I've long had an interest in why people believe in hell. By hell, I mean a place of torment post-death, that is eternal. My friend posted a link to his Facebook account this morning about this very issue so it's fresh on my mind.
The link lead to an article where a pastor basically said, and I am paraphrasing, "Hell tears me up, but I have to believe it because the Bible says so."
To be honest, I was touched by the torment that the pastor clearly faced.
My perception prior to reading this article was basically that if people could truly grasp the two components of Hell - torture and eternity - that they would have to adjust their beliefs about Hell because most people are not callous. They don't want to see people tortured, or imagine that others could be tortured forever in some Supernatural post-mortem existence. But it was a cognitive inability to grasp what hell would be like that lies at the heart of these beliefs - I thought.
I still think this lack of grasping an eternal torment plays a role, as well as just the human ability to totally avoid thinking about things they'd rather ignore (both I wish I had!). But, it seemed clear that this pastor was grasping the horrors of eternal torment, but concluding that he must believe, because the Bible is the literal truth and teaches that there is a hell (though this is debatable apparently, according to some language and religious scholars).
Is it really that simple? Readers, if you hold this belief, why do you believe in hell? As someone deeply interested in this issue, I welcome your comments and feedback about this topic.
I also welcome feedback from people who do not believe in an eternal hell, particularly if you are a Christian who believes in a positive afterlife.
And lastly, just to throw this out there, if the belief is that God doesn't "send" anyone into hell, but that people go there out of free will, then why must this free will end when one dies? Why would God, theoretically if this is the argument, stop giving people free will at this point? And if God doesn't, why can't they leave Hell, even if they are in Hell?
I realize to some readers this might seem sort of silly for a psychlogy post. But, I think the psychology behind these beliefs is fascinating (even if I don't personally think hell is real).
Thanks in advance for your replies, and just to guilt you into replying, do you want me to look silly with one or two comments after openly, and shamelessly requesting comments? What! You do?
Come on!
