Hell? Consider the following
A video by vdizhoor
Many people live in fear of Hell. But is Hell real? In this (my first) video, I put some commonly held conceptions about Hell to the test. Even without looking at the history of how this idea developed, I think there are enough problems within this concept itself that demonstrate that it is fictional, or at least inconsistent with the idea of a Just and Loving creator.
To those who believe its real - I hope you will gain a perspective that will put you on a path of realization that Hell is not real and that fear of it is pointless. In either case, I welcome your input.
Some points of my argument are:
1. A minor side point: Adam ate the apple (fruit of knowledge) not knowing YET good and evil. He was so dumb he didn't even know
he was naked. He was no more responsible for his choice than a child that tragically plays with a shiny blade or a live hand grenade.
Whatever consequences of his action are, be it the tough living outside of paradise or knowledge of good and evil propagating to his children - punishment by Hell (plus the one that afflicts by default his descendants ) is disproportionate.
2. Setup for the main point: The world is not divided into "A" (Believers) and "B" (Non-believers) - those who accept and those who reject. There is a HUGE other category that is often ignored. Call it "C" - those who never heard about Jesus, Adam, Hell, etc. They never had the option to believe. They are people too. And they make up most of the population that ever lived on Earth.
They are just as capable of belief as those who heard the message - otherwise why are the descendants of Mayans, now living in Mexico so heavily Christian? They were pagans before they knew about gospels. Now that they have heard - they are pagans no longer.
3. Main point - how do the people in the "C" category (ignorant about the idea Christianity) avoid Hell? There has got to be an answer to this sort of question.
If they are presented with a vision of him upon death, they have far more advantage than those who are asked to believe purely based on what they read and heard. Seeing is believing.
The past and present existence of such people, in my opinion, is the key to understanding the non-reality of Hell.
If God is Just and Loving, then Hell makes no sense. Hell is imaginary.
If you think that Hell exists, then God is simply Wrathful and Frightening. In that case, why call him Just and Loving?
Many people live in fear of Hell. But is Hell real? In this (my first) video, I put some commonly held conceptions about Hell to the test. Even without looking at the history of how this idea developed, I think there are enough problems within this concept itself that demonstrate that it is fictional, or at least inconsistent with the idea of a Just and Loving creator.
To those who believe its real - I hope you will gain a perspective that will put you on a path of realization that Hell is not real and that fear of it is pointless. In either case, I welcome your input.
Some points of my argument are:
1. A minor side point: Adam ate the apple (fruit of knowledge) not knowing YET good and evil. He was so dumb he didn't even know
he was naked. He was no more responsible for his choice than a child that tragically plays with a shiny blade or a live hand grenade.
Whatever consequences of his action are, be it the tough living outside of paradise or knowledge of good and evil propagating to his children - punishment by Hell (plus the one that afflicts by default his descendants ) is disproportionate.
2. Setup for the main point: The world is not divided into "A" (Believers) and "B" (Non-believers) - those who accept and those who reject. There is a HUGE other category that is often ignored. Call it "C" - those who never heard about Jesus, Adam, Hell, etc. They never had the option to believe. They are people too. And they make up most of the population that ever lived on Earth.
They are just as capable of belief as those who heard the message - otherwise why are the descendants of Mayans, now living in Mexico so heavily Christian? They were pagans before they knew about gospels. Now that they have heard - they are pagans no longer.
3. Main point - how do the people in the "C" category (ignorant about the idea Christianity) avoid Hell? There has got to be an answer to this sort of question.
If they are presented with a vision of him upon death, they have far more advantage than those who are asked to believe purely based on what they read and heard. Seeing is believing.
The past and present existence of such people, in my opinion, is the key to understanding the non-reality of Hell.
If God is Just and Loving, then Hell makes no sense. Hell is imaginary.
If you think that Hell exists, then God is simply Wrathful and Frightening. In that case, why call him Just and Loving?
Comments
D. The people who claim to know Jesus have a limited understanding of this painfully, made-up Deity. Oh, they think they know him through and through, but what is evident is people throughout the ages -- throughout history -- have conceived and have portrayed Jesus in so many different ways, usually to reflect it's own cultural values and agendas. People have seen him as just a rabbi or a teacher, the ideal human, or the enfleshment of the eternal logos. Monarchs relegated Jesus to the divine ruler of the universe, while the oppressed peasants related to him as a fellow suffer. Mystics have thought as Jesus as the highly erotic lover and bridegroom. In the 18Th century -- the age of enlightenment -- they saw Jesus as a simple moral teacher, while the romantic age brought in a Jesus more akin to a mystical poet. Monks saw Jesus as an unselfish, embodiment of humility. The crusaders and the conquistadors saw Jesus as a wrathful, solider who would aid in dissecting the enemy, while pacifists believe he is the prince of peace -- the lamb. We can see how Jesus is portrayed today so differently by liberal and conservative Christians and now the capitalist Christians, who acquire wealth in the name of the lord. Basically Jesus is all things to all people; meaning people put their own spin on him, a delusional human construct that mirrors their own lives. And if it is impossible to know this incarnation and you can not possibly have enough information about him or even correct information, then how could anyone make an educated decision and be absolutely positive he is their savior?
I've had these same ideas, and they are part of the reason why I became an atheist. It's like you read my mind. I thought about all of the cultures that existed before they even knew about Christianity, and all the people these days who live good lives but are just brought up in other cultures. The difference between us is that you put it into an incredible video, and I kept these thoughts in my own head. Great job. I'll look for it on YouTube and favorite it.
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