: : Even the least philosophical have wondered about an afterlife. How do theists reconcile the concept of an all loving, knowing and powerful God, with the existence of hell? According to Christianity (and many other world religions) if hell exists, it exists for the sole purpose of condemning sinners to an eternity of torment on the basis of how poorly they lived their lives on earth (ie. disobedient to God). Furthermore, there is no way out of hell; once you've arrived, you're hopelessly screwed to bear an eternity of torture. Thus, even if one changed for the better in hell, one would remain there regardless. Hell does not serve the purpose of rehabilitation. : How is this view of God consistent with one that is all-loving and defends JUSTICE? : If this is so, then God is also ultimately responsible for those people going to hell. You must remember that God is all-knowing (by definition). This means that before you're even created, he knows exactly how you're going to turn out. Therefore, if he creates a person "bad" enough to go to hell, he's doing it with full knowledge that you're headed in that unfortunate direction. : Consider this analogy: : A couple living in an impoverished third world country can barely afford the necessities of life. If they have children, they do it with full knowledge that these children will grow up in horrible subhuman conditions, where the children will likely lived suffering-filled, short lives. The couple decides to procreate anyway. Wouldn't you say that this couple was responsible for their children's inevitable fate? Would you not say that God too is responsible for all the people who have gone to hell?

yanniru: For most of the world, hell is life on earth. This is consistent with reincarnation where a poorly conducted life begets another life of suffering on earth, which is a "good as any" interpretation of the western scripture about hell.

• Re: What the hell? (pun intended) - tenacious - October 1, 1999 - 03:15 UTC