Elf Lord Cheiwn Wrote:
No, you are not going to hell. Assuming Christianity to be valid, hell is not a valid concept, the word itself having been borrowed (read:stolen) from Hel, the Norse goddess of the underworld and not, as is popularly claimed, so much as appearing in the Hebrew and Greek text of the bible. The concept of a fiery eternal torment is a wink and a nod to Dante's The Divine Comedy (more specifically, Inferno), a fictional story that is, for all ostensible purposes, a marvelously-woven political commentary.
What usually translates as hell is Sheol, the Judaic grave or netherworld intermediary; Gehenna, named after a trash heap outside Jerusalem, Hades, a direct bite from Greek mythology; and Tartarus, another direct bite from Greek mythology, but taken to mean the abode of certain non-human creatures.
Sheol is relatively nondescript, Gehenna is specifically mentioned as a destination for trash (and some snakes, according to Yeshua ben Yosef), Hades is effectively undefined, though since the New Testament was written in Greek, it was likely used as a blanket reference to the afterlife or underworld. Note that Hades is the only destination for the dead in Greek mythology, and encompasses paradise and eternal torment. Tartarus, located below Hades, is home to the mythological creatures which have special punishment, such as Sisyphus, who, according to legend, is and will be rolling a big rock around for all eternity.
In short, every popular English biblical translation is a mistranslation. The worst that may reasonably be expected within the Christian system is a trip to Sheol, which everyone visits. The lake of fire, which spells death for those cast into it, may be a quick demise for false prophets as well, but it is meant for serious non-human offenders, such as angels, and is a fiery means to non-existence: that is, true death.
Moreover, it is my sincere doubt that Hel would care to manufacture a fiery torment if – expecting eternal flames – one did somehow manage to wind up in Helheim, the Norse abode of oath-breakers, people who died in their beds, and people who met their demise in ridiculous fashion. Too bad it’s eternal, however, and escape is not an option.
