Many sincere people believe in the hellfire doctrine
@itslikethistome (796)
United States
August 9, 2016 1:03am CST
I personally do not believe in the hellfire doctrine, but for the sake of those sincere ones and for the sake of those who do not want to read a reference from the Bible, I will use an illustration.
Usually when making sure a campfire is thoroughly put out, loose dirt and plenty of water is used to make sure there are no tiny sparks or low glowing embers still smoldering......Now think about all those dead bodies from Adam and Eve's time up til now. They decomposed and turned into dirt, the elements of the earth, "dust". If there were really hell fires burning for and awaitng the wicked, would not they, the hellfires, have been long put out from not only the earth's dirt, but from all those dead bodies that turned to dirt? What about all the waters upon the face of the earth (the oceans, the seas, lakes, waterfalls, ponds, creeks, or watering holes upon the earth? Might these waters thoroughly have doused out all those hellfires if there really were such? Let us not forget and mention the terrible recent floodings that have wreaked havoc on some parts of the earth? Might not these waters have thoroughly doused out a literal hellfire? Those flood waters have to go somewhere.
Also, can something invisible like a spirit be burned? If a physical body was is being thrown into a hellfire as some believe, how is it that it a body can burn forever? Even the hardest known metal, stone or rock will melt down if burned long enough at the right temperature or degrees......This is why I don't believe in the hellfire doctrine.....hope it haven't confused anyone, I apologize if I did.
1 person likes this
2 responses
@Bluedoll (16770)
• Canada
9 Aug 16
I don't believe in the literal hell fire as a scare tactic plus it reinforces the God wants to hurt argument which is also false teaching. God doesn't punish with fire. God loves.
However there is such a thing as an internal fire. Certainly everyone has experienced getting heated up over something.
1 person likes this
@itslikethistome (796)
• United States
9 Aug 16
I really love your answer. You are right in saying hellfire is a scare tactic that is geared to forceably make people have a dreadful fear of God. How sad.
And yes the hellfire doctrine wants to paint God as a cruel heartless God and that is farthest from the truth. I've read in the Bible that "God is love"
Lol! Yes many of us have experienced that "internal heat". I like that term you've shared because we're all imperfect and controlling angry thoughts, actions, and words can be quite a challenge. Thank you for such a wonderful answer.
@Bluedoll (16770)
• Canada
9 Aug 16
Thanks for liking my comment, your posts are direct and worthy of discussion. I think Peter in all of 2 Peter 2 had a lot to say.
"God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell, where they are kept chained in darkness waiting for the Day of Judgment." - 2 Peter 4 ( we know from living how it can be hellish to feel rejected and ignored)
God does rescue but not souls who do not want rescue. Because of human writing, because of translations and different word meanings I don't think "threw them" above means taking action in a torturing way. I believe it means not lifting a finger so that what events are designed to come out of evil will. Just as what goodness is meant to come out of good will. God bless.
1 person likes this
@itslikethistome (796)
• United States
9 Aug 16
@Bluedoll You are welcome and thank you....I like your explanation on hell in that it CAN be hellish to feel and know you're being ignored or rejected, left out. Some have used the phrase "hell on earth" to depict their harsh, adverse circumstances....
The expression throwing them (renegade spirit angels) into "Tartarus", and some versions say "hell", denotes a condition rather than a particular location. I appreciate 2nd Peter 2:4 becasue this scripture says they, wicked fallen angels, are "delivered, into chains of dense darkness, to be delivered up or reserved for judgement."....We know "chains of dense darkness" is figurative or symbolic and not literal, and so these "chains of dense darkness" are the result of these wicked angels being cut off from illumination by God, they are outcasts from Jehovah's angelic family of loyal angels, with only a dark outlook as to their eternal destiny.
@Genipher (5405)
• United States
10 Aug 16
Hm. You seem to be forgetting what happened to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
In Daniel 3:25, Nebuchadnezzer says, "...Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."
This was the same fire that, "...slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego..." when they threw them into the fiery furnace.
And how about the bush Moses encountered?
Exodus 3:2, "And the angel of Yahweh appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed."
I think you're limiting the power of God.
If He's powerful enough to create the world with a word(Genesis 1), make a donkey talk (Numbers 22:28), and roll the heavens up like a scroll (Revelation 6:14) then I think he could do a "little" thing like create a fire that burns but doesn't consume.
Especially since he's done it before.
You seem to feel very strongly that hell or the Lake of Fire doesn't exist. However, scripture proves otherwise.
What are you afraid of?
@Genipher (5405)
• United States
12 Aug 16
@itslikethistome
Granted. But your whole discussion seems to be trying to prove that when fire burns, it always consumes its object. I was just pointing out the scriptures that show otherwise.
@Genipher (5405)
• United States
12 Aug 16
@itslikethistome
I believe it was in your other post about hell that I mentioned those very same verses in Revelation and said that I thought it might be possible that Hell was a creature. Though I wouldn't preach it as doctrine. I'd hate to be guilty of adding to the prophecy of Revelation (Revelation 22:18) or leading people astray by pushing my personal thoughts as scripture.
Also, I'd like to point out that God can do so many amazing things...I wouldn't doubt that He could take what we view as a figurative "thing" and throw it away!
Reminds me of the song by Chris Rice, "Smell the Color 9". 
There will be things we'll see that we could never imagine being possible.
I can't wait!!
But, yes. As I said. I could see the possibility of Hell being a creature. Though it doesn't really fit with the literal meaning of the Greek word, Tartaroo aka hell, in Revelation.
Tartaroo: "deepest abyss of Hades; to incarcerate in eternal torment"
And I beg to differ on your take of the Lake of Fire. As I pointed out before, the Greek words for "Lake", in this instance, is "pond" and the Greek word for "fire", in the same instance is, "fire".
A literal Lake of Fire.
There will be things we'll see that we could never imagine being possible.
I can't wait!!
But, yes. As I said. I could see the possibility of Hell being a creature. Though it doesn't really fit with the literal meaning of the Greek word, Tartaroo aka hell, in Revelation.
Tartaroo: "deepest abyss of Hades; to incarcerate in eternal torment"
And I beg to differ on your take of the Lake of Fire. As I pointed out before, the Greek words for "Lake", in this instance, is "pond" and the Greek word for "fire", in the same instance is, "fire".
A literal Lake of Fire.@itslikethistome (796)
• United States
12 Aug 16
BTW, no one is questioning God's ability to use fire for punishment, if He chooses to do.
