Welcome to Gaia! ::

Makes sense to me, but what if a person does something that the bible calls a sin, but that they believe is the right thing to do?

I find this interesting (I'm a Christian so duh it's interesting)...can you tell me where it says that in the Bible? I'd like to look into it.

I don't remember where it is in the bible, I havn't picked it up for a year or so, and Risen Angel has a very good point, if we can't comprehend heaven what makes us think we can comprehend hell, it's impossible to comprehend the afterlife my friends xd

Hey I havn't read anything from the bible for a long time, look it up on the internet or something I have a guild to run and a lotto and a charity and a job and a LIFE, I am not going to go look through the bible right now. If you want prrof search for it yourself, like the so many other none lazy people who want to know the truth

The afterlife is spiritual. The Bible says not to try and comprehend a great many things. The moment people sinned is the moment we became dumb and lost most of our mental capacity.

There are several different words used for Hell in the New Testament. Sheol (Abode For The Dead) is used a lot. Sheol is seperated into two distinct levels, with a chasm between them. Pardec (Paradise; Abraham's Bosom) on one side, and Hades (Hell; Purgatory) on the other side. Jesus Christ told the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in Pardec". Three days later, after Jesus Christ rose from the dead, Jesus Christ told Mary Magdalene, "Touch me not, for I have not yet ascended to the Father". Meaning He had already been to Paradise (Pardec), but He had not yet ascended to the Father in the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, Paradise and the Kingdom of Heaven where God dwells are two
seperate places. Gehenna is another word used in the New Testament, refering to a real place in Jesus Christ's day and age where the bodies of the dead were burned in a furnance. I believe Jesus Christ used Gehenna as a metaphor for the Lake of Fire mentioned in Revelation in the end of times. In Revelation it states that Hell and Death will be tossed into the Lake of Fire after they give up their dead, along with Satan and his fallen angels, and the false prophet, and those who were deceived by him. I believe "those who were deceived by him" would be those who committed the unforgivable sin by knowing God, being spiritually in the presence of God, and then permantately turning away from God, unrepentant.

Jesus Christ said that all manner of sin will be forgiven of men, either in this world or in the world to come, *except* for blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. I believe "Hell", which is seperate from the Lake of Fire, also refered to as a "Spirit Prison" in 1 & 2 Peter, is the same "Prison" spoken of by Jesus Christ when he said, "You will not get out until you have paid the last mite", I.E. Purgatory.

Jesus Christ's descent into Sheol & Preaching unto the dead:

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of sheol shall not prevail against it. [Matthew 16:18]

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. [John 5:25]

He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. So, he went and preached to the spirits in prison -- those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. [1 Peter 3:19]

That is why the Good News was preached even to those who have died --so that although their bodies were punished with death, they would still live in the spirit as God does. [1 Peter 4:6]

But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore, it says: "He ascended on high and took prisoners captive; he gave gifts to men." What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended into the lower (regions) of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. [Ephesians 4:7-10]

Also...

Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. [Matthew 12:31-32]

The purpose for Hell is purification not punishment:

According to St. Isidore of Seville the Church taught that in the next life: "Some sins will be forgiven and purged away by a certain purifying fire." (Deord. creatur., c. xiv, n. 6)

St. Augustine also argued: "Some sinners are not forgiven either in this world or in the next, would not be truly said unless there were other [sinners] who, though not forgiven in this world, are forgiven in the world to come" (De Civ. Dei, XXI, xxiv).

The same interpretation is given by Gregory the Great (Dial., IV, xxxix); St. Bede (commentary on this text); St. Bernard (Sermo lxvi in Cantic., n.11) and other eminent theological writers.

Origen, the first great Church father, believed if people depart this life with lighter faults, they are condemned to fire which burns away the lighter materials, preparing their souls for the Kingdom of God, where nothing defiled may enter. He wrote:

"For if on the foundation of Christ you have built not only gold and silver and precious stones; but also wood and hay and stubble, what do you expect when the soul shall be separated from the body? Would you enter into heaven with your wood and hay and stubble and thus defile the kingdom of God; or on account of these hindrances would you remain without and receive no reward for your gold and silver and precious stones? Neither is this just. It remains then that you be committed to the fire which will burn the light materials; for our God to those who can comprehend heavenly things is called a cleansing fire. But this fire consumes not the creature, but what the creature has himself built, wood, and hay and stubble. It is manifest that the fire destroys the wood of our transgressions and then returns to us the reward of our great works." (P. G., XIII, col. 445, 44 cool .

Origen based this statement on the following Bible verse:

"According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

This also goes along with the Three Degrees of Glory in the Resurrection...

The Apostle Paul equated three degrees of glory in the resurrection with the sun, moon, and stars:

"There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead." [1 Corinthians 15:40-42] (Three Degrees of Glory in the Resurrection)

Look, as far as I'm concerned, what you say means absolutely nothing unless I have a reason to believe it. If you wanted to actually teach/convince people of something, then you've gotta do more than just state it.
Everything I've ever heard about Christianity suggests that only believers go to heaven.

Eteponge; that was nice- and long- but I don't think all of it was relevant.