If you lived in the period of the Old Testament, you would have had NOTHING to fear about burning in the eternal flames of hell. Why? Because the notion of hell as a place of eternal punishment did not exist at that time. The eternal burning fireworks of hell, as punishment, did not exist until gentle Jesus, meek and mild makes his entry onto the Judean landscape.

Old Testament describes a notion of a place for the dead devoid of punishment, but this is a far cry from the burning fireworks, which did not enter popular imagination until Jesus gave it graphic illustration in the new Testament. So what reason did people living in the OT era have for been righteous, given that they were never subject to the threat of hellfire for not being righteous?

With the advent of the Jesus doctrine, the place of the dead takes a cruel and particularly wicked refurbishment from a place of mild repose to one of eternal punishment. Imagine the surprise of those souls who were already in hell before Jesus arrived and enjoying gentle relaxation. Upon Jesus's arrival, the sheep would have had to be separated from the goats, with the goats subjected to the newly introduced furnishings of fireworks. So much for the kind, meek, gentle and loving Jesus

For more on the doctrine of hell, check the following links below;

http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/tbhell.html
http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/beliefs/hell.htm

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Some of my other threads


The Dangers Of Religious Fundamentalism To Intellectualism
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=110955.msg1929006#msg1929006

Origin Of Christianity And Diabolical Mimicry In Anticipation
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-113860.0.html

Hell Past, Hell Present; Which Do You Prefer?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-113947.0.html#msg1971669

On The Prophesy Of The Virgin Birth Of Jesus, Part 2:
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-113676.0.html

When And From Where Did Jesus Ascend Into Heaven
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-113519.0.html

When Was Jesus Born?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-113449.0.html

On The Prophesy Of The Virgin Birth Of Jesus [/b]13012dg
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-113342.0.html#msg1963529

[b] Was Jesus The Prophesied Messiah? Let's Look At The Evidence.
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-113303.0.html

What Are Your Chances Of Being Saved?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-113283.0.html

Who Wrote The Gospels And When Were They Written?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-113277.0.html#msg1962589

God Selects The Rulers Of Countries; G W Bush, Sadam, Pol Pot, Abacha, Hitler
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-113186.0.html#msg1961537

Cannibalism In The Bible: Det 28:53-57, Lev 26:29, Jer 19:9, Ezek 5:10, Lam 4:10
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-113181.0.html#msg1961343

What Are The Core Tenets (doctrines, Value And Virtues) Of Christainity?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-112990.0.html

Faith-healer And Evangelist, Maurice Cerullo, Investigated
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-113871.0.html

What Fate For Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Constantine And Tomás De Torquemada?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-112997.0.html#msg1958617

Is The Doctrine Of Trinity Biblical? The Johannine Comma
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-112865.0.html#msg1957266

On The Authenticity Of The New Testament, Part 2
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-112848.0.html

How Is Salvation Achieved?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-112833.0.html

Only For Those Who Know Their Bibles And Some History: Who Was Jesus?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=112697.msg1954632#msg1954632

Only For Those Who Know Their Bibles: Old Testament Stories
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=112679.msg1954426#msg1954426

Human Sacrifice In The Bible: Lev 27: 29 & Judges 11
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=112584.msg1953340#msg1953340

Please, Please, Please: Christians - Read Read Read Your Bibles
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=112578.msg1953311#msg1953311

When Was Jesus Crucified?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=112557.msg1952665#msg1952665

On Conversion To A Religion (christianity Or I-slam)
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=112547.msg1952353#msg1952353

Faith-healers And Tele-evangelists
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=112398.msg1950528#msg1950528

Where Did Sin Originate?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=112377.msg1950291#msg1950291

For The Non-beleivers Only, 1
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=112262.msg1948957#msg1948957

Would Christains Be Criminals And Offenders If They Were Not Christians?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=112259.msg1948919#msg1948919

On The Authenticity Of The New Testament, Part 1
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=112240.msg1948631#msg1948631

Has Atheism Got Principle? No
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=112216.msg1948180#msg1948180

It Is Biblical To Have Sex (and Lots Of It) Before Marriage
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=112139.msg1946940#msg1946940

Should The Old Testament Laws Be Observed In The Modern Era?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=112114.msg1946682#msg1946682

Founding A State or Nation On Religious Principles
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=112086.msg1946268#msg1946268

Great Books About Non-belief
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=111928.msg1943935#msg1943935

Who Are The Self-declared Non-believer? Resources For You
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=111806.msg1942137#msg194111quc02137

Beware of a Simplistic Interpretation of Jesus's 2nd Coming Passages
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=111677.msg1939992#msg1939992

What Is The Evidence That The Bible Is The Word Of God?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-113161.0.html#msg1960928

Archbishop Cause Furore Over Sharia Law In The Uk
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=111645.msg1939155#msg1939155

Eminent Christian Scientist (francis Collins) Explains The Evolution Of Humans
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=111482.msg1936158#msg1936158

Please, Help Me Out With Your Knowledge Of The Bible
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=111474.msg1936099#msg1936099

Why Biology Is So Important To Our Modern World
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=111466.msg1935975#msg1935975

Genesis Vs Genetics
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=111227.msg1932655#msg1932655

Please, Help Me Out With Your Knowledge Of The Bible
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-111474.0.html

Jesus Genealogy
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=111222.msg1932616#msg1932616

£300 (three - Hundred Pound Sterling) Essay Competition
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=111143.msg1931508#msg1931508

Beware Of Religious Fundamentalism In Your University Campuses
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=110965.msg1929160#msg1929160

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Hell is a fabrication.The concept of hell is something that was created in the hearts and minds of the authors of your Bible and K'oran. Before you were informed of what and where hell was, it never crossed your mind to even think about it. So, within the pages of your scriptures hell was born. Just as a God could not exist without the devil, heaven could not exist if there wasn’t a hell.So where did hell come from? It didn’t exist in Adam’s, Noah’s, nor Abraham’s time. It is something that was fabricated so that they could capitalize off of your fear.

Horus:

Hell is a fabrication.The concept of hell is something that was created in the hearts and minds of the authors of your Bible and K'oran. Before you were informed of what and where hell was, it never crossed your mind to even think about it. So, within the pages of your scriptures hell was born. Just as a God could not exist without the devil, heaven could not exist if there wasn’t a hell.So where did hell come from? It didn’t exist in Adam’s, Noah’s, nor Abraham’s time. It is something that was fabricated so that they could capitalize off of your fear.

Thanks. Am glad you got my point.

Before Christ's work on the cross, all who died went to sheol or Hades.
Man could not be joined with God, until Christ had finished the work on the cross. after this point, all will be judged according to their life and decision on this side of eternity.

Just because mankind did not understand what was to come, does not in any way imply that hell was not real.
, Kind of like saying that if you do not teach your child about serial killers, then people like Ian Huntley will automatically become a myth.

Check your bible. It was revealed to mankind even in the Old Testament, but how could man understand that sort of thing, only Him who is, was and will be (Jesus) could clarify the true nature of the afterlife.

A re-examination into the doctrine of hell?

Could do - sometime when I'm more settled.

@poster

Do you expect to be answered from a bible you do not believe in?

Are you a christian?

elizabetta:

Are you a christian?

Why is this relevant?

On the subject of "Hell" this might need revisiting!

OK Huxley.

Since you've revived an old thread and seem to want to discuss it, I'll give you my opinion.

Hell is a man-made concept. As I've stated elsewhere, it was the stick needed to get Christianity off the ground. But like a lot of man-made concepts it ran away with itself. It is synonomous with Fear. This led onto the creation of Satan. The King of Fear or the King of Terror as he's sometimes popularly known. In a way, it's ironic, but Heaven and Hell have actually become the overwhelming factor in Christian worship. Hell has therefore become a reality for Christians, rather than just a concept (as we've got to admit that Fear exists). But the good thing, in my opinion, is that because it is man-made, it can also be destroyed. Knowing how to destroy it is a different matter altogether.

One could turn arounds and say that I'm wrong. Hell does exist. God created it. But I don't believe that the Christian god would create Fear and use it as a weapon. And even if he did, it's up to the individual man or woman to take that fear on board in whatever amount and it's still therefore man-made to some degree. So even if it can't be destroyed totally, it can be minimilised.

The OP's comment also illustrates what I've already said in that other thread:

If you lived in the period of the Old Testament, you would have had NOTHING to fear about burning in the eternal flames of hell.

They had a different kind of Heaven and Hell. Their god was the Heaven and Hell. He was the carrot and the stick. And as they believed that they lived on in their children, their punishment was just as eternal.

none!!