tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375512083268389933.post3669517944877905998..comments2023-09-30T10:36:23.154-05:00Comments on Accidental Historian: Why Hell, Anyway?Gedshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15047239425466517786noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375512083268389933.post-27283266875624248242010-09-03T21:06:21.269-05:002010-09-03T21:06:21.269-05:00Quite simply, if Jesus shows up and takes over the...<i>Quite simply, if Jesus shows up and takes over the world, anyone who doesn’t acknowledge that it happened is a moron.</i><br /><br />If we take this as a given (and, sure, let's take it as a given), then no one is going to Hell.<br /><br />Seriously, though, there's very little Biblical support for the idea of Hell, especially not as a space of eternal suffering and damnation. Yes, there's some hyperbole in the Gospels, and the Revelation, but I think it's closer to the "if you don't shut up, I'm going to pull your bottom lip up over your head and staple it there" type of threat - so clearly over the top as to be unbelievable. That doesn't really address the "purpose" of Hell, but I think it addresses your foundational premises.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08276438221642890950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375512083268389933.post-7774310210637619832010-08-31T15:47:17.255-05:002010-08-31T15:47:17.255-05:00I would argue that there's another purpose tha...I would argue that there's another purpose that punishment serves: glorification of the powerful.<br /><br />Specifically, I'm thinking of instances where the punishment is all out of proportion to the crime -- hell's a good example, or execution for petty crimes. While I think deterrence plays a part in this, I don't think it can account for it all.<br /><br />The severity of the punishment serves as a demonstration of tremendous power. It doesn't take much to conclude that whoever can mete out such terrible justice is an awesome/awful being worthy of worship.<br /><br />Like I said, I think there's an element of deterrence in this, but it's not the whole story. I think in order to establish a cult of some sort (of the state, a god, a person, or whatever) the displays of great power (through punishment or some other means) are essential.David Andrew Kearneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17196842122710714345noreply@blogger.com