What is the purpose of an everlasting punishment in hell?

[Greatest I am]

What is the purpose of an everlasting punishment in hell?

My premise is that God would not create anything that is purposeless.
If God’s everlasting hell is not serving a purpose, God would not create it since scripture says that God created all things for his pleasure and for himself.

Punishment is usually given to change ideas, attitudes and actions of a sinner. If punishment is given for any other reason, then it is being given without an altruistic purpose and would be given out of a sense of cruelty.

Is there an altruistic purpose for God creating hell?

If no good result is to be gained from everlasting punishment, is it just for God to give it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA_K5BZmQFM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF6I5VSZVqc

To ascertain if hell would be a moral construct or not, all you need do is answer these
simple questions for yourself.

1. Is it good justice for a soul to be able to sin for only 120 years and then have to suffer torture for 12000000000000000000000000 + years?

2. Is it good justice for small or mediocre sinners to have to bear the same sentence as Hitler, Stalin and other genocidal maniacs?

3. Is it good justice to continue to torture a soul in hell if no change in attitude or actions is to result?

4. If you answered yes to these questions, then would killing the soul not be a better form of justice than to torture it for no possible good result or purpose?

Is hell a moral construct or not?

Regards
DL

[bobevenson]

There is no Hell, O my brother in tribulation, and there should be no punishment here on Earth, only control against reocurrence.

[Greatest I am]

There is no Hell, O my brother in tribulation, and there should be no punishment here on Earth, only control against reocurrence.

Well said.

Regards
DL

[zexwiththeuniverse]

It is to instil fear that if you do not follow the proper ethics that you will spend eternity in hell. To me the Bible is very metaphorical. But in life people that are evil or unfortunate live in hell long before they ever pass away. In my opinion Jesus was a real person who I may choose to have faith in and worship. But as to whether things are metaphorical or not I am not sure of. I could only imagine that if you are unethical in any way that you may suffer great atrocities and torment on earth as well as in the afterlife and metaphorically both of those could be hell. Any one with a conscience could never do wrong without feeling guilt. And if you felt guilty don't you think you would always feel that way for a million years even if you were passed away. If we are speaking metaphorically anyone that is not moral and that has emotions would suffer a hell like experience on earth if they did something that was ungodly or unrighteous. There are different teachings in the different christian religions. Some believe you always go to heaven if your sorry. Don't buy that one. Some believe in purgatory. Some believe that if you commit a mortal sin you go to hell. But whether this teaching is metaphorical or non-metaphorical the concept is the same. Hopefully no one wants to or can live with being evil. I am sure Jesus wanted us to do our best and to repent if we did wrong and to try to do our best to be righteous. So if we have done something wrong we should be sorry for it and try to change and I am sure he would respect that. That is something that should naturally happen anyway.
That's what I believe.

[Greatest I am]

Not a bad philosophy but why would you use Jesus and his God for guidance?

After all, God planned and executed the conditions to have hs own son murdered, when there was absolutely no need for it.

That is insanity.

It was God's plan from the beginning to have Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit. This can be demonstrated by the fact that the bible says that Jesus "was crucified from the foundations of the Earth," that is to say, God planned to crucify Jesus as atonement for sin before he even created human beings or God damned sin.

If God had not intended humans to sin from the beginning, why did he build into the Creation this "solution" for sin? Why create a solution for a problem you do not anticipate?

God knew that the moment he said "don't eat from that tree," the die was cast. The eating was inevitable. Eve was merely following the plan.

What kind of God would plan and execute the murder of his own son when there was absolutely no need to?

Only an insane God. That’s who.

The cornerstone of Christianity is human sacrifice, thus showing it‘s immorality.

Regards
DL

[..nameless..]

What is the purpose of an everlasting punishment in hell?

The purpose of the threat of Hell is the fascist/authoritarian means of keeping the 'rednecks' behavin' properly (more or less)!

[attofishpi]

The cornerstone of Christianity is human sacrifice, thus showing it‘s immorality.

Regards
DL

You should have said 'immortality' instead of immorality.

[chaz wyman]

What is the purpose of an everlasting punishment in hell?

My premise is that God would not create anything that is purposeless.
If God’s everlasting hell is not serving a purpose, God would not create it since scripture says that God created all things for his pleasure and for himself.

Punishment is usually given to change ideas, attitudes and actions of a sinner. If punishment is given for any other reason, then it is being given without an altruistic purpose and would be given out of a sense of cruelty.

Is there an altruistic purpose for God creating hell?

If no good result is to be gained from everlasting punishment, is it just for God to give it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA_K5BZmQFM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF6I5VSZVqc

To ascertain if hell would be a moral construct or not, all you need do is answer these
simple questions for yourself.

1. Is it good justice for a soul to be able to sin for only 120 years and then have to suffer torture for 12000000000000000000000000 + years?

2. Is it good justice for small or mediocre sinners to have to bear the same sentence as Hitler, Stalin and other genocidal maniacs?

3. Is it good justice to continue to torture a soul in hell if no change in attitude or actions is to result?

4. If you answered yes to these questions, then would killing the soul not be a better form of justice than to torture it for no possible good result or purpose?

Is hell a moral construct or not?

Regards
DL

You have misconceived Hell. The phrase in the Bible is burn in "everlasting fire", NOT burn everlastingly in fire. It's the fire that goes on forever , not the suffering. Once you are burned you are ashes. the fire continues because new 'souls' feed the fire everyday.

[bobevenson]

In case you haven't figured it out yet, there is no heaven or hell, or maybe you're mentally still living in the Stone Age.

[Greatest I am]

What is the purpose of an everlasting punishment in hell?

The purpose of the threat of Hell is the fascist/authoritarian means of keeping the 'rednecks' behavin' properly (more or less)!

Yes. Quite human to use the carrot and stick mentality.
You would think that a God could do better than humans.

Then again, we did create him in our image.

Regards
DL

[Greatest I am]

[q
You have misconceived Hell. The phrase in the Bible is burn in "everlasting fire", NOT burn everlastingly in fire. It's the fire that goes on forever , not the suffering. Once you are burned you are ashes. the fire continues because new 'souls' feeed the fire everyday.

Yep. We are just firewood to God.

Regards
DL

[Greatest I am]

In case you haven't figured it out yet, there is no heaven or hell, or maybe you're mentally still living in the Stone Age.

Such definitive statements is what makes non-believers sound as inexact as believers.
I do not disagree but recognize that those like us who do not believe in a hell cannot prove its non-existence and our language should be above that of believers with their un-provable definitive statements.

Regards
DL

[chaz wyman]

In case you haven't figured it out yet, there is no heaven or hell, or maybe you're mentally still living in the Stone Age.

I'm not saying there is.
Maybe you should get some READING skills?

[chaz wyman]

[q
You have misconceived Hell. The phrase in the Bible is burn in "everlasting fire", NOT burn everlastingly in fire. It's the fire that goes on forever , not the suffering. Once you are burned you are ashes. the fire continues because new 'souls' feeed the fire everyday.

Yep. We are just firewood to God.

Regards
DL

No, that is not what I am saying. I am just stating what it says in the Bible. God has nothing to do with it.

[Greatest I am]

[q
You have misconceived Hell. The phrase in the Bible is burn in "everlasting fire", NOT burn everlastingly in fire. It's the fire that goes on forever , not the suffering. Once you are burned you are ashes. the fire continues because new 'souls' feeed the fire everyday.

Yep. We are just firewood to God.

Regards
DL

No, that is not what I am saying. I am just stating what it says in the Bible. God has nothing to do with it.

You are right. God has nothing to do with the bible.
No sane God would.

Regards
DL