Why hell is not that bad of a place

[Sucumbio]

I'd prefer nothingness to eternal torture. The absence of life is only scary because you've never been dead. Besides, if you -could- die and then come back, you wouldn't notice because while dead you'd presumably experience nothing. What's to fear? Certainly not the premise that everything you do in life is a waste. You still have a legacy to leave for those who remain. If you have no one, no family, friends, audience, if you go out of the world like a wisp of air, ok, sure... depressing! And perhaps a legit fear... but rather than living in fear of that happening, you should spend your life making sure that's not the case. Problem solved.

"You mustn't allow yourself to be chained to fate, to be ruled by your genes. Human beings can choose the kind of life that they want to live. What's important is that you choose life... and then live. "

 

[Ganonsburg]

I'm a Christiain and I would absolutely hate to go to hell.

Anyone who wants to dare think that hell is not a bad place might as well think again, no offense.

Well, from a Christian viewpoint, you choose to be with God or not. Choosing to be with God=heaven (being in the eternal presence of God) is good because you get what you want. You'll enjoy it because that's what you chose. Choosing not to be with Him, or not making a choice to be with Him, = hell (the eternal absence of God) because you did not choose to be with God. So both are good, in a sense. However, the Bible says that eventually everyone will recognize that God is who he says He is, so they may regret their decision.

That's my view on it, based on what the Bible says.

LOL at thinking Inferno=Bible. LOL.

 

[Skrlx]

You cannot simply assume what each place is like.

It may be hard to believe but for those who believe in these places, Heaven is better.

most of what I said is backed up by paranormal communities except for the where you are part.

but i dunno, i'd rather be a ghost than be in a fictional utopia

 

[§witch]

most of what I said is backed up by paranormal communities except for the where you are part.

but i dunno, i'd rather be a ghost than be in a fictional utopia

Paranormal communities are full of shut-ins with tinfoil hats.

 

[Denzi]

What is so fearful to me is the idea that nothing exists after death.

Maybe the nothingness IS hell.

Think about that one.

 

[Zatchiel]

To be honest the thought of hell always make me laugh.

As in, the thought of billions of people being tortured by some big red guy.

Teran got my response right there ^__- b
Hell doesnt/shouldnt exist, if it did, there would be no point in trying to put the word out that it isnt bad; It is bad, but it isnt a bad Place.

 

[Melomaniacal]

From what I gather, the bible does depict hell as a place of fire and eternal torture. Not just the "eternal absence of God."

They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The Dead Are Judged
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

Explain? I could probably find more if anyone would like.


Oh, and as for those who are afraid of nothingness once they die, there has been a quote tossed around here on smashboards that pretty much nails it: "There was an infinite amount of time before you were born, and that was okay, wasn't it?" - oh, and please don't try to argue whether or not there was an infinite amount of time before you were born, that's not the point of the quote.
Personally, I'm fine with the idea of nothingness. It's not like I'll be conscious to be sad about it. The idea of my body fertilizing the earth is comforting to me.

 

[Pink Reaper]

Real reason Hell's not that bad

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/103390/

 

[Sucumbio]

The idea of my body fertilizing the earth is comforting to me.

That's an excellent viewpoint, I must say.

It's only right we should return to the Earth... we are born from its materials, and so we should replenish it as well.

Though technically I've requested cremation. It's not that I don't want to rot, it's that I don't want to take up space, lol. I'd much prefer my essence reduced to ash and then scattered someplace, or even compressed into a jewel. That'd be super nifty.

and now to the quotes: for these I love this source, it's great for comparison reading.

Originally Posted by 2 Thessalonians 1:9
They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power

This speaks to the absence of God, but it also speaks to torture, in a way. Newer translations say -through- (e.g. by direction) the "everlasting destruction" rather than -in addition to- everlasting destruction (torture).

"Such people will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction by being separated from the Lord's presence and from his glorious power" - ISV (International Standard Version)

Originally Posted by Matthew 5:22
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

This is undoubtedly about hell fire. Though it should be noted that Fire in biblical terms has many meanings. Mary's love for her son is often seen as burning like a fire, aka the Sacred Heart. The burning bush that Moses saw... there's fire all over the Bible, but this example is certainly about Hell.

Originally Posted by Daniel 12:2
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

This is about the end of days, and the resurrection from the dead of the righteous.

Originally Posted by Revelation 20:9-15
They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The Dead Are Judged
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

Yeah, this is the classic depiction from which the "fire and brimstone" hell is derived. The book itself can be considered more allegorical than literal, much like The Divine Comedy. But this specific passage details the last events, in essence, in which all souls are brought forth, judged based on their lives, and either sent to hell or to be with Jesus. Then the Earth and Heaven alike are re-created as one, with Jesus presiding, and God takes an eternal vacation. (but that last part's further on in the chapter, actually). So yeah, there's sufficient evidence here to suggest that hell is "burning" ... lake of fire, can't get more descriptive than that.

Then again one can say that to be totally absent from God is to be as if in a lake of fire. Excruciating, nonetheless.

 

[rvkevin]

Maybe the nothingness IS hell.

Think about that one.

So...before you were born, you were in hell?

Think about that one.

 

[Melomaniacal]

That's an excellent viewpoint, I must say.

It's only right we should return to the Earth... we are born from its materials, and so we should replenish it as well.

Though technically I've requested cremation. It's not that I don't want to rot, it's that I don't want to take up space, lol. I'd much prefer my essence reduced to ash and then scattered someplace, or even compressed into a jewel. That'd be super nifty.

That's exactly how I see it. The more my body can be used once I'm gone, the better. This, of course, means that I am an organ donor. The only issue is trying to find a way to legally bury my body in the topsoil without a coffin. I'm pretty sure that's illegal. Well... I hope I can find a way around that.

A whole bunch of stuff about stuff

So, that basically leaves us... where? "It's all about interpretation"? Because I hate that answer. Every bible question seems to lead to that answer.

 

[Sucumbio]

'm pretty sure that's illegal. Well... I hope I can find a way around that.

If you figure out a legal loop-hole I'd love to know it, cause I think you're right...

So, that basically leaves us... where? "It's all about interpretation"? Because I hate that answer. Every bible question seems to lead to that answer.

Yeah it can be a pain... The Bible has strict passages that are to be taken literally, then there are the more allegorical passages, there are metaphors, there are historical references, there's a lot. Hell Fire is definitely explicitly referenced, and it's also depicted in the metaphorical sense. So in essence, its both literal and figurative. Fire is one of those things that people immediately react to, so when examining consequence in the Bible, it's not uncommon to see references to fire or burning as such and especially in regards to Hell.

I have also heard the suggestion that Hell is purely the absence of God, but I tend to not agree with that... mainly because God is normally defined as being "everywhere" which means he'd also be in Hell, just that his presence is so diminished while in Hell that it may as well be as if he's not there at all. I mean, ... he HAS to be there, in at least a specific capacity, to keep Satan there. This ties in with Hell as a Prison for Satan and the Souls of the ****ed.

 

[Omnicron's Baklava Enterprises]

Meh.

There's too many people here who think violently and, in some bizarre way, enjoy it.

The thought of being made to wallow in human faeces, scratch your skin off, and burn alive isn't very nice whatsoever.

The thought of walking on clouds above the Earth is amazing though.

Hell is intended to be the 'bad place' that one is sent to after committing sins. However, some people misinterpret it and take it in a good sense.
Which is vaguely creepy.

inb4tl;drpostsreplyingtomine

 

[Firus]

I'd prefer nothingness to eternal torture. The absence of life is only scary because you've never been dead. Besides, if you -could- die and then come back, you wouldn't notice because while dead you'd presumably experience nothing. What's to fear? Certainly not the premise that everything you do in life is a waste. You still have a legacy to leave for those who remain. If you have no one, no family, friends, audience, if you go out of the world like a wisp of air, ok, sure... depressing! And perhaps a legit fear... but rather than living in fear of that happening, you should spend your life making sure that's not the case. Problem solved.

"You mustn't allow yourself to be chained to fate, to be ruled by your genes. Human beings can choose the kind of life that they want to live. What's important is that you choose life... and then live. "

I agree with this 100%, though I can understand those who fear nothingness because I used to be the same way. I think the problem is that the idea of nothing ever existing to you again is so massive and incomprehensible that it inspires fear. I can't say what it was that made me finally grow used to the idea, because I recall a few occasions where I was absolutely TERRIFIED after thinking of that idea.

...Wait, I just realized something. I was technically a Christian without questioning that line of thought until a few years back, yet there were multiple occasions before that when the idea of death scared me in the sense that there would be nothingness after life, yet that contradicts Christian beliefs...now I'm just completely baffled.

Hell is intended to be the 'bad place' that one is sent to after committing sins. However, some people misinterpret it and take it in a good sense.
Which is vaguely creepy.

The problem with this is that "bad" is subjective, "sins" are subjective, "good" is subjective.

This sort of makes me think of Lost. The "man in black" tells Richard Alpert that they're in Hell and that Jacob is the Devil, while I personally had gotten a sense prior to that point that Jacob is supposed to be God while the "man in black" is supposed to be the Devil.

I'm not necessarily saying I believe this, but to play devil's advocate (no pun intended), God tells us that Heaven is good, Hell is bad, and that we should strive to go to Heaven...but what if Heaven is not necessarily good and Hell is not necessarily bad? Again, don't flame me or anything because I'm not trying to be offensive, just something to think about.

 

[saviorslegacy]

Nice troll IMO@OP

I have come to believe that religion should almost never be debated because both sides are so sure that they are right and the other is wrong. No one will ever admit to being wrong because almost everyone person identifies themselves with their religion or lack there of.
Christians look at themselves as warriors for Christ, some look at themselves as messengers of Christ, but in general every Christian views themselves as a follower of Jesus.
Atheists believe that they are logical thinkers (like Spock) and that logic/science can solve every problem. A lot atheists, and this has been my experience ONLY, are rebellious to either the Government, religion or to their parents. A lot of times the religion part and the parent part go hand and hand.
Other times an atheist feels that if there was a God then he wouldn't let such bad things happen.

At the core of each person there is a belief. Arguing makes the other person feel as if their core is being attacked. This is why a lot of Christians make me angry, they try to argue how their religion is right. Then again, I absolutely despise a cocky atheist (and Christian).
IMO, actions are louder than words. If a Christians truly wants to *save* people then he should let his life be his words and his tongue should be humble.


ps I am Christian.... just to clear that up, mainly because I argue both sides of the picture.

 

[Kewkky]

I'm not necessarily saying I believe this, but to play devil's advocate (no pun intended), God tells us that Heaven is good, Hell is bad, and that we should strive to go to Heaven...but what if Heaven is not necessarily good and Hell is not necessarily bad? Again, don't flame me or anything because I'm not trying to be offensive, just something to think about.

Let's see...

*Heaven is good, Hell is bad.


Switched up around, we come to the conclusion that...

*Heaven is bad, Hell is good.
*Heaven has bad people, Hell has good people.
*To go to heaven you have to be bad, and to go to Hell you have to be good.
*In religion, Heaven is the good place, and Hell is the bad place.
*Hell is bad, Heaven is good.


So, we're pretty much back where we started.


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Spoiler

Or are you saying that if Heaven is bad and Hell is good, but we still have to be good to go to Heaven and bad to go to Hell, that it'd be better to be a bad person in this world?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The problem with this is that "bad" is subjective, "sins" are subjective, "good" is subjective.

If saying "good" and "bad" is subjective, as you say... Then think of it this way: Let's say Heaven and Hell are restaurants... Do you like eggs? If so, then Heaven has all of your favorite egg dishes, and Hell has your most hated egg-based dishes and they're also putrid... According to your senses, which would you rather go to if you wanted some good eggs? That's pretty much the gist of it. Heaven is supposed to be whay you strive to achieve, and Hell is supposed to be what you strive to never achieve. As a bear, would you rather grab some honey safely, or get stung by bees and fail to grab the honey?

Whichever situation you think of, there are two general outcomes to your actions: Something favorable, and something unfavorable. According to the definitions, we can attribute the word "good" to that which is favorable, and "bad" to that which is unfavorable. Heaven is supposed to be a good thing, and Hell is supposed to be a bad thing. You should always try to go to Heaven, and never try to go to Hell. Christianity has made it their mission to portray Heaven as the best of the best things in existence, and Hell as the worst of the worst things in existence.

So, according to the above paragraph, there is nothing good about Hell. And in conclusion, Hell IS that bad of a place.

 

[Ganonsburg]

I guess I failed to make something clear in my last post:

Hell sucks. I didn't mean to make it sound as nice as I did. But for those who don't want to be with God it's a lot better than being stuck in God's eternal, direct presence. And for the Christian (and Israelites/Jews) who want to be with God (the people who wrote the Bible, keep in mind), Hell is a horrible place because there is no God there.

 

[Kewkky]

You know, if Heaven is good just because we're with God, then God must be some very amazing thing. It should bring us lots of joy for all eternity, which is an inverse relation to Hell, where it brings us lots of despair for all eternity... I don't think going to Hell should be people's objectives, it's basically asking for eternal suffering. That's how Hell is described at all times. The big red guy with a trident is just TV/movie effects... Remember that Lucifer was the angel of brightness, and was the most beautiful and smartest angel of them all AND pretty much God's right-hand-man, so him being red and ugly and stupid makes no sense, since God just took his position from him and sent him out of Heaven. He's still alive, and is said to die after the Holy War that will happen who-knows-when, when God will strip him of his wings, throw him in the middle of u all so we can see him, and burn him from the inside out 'until he is no more'... I don't even know where the pitchfork and arrow tail came from.

Anyway, hell is a place people shouldn't want to go, cuz it has eternal suffering. No matter how you look at it, Hell is, pretty much, THAT bad of a place. :|

 

[Ganonsburg]

What about demons and the Devil? They hate God, so while they're suffering in Hell they still don't want to be with God. For them it's a lose-lose situation, but they kind of win in that they got what they wanted. It's like choosing to eat candy and pizza and drink soda every day. You get what you want, but it sucks in the end. Someone could tell the person to stop eating candy and such and to eat healthy food, but the person would whine and complain and be angry until they mature enough to see their mistake (if they ever do).

That's kind of the situation with Hell. Some people hate God and do not want to be with Him or follow the rules He laid down for His glory and our benefit. God can't allow rule-breakers to be with Him for eternity, and they don't want to be with Him anyway, so they go to Hell to suffer. But it was their choice to suffer, so you can't really feel sorry for them too much. Because God is goodness and peace, and the people chose to hate God (and therefore goodness and peace), they chose to suffer and they want suffering.

However, those who strive to follow God's law and want to be with Him are allowed to do so and have therefore chosen to exist in peace.

 

[¯\_S.(ツ).L.I.D._/¯]

Clearly you don't understand the concept of heaven or hell.

Clearly you don't understand that since there is no evidence supporting heaven or hell actually existing, I can interpret them however the **** I want to.

Also I have a question:

Why would the devil punish the people in hell? If they've been "bad" in life, and God doesn't like them, wouldn't he approve of those people since God doesn't like him either?

 

[Mewter]

Clearly you don't understand that since there is no evidence supporting heaven or hell actually existing, I can interpret them however the **** I want to.

I can make something up called the green fire-breather sponge with no evidence to back it up, but does that mean that anyone can just change the definition of it?

The concept of Hell is pretty straight forward. You're meant to suffer.

 

[Mr.Freeman]

I can make something up called the green fire-breather sponge with no evidence to back it up, but does that mean that anyone can just change the definition of it?

The concept of Hell is pretty straight forward. You're meant to suffer.

Uh, yeah. It's called Freedom of thought, and there technically is no proof of fire-breathing sponges, so anyone can come up with any theory about it.

Over time, it'll either be proved to exist, or be debunked and we go on asking other questions.

 

[¯\_S.(ツ).L.I.D._/¯]

I can make something up called the green fire-breather sponge with no evidence to back it up, but does that mean that anyone can just change the definition of it?

The concept of Hell is pretty straight forward. You're meant to suffer.

Sure, because your green fire-breather sponge may be something completely different than my green fire-breather sponge. Same thing with hell. No one can tell me that I cannot interpret it how I want to. This isn't Soviet Russia.

 

[Mewter]

Whatever you guys say.

I'll get pics of the fire-breather sponge soon enough though. It's out there.
I know it.

 

[¯\_S.(ツ).L.I.D._/¯]

That'd be pretty cool.

 

[Skrlx]

Paranormal communities are full of shut-ins with tinfoil hats.

no, you're thinking about those crazy schizo conspiracists

 

[Mewter]

You guys win this mini-debate with me.

I suppose an artistic rendering of the sponge is enough?

 

[¯\_S.(ツ).L.I.D._/¯]

Needs more fire. Just like hell.

 

[Kewkky]

But what if Hell has no fire?

 

[GwJ]

Here's my opinion on the matter of this hypothetical place called Hell:

Some say it's actually fire and destruction and whatnot. The bible basically says that Hell is eternal fire and destruction and Heaven is a paradise. Now, here's a scenario. My name is Bob, and I'm a hotel manager. I have a hotel called Heaven. My rival, Joe, has a hotel called Hell. Here's my sale's pitch:

"Come to Heaven! When you go to Heaven, you get everything you want, it's a paradise! *Insert biblical fine print*"

"Don't go to Hell. That place has oil leaks and cockroaches. It smells too. Joe is sweaty and charges too much!"



It's a biased presentation. For all we know, HELL is the paradise. "Joe" just isn't selling his hotel.

 

[¯\_S.(ツ).L.I.D._/¯]

But what if Hell has no fire?

MY HELL HAS FIRE, K?

 

[Melomaniacal]

RAAAAAAAAGE

Even though hell is described in the bible. The concepts of heaven and hell (heaven = all that is good, hell = all that is bad) have already been established, sorry. Of course heaven and hell may very well not exist (as an atheist, I would obviously argue this), but the ideas of them have already been established, and doesn't leave so much room for interpretation to say "heaven could be pain and hell could be fun."

Regardless, you should learn to take things less seriously. Relax.

 

[Frown]

I don't like the thought of existing forever. Sleeping until the end of time seems pretty nice though.

 

[Genghis Pot]

Why would the devil punish the people in hell? If they've been "bad" in life, and God doesn't like them, wouldn't he approve of those people since God doesn't like him either?

The devil doesn't punish the people in Hell. The idea that the devil "runs" hell is a misconception. The very state of being in Hell automatically causes the immeasurable suffering.

People put themselves in Hell by choosing their will over God's will and alienating themselves from him on Earth. Since they made the choice to be apart from him on Earth this carries over in the afterlife.

 

[adumbrodeus]

Sure, because your green fire-breather sponge may be something completely different than my green fire-breather sponge. Same thing with hell. No one can tell me that I cannot interpret it how I want to. This isn't Soviet Russia.

I'm sorry SOLID, no, that's just stupid.


Language is built to serve understanding, therefore picking a conception (random or related) and replacing a definition of a word with it simply results in people talking about two completely different things without knowing they are, resulting in no substantiative dialog being possible.


The end result? Everyone gets stupider, we have Iran claiming it's a democracy while America claims it's not, people claiming everyone and their mother is a terrorist, and general impossibility of dialog.


If you want a new definition, clearly state that this is your definition, and that it differs from the regular one, so that it can be incorporated.


However, understand that it's a little late for your personal meaning of the word "hell" to be relevant because the topic was established referencing to the Judeo-Christian concept known as "hell" (if only by omission of other possibilities). If you wanna talk about your own, create your own thread.



So basically, thank you for killing English, I hope you're proud of yourself.

 

[CRASHiC]

adum, unity in language is impossible
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKFW5OkJb4U

 

[adumbrodeus]

I know, but purposefully confusing it is simply stupidity, especially when the purpose is mere rhetorical non-sense.

 

[GetInTheSoup!]

Unity in language beyond modus operandi, is technically impossible. But that is what modus operandi is created for. Modus Operandi, or the agreed upon mode of operation, works through agreed upon presumptions, ie. language has its structure, its syntax, grammar, etc. so that we can understand each other easily. Having a universal language is possible, it works through modus operandi, just as current languages do. Its just culture, and historic legacy that has made universal language had to create.

To "understand" each other, in the sense of feeling each other's emotions/consciousness, is currently impossible. The closest thing we have beyond words, which are the most easy liasions of meaning, are actions, such as sex, etc. Beyond that, yeah, we do search for a way to connect in a fulfilling way, but if I felt what you felt, why would we ever need to communicate?

Adumbrodeus, I dig you getting pissed over the modus operandi being broken, but I think he was philosophically pressupose another version of hell, based off the fact that Judeo-Christian hell was created through the bible, and other popularly accepted texts of Christian philosophy.

So my question, is do we stick to discussing Juedo-Christian hell, for the sake of discussing its possibilities, or do we branch of to discuss personal possibilities of hell? It seems that OP's non-religious version of hell, revolves around non-existence. Mine, is regretting my life during my dying moments, my heaven being that I feel I led a good life and can go in peace. They all seem to revolve around connection to others, even the Judeo-Christian one.

 

[GetInTheSoup!]

Unity in language beyond modus operandi, is technically impossible. But that is what modus operandi is created for. Modus Operandi, or the agreed upon mode of operation, works through agreed upon presumptions, ie. language has its structure, its syntax, grammar, etc. so that we can understand each other easily. Having a universal language is possible, it works through modus operandi, just as current languages do. Its just culture, and historic legacy that has made universal language had to create.

To "understand" each other, in the sense of feeling each other's emotions/consciousness, is currently impossible. The closest thing we have beyond words, which are the most easy liasions of meaning, are actions, such as sex, etc. Beyond that, yeah, we do search for a way to connect in a fulfilling way, but if I felt what you felt, why would we ever need to communicate?

Adumbrodeus, I dig you getting pissed over the modus operandi being broken, but I think he was philosophically pressupose another version of hell, based off the fact that Judeo-Christian hell was created through the bible, and other popularly accepted texts of Christian philosophy.

So my question, is do we stick to discussing Juedo-Christian hell, for the sake of discussing its possibilities, or do we branch of to discuss personal possibilities of hell? It seems that OP's non-religious version of hell, revolves around non-existence. Mine, is regretting my life during my dying moments, my heaven being that I feel I led a good life and can go in peace. They all seem to revolve around connection to others, even the Judeo-Christian one.

 

[Sucumbio]

Waking Life is pretty cool.

Do we all understand this? By capitalizing the "W" and "L" I signified a title to a work, rather than a phrase. I identified the work as being enjoyable to myself, and recommended for others. I may not be able to make others feel exactly what I feel, but what I am able to communicate is enough to get the job done, which was to establish that Waking life is pretty cool.

Having your own personal definition for Hell is likewise plausible, but does run the risk of misinterpretation or misrepresentation after the fact.

Hell is cold.

In this statement, I state that Hell is cold. Do I mean in terms of temperature? Or perhaps I am referring to its social climate. Lets go way out: Hell is Chicken.

What does this even mean? Chicken was capitalized, does that mean that I'm still referring to the animal, or maybe I'm referring to a socialized definition that you may not be aware of.

So in essence, restricting language on a subject may seem totalitarian, but its purpose is to keep the lexicon from becoming too abstract. Without agreed upon terminology, discussion potential breaks down.

This does not, however preclude Vrael's statement. He is fully within his right to say that in his opinion Hell might be a cool place. However, it's not because there's no proof Hell exists that he is afforded this freedom.

Furthermore any such concept that may or may not exist, like Hell, Heaven, God, etc can be freely spoken about, and interpreted any which way you like, but in order to have -meaningful- perception, you're encouraged to speak in terms to which all participants in the discussion can relate. This is simply the difference between good conversation and bad conversation.

For example...

Hell might be a cool place. Maybe if Teran was there or something. Heaven would get boring after a while.

There are three statements:

"Hell might be a cool place."

In your opinion, you believe Hell might be a positive experience. By saying that, you're challenging the established definition of Hell, which is that it is not a positive experience. This is why melo charged you with ignorance and technically speaking, it does seem like an ignorant statement (albeit funny, lol).

"Maybe if Teran was there or something."

This follow up statement is precisely why I didn't take issue with your first statement. This is a comic relief, and introduces the idea that if you have a friend in hell, Hell may not be so bad. This is an arguable point, but doesn't necessarily beg for argument, it's an opinion, and frankly one that cannot be proved or disproved.

"Heaven would get boring after a while."

This is an endorsement of the running idea in the thread that heaven would get boring due to the fact that humans tend to get bored without change or conflict. This is essentially your way of "getting on topic" after your first 2 statements, while simultaneously endorsing the views of other posters.

So in essence Vrael's post struck some as being ridiculous, funny, ignorant, a troll, whatever haha but I honestly think it wasn't meant to be any of those things, it rung to me as simply a post in a thread on hell from a poster who doesn't necessarily believe in such a place. It's perhaps a tad flippant, but comic relief is oftentimes welcome in serious topics such as this.