The Population of Hell

[GenX]

"Sometimes the complaint is heard that no one preaches about hell any longer. The subject of hell, if not attractive, is at least fascinating, as any reader of Dante’s Inferno or Milton’s Paradise Lost can testify. Equally fascinating, and decidedly more pressing, is the question of how many of us may be expected to go there when we die.

As we know from the Gospels, Jesus spoke many times about hell. Throughout his preaching, he holds forth two and only two final possibilities for human existence: the one being everlasting happiness in the presence of God, the other everlasting torment in the absence of God. He describes the fate of the damned under a great variety of metaphors: everlasting fire, outer darkness, tormenting thirst, a gnawing worm, and weeping and gnashing of teeth."

"...The New Testament does not tell us in so many words that any particular person is in hell. But several statements about Judas can hardly be interpreted otherwise. Jesus says that he has kept all those whom the Father has given him except the son of perdition (John 17:12). At another point Jesus calls Judas a devil (John 6:70), and yet again says of him: “It would be better for that man if he had never been born” (Matthew 26:24; Mark 14:21). If Judas were among the saved, these statements could hardly be true. Many saints and doctors of the Church, including St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, have taken it as a revealed truth that Judas was reprobated. Some of the Fathers place the name of Nero in the same select company, but they do not give long lists of names, as Dante would do."

LINK

Yeah, unfortunately its true.. there is less mention of hell in Bible teaching and preaching.

The devilish strategy of combining the pressures of Relevance and postmodernism is working. The enemy is diluting the power of the Gospel by making preachers feel very uncool whenever they make reference to hell, condemnation, or even sin.

We are in the full bloom of a feel good religion.. the preacher who can make people feel warm and fuzzy here on earth, while ignoring judgment to come will be the one with a 'growing church'.

However, I have been speaking about it for the last month.. if you care to listen to my messages online, you may.

[GenX]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">We are in the full bloom of a feel good religion.. the preacher who can make people feel warm and fuzzy here on earth, while ignoring judgment to come will be the one with a 'growing church'. </div></div>

Right.

Too many Christians want a psychiatrist or emotional coach, not a priest or preacher, to tell them what they want to hear, not what they should hear.

It's a very natural human desire, but that doesn't make it right.

[Soundbear]

"..the preacher who can make people feel warm and fuzzy here on earth, while ignoring judgment to come will be the one with a 'growing church'..."

At the other end of the spectrum is the church that rails against the culture, with the pastor who just can't understand why the "hellfire and brimstone" messages he preaches no longer bring in the sinners.

yup. there are those too.
you can find plenty of those examples on youtube, I'll bet.

[starbuck]

why is sloth a deadly sin? youre not hurting anyone?

[Batman]

Unless you are slothful enough that you are just too lazy to work and are living on social assisstance which makes you a drain on society, sets a bad example for others, kids especially and you do usually end up hurting yourself with poor health by being lazy. Sounds like a sin to me.

[dancingqueen]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mooooochkita</div><div class="ubbcode-body">why is sloth a deadly sin? youre not hurting anyone? </div></div>

you are defiling the temple of the lord.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mooooochkita</div><div class="ubbcode-body">why is sloth a deadly sin? youre not hurting anyone? </div></div>

laziness doesn't hurt anyone?
Are you sure about that?

[starbuck]

ummm the temple of the Lord eh.... well if everyone was supposed to work accroding to God, then everyone would be guaranteed any job they want, and God wouldnt be picky and let the people discriminate against them, they would be treated fairly and everyone would be working. Instead, it seems to be a battle to se whos luckiest and goes in debt the most or whatever, dont sound too fair to me [img]/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[Batman]

Okay now I get your screen name. I know a few people who don't work and just love to moooooch off everyone else and when confronted about being lazy, they turn around and blame everyone else to justify their own laziness. So live a carefree life doing what you want when you want while millions of the rest of us work at low paying jobs that we hate to support our families and also pay taxes to support the happy go lucky lazy people of the world.

Yep. Now that's fair. Why didn't I think of that? Oh wait ... I did think of that but I guess I'm either stupid or I've just got too much self respect.

[starbuck]

hahahah take it easy....

[starbuck]

difference is i have the right to blame certain ppl [img]/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[dancingqueen]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mooooochkita</div><div class="ubbcode-body">ummm the temple of the Lord eh.... well if everyone was supposed to work accroding to God, then everyone would be guaranteed any job they want, and God wouldnt be picky and let the people discriminate against them, they would be treated fairly and everyone would be working. Instead, it seems to be a battle to se whos luckiest and goes in debt the most or whatever, dont sound too fair to me [img]/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img] </div></div>

where in the Bible does it say this?
You are Hijacking this thread, please keep it on topic

[Batman]

With all due respect to DQ, I think Moooochkita may be guilty of changing the subject or is she? I wonder how many people are in hell because they refused to take responsibility for thier own lives because it was so much easier to blame others.

The lonely and bitter blame their parents because they were lonely and bitter. The child abuser blames the person who abused them when they were a child. The angry and jealous person blames those who took advantage of them and so now has more and better stuff. The unemployed blame those who are employed for not hiring them. The depressed and disfunctional blame just about everyone else for their own misery rather than take any personal responsibility for their own circumstances. The list can go on and on for those who are in hell for refusing to bow the knee and confess their own sin and brokeness and need for a savior.

I am not belittling victims of abuse. I am a victim of many kinds of abuse myself and know and understand the pain and depression that can come from that. I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth and yes, those who were supposed to be my protectors were my abusers. Through God's grace however, I was able to realize that once I knew the source of my grief in life I then became responsible for how I responded to it.

I could take responsibility for my actions or I could give into my temptations and live a life full of lies and sin and then conveniently blame my abusers for my behaviour and then gain the sympathy of others for the hard life I've had because of it.

So some may think they have the 'right to blame others' because they were abused but they really don't. Once a person realizes why they do the things they do they then become personally responsible for what happens next thereby nullifying the 'but I was abused' excuse.

I think hell is full of people like that.

[starbuck]

then hell is a good place, first of all i dont like deeply religious people and second of all if God judges us on these things and isnt fair to all of us then its all a bunch of baloney anyways [img]/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/lol.gif[/img]

[dancingqueen]

That's an interesting perspective, but wouldn't that imply that God would judge based off of intentions as opposed to actions? I happen to share a very similar view point on the subject so I would certanly agree with you.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Through God's grace... </div></div>

(I find it modest of you to thank God for your own acomplishment. I do not belive God intervines in our lives)

[dancingqueen]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mooooochkita</div><div class="ubbcode-body">then hell is a good place, first of all i dont like deeply religious people and second of all if God judges us on these things and isnt fair to all of us then its all a bunch of baloney anyways [img]/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/lol.gif[/img] </div></div>
Now God is unfair?? [img]/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/lol.gif[/img] your too much Moochie! too much [img]/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/lol.gif[/img]

There will be lots of deeply religious people in hell.
You can laugh at the concept of hell and justice now.. That's the down side of freedom of choice. You have the freedom to make the wrong choices.

[starbuck]

no i didnt say God was unfair, i just said like why do some ppl die sooner then others, that isnt fair. and like why are some ppl richer then others, that isnt fair. and like why do some ppl get decent jobs and others dont, that isnt fair. So what i think is God has nothing to do with the stuff that happens on earth. the stuff that happens here is strictly from us humans if we want to discriminate or whatever its the people doing it, not God. If it was up to our so-called nice God, we would all have jobs, decent ones, and not have ppl struggling by or not even in their line of work. its all about fair chance, im just not given a fair chance like other ppl i know, they get handed jobs left and right but sadly dont know how to keep em, i wish i was handed these jobs left and right and maybe id find one that i like, but this isnt the case. and yes i dont like deeply religious ppl they think the bible says sloth is bad, well sometimes we find ourselves in this sin without our control for our situation. i have just as much right to work a decent job as the other ppl that i know that are [img]/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]