Sunday, 23 February 2014
One God, many hells?
Jewish Hell
Early Judaism seems to have had no concept of hell—just a place, Gehenna, where deceased people rested. Later, this was developed and an afterlife was introduced (see Daniel 12:2). In the later version, Gehenna became a place where souls resided temporarily and were purified before entering the “world to come”.The Jewish hell is not eternal and not a place of torture—it is a place of purification.
Christian Hell
Christianity introduced an entirely different form of hell. Hell is a punishment for those whose behaviour or beliefs does not meet God’s requirements. Strangely, for such a vital doctrine, there is much dispute among Christians as to what these requirements are (or even whether we can influence the outcome at all).Christians also argue about the nature of hell. Some say it is eternal fiery torture (Biblical references to this are easy to find); some say it is separation from god and others say it is complete annihilation. In fact, there are several other interpretations too. We should note:
1. The Bible leaves room for debate about why one goes to hell and what it is like when you arrive there.
2. Christian hell is very different from Jewish hell.
Islamic Hell
Islamic hell (jahannam) resembles Christian eternal hell but has several embellishments. Muslims can look forward to a selection of hells, with punishments graded according to your behaviour whilst on Earth. One hell is unbearably cold whilst the others are unbearably hot. One hell is specifically for hypocrites. (It is not clear what happens to people whose transgressions span several hells; perhaps they do a tour?)
Conclusion
When we compare the different hells we could ask how it is possible that a single, perfect unchanging God could have revealed such different hells, with different entry requirements, to these three religions?Maybe there is a simpler solution. Perhaps, all these religions were invented by men. Perhaps, as these religions evolved, their inventors took parts of earlier religions and developed and enhanced them. This option fits the facts perfectly, whilst the option of one God changing his mind every now and again makes no sense.
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About Me
- Nildogma
- As a 20-year-old I was insatiably curious about the world and passionate about rejecting superstitions and all kinds of false beliefs. I still am today. Sometimes when people believe things that are not true, it make little or no difference but sometimes the consequences can be disastrous and deadly. Now, I do what I can to help people improve their thinking skills, especially in how they impinge on core beliefs, such as cultural values and religious beliefs. I have an active Facebook page for which I create memes and write articles almost daily. I also engage people in on-line debates. You can find me here: https://www.facebook.com/bill.flavell.1 I lecture at universities around the world and present or debate at public meetings. I also, draw on my management consultancy background to help freethought groups, almost anywhere in the world, to get organised, develop strategy and improve their media and presentation skills. If you would like me to present at your university or for your church group or freethought group, please contact me.
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