tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29179803.post277721477601708737..comments2024-03-28T20:47:47.445-04:00Comments on Serene Musings: The History of HellScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535260741343975445noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29179803.post-37895771905229056442010-06-01T14:29:09.259-04:002010-06-01T14:29:09.259-04:00You make a number of excellent points to show ther...You make a number of excellent points to show there is no way the God of Jesus would ever torture people, not for a moment, much less for eternity.<br /><br />I've actually written an entire book on this topic--Hell? No! Why You Can Be Certain There's No Such Place As Hell, (for anyone interested, you can get a free ecopy of Did Jesus Believe in Hell?, one of the most compelling chapters in my book at www.thereisnohell.com), but if I may, I'd just like to add one more point from my book to the many good ones you've posted here--that there's substantial evidence contained in the gospels to show that Jesus opposed the idea of Hell.<br /><br />For example, in Luke 9:51-56, is a story about his great disappointment with his disciples when they actually suggested imploring God to rain FIRE on a village just because they had rejected him. His response: "You don't know what spirit is inspiring this kind of talk!" Presumably, it was NOT the Holy Spirit. He went on, trying to explain how he had come to save, heal and relieve suffering, not be the CAUSE of it.<br /><br />So it only stands to reason that this same Jesus, who was appalled at the very idea of burning a few people, for a few horrific minutes until they were dead, could never, ever burn BILLIONS of people for an ETERNITY!Rick Lannoyehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15771612313060169125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29179803.post-64384207215506694062010-05-29T09:46:45.561-04:002010-05-29T09:46:45.561-04:00Actually, there is an understanding of hell in the...Actually, there is an understanding of hell in the Hebrew Scriptures. Exile. Wandering, distant, homeless. As "hell" became God's punishment in the Greek, "exile" represented the same idea for Israel.<br /><br />As far as where I'm at with hell today, I set it up as a parallel with heaven. Whereas I define heaven as absolute union with God, hell is absolute absence of God, and I believe that whereas death is perhaps our most perfect union with God, in life we wander somewhere inbtwn these two poles of absence or union. Life can literally be a "living hell;" just as we can experience moments of heaven.<br /><br />But as far as "places" ... that would contradict the ideal of eternity, where nothing is fixed in place.the Rev'd C. Allen Colwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03098190339515571961noreply@blogger.com