Almost saved- so near and yet so far

[Socialite]

Originally Posted by NotforSale

Ok, so why does Hell/Eternal Torture, exist before the New Testament in other cultures/generations? The connection with Christianities Hell and with the Greek Hades is far too coincidental. The “Church” is known for embracing demonized concepts that surround Religion and Culture. The Jews did this, the Indians did it, and all Cultures do it.

I'm sorry, Socialite, but the magic appearance of Hell in the New Testament is a big problem with me. This is an inconsistent and strange shift in the entire spectrum of God's dealings with Humanity.

We honestly can't prove, nor do we know who will in FACT go there. It's nothing but a guess. I don’t believe Hell should be a struggle to understand. It’s way too graphic, horrible, and far too long, and as a weak and insecure human, I have a hard enough time dealing with what I can see.

The same is speculated about the Great Flood, tales of a Giant Whale swallowing a man and spitting him out in a great rescue, etc...

I can't answer all those questions -- though I can certainly speculate right along with the best of them. When Jesus used the word "Hell" (3 different forms), he most definitely was identifying with an idea they already knew or were aware of. While I don't believe in fire pit as the final estate for unbelieving people, I do believe in eternal separation -- described with terms as vivid as a fire pit.

To pick and choose what we like and understand in the NT is a dangerous game to start.

And you're right -- I can't prove who will in fact go there. I just know the lie of UR is a false hope. Our only hope is Christ.