Jesus can no longer hurt me (mentally)

Jesus mentioned hell. https://www.goodfight.org/articles/commentaries-teachings/rob-bell-populating-hell/

 

Call somebody who cares.

 

Did he, really? Where?

I'll raise a point I made in another thread regarding a problem that those of us who speak English have with the Bibles we read - language. As I mentioned here, and surely you are aware...

http://www.politicalforum.com/index...ing-nailed-to-a-cross.587385/#post-1072599671

...the Bibles we read have undergone numerous translations from the original texts, from Hebrew and Greek to Latin to English, and it has been noted particularly in Jerome's sloppy translation of the Bible that numerous errors, misinterpretations, liberties, etc., have creeped into the text over the centuries. Of course, as anyone who speaks more than one language can tell you, this is understandable, if not to be expected. This is covered in the series where I posted but one chapter but I'll post all the links here for convenience:

Hell – Part 1: A “Biblical” Staple The Bible Never Actually Mentions
http://www.brazenchurch.com/hell-in-the-bible/

Hell – Part 2: Why The Lake of Fire, Lazarus & Gnashing Teeth Can’t Conjure Up Eternal Torment
http://www.brazenchurch.com/hell-2-lake-of-fire-lazarus-gnashing-eternal-torment/

How & When The Idea of Eternal Torment Invaded Church Doctrine
https://medium.com/@BrazenChurch/ho...-torment-invaded-church-doctrine-7610e6b70815

But let's take a closer look at this issue :

The Greek Words Aiõn and Aiõnios
https://www.concordant.org/expositions/the-eons/greek-words-aion-aionios/

As if the interpretation of language by the translators didn't complicate matters enough, the interpretation of the reader complicates them further. Consistent with that there is the issue of the modern reader's perspective and whether it corresponds to the meaning of the original in its own specific context (time and place, etc.,). This consideration is particularly important in relation to Jesus frequent use of parables where he frequently employed symbols that may not be readily evident to a modern audience.

To conclude this post, I have my own personal beliefs and everyone else has theirs - I'm not here to tell anyone what to believe. However, I do think it's important for people, particularly those who interpret the words in the Bible more literally than I do, to be keenly aware of the lingual and semantic minefields their English language Bibles are standing in. As others have also pointed out, to get a true understanding of the text you have to read not only the text but the history surrounding the text and the history of the text itself. Tangential to this, when we get into matters concerning doctrine, we have to be conscious of the fact that things that aren't in the Bible can enter doctrine. Certainly, this would explain why Medieval and Early Modern reformers from Wycliffe to Luther thought it was important to bring Christianity back to its source - Scripture - and away from the accumulation of Catholic doctrine that they believed was inconsistent with Jesus' teachings, message and mission.

 

Jesus mentioned hell in the verses where he talked about the narrow road and the broad road, like Matthew 7:13-14 and Luke 13:22-24 https://www.goodfight.org/articles/commentaries-teachings/rob-bell-populating-hell/

 

I see destruction but not Hell.

 

Hell is eternal separation from God.

 

even if there was a God, he would be more like this one

http://www.tfd.com/deists

de·ism (dzm, d-)
n.
The belief, based solely on reason, in a God who created the universe and then abandoned it, assuming no control over life, exerting no influence on natural phenomena, and giving no supernatural revelation.

 

A lot of times people don't pray properly. God wants us to pray humbly and not name it and claim it. https://reasonsforjesus.com/does-unanswered-prayer-disprove-god/

 

That concept/interpretation I can accept. What I cannot accept is the God of Augustine and Tertullian, and I contend that their God is not the God of Jesus nor my God. My God is a God of Life and Love and Beauty and Liberty and Mercy and Forgiveness, not a god - or some monster we created - that is antithetical to all those things. The god of Augustine and Tertullian is not God at all, he is Satan - he is cruel, hateful, vicious, unforgiving and deceitful. This is not the God that could give the Lamb to Mankind.

To the scripture you cited, it is obvious that those who hate knowledge cannot find it.

 

Don't worry, afterlife will some sometimes

 

So the FACT that your IMAGINARY deity NEVER answers any prayers would indicate that his believers are already SEPARATED from him/her/it.

Now comes the fun part.

According to theists your IMAGINARY deity "created" EVERYTHING which would INCLUDE any SEPARATION. So anyone "separated" is still CONNECTED via his "separation creation". And since he "created" your "eternal" soul that means that part of he/she/it is STILL with you and will ALWAYS be with you which means that your soul will ALWAYS be a part of he/she/it's "creation" and/or "separation.

IOW's according to the "creation" superstition it is IMPOSSIBLE for there to be any "separation".

 

Everyone on earth experiences some form of God's presence. https://www.gotquestions.org/rain-just-unjust.html

 

https://carm.org/about-the-bible/what-are-the-verses-that-mention-hell-in-the-new-testament/

 

They say the same thing about your religion.

 

When people do something wrong there are consequences, with even the most fair judge.

 

If I am incorrect.... my apologies in advance.....
but since 1990 I've had my understanding of the Christian and Jewish scriptures radically transformed by
near death experience accounts.

For example..... based on Ezekiel chapter thirty seven, Revelations chapter twenty, Romans chapters nine, ten and eleven I have concluded the the following is the long term plans of Messiah Yeshua Jesus for all humanity...........


https://near-death.com/christian-andreason-nde/

I admit that I could be wrong but......
I believe that the plan for eventual universal salvation may well have been the ideas discussed by Paul in
2 Corinthians chapter twelve verses two to four......
the Paul at the time he wrote Corinthians felt was unlawful to elaborate on but......
but by the time he wrote Romans nine, ten and eleven.......
he had progressed to where he could clarify this idea.

 

Well Saint Paisius, who is considered the greatest Orthodox Saint in the past 50 plus years, (and there have been many great ones), said to the person who told him he was an atheist: "Good, at least you're not a hypocrite". The point is that no one should judge another.

Besides that many devout people are fundamentalists, and they cannot understand faiths outside of their own upbringing and traditions. Fundamentalism is considered spiritual immaturity. Frankly they always irked me, because even though I was baptized Orthodox, I started my spiritual journey with Evangelical books, and then progressed to Catholic Saints. Eventually books on Orthodox Saints began appearing (I like biographies), and yet I'll always be grateful for the growth the other denominations had given me.

It is wrong though is to have a spirit of rebellion towards God just because some people irk you. They mean well.

 

They do? Who are "They?" No, we go through a process to enter into the Temple. No one enters because a bishop allowed a sinner to enter. If someone enters without repenting then that's on them.

 

Go back and read your own post to see who they is. You said Muslims don't consider their places of worship sacred. So "they" is Muslims.

 

I'm born into an atheist family, and I don't believe in Jesus or God, so I never had to live with that constant threat of hell.

I'm often skeptical about criticism about religion, but I think you're touching a very important point.

Threatening constantly people is damaging. I have observed that children or even dog that constantly feared their educator tend to be unreliable, and to have discussed with many believers (not that often christian), that's probably the thing that annoyed me the most.
I was always amuzed by John Chick comics how as much "if you don't follow exaclty the same path I do, you will be tortured for eternity".

And it's quite sad, because the word for "gospel" in latin (and latin languages) is "evangelium" which come grom greek "euagellion" : the "good news". In the tough conditions many people were living during the roman empire, there was probably something more optimistic in what brought christianity in that time.

I'm glad you could escape from that, isn't the world more beautifull without the constant threat of hell ?

 

Sounds like some regret there .. Take heart - "If you see Buddha on the side of the road .. kill him !"

Remember this however - following Jesus does not have to mean following Christianity .. There is really only one rule . Matt 7:12.

This is all you need to know.

 

And yet, government does it.

Why would people assume a God that exists would never do anything bad to people, when government -- a democratically elected government implementing policies most of the public agrees with -- does those same type of things, and a lot more of it?

It seems to me like there's some double standards and a disconnect here.

If there's any truth to the saying "with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you", then most people in society are going to be in danger of afterlife punishment.

Maybe people are just totally naive and ignorant and don't realize all the laws that exist.

 

The difference with government is that the rules are clearly established and you know how many you risk it.

With hell, you're threatened constantly of it, you're not muslim ? You're going to hell. Not christian ? Going to hell.

 

But not necessarily ETERNAL damnation. There's a very, very strong case to be made for Biblical universalism. The resources that @Talon provided, especially regarding the Greek Aion, are pretty strong.

 

That's a popular modern interpretation, but I can't find any such thing as eternal separation from God anywhere in the Bible. In fact, the Bible seems to indicate that there is no such thing.

1 Corinthians 15:24-28
Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.