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My View on Hell

"You're going to hell." Common phrase and one that has been hurled at me many times for various reasons. My usually response is laughter because I don't believe in hell. Let me explain myself. There really isn't a biblical base for the concept of a place in another realm. What people have contrived as a place called hell, a fire pit, generally comes from Dante's book. Also there isn't really a biblical base for purgatory either. For me, from a theological stand point there's not room for hell - a place void of God and one that is full of endless pain and suffering. Genesis starts with a litany about how all things are created good. We then read throughout both testaments that God is good and all loving. So why would God, who is all loving and creates all things good create something that is bad and leave souls there to suffer. For me there are just too many inconsistencies in this idea of hell. If anything I believe that this concept of heaven/hell was created for humanity to have some sense of reward and punishment to fill a need within its self. It's an attempt to answer the question "what happens to people who do bad?" So please tell me to go to hell because to me you're telling to go to a place that doesn't exist and I'm okay with that. I like to play pretend too.

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