What is the purpose of hell in Christian or Muslim theology?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I self identify as Muslim and i was taught that hell is like a "hospital" its a place where people with a "sick" soul would go to recuperate and that with time everyone in hell, even Satan will enter into paradise after learning to submit to the will of God and being grateful to Him. I think the the hadith that even satan will enter Paradise is a fairly common one but I also know that since my family moved to the USA in the sixties, the extremist Saudi Salafi tradition has taken hold and most muslims believe in what i think is a "christian" hell- eternal hellfire. I was taught that we dont believe that by our teachers in teh eighties but times are different now, none of my parents friends wore hijabs or shorts, just regular modest clothes and some even drank so we are not particularly inclined to believe in eternal hell, but i dont really know what modern day Wahabi types believe.

That's really interesting. Do you have any information on the tradition that you followed or the hadith about even satan going to Paradise eventually?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hell is the complete separation from God and His love for all eternity. It is reserved for those who deliberately decided to sever themselves from Him in this life and refused to seek forgiveness and be reconciled.

Your god is pretty brutal with his children.

‘Do what I want or else’ is quite literal.

Why do you say that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hell is the complete separation from God and His love for all eternity. It is reserved for those who deliberately decided to sever themselves from Him in this life and refused to seek forgiveness and be reconciled.

Your god is pretty brutal with his children.

‘Do what I want or else’ is quite literal.

Why do you say that?

NP.

You don’t see how “worship me or burn forever in hell” isn’t brutal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hell is the complete separation from God and His love for all eternity. It is reserved for those who deliberately decided to sever themselves from Him in this life and refused to seek forgiveness and be reconciled.

Your god is pretty brutal with his children.

‘Do what I want or else’ is quite literal.

Why do you say that?

NP.

You don’t see how “worship me or burn forever in hell” isn’t brutal?

Sorry — is brutal. It’s hugely brutal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hell is the complete separation from God and His love for all eternity. It is reserved for those who deliberately decided to sever themselves from Him in this life and refused to seek forgiveness and be reconciled.

Your god is pretty brutal with his children.

‘Do what I want or else’ is quite literal.

Why do you say that?

NP.

You don’t see how “worship me or burn forever in hell” isn’t brutal?

Sorry — is brutal. It’s hugely brutal.

I don’t think it is brutal for those who have made a conscious decision to separate themselves from God. It’s really sad that someone would do that, but really since God gave us free will, the sinner (we all are) can make a conscious decision to reconcile back to God. As an aside, it’s pointless to consider who might be in hell as God’s forgiveness is unconditional and knows no limits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hell is the complete separation from God and His love for all eternity. It is reserved for those who deliberately decided to sever themselves from Him in this life and refused to seek forgiveness and be reconciled.

Your god is pretty brutal with his children.

‘Do what I want or else’ is quite literal.

Why do you say that?

NP.

You don’t see how “worship me or burn forever in hell” isn’t brutal?

Sorry — is brutal. It’s hugely brutal.

I don’t think it is brutal for those who have made a conscious decision to separate themselves from God. It’s really sad that someone would do that, but really since God gave us free will, the sinner (we all are) can make a conscious decision to reconcile back to God. As an aside, it’s pointless to consider who might be in hell as God’s forgiveness is unconditional and knows no limits.

God "gave us free will"

But he created us knowing all, including what we would choose.

And his forgiveness is unconditional and knows no limits unless you happen to accidentally die (again, something he designed and would know) before you got a chance to ask for forgiveness.... then you are boned for eternity.

There is no logic to any of this madness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hell is the complete separation from God and His love for all eternity. It is reserved for those who deliberately decided to sever themselves from Him in this life and refused to seek forgiveness and be reconciled.

Your god is pretty brutal with his children.

‘Do what I want or else’ is quite literal.

Why do you say that?

NP.

You don’t see how “worship me or burn forever in hell” isn’t brutal?

Sorry — is brutal. It’s hugely brutal.

I don’t think it is brutal for those who have made a conscious decision to separate themselves from God. It’s really sad that someone would do that, but really since God gave us free will, the sinner (we all are) can make a conscious decision to reconcile back to God. As an aside, it’s pointless to consider who might be in hell as God’s forgiveness is unconditional and knows no limits.

God "gave us free will"

But he created us knowing all, including what we would choose.

And his forgiveness is unconditional and knows no limits unless you happen to accidentally die (again, something he designed and would know) before you got a chance to ask for forgiveness.... then you are boned for eternity.

There is no logic to any of this madness.

That’s the double edged sword of free will, my friend. None of us know when we will die so it’s best to do our best to live a life that puts the Gospel and others first and when we stumble, ask for forgiveness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hell is the complete separation from God and His love for all eternity. It is reserved for those who deliberately decided to sever themselves from Him in this life and refused to seek forgiveness and be reconciled.

Your god is pretty brutal with his children.

‘Do what I want or else’ is quite literal.

Why do you say that?

NP.

You don’t see how “worship me or burn forever in hell” isn’t brutal?

Sorry — is brutal. It’s hugely brutal.

I don’t think it is brutal for those who have made a conscious decision to separate themselves from God. It’s really sad that someone would do that, but really since God gave us free will, the sinner (we all are) can make a conscious decision to reconcile back to God. As an aside, it’s pointless to consider who might be in hell as God’s forgiveness is unconditional and knows no limits.

God "gave us free will"

But he created us knowing all, including what we would choose.

And his forgiveness is unconditional and knows no limits unless you happen to accidentally die (again, something he designed and would know) before you got a chance to ask for forgiveness.... then you are boned for eternity.

There is no logic to any of this madness.

That’s the double edged sword of free will, my friend. None of us know when we will die so it’s best to do our best to live a life that puts the Gospel and others first and when we stumble, ask for forgiveness.

You miss the point completely, "my friend".

If he knows in advance what you will do, then it is predetermined, and not free will by any definition, is it?

It's no more free will than you have a chance at 3-card monte.

If it wasn't all total bullshit, it would make me furious.

But I can just laugh at the suspension of logic it takes to believe this stuff.

"My friend".

[Anonymous]

I’m sorry your god rules over you with a double edged sword.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hell is the complete separation from God and His love for all eternity. It is reserved for those who deliberately decided to sever themselves from Him in this life and refused to seek forgiveness and be reconciled.

Your god is pretty brutal with his children.

‘Do what I want or else’ is quite literal.

No, he just has standards for the company he keeps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hell is the complete separation from God and His love for all eternity. It is reserved for those who deliberately decided to sever themselves from Him in this life and refused to seek forgiveness and be reconciled.

Your god is pretty brutal with his children.

‘Do what I want or else’ is quite literal.

No, he just has standards for the company he keeps.

Why not cause the people he doesn't like to be dead forever after their deaths rather than sending them to hell?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hell is the complete separation from God and His love for all eternity. It is reserved for those who deliberately decided to sever themselves from Him in this life and refused to seek forgiveness and be reconciled.

Your god is pretty brutal with his children.

‘Do what I want or else’ is quite literal.

No, he just has standards for the company he keeps.

Why not cause the people he doesn't like to be dead forever after their deaths rather than sending them to hell?

This is my question, too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hell is the complete separation from God and His love for all eternity. It is reserved for those who deliberately decided to sever themselves from Him in this life and refused to seek forgiveness and be reconciled.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hell is the complete separation from God and His love for all eternity. It is reserved for those who deliberately decided to sever themselves from Him in this life and refused to seek forgiveness and be reconciled.

Your god is pretty brutal with his children.

‘Do what I want or else’ is quite literal.

No, he just has standards for the company he keeps.

Why not cause the people he doesn't like to be dead forever after their deaths rather than sending them to hell?

The soul is immortal. Those in hell deliberately chose to be there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've always wondered about this.

It can't be rehabilitation, unless hell is temporary or the purpose is to make people regret their actions except they will still be suffering forever.

It could be deterrence if people who are living decide to make choices to avoid punishment. The threat of not going to heaven also allows for deterrence, though.

It could be incapacitation, but hell is unnecessary for that purpose if people are dead.

In the Bible or Quran, is there any information about the purpose of hell?

OP, I will attempt to answer this as an evangelical Christian - but just a lay person, not a minister of any kind. "Hell" in the Christian concept is defined as separation from God. This can be both physical and spiritual. From your question, it sounds as though you may believe that God created Hell for a specific purpose, but that is not the Christian understanding. Man created Hell because he refused reconciliation with God. So the word "purpose" in your question makes it difficult to answer - it's more like Hell is the result of man turning from God.

Does that make sense?