Honest questions for people who actually believe in hell

[Universalist Catholic]

People who really do believe in Hell
How can you sleep at night knowing that many souls right now are suffering intensely?
How can you worship a God who can only save a select few?
How can you possibly love God, when there is this dangling fear of Eternal Torment? 

Yet what I also wonder who truly believes in a place of unending punishment.

If people really feared hell, and did not want people to go there then why do we see such things?

If people truly believed in hell, why is it that most of the hymns ever written are all inclusive to all people, loving and in some places speaking about Hell being destroyed.  I have a large collection of Hymns, and have noticed that the hymns reflect the bible more than church doctrine.

If people really believed in hell, then why is the subject rarely preached about in most Mainstream Churches?  I know that its not a politically correct subject, but what does political correctiveness matter if a soul is doomed for all eternity if they are not warned?

If people really believed in hell, then why do so many people find torture to be absolutely sickening?  You are angered about people who torture animals, and we got organizations like SPCA to put an end to this.  Prisons can get in big trouble if they are torturing inmates.  The Catholic Catechism even speaks against Torture.  Ironic.  So how can they really be okay with a god who is supposedly going to do much worse? 

If people really believed in Hell, why do they consider Abortion to be such an autrocity?  Ive seen the pictures, and it aint pretty.  It's a pretty sick process.  But there is a popular belief that Babies go to heaven.  Despite being a gory death, it would be worth it, than have to live and possibly fall into sin. 

If people really believed in Eternal Hell, why are people so secular?  Most of the people in todays day and age care more about secular matters than the afterlife.  What are some small issues like Politics, Economics, destruction of houses, poor people, lonely people and whatnot compared to an eternity of unending suffering?

If people really believed in Eternal Hell, then why do people value freedom of Religion, let alone respect other religions?  Few people have respect for tobacco products, because of all the health problems they cause.  So how can people if they really believed in Hell respect all the world religions that will take them down to hell?

If people really believed in hell, then why are people befriending people outside their religion?  And why aren't they trying to convert their friends?  Fear of losing a friend?  But if they really cared about their friends, they would not let them blindly walk into an abusive relationship.  But what's one lost friend over your friend burning for all eternity?

If people really believed in Hell, then why do very few people go to Church on a weekly basis?  Most of the people don't go to church out of laziness and inconvenience.  Yet not too many people are going to skip work due to laziness or inconvenience.  Worse that can happen is your gonna get fired.  But what's getting fired over suffering for all eternity?  Yet they are willing to put their eternal fate on the line so they can sleep in?

If people really believed in Eternal Hell, why has our society become so tolerant of sexual immorality?  People all over the country are fighting for the rights of Gays to be able to marry.  No one seems to have a problem with Pornography.  In fact, many young people seem to think its cool.  A large number of people think that being a pimp is such an honorable thing.  It seems like Premarital sex is becoming less frowned upon.  Most people have no problem with Masturbation.  Yet the Traditionalists churches are very opposed to these activities, believing that they will lead to eternal punishment.  However most people seem absolutely cool with all those things.

If people really believed in Hell, why do so many people gamble and get drunk?  Most churches are against that.  But society has no problem with it, and people would get so angry at the mere idea of the Government trying to ban it.

If people really believed in Hell, then why are people so opposed to the Government trying to base their morals on Judeo-Christian values?  Shouldn't this be a blessing, considering that we have some political force keeping people from going to hell?  Yet people do not want the Government enforcing morality on them. 

If people truly believed in Hell, why is Hell such a politically incorrect subject?  This is a cultural thing going on, not something from the Government.  Most people hate to even hear about such an awful doctrine

If people truly believed in hell, then why do most movies and shows depicting the Supernatural would never depict someone going to Hell.  Ghost Whisperers always depicted lost souls going into the light.  But never showed any favoritism to any specific religion.  If they did, the people would go nuts. 

If people truly believed in hell, then why are schools so adamant about keeping religion out of the school systems?  Doesn't that just lead to risk of Eternal Damnation?  Yet most people don't want religion to be a part of the schools. 

If people truly believed in hell, why are so many people involved in New Age ideals?  Many people believe in Astrology, Mediums, Divination, fortune Tellers, superstitions, magic, and the Occult.  Today, most people have no problem with these practices.  But according to the Churches, could not these activities lead to Eternal Hell? 

This is some very interesting stuff going on.  Most Conservative Churches know that their traditional values are losing grounds.  In fact, there is a popular belief about that Hell is actually an Eternal Party.  Im guessing that it is because many people find the rigid morality and strict conservative lifestyle of Traditionalist Christians boring, and the things they oppose more entertaining.  So if all these things like drinking and sex exist in Hell, it cannot be too bad, sounds kind of fun.  I remember from Tom and Huck, Huck said he preferred to go to hell, at least he would be with Tom on some crazy adventure, instead of stuck in heaven with Ms. Watson playing a harp all day forever.  That sounds like Torture. 

However we have pretty well documented many people don't seem to take the doctrine of Hell seriously, judging by their lack of concern.  It seems like its becoming a doctrine "Out of site out of mind".  I can hardly blame them for rejecting such an evil doctrine. 

But are people going in the Direction that they are not worried about others eternal fate?  I wonder, if people do not fear this doctrine because they actually worship this God, and feel that they are in Good hands, and everyone else deserves what they get.  According to the Scriptures, You become like the god you worship.  But are people like the God they worship?

If people truly believed in hell, why are people so willing to send donations to Haiti, New Orleans, Pakistan, and every other country affected by natural disaster?  They did not deserve that, we need to help them.  So then how can they truly believe people deserve Eternal Punishment? 

If people truly believed in Hell, why are people so against Torture?  If someone was out torturing animals, the people would hate those people.  In jail, Child abusers get beat up and often times murdered for making a childs life hell.  Humans rights activists have done a lot of work to stop torture.  But the traditionalist god is the king of torture.  And if they don't fear this god, they love him, but very few people advocate torture as acceptable. 

If people truly believed in hell, then why are we so tolerant of other religions?  According to the Christian popular teaching, only those professing faith in the right religion can be saved.  No tolerance for other religions there.  These people did not become like a God who hates people of other religions.  However you see people who are ultra religious Hellfire types being the most hateful towards people of other religions. 

If people truly believed in hell, then why are people so accepting of Homosexuality.  The churches teach that God will send homosexuals to hell.  Most people have no problem with it, so have they worshipped a god who hates certain people enough to torment them.  Yet the Fundamentalist Churches don't want Gays to be protected from hate crimes. 

If people truly believed in hell, then why is it that many people are very unselfish towards their fellow human being?  If one person is suffering, many people will try to help alleviate the pain, no matter what religion they belong to.  But according to the churches, you are worshipping a god who is concerned only about a few people. 

If people truly believed in Hell, then why do people value liberty and freedom so much?  In Hellfire theology, your choices are follow my way or burn forever.  Yet to most people, such an idea where you have one choice or get punished is not exactly a popular concept.  But that's what the churches teach, and not too many people are becoming like a God who demands you do stuff a certain way or else. 

In typical American society, most people value tolerance, respect, individualism and freedom.  Very few people want to endorse intolerance, hate, torture, judgmentalism, strict authoritarianism, and following the crowd.  But that's how the Churches are.  In fact the only people I see who are like that are the strict Pharisee-like Christians.  Most Mainline Protestants and Catholics have fallen away from strict adherence to their churches teachings.  Many are only (Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal) in name only.  More are cafeteria Christians.  Very few follow rigid adherence to their churches doctrines.  It just so happens the Fundamentalists ones are the loudest.  But the Fundamentalist like ones are probably the most unchristlike.  Check EWTN, a Catholic Channel, and there are several preachy hellfire believers, who are some of the most bitter people it has been my dishonor to know.  Very cold and unloving.  One priest I recall, who is real Hellfire believer is very Phariseelike.  He yells at people for coming in late for mass, and when approached about Church doctrines, he tells them to suck it up, its Gods decision.  Now the pastor at the Catholic church I go to, he is pretty easy going.  He told me Reincarnation was possible.  The Mainline Churches I found can also get fairly ugly with the Fundamentalist like people.  Jehovahs Witnesses while not believing in Eternal Torment believe most of mankind will perish.  Even they seem like a loving bunch of people, but can be a bit critical of people for following other belief systems, usually for silly stuff, like not labeling their church right, not celebrating the lords supper on the right day.  A little too legalistic at times. 

Evangelical Churches seem to be the worst on this matter.  I cannot even listen to Evangelical Born again Christians speak without wanting to punch them.  They come off as extremely arrogant, like we're the special group.  They don't even preach in a loving matter.  They preach with this special "I'm better than all of you" filth.  They seem to love to get in the way of other people liberties, will not even listen to other views, and some I have found think hell is justice, so they can practice Christianity without persecution.  Talk about selfish.  Yet these Evangelicals are the most bold about their Hellfire theology, and are yet the most foul like the "god" they worship.

So I wonder how many common everyday people really believe this most foul doctrine?
Probably a small minority.  Many only out of fear.

[legoman]

You ask some good questions.  The human mind is amazing at holding onto something contradictory and fearful simply because that is what it thinks is "true".  Once your mind thinks something is "true", it takes ALOT to convince it is false.

All I can do is speak for myself, and I know that I really believed in hell for 30 years.  The only way I could do that is to not think about it for most of the time.  Most of the time I would forget about hell, and in the process forget about God, forget about everything except for my own carnal wants. 

But its funny how the idea would pop into my head.  I remember going to see Toy Story 2 (great movie for kids of all ages).  Minor spoiler alert: at one point the old miner "Stinky Pete" tells Woody that they will spend ETERNITY together in a museum FOREVER!  And I thought to myself how awful that would be, then I realized its nothing compared to an eternal hell... my heart sunk a little bit before thrusting the idea of hell out of my head again for the Nth time.

It wasn't until a few years later that I learned of universal salvation...

[Universalist Catholic]

Interestingly, some polls stated around the world only between 30-59% of people believe in Hell anymore.  Many people believe that everyone goes to heaven. 

[WhiteWings]

Interestingly, some polls stated around the world only between 30-59% of people believe in Hell anymore.

Because atheism is teh fastest growing denomination...

[thinktank]

There's a lot of different opinions on what hell actually is though. So 'do you belive in hell?' isn't an accurate question.

Garry from tentmaker belives in hell, but a temporary hell in a place called hades. If I belived in an afterlife then I too would hold this view.

[Universalist Catholic]

Garry from tentmaker belives in hell, but a temporary hell in a place called hades. If I belived in an afterlife then I too would hold this view.

Good point.  I have found also quite a rising number of people who believe that Hell is the Grave also.  Other Universalists still call temporary Judgment Hell, based on old traditions. 

[Universalist Catholic]

Interestingly, some polls stated around the world only between 30-59% of people believe in Hell anymore.

Because atheism is teh fastest growing denomination...

And dont forget Agnosticism, and Christians in name only.