Hell is mostly a religious concept, so it is (theologically) however religions define it. Atheists could speak of a hellish place, like the surface of Venus, or that war is hell. Since it is in common usage, it is used often as a metaphor. I have a theory about how the term heaven was used by Jesus. It is a situation on earth where love rules, and people are humble and kind, they depend on the Earth for their sustenence like the "lillies of the field". The opposite of that would be what we have today, greedy people that hate and make war, and an Earth that cannot support our number.
Interestingly hell in an emotional context is 'love' not loving anyone or anything including yourself, means an absence of mental sufferring, physical hell remains but not mental. or I could be wrong Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Hell is basically where there is sufferring. It could be personal inside your head or it could be physical. pertaining to you or to others.
If that were correct, then prisons around the world would not deem 'solitary confinement' to be the worst punishment of all.
Fair enough. The problem that arises then (as we've seen..) is in keeping the discussion on topic, which is admittedly difficult to do when people pay attention to the mystical/fairy/religious types who will inevitably drop in on a title like this.
It's a place of damnation and fire where human souls suffer eternal torment!...wait that sounds like been with my ex-girlfriend!!!Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Hell is the place you are "sent" [for lack of a better term] when you don't complete your mission on this realm. Hell is a cleaning of the soul. Hell is the place where you are polished so that your mission can continue. Hell is not forever.
Hell is a word and all words exist and have meaning, just what is the meaning. seems like heaven is the opposite of hell. Is heaven or hell even on earth yet, If you look back to history, knowledge and human rights all seem to be growing. what is to come? mayby hell is losing to heaven slowly but surely as we learn to understand our world.
if Hell exists, it doesnt matter if your an atheist or some religious freak. But I as an atheist, choose to believe myself of my future and my death and rebirth.
Have to confess to being one of those ‘mystical/fairy/religious types’. However, the day I posted this seemed to be particularly full of ‘issues’ which I could not apparently do anything about…. wars, poverty, pygmy politicans, greed, degradation of standards etc etc I care though and would like to think that even my small efforts would have a positive ripple in time and space…. because heaven to me is not the ‘end of the line’ per se but a continuing evolution of the soul or spirit. Hence particular moments in time (like now) could be ‘hell’. I posted this because compassion and thinking are not gifted only to those with spiritual ideals. What keeps me going through the imbalances is the thought of even a small action aiding ‘re-balance’ at some time or other. It must be much harder to cope with the suffering of others or the general inequities of life for those who only believe in the here and now. That is of course if they do care.
