Thoughts on Hell

Hell seems to be a subject of much controversy amongst the religious. Is Hell a real place? If so why does it exist? Most christians, many of which believe this to be a deal breaking factor as to whether or not you are a christian, believe that Hell is a real place and that God created it to torment and torture all the souls that did not accept him as lord and savior. As supreme ruler.

Many seem to need this idea of hell. How could there not be a hell? Bad, evil people don't get to go to heaven. If there is a heaven then there must certainly be a Hell.

The idea of hell is to be a fundamental part of christianity. It seems you are given free will to chose God or not. If you chose incorrectly you will be punished.....eternally. You make your decision by how you live your life. If I live according to scripture then I get to go to heaven. If I do not then there will be hell to pay.

Without hell there is no real punishment for not believing. There is no real punishment for not obeying.

If everyone gets to go to heaven eventually, as a universalist would believe, then there is no real punishment for not following the letter of the law. Yeah you might get punished for a bit but after that waits eternal salvation for everyone. This idea play to the strengths of God. He gets to be both all powerful and all loving. Where as a God who only loves some people and the rest go to hell either wants some to go to hell and is not all loving or he can't stop them from going and is not all powerful.

The idea of hell is to keep people in line. Keep them coming back to church. because it teaches us that we were born broken and that only though Christ can we avoid the eternal punishment that we all deserve. That we all deserve. Eternal torment and torture for a temporal crime. Sometimes the crime is simply not believing that God exists. This deserves eternal torment. A lie, maybe I told my grandmother I liked her soup when it was actually terrible. Eternal torment.

But no matter what sin you have committed if you accept Jesus then you are forgiven?
Murder, child molestation, Rape? No problem just repent and be forgiven.

This pairing of absolute torture if you disagree with me and total forgiveness if you agree is why Christianity is morally bankrupt. (Not Christians, but christianity)

Heaven and Hell are contradictions, they can not both exist. How could some people be happy while others are being tortured. This shows a disconnect and a lack of empathy. If you think of only yourself then it is a motivator but when you look at the whole system it falls apart. If you are capable of empathy for anyone beyond your simple religious views then the idea of hell for children is ridiculous.

What kind of God would create a system in which most of the world would end up in Hell being tortured. A sadistic one.

Yet this view is necessary for Christianity it is as I said quite fundamental. there for for all of the love and peace that Christianity pretends to be about it is actually a sadistic religion.  Yet another reason why I am not a christian.