My thoughts on Heaven and Hell FAQ--Part 1

NOTE: If you are going to read this, please go back and read some of what I have wrote and quoted earlier on the subject. This has been my area of personal reflection and study of late. As such some of my answers have a context in this blog.

Do you believe in a place called Hell?

Yes I do. It may be more of a "state" or a "plane of existence", but I do believe in Hell.


What is it like. Is all the fire imagery metaphorical or literal?

The literary context of hell, especially the words that were used for it, lead me to believe that the fire imagery is metaphorical.

In what ways are things people believe about hell influence their behavior?

I think there are a lot of people who use the fear of hell to marginalize people the do not like, and do not want to see in eternity. I think people use the fear of hell to keep others in line. So we threaten people who we don't approve of with hellfire.

Although, I think for some people, they need to choose not to do the wrong thing before they can do the good thing. So, I think people change their behavior out of fear of eternal torment. And, I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing or even an untrue thing. Jesus did it.

I guess what I am saying as I try to ramble through this question I set up for myself a week ago is that we should let the reality of hell influence our view of the world and our behavior. However, we should not use the belief in hell to marginalize people we view as more sinful than us. If anything, it should move us to embrace them more.

How do you deal with the fact that you may be "partying in the living room" (heaven) while your friends are "being tortured in the basement" (hell)?

In the Bible there is a parable of the prodigal son. At the end, after the prodigal son comes home, the elder brother refuses to come inside the party. This, I believe, is the better metaphor than the one the question suggests. Some would rather stand outside the party than not be able to have the party on our own terms. Those people are the ones that choose hell for eternity