The notion of hell has been passed along through many religions. Christianity was not the first to introduce it. The concept of hell doesn't even appear in the Bible until New Testament. As a matter of fact, many Christian beliefs echo an earlier religion known as Paganism. Pagan beliefs are now seen as myths, just like Greek mythology. It is a religion that has died out. But why is Paganism seen as a myth? After all it did introduce heaven, hell, demon posession, sacrifice, prophecy, holy meal, holy spirit, baptism, immortal soul, and monotheism. All common beliefs and practices in Christianity.
The modern view of hell didn't come from the Bible though, it came from a book called The Divine Comedy. A poem in it called Inferno went into detail about hell. The author of this book was very well respected in his time, but he was certainly no religious scholar. He wrote a story and people hung onto the imagery that he created. Just like if you were to see the movie The Da Vinci Code and then go and read the book. Tom Hanks played the main character in the movie, so it is only natural to picture him while reading the book. Same goes for hell.
When I was younger I knew Santa existed. I just knew it. I would argue with other kids who didn't believe in him. I knew my parents weren't Santa because they had already told me they weren't him. I never actually saw Santa (except at the mall) but enough people, books, movies and songs advertised the existence of him that I knew he HAD to be real! However, once I reached a certain age, my parents admitted that Santa isn't real. I couldn't believe it. The man whose existence I defended for years was not real. Sure there was a lot that should have given it away (flying reindeer, visiting every child's home in a single night, toy-making elves, etc,.) but I knew he was real and that was all the proof I needed.
Santa is a lot like religion. There are people, books, movies and songs that all claim that God exists but there is not any scientific proof. People rely on a book written many years ago by men who received the information orally many years after the events in the Bible took place. The Bible is full of contradictions and in Jeremiah 8:8 he even claims that the Bible is full of "falsehoods", but none of that matters because people know in their heart that the Bible is the "True Word of God". Who needs proof when you have intuition, right?
The fear of questioning your own religion is what keeps you from doing so, at least that is the case for most religious folk. Why though? Are they afraid that they won't be able to find their way back? Or is it the fear of hell? The common vision of hell does not come from the Bible, but rather a very old book called The Divine Comedy. That very book is rumored to have been inspiration for the Christian version of hell.
Is living a moral life not enough, after all, the moral choices passed on through the western world mainly came from the Bible? Questions regarding your own religion should not be punishable by eternal damnation.
All this being said, I am not an Athiest. I do believe in the possibility of a God. He could be any God though. There are many religions out there. Hinduism, Judaism, and Buddhism are all much older than Christianity. Buddhism actually has a messiah who was born from a virgin mother, as do many other religions but I point this one out because the story came hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. Virgin birth is a common theme in religions. I know all of this because I am a Religion student, believe it or not. Religion fascinates me, especially western religions. So don't tell me to go read the Bible, because I already do.
Damn... so much for debating abortion lol.
I do. Jesus died for our sins, therefore deformities are now forgiven. You got me on that. I find the Old Testament to be much more fascinating and enjoy quoting it when given the opportunity lol. Since Jesus did die for our sins, wouldn't abortion be forgiven?
Jeremiah 8:8
“How can you say, ‘We are wise,
And the law of the Lord is with us’?
Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood."
This is a verse in the Bible that states that it is false. Christians strongly believe that the Bible is the true word of God and there isn't a single lie in it. So this leaves the question, is the Bible false or is Jeremiah?
Leviticus 21:16-23
16 The Lord said to Moses, 17 “Say to Aaron: ‘For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God. 18 No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; 19 no man with a crippled foot or hand, 20 or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles. 21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God. 22 He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food; 23 yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.’”
Like I said earlier, incestual rape can lead to the birth of a deformed child. While these verses do not actually support abortion, it does prove my point that deformities are seen as a sin in the eyes of God. People who are deformed in any way, shape or form are condemned from approaching God's altar. This is in the Bible, "God's Holy Word" as you put it. God would never punish someone for something they had no control over, right?
