Originally Posted by
-Cp
Just started dabbling with this, but would love to know why so many Christians believe in a place called "hell" - i.e. a place of eternal torment for the "unsaved"....
I tend to think most of us have been raised to think that way because we misinterpet the Bible - Hell in the OT always meant "the grave" and in the NT, the word (Gehenna) was a place outside the city of Jeruselem.
I don't believe in hell as traditionally understood by Christians, partially because of these exact reasons.
Nor do I understand Eternal or Endless Damnation like traditional Christians.
This is not to say i dont believe God punishes the wicked. He does. But not like the traditions.
If we were as industrious to become good as to make ourselves great, we should become really great by being good, and the number of valuable men would be much increased; but it is a grand mistake to think of being great without goodness; and i pronounce it as certain that there was never yet a truly great man that was not at the same time truly virtuous." - Ben Franklin
Imagine what good we can do if we all joined together, united as followers of Christ - M. Russell Ballard