Is Hellfire A Bible Teaching

[Alter2Ego]

[font=Verdana]The teaching of hellfire is commonplace in Christendom and non-Christian religions. This teaching defames the Creator and portrays him as a sadist who tortures people in flames of fire for all eternity"as punishment for wrongdoing committed during the relatively brief human lifespan. The hellfire dogma was brought into Christianity by the Roman Catholics who copied it from pagan religions. (Pagans are those who do not worship the God of the Judeo-Christian Bible.)

The Bible makes it clear as to how God views the ritual burning of people. Jehovah ended up rejecting the ancient Israelites after they got involved with pagan worship, which included burning their children to death.

"And they [the Israelites/sons of Judah] have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, in order to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, a thing that I had not commanded and that HAD NOT COME UP INTO MY HEART." (Jeremiah 7:31)


"{58} And they kept offending him with their high places, and with their graven images they kept inciting him to jealousy. {59} God heard and got to be furious, and he condemned Israel very much. {60} And he finally forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent in which he resided among earthling men." (Psalms 78:58-60)


The scriptures indicate that hell is nothing more than mankinds common grave. Proof of this is provided by a verse of scripture in the Bible, which no hellfire-believing Christian can explain away. Im referring to the scripture that says Jesus Christ--the epitome of a perfect, sinless, and obedient man--died and went to hell.

"{21} In fact, to this course you were called, because even Christ suffered for you, leaving you a model for you to follow his steps closely. {22} He committed no sin, nor was deception found in his mouth." (1 Peter 2:21-22)


"He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that HIS SOUL WAS NOT LEFT IN HELL, neither his flesh did see corruption." (Acts 2:31--King James Version)


NOTE #1: The Bible uses the word "fire" symbolically to indicate permanent death or permanent destruction.

NOTE #2: the words "Hell" and "Hades" and "Pit" are synonyms that mean THE GRAVE.

NOTE #3: "High Places" as used in the scriptures that I quote in this thread refer to the worship of the false gods.


DEBATE QUESTIONS:
1. According to Jeremiah 7:31, did Jehovah command the ancient Israelites to burn anyone in the fire?

2. According to Jeremiah 7:31, did the burning of people come to God's heart?

3. According to Jeremiah 7:31 and Psalms 78:58-59, did the ancient Israelites offend God by getting involved with false worship in their "HIGH PLACES", which included burning people to death?

4. According to those who teach hellfire torment, hell is a place for people who are wicked and sinful. If Hellfire is for wicked people, why did Jesus spend three days in hell--considering that it says at 1 Peter 2:22 that he did not commit any sin?

5. Jesus obeyed Jehovah and died a slow and torturous death for mankind. Hadn't he suffered enough? He'd suffered terribly--because of being obedient to his Heavenly Father. So why was he being punished again with burning hellfire? What's the logic for punishing him all over again?

6. Recall that after Jesus' resurrection, he appeared and spoke to several of his faithful apostles on different occasions before he returned to heaven. Why is it that Jesus made no mention to any of his apostles--after his resurrection--that he went to hell where he burned for three days?

7. When people are being tortured in hellfire, wouldn't they have to KNOW or be conscious/aware of the fact that they are being burned? I mean to say, what's the point of punishing people in hell if they aren't even aware?

8. Those who believe in eternal torment say that the person's soul is being burned forever. What is the soul? Is it something separate from the person's body? Are animals souls also or is this only for humans?[/font]

[Yahu]

1. The Bible uses "the lake of fire" and "Gehenna" as synonyms--both of which mean permanent destruction or permanent death ("the second death") from where there is no hope of resurrection.

Gehenna is the later name of the valley of Hinnom where the children were passed through the fires to Molech, same valley. It is just used as a symbol of Hades. Gehenna is just Greek translation for 'valley of Hinnom' taken from the Hebrew. 'Gah-ee' or 'gay'(short form) just mean 'valley' in Hebrew.

It is NOT a synonym for 'Lake of Fire' but for the portion of Hades for the wicked, the realm of the spirits of the dead. The Greeks concept was ALL the spirits of the dead went to Hades.

[Alter2Ego]

So, in the Bible the word fire is translated to mean, "Permanent Death" or "Permanent Destruction", except when the word fire is used to describe what the Isrealites did to their children.

I don't think you can tell me that the Bible was mistranslated, and then tell me what it said was proof that it is correct.

I agree with you... the bible is a terrible piece of literature. And I also disagree with you... the bible is a terrible piece of literature.

[font=Verdana]ALTER2EGO -to- MR.BADHAM

At no time did I say that the Bible is "a terrible piece of literature." Don't get it twisted. Speak for yourself. Humans are the problem. They insert false doctrines into their religions and claim the falsehoods are found in the Bible.

Regarding my statement where I said that the Bible uses "fire" to indicate "permanent destruction" or "permanent death," let me clarify. My statement was in reference to occasions when symbolism is involved. Whenever the Bible speaks about the "lake of fire" and "everlasting fire" and "Gehenna," it's in reference to permanent destruction or permanent death (also called "the second death"). For instance, notice the following scripture from the book of Revelation, which I pointed out to two other people previously:

"And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." (Revelation 20:14 -- KJV)


Obviously, literal death and hell (the grave) cannot possibly be cast into a lake of fire. Because symbolism obviously is involved here, the Bible is using fire to symbolize permanent destruction or an end to death and hell (mankind's common grave). This is made even clearer one chapter later in the same book of Revelation.

"And he [God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:4)[/font]

[Yahu]

Humans are the problem. They insert false doctrines into their religions and claim the falsehoods are found in the Bible.

"And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." (Revelation 20:14 -- KJV)

Obviously, literal death and hell (the grave) cannot possibly be cast into a lake of fire. Because symbolism obviously is involved here, the Bible is using fire to symbolize permanent destruction or an end to death and hell (mankind's common grave). This is made even clearer one chapter later in the same book of Revelation.

As to your point of spreading false doctrine, I agree. You just did it by equating hell with 'the grave'. That is only one possible uses of the term. The body goes to the grave, the spirit/soul go to one of the possible spiritual realms.

Actually 'death and hell' can be literal. The word for Hell here is Hades. Don't you realize that Hades was a spiritual realm as well and the ruler of it? The ruler of Hades was the god Hades. Death is also personified several places in scripture. For example, Azazel taught men murder. Yah assigned all sin to Azazel and is the reason for the goat on the Day of Atonement being sent off for Azazel. Could death be a reference to Azazel?