Sunday, June 1, 2014

Hell Is For Dummies

People (and most churches) don't really like to talk about hell very much.  After all...how could a loving God actually send people to hell to experience torment for eternity?  Well that is not the way it works.  Just to be clear - God does not send anyone to hell.  People go to hell by choice.  You have been warned.

Deuteronomy 30:19   I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.   

15 comments:

Steve said...

I'm still trying to get my head around that part in the bible that proclaims that if my neighbor works on the Sabbath, I am supposed to stone him to death.

So, if my neighbor worked on the Sabbath (which he did this weekend), is it incumbent upon me that I go out and stone him to death? Yet if I kill him, how am I going to get to heaven – you know, the whole 10 Commandments thing kinda gets in the way there. Do I get a free pass to heaven and the Lord will just sort of "overlook" the killing because I was doing the Lord's work? Or is this a Catch 22 type of situation?

Let me know if I should proceed with the killing. I can get to him tonight pretty easily, but tomorrow may be a little more of a problem.

Thanks for the help!

Margery Billd said...

LOL about Steve's post. That's a good one. I think Steve is not my son Steve though because I think my son might practice Buddhist meditation. Anyway I was talking with a female tonight about her relationship and I think by our choices we can make our own heaven or hell right here on earth.

ken t said...

it's getting very hot under that texass sun..............

Larry G said...

makes me wonder about Muslims - a billion of them on the planet?

do they get similar "guidance" in the Koran about Hell?

they have lots of guidance about stoning people to death also...

sure is a confusing world when it comes to Religion.

Margery Billd said...

Gee Larry, I did not know that about the Muslims guidance. But I read the Koran years ago (forgot it). One of my sons (Stveve) worked with the Muslims in Cuba when he was in the Navy.

Unknown said...

Hell is simply the dark side of a persons mind 1

Russ Smith said...

Good job John. Keep swinging.

Russ Smith said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Larry G said...

are the Muslims headed for hell for reading the wrong "guidance" from God?

How about the Buddhists?

other religions ?

bad/wrong guidance ???

do they have similar passages as the Bible does on being 'saved'?

since we are bound and determined to hear lectures about it.. then let's do chew on it a bit.



Russ Smith said...

Steve, No, you can not kill him yourself. He must be taken before the Bet Din (Rabbinic court) to determine whether or not he has violated the Sabbath. The Bet Din will then determine whether the death penalty is warranted. Note also that if your neighbor is not Jewish then he does not fall under the Law of Moses and is not required to keep Sabbath.

Steve said...

@Russ Smith: where can I get in touch with the Bet Din? My neighbor was clearly working on the Sabbath, and this isn't the first time, either. Just about every Sabbath he's working. He's definitely a habitual offender with regards to toiling on the holy days.

When the Bet Din finds this guy guilty, which I'm sure they will, am I supposed to be part of the posse that stones him to death?

Any guidance you can give would be much appreciated.

edlfrey said...

Steve,
Don't pay any attention to that Bet Din stuff. If you believe your neighbor deserves to be stoned because he has been working on the Sabbath then I say Go For It.

Greg said...

I have found this to be an interesting passage from the Bible:

1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

If you truly seek wisdom and knowledge of spiritual things, then read the entire Bible and its claims, along with the writings of any other religions that may be of interest and then judge them according to the truth or lack thereof of their claims.

Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be God. Either he is or he is not. Examine the evidence and judge for yourself.

Ryan said...

Greg said: "Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be God."

No, he didn't. Other people claimed he was God after his death.

Jesus said he was the "Son of God," which is a metaphor, for Jesus often spoke in metaphors and parables to explain large ideas.

It is up to you to understand what "son of God" means. Translated literally, it leads nowhere but superstition.

BTW- we are all metaphorical sons and daughters of God, but most of us fail to recognize our own divinity. Jesus is an excellent example of how we, as children of God, are to live.

The ideas of Heaven and Hell, too, are metaphors for much larger ideas, but when people start translating this stuff literally they are limiting their understanding to small minded ideas.

Thoughts?

pamit said...

I like what Ryan said. I've studied three religions, and finally decided Buddhism had the most to offer. We are all God, you see. Jesus' metaphor was apt indeed.