Comments on: A Problem of Hell?

By: faithinformed

faithinformed — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 02:57:23 +0000

the new heretics (for future reference, is TNH okay?),

Thank you for your comments, I think you present an interesting perspective. Would you mind if I asked you a few follow up questions? I guess there are basically three that I have in mind. First, when you say that “our concept” of Hell was more derived from Greek philosophers than the Bible, what philosophers do you have in mind? I think it’d be interesting to read those accounts to see just how they may have influenced the Christian story. Second, would you mind elaborating a bit on what you mean by “Christian popular myth”? Do you take that to be just concerning the doctrine of Hell or Christianity in general? Third, and finally, I’m not sure I understand what you mean when you say God ‘controlled’ evil. Do you mean he intended some evil state of affairs and directly brought it about? I’m not sure such a picture is reconcilable with an all loving God, but perhaps you can elaborate some to help me out.

Thanks again for stopping by and taking the time to comment.

By: the new heretics

the new heretics — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:43:21 +0000

Our concept of hell is less derived from the actual bible, and more from Greek philosophy. In fact if you really want to know what the biblical hell was you would have to investigate the Jewish religion and not Christian popular myth which consumed pagan thought and legend into its folklore during its spread in the Roman Empire as a State religion. In O.T. thought there was no real heaven or hell as we know it today, and since God was all powerful He controled evil as well as good. Satan was not “satan” but was instead an evil spirit “from the lord” who God sent and used under His command.

By: Paul

Paul — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 13:33:00 +0000

I think that’s a really good question about Job. I’m not really sure what the best way to understand those types of passages is. I think the “all things considered” approach is a good one, but that might just be because it fits better with my intuition that most people really do think it’s better that they were born than not.

I’ve always been perplexed by that statement about Judas. I wonder if we could say because Judas chose to do what he did, he’ll regret it so much that he’ll wish he’d never been born. In fact, though, he really wishes he’d never made that decision.

I’m really just taking a stab in the dark about both those passages and am not real sure what to think of them.

By: Josh

Josh — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 00:48:00 +0000

Paul,

Good post. I want to note a few passages that relate. I don't know precisely how, but they seem to. Job speaks of it being better if his mother miscarried or he died immediately at birth than he experience the great evil that befell him (Job 3ff). One issue here, though, is whether the "desire to have never been born" needs to come from some sort of "all things considered" standpoint or a limited standpoint, for example, at the time one is in the throws of pain. I wonder if we had more text about Job's life if he would have affirmed this at the end of Chapter 42?

I'm also thinking of Jesus' sober words about Judas that it would have been better if he had never been born (Matt. 26:20-25). Wow, that's very profound and sobering.

I don't know how all this should come to bear on the issue, but I think it should and does somehow. Now that I've raised questions and given no answers, I'll be done. It's always easier to raise questions as opposed to answering them!