Is Hell A Real Place Or Just Imaginary?

Hell is a real place for the condemned.

In answering the question, "Is Hell a real place or a metaphor to deter evil-doers?", the simple quick answer would be "both", but before elaborating on this issue, we must first understand some reasoning behind the question.

First, one must assume that the person asking this question would know the difference between right and wrong and secondly, this person believes there are consequences for doing evil.

If we look up the term "hell" in a Thesaurus, we find that hell is defined as "place of the condemned;  bad situation".  We also find the following synonyms: "Hades, abyss, affliction, agony, anguish, blazes, bottomless pit, everlasting fire, hell-fire, misery, pit, place of torment, purgatory, suffering, torment", among others. The only antonym I can find is "heaven".  I think we would all agree that most of these terms refer to real places.

Evil Is The Nature Of Humanity

Evil thoughts and deeds are changing mankind.

There can be no better example of humanity's nature for evil than the recent mass shootings at an elementary school in Connecticut.  This tragedy ended in the needless, unmerciful murder of 20 totally innocent children.  According to the experts, this heinous crime was not the result of someones temporary insanity, but rather it was a well thought out premeditated plan.  It is the evil thoughts and deeds of this one individual that have forever changed the lives of every parent and grandparent in all areas of the free world.

The Bible teaches us that man is essentially evil by nature in Mark: 7:20-23 (NIV);

 "He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.  All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Was Jesus Really Crucified?

We live by faith and that's what it's all about.

Crucifixion was an ancient method of execution, in which the victim was tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang there until dead.  History tells us that crucifixion probably originated with the ancient Persians.  Captured pirates were crucified at the port of Athens in the 7th century BC.  The Romans adopted this custom in the 1st century BC, and used it during the Roman Civil War and the destruction of Jerusalem.

There is no scientific evidence that Jesus was crucified and died on the cross, but keep in mind, we've never exhumed Abraham Lincoln's body to see if that is really him either.  If we did, we certainly don't have any of Lincoln's DNA to prove scientifically it's him.

Christian beliefs are founded in a book called the Bible and we believe this book to be the inspired word of God. The Bible is filled with accounts of Jesus' birth, his teachings and yes, his death on the cross. We are secure in these beliefs and have no need to ever question the facts of the creation or Jesus' death. We live by faith, and that's what it's all about.

Are Christians Losing Christmas As A Holy Day?

Christmas is a celebration of Jesus - today and forever.

What would you do if you opened your morning newspaper and saw these headlines? - "Will
Christians Reclaim Christmas As A Holy Day?"

Did you know that there was a time when Christmas was cancelled? Yes, there really was a Scrooge. In the mid-1600s, when Oliver Cromwell took over England, he officially cancelled Christmas.

In 1789, when the first congress was in session under our new Constitution, it was in session on December 25, 1789. Finally, in 1870 Christmas was declared a federal holiday.

How Should Christians View The Death Penalty?

We must look within ourselves for the answer.

At one point in my life I was very troubled about whether or not a soldier, in time of war, was guilty of "murder" when an enemy soldier was killed in battle. At that particular time I could not make a sound decision in my own mind as to whether this action was actually a "sin". It was not until after I had contacted three ministers of three different religious beliefs that I finally found my own peace on this issue.

I was immediately reminded about the parting of the Red Sea, David and Goliath, Cain and Abel and many other accounts of "murder or killing" mentioned in the Bible and how the circumstances surrounding each of these events were totally different. Some acts of murder were committed out of anger and revenge, while others were necessary to protect a nation or for self-preservation.

Do Christians Judge Others?

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."

It is most certainly not against Christian principles to "judge" the actions of others, but we must be very careful of our interpretation of the word and its many uses scattered throughout the Bible. We all "judge" in one form or another. 

Here's a perfect example: Let's suppose we hear a news report on the 6 o'clock news that involves the murder of two small children. The video shows the father, who is in handcuffs, being placed in the back of a police car. I would bet my next paycheck that the following thought (or something similar) is going through the minds of 90% of the people who saw the newscast "They shouldn't even waste the money and time to try that scum, they should just hang him from the public square." The sad thing is that we don't even know whether or not the man has been accused of a crime or not.

Does Christianity Have Room For Other Beliefs?

Our beliefs must help us strive for a better life.

Christianity has its origin in Judaism, after all Jesus was a Jew. The followers of Jesus believed him to be the "messiah". At the convening of the first Christian council, the apostles decided that Christians didn't have to follow Jewish laws and the two faiths or beliefs moved further away from one another.

A few of the major differences between Judaism and Christian beliefs are:

• Christian principles are founded in the Bible, while the sacred text of Judaism is the Tanakh. (It is important to note here that the Old Testament of the Holy Bible was originally the Jewish Bible.)

• Christians believe in the "Trinity" of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as three persons, while Judaism normally recognizes "Unity", one person. (There are some Christians who believe the same as Judaism in this area.)

• Christians believe in a virgin birth of Jesus, while Judaism believes he was born by a normal birth.

• Christians believe Jesus to be the Son of God, while Judaism recognizes him as a false prophet.

• Christians believe that Jesus ascended into heaven after his crucifixion; Judaism does not.

• Christians believe that Jesus will return to earth one day; Judaism does not.

• Christians accept Judaism as a true religion with incomplete revelation, while Judaism believes Christianity to be a false interpretation of Judaism.