hell in the Old Testament

[anti_nietzsche]

I have read recently that Gehenna, the term that is used for hell in the New Testament, refers to a garbage dump outside of Jerusalem. In ancient times people sacrificed humans to the "deity" Moloch there. I suppose Jesus uses Gehenna to tell us where we are going if we don't love each other and seek God for help - we end up in a religion that sacrifices humans, either by saying we don't need to be righteous, we don't need to love humans, or by saying, our God will burn humans alive. Either way we sacrifice God's offspring. So what we learn from this is that Jesus stands for everything that is not Gehenna ... that in Christ we can love and find our fulfillment, and that there is hope not just for believers but also for others, although these others are always invited to the faith in Christ too. When Jesus destroys Gehenna, He is surely the God of love who first helps His offspring out of Gehenna. And Jesus also stands for a God who is not only loving Israel, but also the others. Israel was killed by its exclusivism. Only we righteous are beloved, and not the beggars and prostitutes, they believed. But in Christ we have a Messiah that offers Himself to everyone, forgiving even His murderers. No more Gehenna threats. When Jesus accepted the Cross, He went into Gehenna. He went preaching neighborly love ... and Jesus was innocent, which means that Jesus Himself has neighborly love for us. Imagine that ... God sees Himself as our neighbor and that He also has to suffice righteousness. And when they brought the adulteress to her, who according to Moses deserved death, He forgave her and made repentance something secondary. First there needed to be and end to condemnation, only afterwards can be build true righteousness. So we live in a difficult world, it has been saved, but it doesn't want to believe in it wholly. So we have been sent on a mission, to proclaim Jesus' love for everyone. And if God in this love has to give the Hitlers and Osamas and Fred Phelpses a beating for their sins, so be it. God is not Moloch who would sacrifice a human to burning flames. The OT says this has never crossed God's mind. Aionion Kolasis, enduring punishment. I think this could refer to some people loosing their free will after death, something precious which is worth much, but if the Hitlers cannot treat freedom responsibly, they need to give it away to God. They are too crooked, they must be separated from their freedom and not given power again. I think this is what eternal punishment is about ... not an agony in a valley dedicated to a God of cruelity and human sacrifice.

[ded2daworld]

Hi Anti -
Welcome back.
You've come a long way from some of your past posts. Good.
There were a few spots that maybe need smoothing over but after re-reading,
I then realized you simply had trouble putting into comprehensible words what you believe.
We all have that problem. The more you write, the easier it will become to get others to understand
what you want to say.
Great writers convey their thoughts so well that others immediately "get" what they are saying.
I believe you and I need to work on our ability to express our thoughts succinctly to make our posts
more readable and understandable. Keep at it -
I use this forum to hone my writing skills and help clarify my jumbled thoughts as much as anything else. :Peace2:

[Rich]

Hi, I like your name Anti.  What a dark place to be a follower of nietzsche.  Ded2daworld, what you share with Anti-Neitzsche is true of me as well.  Having reread my posts from last night and in PMs, saw they are lacking.  You offer good advice to me as well, and I will work on my communication skills via written word.

Thanks.

Rich