Questions tagged [hell]
a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife
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Did the early church believe that the damned would be eternally punished in a literal hell of fire?
I recently asked a question on the hermeneutics site with the intention of letting people share their exegetical takes on the words of Jesus found in Mark 9:47-49, where he said:
47 And if your eye ...
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If one abandons his faith in Catholicism and becomes an Atheist, could he still go to heaven?
If one has been raised a Catholic for all their life, and have just never found meaning in it, and then plans on becoming an Atheist after a difficult conversation with their parents.
I would like to ...
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Does Malachi 4:1 and Jude 7 prove that hell is temporary? [closed]
Does Malachi 4:1 and Jude 7 prove that hell is temporary?
I'm studying the bible and I found a few verses that seem to challenge the idea of an eternal hell forever and ever. Even though the bible ...
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Is it morally commendable to volunteer your own life to go to Hell in place of someone else? [closed]
Theoretically speaking, let's say that you die and go to Heaven. God introduces you to Samantha who did not believe when she was on Earth, so by the declaration of God, she is going to Hell. God gives ...
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How to reconcile both Outer Darkness and Unquenchable Fire as descriptions of Hell
From the book "4 Views On Hell", edited by William Crocket (there is a second edition edited by Preston Sprinkle) I understand that until around the 16th century the traditional, orthodox ...
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As a young Jew what would Jesus have been taught about heaven and hell?
I understand the Jewish concept of heaven and hell is different from what I was taught as a conservative protestant. I am curious as to the teaching Jesus would have received from rabbis of his time. ...
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Is there no Heaven, Hell, or Satan in the Old Testament?
In the book Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, the author claims that Heaven and Hell are concepts not mentioned in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.
From Sapiens:
Belief in heaven (the realm of ...
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Do non-Christians go to hell?
What is the official stance of various Christian denominations on whether or not non-believers go to hell? How do denominations which preach that they do, reconcile the damnation of people who grow ...
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Where are heaven and hell located? [closed]
According to Christianity, where are heaven and hell located?
It used to be believed (and is generally depicted) that hell was below ground and heaven is above the clouds (as in you assend to heaven ...
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How to appropriately reply to "You're going to hell"? [closed]
According to global Christianity, what is the most Christlike way to respond to someone who randomly walks up to you and says, "You're going to hell"?
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Contradiction between God's mercy being greater than ours and Jesus' harsh words about who will end up in hell
We believe that God is supremely good and merciful, far more than we are. At the same time, I see in myself that I would not condemn anyone to hell, even villains like Hitler and Stalin. Perhaps I’d ...
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According to Catholicism, it it possible for Satan and/or his satellites to roam the earth, while still being in hell?
According to Catholicism can Satan and his satellites, roam the earth for the destruction of souls, while still being in hell?
Do demons on earth 🌎 take their own form of hell with them or does God ...
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Did Christ open the Door of Hell after he preached the Gospel in the realm of the dead?
CCC635 Christ went down into the depths of death so that "the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live". Jesus, "the Author of life", by dying destroyed "him who has ...
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Is it to say: "We can have reasonable hope that all will be saved" heretical? [duplicate]
Unfortunately, we can hear some lay Catholics (sometimes even a bishop) say that: "We can have reasonable hope that all will be saved". It seems obvious that the statement is untrue, however, is it a ...
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Where did people who lived in Jesus's time go to when they died?
This sounds weird but when Jesus existed between approx. 6-3 BCE to 33 CE in Judea as a man (still retained His God nature) how were people living in this exact time frame judged after they died?
...
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Did Jesus's rational soul or His spirit descend into hell?
Jesus said on the Cross: "Father into your hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46).
The Apostles' Creed says: "Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. And then Jesus ...
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What Bible principles and scriptures apply to a situation where self-defense results in the death of the attacker?
Related but not answered:
When do we as Christians draw the line on self-defense?
Context:
South Africa has a rather high rate of crime, far, far, far higher than America, Canada, or Europe. Please ...
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Is Hell, the Lake of Fire & the Bottomless Pit all the same place? [closed]
For what reason is there for a new prison of the damned if there already is one in Sheol?
Is it possible they all speak of the same place, just having multiple names for different points in scripture?...
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What's the basis for saying Jesus went to hell? [duplicate]
What Bible verses proves that Jesus went to hell for 3 days? I hear it a lot but don't really see it in scripture. Can someone provide scriptures and elaborate?
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What is the modern origin of the phrase "hell is the absence of God"?
I'm familiar with debates about the theological implications of the statement "Hell is the absence of God" (see here for instance), but I have not been able to find a source for the phrase nor in what ...
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Do Seventh Day Adventists believe people who attend church on Sunday will go to hell?
My children attend a Seventh Day Adventist school. One teacher often mentions that 'people who go to church on Sunday will go to hell'. Is this consistent with Seventh Day Adventist belief?
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According to universalists, why should we obey God?
If universal reconciliation is true- so that everybody will eventually come to know God because of his son Yeshua, and therefore nobody will have their flesh burned forever and ever- why should we ...
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What is the biblical basis for the Eastern Orthodox concept of Aerial toll houses?
I heard about the Eastern Orthodox 'Toll Booth' concept a few days ago. It goes something like this:
After death you go through 20 toll booths manned by demons who ask specific questions about your ...
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What is the Catholic interpretation of John 12:32?
According to John 12:32 (NRSV):
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoplea to myself.”
aJohn 12:32 Other ancient authorities read all things
Yeshua seems to be saying- without ...
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According to Calvin, how can God be loving if he created people to go to hell?
I struggle with John Calvin writing that God created people to go to the lake of fire (Institues, Volume 3, Chapter 21, Section 5). How could a loving, merciful, and gracious God create people so that ...
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What was Pelagius' view of Hell?
It is probably impossible to determine what his view was for certain, but what evidence is there that he believed eternal conscious torment, annihilationism, or universalism?
Evidence ranging from ...
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Where did Augustine say that the same fire that tortures the damned purifies the elect?
I've seen it quoted on internet sites that Augustine said that the same fire that tortures the damned purifies the elect. Supposedly he meant by this that the fires of Purgatory and Hell are the same. ...
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Why is Satan commonly believed to rule in hell?
Satan (Devil, Lucifer and all these not exactly the same meaning names) is often told to rule in hell, tormenting the damned souls and so on, while in the Bible I could not find anything more than the ...
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Was there a non-Augustinian response to universalism in the early Church?
Most are aware of Augustine's abandonment of his universalism and his later adoption of eternal conscious torment in literal fire. His rejection of universalism is ultimately founded upon a ...
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What is the Anglican teaching on Hell?
What is the official teaching on hell in the Church of England? (Anglican). Please include sources.
The 39 articles of faith make no mention of hell, so what other source makes statement on the ...
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If faith is a gift from God, and atheists (might) go to hell, is God ultimately willing to send atheists to hell? (Catholic perspective)
Premise 1: Faith is a gift from God. So says St. Thomas Aquinas here. Also, according to the Dogmatic Constitution of the Catholic Church De Fide Catholica Et De Ecclesia Christi:
... the Catholic ...
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Why is hell more prominent in the NT and not the OT?
This question came to me after reading the following excerpt from Wikipedia's entry on Hell:
"Early Judaism had no concept of Hell, although the concept of an afterlife was introduced during the ...
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Is there a bad part of heaven?
From what I understand, by Catholics, everyone who believes in Jesus goes to Heaven, but most people go to purgatory first. When they leave purgatory, everyone is worthy of some level of Heaven. ...
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How do Calvinists argue that limited atonement is just and merciful?
Why is it just or merciful that God predetermines who is to be saved and who is to be damned, before they are even born? Does that not mean a murderer may be saved and a charity worker damned?
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Is this interview with Pope Francis going to change Christianity? [closed]
I was... surprised... to learn this morning that our Pope Francis does not believe in hell. Will this interview change the Catholic Church?
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When did God create Hell? [closed]
Assuming a belief in a literal eternal hell believed by traditional Christian beliefs, when is hell believed to have been created by God? A good answer will include scriptural support for when Hell ...
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Will Agnostics and Atheists go to Hell? (Catholic)
Does it state anywhere in the Catholic Doctrine that non-believers and doubters will go to hell?
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Looking for an apologetic to the "Cosmic Child Abuse" objection
Recently during a discussion I got smacked with the "Cosmic Child Abuse" argument. I had heard of it before, but never really had to wrestle with it in real life. I discovered that I don't actually ...
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According to Catholicism, does God actively cause suffering in Hell?
I was wondering what is the official ontological explanation of the Catholic Church in regard to human souls and fallen angles suffering in Hell. I do not know whether God actively punishes them with ...
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Is there any truth to the story that Martin Luther claimed he "bought" hell from a priest?
We have this in our country, I googled it but didn’t find something like this, just found that Martin Luther had something to do with Indulgences.
So is it true or is just some nice writing and good ...
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What is Jehovah's Witnesses view of Revelation 20:10 since they do not believe in hell?
I know that Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in hellfire but in that case, how do they interpret scriptures such as Revelation 20:10, which says
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the ...
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What do mormons believe about eschatology? [closed]
As I understand, mormons affirm some sort of final judgment where people are judged according to their works.
I'm curious what that looks like. Is it a balancing scale, where if you did more good ...
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Do mormons have a doctrine of afterlife preaching and repentence?
I swear I read somewhere some years ago that Mormons have a developed doctrine of saints in the afterlife descending to Hell in order to preach the gospel to those who are stuck there and give them ...
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According to the Catholic Church, does God punish sinners?
When reading the Old Testament it seems that God punishes bad behavior. But according to the Catholic Church (catechism?) are sins punished by God, for example, in purgatory is it more like a karma, ...
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What does the Bible teach about "fire" in the phrase "Hell fire"? [closed]
I was studying today Matthew 5:22(KJV).
But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca,...
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Do saints and church fathers generally make the claim that most people go to a hell of everlasting torment?
In the videos of the Catholic YouTube channel / media enterprise "Church Militant", they often make the claim that most people go to hell, and that hell is a place of everlasting unbearable torment. ...
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Concept and permanence of hell and the "outer darkness" according to LDS beliefs
[Edited because I first got confused from the answers about for whom should "hell" be a permanent place (I had assumed that the SE answers meant that it was not a permanent place for anyone).]
This ...
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How many hells did Swedenborg say there were?
In G.K. Chesteron's essay "The Red Angel," found in the collection Tremendous Trifles, he remarks:
One small child in the dark can invent more hells than Swedenborg.
What is Chesterton referring ...
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Is it possible to repent after death in Catholicism?
In the following quote from the Catechism, it seems to imply that you can repent of a mortal sin after death. How does that fit with the standard "Once damned always damned after death" view that the ...
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How do proponents of Apokatastasis deal with the "Everlasting punishment" texts in scripture?
For those who don't know, the doctrine of Apokatastasis is an ancient form of Universalism which states that everything God has ever created will be saved and glorified, including the Devil and his ...