What Christian religions do not believe in a burning hell?

by jwfacts 23 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Narkissos

  moggy lover,

  You're right, I missed the qualification "physical" -- it was not in fine print though

  However, afaik, the term "hell" in classical theology applies both to the intermediate and final state of the reprobate. The article from the old Catholic Encyclopedia is a good example: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07207a.htm

  The poena sensus, or pain of sense, consists in the torment of fire so frequently mentioned in the Holy Bible. According to the greater number of theologians the term fire denotes a material fire, and so a real fire. We hold to this teaching as absolutely true and correct. However, we must not forget two things: from Catharinus (d. 1553) to our times there have never been wanting theologians who interpret the Scriptural term fire metaphorically, as denoting an incorporeal fire; and secondly, thus far the Church has not censured their opinion. Some few of the Fathers also thought of a metaphorical explanation. Nevertheless, Scripture and tradition speak again and again of the fire of hell, and there is no sufficient reason for taking the term as a mere metaphor. It is urged: How can a material fire torment demons, or human souls before the resurrection of the body? But, if our soul is so joined to the body as to be keenly sensitive to the pain of fire, why should the omnipotent God be unable to bind even pure spirits to some material substance in such a manner that they suffer a torment more or less similar to the pain of fire which the soul can feel on earth? The reply indicates, as far as possible, how we may form an idea of the pain of fire which the demons suffer. Theologians have elaborated various theories on this subject, which, however, we do not wish to detail here (cf. the very minute study by Franz Schmid, "Quaestiones selectae ex theol. dogm.", Paderborn, 1891, q. iii; also Guthberlet, "Die poena sensus" in "Katholik", II, 1901, 305 sqq., 385 sqq.).

  According to theologians the pain of loss and the pain of sense constitute the very essence of hell, the former being by far the most dreadful part of eternal punishment. But the damned also suffer various "accidental" punishments.

  • Just as the blessed in heaven are free from all pain, so, on the other hand, the damned never experience even the least real pleasure. In hell separation from the blissful influence of Divine love has reached its consummation.
  • The reprobate must live in the midst of the damned; and their outbursts of hatred or of reproach as they gloat over his sufferings, and their hideous presence, are an ever fresh source of torment.
  • The reunion of soul and body after the Resurrection will be a special punishment for the reprobate, although there will be no essential change in the pain of sense which they are already suffering.

  As to the punishments visited upon the damned for their venial sins, cf. Suarez, "De peccatis", disp. vii, s. 4.
• 

  mdb

  Although not Christian in any way (though they would label themselves as such), the Mormons do not believe in eternal damnation, but rather a heaven containing three levels (celestial, terrestrial, telestial). The Celestial is for perfect Mormons, the Terrestrial is for moral people and lukewarm LDS, and the Telestial Kingdom is for everyone else. This of course is completely unbiblical.
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  Beta Male

  i think youve got the telestial and terrestrial rewards backwards there mdb
• 

  Double Edge

  It is my understanding that they are starting to drop this teaching as just a figurative place. Is that true?

  Yes.... they've probably been watching The History Channel which exposed "hell's" true background. It's hard to delude an informed public.
• 

  mdb

  i think youve got the telestial and terrestrial rewards backwards there mdb

  Beta Male, Sorry. They are in the correct order. You can look at it on the official LDS web site if you want. Three Kingdoms of Heaven Hell **Both of these are false doctrines and I do not agree with or support them. The links are posted for your reference so that you know that what I said is true regarding the LDS doctrines. The Mormon is not Christian.
• 

  IP_SEC

  Up in the back woods of Barksdale TX i ran in to an old time baptist who swore up and down there was a deep well drilled in russia where there was the smell of sulphur and the screems of the damned could be heard coming out of it. That's one of the few people I've ever talked to that though hell was a literal burning place of torment.
• 

  moggy lover

  From the scattered bits of information in the Bible the following facts can be gleaned about the place known as Sheol/Hades:

  1 It is a place Eccl 9:10 [NWT] It therefore is a spatial unit located somewhere, in a dimension hiterto unknown to us [Most of us look down when making reference to it]

  2 It has gates Isa 38:10 These are naturally as literal as Sheol itself, but are not physical. Hence the allusion to Christ as the One having the "keys" of Sheol

  3 It is a place of darkness and gloom Job 10:21, 22; Ps 143:3 Evidently light which is a physical reality does not penetrate there

  4 Nevertheless it is in some way also a place where the denizens can converse and hassle one another, even recognizing newcomers.They are able to make moral judgments on each other. Isa 14:9-20; 44:23; Ez 32:21;

  5 Hence it is a place of concious existence but lacking in "spiritual" values Ps 6:5

  6 There are evidently at least three levels in Sheol since we know of it having a "lowest part" Dt 32:22

  7 The inhabitants are disembodied spirits called, in the Heb "Rephaim" Jewish Tanach: "Shades" Prot NKJV "the dead" Cath JB "ghosts" Isa 14:9

  8 Somehow these disembodied spirits are capable of experiencing such senses as "pain" Job 26:5: and "torment" Lu 16:23 The Heb word used in Job, "chool" evidently means the physical pain experienced in childbirth. However the source of this pain, whether internal or externally generated is not described

  9 While the Bible does make reference to those in Sheol/Hades as experiencing "humiliation" and "contempt"- Dan 12:2 - the reference is to a period future to their existence in Sheol/Hades

  In none of these passages is any reference made to "fires" as a source of the sensient experiences felt by the dead

  However fire is associated with a seperate and eternal existing location which is still in the future. The palce termed Gehenna in the NT. Evidently at the end of the Millennium, Sheol/Hades will be emptied of its non physical inhabitants who, as a result of adverse judgment, will then be clothed with physical bodies and if qualified to be associates of satan and his angelic hordes, be thrown into these literal and physical fires

  Cheers
• 

  jwfacts

  This then raises another question. If hell is figurative then what happens to the soul of the evil person. Is it not immortal? If a bad person does not go to heaven and is not tortured in hell then where is their soul? Or is it simply destroyed?
• 

  Arthur

  I have heard of many religions believing that hell is another dimension where souls are tormented in an "emotional" or "mental" state of agony. In some Christian faiths, such torment is eternal, and therefore would imply immortality. In some eastern religions, the soul resides in such realms, where they have the free will to work toward spiritual purification through reincarnation, or can work to attain higher spiritual planes, or dimensions such as the celestial realms and heavens. However, I don't understand why people who believe in the soul surviving physical death, reach the conclusion that the soul must be immortal. If God created souls, why couldn't He also destroy them?
• 

  jwfacts

  Thanks for all the info Moggy.

  Here is some information about the Church of England beliefs:

  March 25, 1996 - The Church of England's Doctrine Commission reported in February that Hell is not eternal torment. The statements on Hell were contained in a report entitled "Thy Mystery of Salvation." Consider what these theologians have concluded:

  "Christians have professed appalling theologies which made God into a sadistic monster. ... Hell is not eternal torment, but is the final and irrevocable choosing of that which is opposed to God so completely ... that the only end is total non-being."

  Retired Anglican Bishop David Jenkins commented to Ecumenical News International, "We wanted to say that final judgment is there, but torment does not go on and on and on forever. Others could not be in bliss knowing that this were so. ... Wrong-doers may suffer in ways we cannot know but which go beyond non-being. I don't believe in eternal torment, though."

  ~~~~

  The only thing that i can find on why it should be immortal is that people are granted everlasting life. But from my point of view that is not to say that the soul can not be destroyed, just as it was at one time created. This would require accepting some of the texts of "tormented forever and ever" such as Revelation as symbolic, as done by the WTS.