somewhat long and hard to understand. The real reason that hell is eternal is because the Bible says it is. But what’s a good way to explain that to people who don’t care about the Bible?
It’s no surprise that people ask this question. It’s our fallen human nature to ask. I can’t imagine that a very high percentage of the criminals sitting on death row think they deserve the death penalty. I can’t imagine very many speeders in traffic court agree with the fine they’ve been given.
God, being just, is obligated to punish guilty sinners for breaking His law. Is it really any surprise that those guilty lawbreakers don’t like the punishment that’s been promised to them?
I think the best way to answer the question is to remind the person of their guilt, and that it’s their nature to whine and complain about it. The guilty don’t determine their fair sentence; the Judge determines the sentence. It is only ours to take our punishment or run to the Savior."
- http://defendingcontending.com/2009/03/10/why-is-hell-eternal/
I agree for the most part with this guy.
I'm not entirely sure if the Bible says why it must be eternal, but it definitely says it must be. Salvation is eternal, it seems like the opposite makes sense.
I'll have to think more on this.
Word! It's an incentive to put very careful consideration into the way you pass your earthly existence. Why else, right?
ReplyDeleteI firmly believe that man has little conception of how offensive sin is too God - how repulsed God is by sin. If we were aware of this, we'd strive much more to not do so.
ReplyDeleteSince mankind has some aspects of God's nature, due to us being created in his image, I think comparing Human nature to God's nature is acceptable to a degree. Let's look at how we punish offenses.
- If I killed a fly that was buzzing around the room, you'd probably thank me.
- If I killed a lizard running around, some people would find this cruel.
- If I killed a rabbit for no necessary reason, a larger group would find this to be cruel.
- If I killed a dog or cat for no reason, the majority of people would think I should be punished.
- If I killed a homeless man for no reason, I would be punished more.
- If I killed a mother for no reason, I would most likely be punished even more.
- If I killed the President of the United States, I would most likely be punished even more (life-sentence or death penalty).
We have eternally offended THE highest power. The King of kings and Lord of lords. It would be unjust, for God in his Holiness, to allow the scum of the earth, mankind, to even experience eternal bliss. God created man, man spat in God's face and said "No, I'm God!" Man deserved no more than to suffer eternity without God.
God cannot bear to look at us, however, He loves us. Despite man's repulsive short-comings, God allowed an escape from our judgment.
But that's for a soon-to-come post!
I realize the concept of Hell is a really touchy subject for everyone.
ReplyDeleteBut ignoring the concept of Hell is ignoring what the term "saved" actually means.
If Hell didn't exist, there was nothing Christ "saved" us from. Keep that in mind.
Yeah. Touchy is right. Eternal torture is a terrible thing to think about.
ReplyDelete