This first unit in our English class is going to get very personal very fast. I need you all the be open-minded, concientious in your replies and carry on an adult conversation. I am trusting that you can all do this and all participate so that we all learn and grow from this experience. We don't want anyone to walk away from this hurt or angry.
The question is...
Who goes to Hell? Who decides? Why do people go to Hell?
Think. Defend. Challenge. Expand.
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I don't really think there is a decision of who goes to hell. There isn't really a heaven in my mind and there isn't really a hell. It is more of a concept. I feel that our soul is free to wander to wherever it shall wander. It is drawn to places based on your memories and your personality and the soul you were born with. You are born with a certain soul and can't just say that I want a different soul or a personality. It is what we are given and we have to deal with the choices that we make in our lives based on how we were raised and the personality that we have.
ReplyDeleteme being a predbyterian christian i also believe that if you accept jesus into your heart then you will go to heaven and all will be forgiven, but that means to me that you have to live under god's wing and do thing's that he would do instead of going out and making mistakes.
ReplyDeleteI believe that all people whose have a clean soul will go to heaven. That all people who commit no sins will gain entrance. the problem is I also believe that to achieve a clean soul you must ask for forgiveness from Jesus Christ and without that you cannot enter heaven. I believe that it is impossible to not commit one sin in their lifetimes so Jesus must be accepted to get to heaven otherwise you will be condemned to hell.
ReplyDeleteWho goes to hell? Pretty good question....I would have to say hardend criminals that kill just to kill. Basically people like that. If you murder out of self defense such as someone is in your house, with the intent to kill you then i dont think that person shoould go to hell for self defense. Who decides? i think God decides if he wants you to go to heavan or hell. I think he has the final say. Why do people go to hell? Again good question...I think people go to hell because of the bad decisions that they made during their lifetime. Again like I said the hardend criminals in prison that murder random people just to do it then they will go to hell.
ReplyDeleteI am a non denominational christian and our beliefs are based on the bible. Many Christians know about hell and that is one punishment if you have not been saved or believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. However it doesnt make sense that you can believe into Christ and be saved and then live your life however you want and get to go to heaven the same as someone who devoted there life to live Christ. The bible talks about another punishment called the weeping and nashing of teeth and this is for people who did not take the time to gain Christ during there life. Now Mrs. Smith brought up a point of Jews not believing in Jesus so do they go to hell, or what about a baby that has not had time to be saved? The Jews are Gods chosen people and I know God to be mercifull and loving so I would say he has a plan for them.
ReplyDeleteMy family was raised Catholic. But I was raised to have the choice in what I believe. And my beliefs system is more of pickings and choosing from religions. There is everything from karma to a "God", if that's the chosen name. I do believe in a heaven and a hell. But I don't believe that a supreme power chooses if you go. The decisions and choices a person makes on his or her path in life is what determines if he or she goes to hell. Call it sin or a savior, there are always two options in life. Good or evil, right or wrong, it's how you choose to lead your life.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that any person decides who goes to hell. I believe that what you do in life determines if you go to hell. I am not a religious person so I don't believe in the 7 deadly sins. Everyone sins at least once in their life and I don't think that you should go to hell for every little thing you might do. I believe that if there is a god he would not be looking to punish us for all of the small bad things we do. However I think that some people go to hell because they are truly evil. People who murder the innocent are an example of the people who should go to hell. But if a 6 year old is jealous of another kids toy they should not be damned to hell.
ReplyDeleteI am not a particularly religous person. I did not grow up going to church every Sunday, listening and practicing the words of God. But I do have some sort of idea on who I think goes to Heaven and Hell. In going to Hell or Heaven it is not a religious affiliation but more of an affiliation with judgement. The bad people that go to Hell I believe are the murders, criminals and people that cause harm on to others. I think that through your life if you are nice, respectful and try and do the right thing, you will ultimetly end up where you want to. Those that deserve to be in a state of punishment will end up there and the people that deserve to be in a state of bliss and harmony will as well.
ReplyDeleteI was raised to think that bad people go to Hell when they sin. I was told that God decided who should go to Hell. As a kid, it was easier to see things as black and white. If you sin, you are bad and go to Hell. Now that I am older, I think that it is really hard to judge people's actions like that. I don't think that one bad decision should negate all the good things a person did. I think that there are grey areas, and that is why people can't really judge who should go to heaven or hell. Personally, I think that it really helps us cope when we can think of people in a better place.
ReplyDeleteI think that who goes to Hell are people who have done terrible things in there lifetime and who have done things to hurt other people. Examples of the people I think would qualify for doing terrible things are burglars, rapists, and murderers. I think that each person decides who goes to Hell individually because everyone has different views of who they think should go to Hell. I also think that we decide for ourselves if we are going to go to hell or heaven because everyone has different morals and beliefs and if you feel that you lived your life in a good fashion, then you will probably go to heaven. If you think that you have sinned throughout your life and you are disappointed with how you lived your life then you will probably think that you deserve to go to hell. I think that people go to hell because they have committed really terrible acts through out their life and people go to heaven if they have lived a good life and have strong morals.
ReplyDeleteI am not a very religious person. I don't go to church but I am a Christian. I believe in god and that there is a heaven and a hell. I think God decides who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. I think people go to hell for how much they have sinned and God created this world and he knows whats best and everything happens for a reason.
ReplyDeleteHell, Heaven, Purgatory, and reincarnation there are so many religions and many beliefs of afterlife. I'm luthern and according to my religion I believe in hell. My beliefs of this are not so, i feel that with all the religions out there it is hard to believe in one idea. I don't believe in hell and at the same time I don't believe there isn't a hell. My thoughts on who goes to hell is not those who don't believe in a certain religion or a whole group of people. The people who go to hell are those who commit autrocious acts without regards to others. People who murder, steal, and who are just mean people. But it isn't just whoever does any of those things, it's the people who do those things and feel no regret or remorse of what they are doing or have done. Those who don't feel guilt from "evil" acts are the ones who go to hell or some place bad. As for who decides, I feel that it is up to God, not christian God or Buddha or any of those religions. My view on God is every religion is just their interpretation of their certain God. Who decides is the God that every religion has it'sinterpretation of.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I am a Christian. I have been taught that anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior is saved by the grace of God and goes to Heaven. However, recently I have been studying the scripture and my views have changed slightly. I have been reading the Bible and studying God's love. I have learned that God is love, and He loves everyone regardless of their religion. I do not believe that someone is damned to hell because they refuse to believe one certain thing. God can truly see one's heart, and He decides who can go to Heaven. I believe people who serve others and are kind, loving people go to Heaven. You go on based on your character, not your religion.
ReplyDeleteIt is not for me to decide who goes to hell and who does not. I think that the afterlife may be an accumulation of karmic undercurrents one carried throughout life. Shamanic cultures believe that one simply becomes the energy of the earth and universe. I'm reminded of the opening lines of a sacred Buddhist text called The Dhamapada, "Our life is shaped by our thoughts, for we become what we think." It then goes on to explain that evil karma and actions follow evil thoughts, and likewise with good thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI have spent countless hours reading and writing poetry, reading books and studying the words of human beings. Perhaps the afterlife is pure existential non-existence. I have no concrete beliefs. I do believe that life is beautiful and sacred and should be cherished and worshiped as holy. We all have beautiful minds, we all cry and bleed. Karma is just another way of saying, "you reap what you sow."
It is sad to see humans harbor hostility towards one another for beliefs. There are people on this planet who believe that the holocaust didn't happen, that dinosaur's were put here to test our faith. Beliefs are a messy business. I shall finish my thoughts with a quote by Matisyahu, "Once you KNOW, your dead and not living. And that is the wisdom to KNOW while your living."
I do not know who gets to go to Hell and who does not. The way I see it, is if you have hurt others by killing them or even raping them that the should be sent down to hell or go to heaven and wait for someone to judge on where they should go. I do not know if this is what happens or if a person who hurts someone else is in self denfense, but I do believe that there is a higher power somewhere out there who gets to judge what happens to people when they past. Who knows maybe there is not anyone who is out there that judges what happens to others when they past. I am also a huge believer in science. So for me to believe in a higher power is hard when i see the sceince side of everything. I believe in a higher power but I also believe that maybe we just die and become part of the earth. People may go to Hell if they have done a serious crime, or maybe because of the sins they have done in their lives. I honestly do not know and I do not think I have the right to say who goes to Hell, who decides who goes to Hell, or why people go to Hell. This is an issue that will never stop being fought over.
ReplyDeleteWell I am from a "Semi Orthodox" Hebrew family. Many Hebrews believe that they go to a place called Sheol when they die. Shoeol is neither heaven or hell, it isn't good or bad, every Jew goes to Sheol. The reason Sheol is like this is to place emphasis on the present life. Rewards for good or bad deeds are given out in the present out in the form of rewards and punishments. All Hebrews are expected to atone for their sins on Yom Kippur (The day of atonement). In a temple, you are expected to think of all the sins you have committed during the past year and beg for forgiveness.
ReplyDeleteMy family is split religiously. My parents decided that the best way to teach me what to believe would be to present both views on the issue and then let me decide what I want to believe. With this approach, I have never fully understood why someone would go to hell, or even what hell implies. Both sides have taught me that God is the ultimate decider, but each has their own view of God and what He deems right. I have always chosen to believe that anyone who was good would go to heaven, after all it is inhuman to never make a mistake. Anytime I am coping with a death i find comfort in the fact that they were, in my eyes, a great person and that in any sense would end up in heaven. The problem with this logic however, is where to draw the line between a lot of mistakes and someone who is genuinely bad. Is it ever a mistake if it is done intentionally? What could make a mistake so bad that you are damned to misery for eternity?
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is probably something bigger out there than us but I don't believe there's anyone out there with the right to decide who gets to go to heaven and who gets to go to hell. I don't believe in a God or a Satin, in a Heaven or a Hell, I believe in right now, in this moment how things are. I believe that those who do wrong will be punished but I believe life will punish them in its own way. I believe in Karma and in just being your best, I don't want to live my life to get into Heaven or to avoid hell, I just want to live a life I'll be proud of when all is said and done. I don't yet know what more might be out there, what is waiting for me when I'm gone someday but I believe there's something because if life is all there is then what's the point of life? I believe in all possibilities but that we shouldn't judge people because they believe different things, I believe in love and the journey of life but past life, I don't really know what i believe yet.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to hell and heaven, I don't really know what to think or believe. Personally, I don't think there is a hell or heaven to seperate people after they lives end. I think there is an afterlife of sorts, but not seperating good versus bad. Growing up my family has never really been religious, so I have been able to choose my own beliefs reather then learning what my parents teach me help me believe. When it comes to higher beings, I don't believe in any god. I believe more in the scientific version of how the Earth became. Rather then God having some sort of total power over people, I believe we are each in complete control of ourselves. I don't think that believing in a God or maybe something else is bad at all. Each individual is capable of their own thoughts, ideas and beliefs. If there is such thing as a Hell then I think we are destined for it by our own actions. Who determines what's wrong or right? I don't really know. But as humans we have come to our own conclusions. I think each individual person, determines their own fate deep in the depths of their mind and soul.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has visited their own hell at some point in their lives. Maybe it hasn't appeared yet but its this idea of hell that contrives the idea of becoming a better person; to right wrongs. So in my opinion everyone goes to their own hell but depending on how they handle it they are able to climb out of it. Believing in anything of the afterlife is a comfort, set in place so that death is not meaningless but that in its self is the true reason we live our lives. We all die.
ReplyDeleteNo one decides to go to hell. There's two sides to every coin, good and evil in everything and most of all imperfections to everything. We are not perfect. Hell is a journey to find whatever we are looking for. Redemption, suffering, happiness, family. It's different for all of us. But we go looking for plaster to fill up the cracks in our perfect glass mirrors thinking we can see ourselves better for it. That is why hell exists, why people go there and why people are so terrified of it.
It tells people the truth about themselves.
I was raised Catholic so I had the idea always if I sinned I would go to hell, but as I got older I started to question that reasoning. If we were built to sin then wouldn't we all go to hell? I know also if you ask for forgiveness you are OK, but still we are going to just go sin again. So to me there is no hell, or heaven, I feel humans just want to think there will be something on the other side. And for those who believe in heaven, I think you guys can be right. No one knows for sure what happens to us afterwards. Even though I don't believe in Hell, I still try to avoid committing the things that would put you in hell. But I like living in the now, and so for me I can't think there is some destination waiting for me, determined on my choices. We all meet up in the same place.
ReplyDeleteI believe there is no hell. There will be no punishment or reward for doing evil or good deeds in life. In life, you should help others and try to achieve greatness of virtue because you WANT to. Fear of damnation or harming your karma are the worst reasons to do good. It is also impossible to predict what will happen in the afterlife. There is the same probability that there is no afterlife vs. the possibility that there will be a continued end. In almost all modern day religions, the virtues that are deemed to be followed are practiced the same. I believe it is these virtues that we should follow but not for the reasons that are explained.
ReplyDeleteThe interpretation of an afterlife is usually a direct response to someones religious beliefs. I believe that religion is merely a tool made up to describe what we cannot explain. For example, Greek Mythology in modern days is considered myth because we can scientifically explain what truly causes earthquakes, motion of the ocean,lightning, ect. But back in ancient Greece that WAS the religion. They used religion to explain what could not be explained.
When I was younger, my parents really influenced my religion by taking me to church every week and enrolling me in a private Christian school. Today, they are much less involved, forcing me to make my religion my own. I am a strong believer in God and the Bible, and I'm not really sure how to classify myself more specifically than to just say that I am a Christian. I believe there is a heaven and a hell and that the Bible is truth. I think that if you accept God to be your Lord and Savior, you will be saved and you will spend eternity in heaven. I think that the people who go to hell are the ones that reject God and refuse to give their lives to Him. Ultimately, you decide what you believe and how you live your life. I don't think that God, Satan, your parents, or anybody else decides if you go to hell or not. It is a personal decision.
ReplyDeleteI believe in Hell as more of a mindset, and obviously after you die. To me, there is an afterlife where most people go to heaven, but in heaven, there is more of a personal hell that you go through as a result of your actions here on Earth. As there is an afterlife, I believe that we were all together in heaven before this earth life as well. I believe that a kind of "council" in heaven happened, and whereas people had to choose Satan's plan (where everyone is forced to make good choices to return to God), or Jesus Christ's plan (where we all have our own free agency to make our own decisions). I believe that those that followed Jesus Christ's plan is everyone that has ever lived or whill ever live on Earth, which is why I believe most people will go to heaven. Those that chose Christ's plan will be tested on this Earth, and if we "pass the test", then we will return to him in heaven.
ReplyDeleteHaving grown up as a christian, i have been raised to believe that if you believe in Jesus Christ and the life he lived as God's only son, then you will go to heaven. No sin can separate you from him, and everyone is offered salvation.
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of getting waaaay too personal, I have been having a lot of doubts about my faith the past few years and it has been increasingly difficult to acknowledge the existence of God, Hell, Heaven, Satan, and so on. Not in a spiteful "i can't believe anyone believes this stuff" sort of way, but more of a "I wish i could see what everyone else seems to be so adamantly sure of" kind of way, almost like an inside joke i just don't quite get.
Hell is an incredibly elusive concept to me. If I say hell is a burning lake of sulfur filled with the souls of the damned (as described in revelations), an athiest could argue there is no hell. The idea that so many different religions and so many people could interpret the same concept of damnation in so many different ways astounds me. I can't decide on my beliefs at this point, so who goes to hell, and why they go to hell depends heavily on whether or not hell exists.
Riley C- I like your comment a lot about God. He wouldn't put us on this planet just to punish us for every little thing that we do, but to learn from our mistakes and teach others about our mistakes. But I also believe there will be a mental state of hell if you continue to make the same mistakes, and knowingly. (See earlier post)
ReplyDeleteI believe that if you practice the religion of your choice you should be very knowledgeable of who goes to Hell and why they do so. I am not a very religious person but from what I have taken in from the people and world around me I know that you will go to Hell if you sin. Hell isn’t a place you want to end up. I realize that the millions of diverse religions cherish their own views on Heaven and Hell and also, their perspective on what they define as a sin. I find it quite fascinating that so many people of different backgrounds can join together for their religion, it is a powerful thing.
ReplyDeleteI have never been a very religious person, but if i were to answer the question of who goes to hell, i would imagine it would be people who sin while they are alive. It is very hard to tell you who and why you go to hell because there are so many different religions around the world, i have no idea they're beliefs and customs. Im really not sure who decides if you go to heaven of hell but the obvious guess is god. Once people die they have to either go to heaven and hell, and ive always thought that was weird, is there any place inbetween heaven or hell where not very religious people can go?
ReplyDeleteI believe since i was raised from a Christian background i believe that people who repeatedly sin and do terrible stuff(murder) go to hell but they can right themselves by accepting Jesus into there hearts and and confessing your wrong doings . peoples actions decide whether they go to hell .
ReplyDeleteI used to be more religious in middle school and beginning of high school, but my views and thoughts about heaven and hell have changed tremendously. I honestly am not sure if I believe in heaven or hell anymore but if I did, I would find it hard to believe that only christians went to heaven. If you do not sin and believe in your own god, I imagine that the god up there, whether it is a christian god or not, would understand why you would come to think that and help you understand what is truth. I can imagine that the people going to hell are the ones who commit sins without any problem and do not accept any god into their lives.
ReplyDeleteI believe that you have to ask Jesus into you're in order to wipe out the sins you commit during you're life. If you do not to this, the sins will stay with you and you will be on a path to hell. I also think that you should live a life that rewards God because that's part of having Jesus in you're heart and living for him.
ReplyDelete