All Souls Go To Hell

[Guest etoileterre]

I'm not as nervous posting this here as I was turning it into my teacher and giving a short speech on it. XD Please note that I make a lot of generalizations and stretch some facts, but it's meant to be funny. I got 95% on it, so it must not be all that bad. XD; Also...I don't even believe in hell. I believe in reincarnation. This was my way of countering people who damn me for being pagan. Enjoy!

 

The capacity to ponder their own deaths is one of many characteristics that separates humans from other animals. This ability naturally led to the need for an explanation of where they would go and how. But as new religions erupted, each group of humans claimed the predominance of their beliefs over others’ and created punishments for dissidents after death. These conflicts have resulted in millennia of holy wars due to lack of compromise. There is a solution, however: Since every religion has teachings that violate those of another, it can be safely assumed that all souls will be punished after death, in hell or an equivalent.

 

But how does one get to hell according to each faith? Early pagan faiths are from which the major religions drew many of their key concepts pertaining to death and the afterlife. Indeed, the very word “hell” was derived from the name of the ancient Norse underworld goddess Hel. Her domain Helheim, literally “the house of Hel,” was the place of rest for those who had not died in battle (those who did die in battle went to Valhalla). The word “Hel” suggests the ease in which another “l” was added and adopted as a place of fire and brimstone instead of as a deity or her abode.

 

The transformation of Hel and Helheim into hell was probably in part due to Christian missionaries in northern Europe. As is common among religions attempting to assimilate and convert those of other religions, it was most likely a result of incorporating traditional views of an old religion into a new one to make conversion more appealing. Then, however, it became a place of punishment for non-Christians. And according to the Bible, one must “believe in the Lord Jesus” in order to be saved from eternal torment in hell (John 14:6). To “believe in the Lord Jesus” means to believe that he was God’s son and allowed himself to be crucified in order to free all humans from an eternity in hell. Christians also believe that the Bible was directly inspired by God, making it infallible. In addition to belief in Jesus, one must abide by the Ten Commandments in order to escape eternal punishment. These include only worshipping God, not worshipping idols, not using God’s name in vain, observing the Sabbath, respecting one’s parents, not committing murder or adultery and not stealing, lying, or coveting another’s possessions or wife (Exodus 20:1-19).

 

Judaism, as Christianity’s starting point, shares in stressing the importance of the Ten Commandments as the main ways to be seen as good in God’s sight. However, the Torah, essentially the Old Testament of the Bible, offers many more ways in which a person may be found unclean. One in Leviticus 19:27 forbids that anyone “cut the hair on the sides of your head or trim your beard or tattoo yourself.” Others forbid homosexuality and a priest “taking part in the funeral ceremonies when a relative dies, unless it is his mother, father, son, daughter, brother, or unmarried sister living in his house” (Leviticus 20:13; 21:1-3). Crossbreeding domestic animals, planting two kinds of seed in one field, and wearing clothes made of two kinds of material also invoke God’s wrath (Leviticus 19:19). In addition is an array of forbidden foods, including red meat, seafood other than fish, winged insects (except hopping ones), rodents, rabbits, lizards, and all hoofed animals, including pork, “unless their hooves are divided and they chew the cud, and all four-footed animals with paws” (Leviticus 19:26; 11:12; 11:20; 11:29-30; 11:26-27).

Islam also has a set of laws that define the faith. These are called the Five Pillars and include faith in God and the prophet Mohammad, daily prayer, charity, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and a pilgrimage to the holy land Mecca (Quran 3:16, 2:43, 2:110, 2:184, 22:27). Islam has tenets that are almost identical to Christianity and Judaism. Being also based on Judaism, Islam shares in teachings that are similar in nature to the Ten Commandments. In addition to those mentioned in the Ten Commandments are supporting one’s children, treating people fairly, and only following Islam (Quran 6:151-153). Like Christianity and Judaism, those who do not believe in the signature god of the faith are condemned to eternal punishment after death.

 

Buddhism has a very different view of sinful living than the “book” religions. Unlike Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, Buddhism does not require belief in a god but reverence for the Buddha, a former prince who gave up his luxury in search of spiritual Enlightenment. Enlightenment, or nirvana, is complete freedom from suffering, or samsara. What keeps one from achieving Enlightenment are the Ten Nonvirtues: lying, slander, gossip, harsh words and swearing, killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, cravings and attachments, wishing harm on others, and holding wrong views. These ten actions describe different desires, the single act least conducive to nirvana. It is encouraged, however, to reflect on these in order to overcome them, a concept almost opposite of other religions’ teachings. Indeed, this is part of mindfulness, the first of seven factors that lead one to Enlightenment. Mindfulness leads to investigation of phenomena, a willingness to learn about one’s surroundings. Energy follows, then rapture, tranquility, concentration, and self-control. Before one reaches nirvana, one is reincarnated into one of several realms of existence, depending on one’s actions in life. The “law of cause and effect,” or “karma,” decides whether one’s soul is reborn into the ghost, human, hell, or animal realm. There is also a heavenly realm of the gods. However, each realm is only temporary and each rebirth only delays the attainment of nirvana.

 

Hinduism, however, teaches that instead of being reincarnated into different realms of existence, karma decides in what kind of body to place a soul, whether as a rich man or poor man, or as some kind of plant or animal. Freedom from reincarnation is called moksha, and is when one’s soul becomes one with the Universal Soul, or Brahman. Moksha is accomplished through inner peace and harmony in one’s life, and the erasure of desire and ambition. In order to achieve these, Hinduism describes ways in which one must live his life. One is religious duties to family and society. To neglect these responsibilities upsets the balance of the Universe and thus weakens the bond between an individual’s soul and Brahman. Also important are daily worship and the rites of passage of conception and birth, initiation, marriage, and cremation after death. In addition, there are many Hindu scriptures and are said to be inspired by Brahman. Four of these scriptures, called the Vedas, include hymns, music, guidelines for the priests, and instructions for magical blessings.

 

According to each individual faith, the only way to be happy after death is to subscribe to that particular set of beliefs. Of course, as contemporary philosopher John Hick points out, “what the traditions severally regard as ultimates are different and therefore cannot all be truly ultimate,” and at the same time, “virtually every religious tradition has…regard[ed] alternative forms of religion as either false or as confused or inferior versions of itself.” No single faith can conclusively be proven as true or false, but each faith’s tenets violate those of another. Therefore, since no one can adhere to every set of teachings, all souls must suffer after death.

 

The faiths that come closest to proving their supremacy are those with holy scriptures because they are believed to be inspired by God. Indeed, each Christianity, Judaism, and Islam refer to its book as “the Word of God,” its teachings having been directly received from God as they were written. This often leads followers of those religions to interpret their scriptures as fact. The national director of Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka Ajith Fernando, in fact, supports the position of exclusivism of Christianity due to what the Bible states. According to him, “the way of Christ leads to life. The Bible teaches that other ways lead to death,” or, in other words, hell. Fernando stresses the importance of faith as the pinnacle of saving factors, because “self-effort is the opposite of God’s way of salvation, which is by faith.” Being saved through faith means leaving behind the past life, admitting that we cannot help ourselves, accepting Jesus, and entrusting ourselves to him. This invalidates every other religion since belief in Jesus as the Messiah is unique to Christianity. But because Judaism teaches that the Messiah has yet to come, Christianity is nullified. The Israelites, or the Jews, are God’s chosen people and therefore take precedence over Christians. In addition, Mohammad Zia Ullah shows the importance of belief in Allah through the Quran. Being led away from him through other faiths is “prohibited because greater deviation from the true and straight path [islam] could not be.” This obviously invalidates Hinduism as well for its belief in thousands of gods.

 

However, in many cases factions of a single religion quarrel among themselves for superiority. Probably the most famous example is Christianity and its split between Catholicism and Protestantism in the Middle Ages. The initial cause for this was the indulgences instituted by the pope at the time, and Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Thesis regarding the fallacies of the church. Despite the reformations that have taken place in the centuries following, Protestants still find reason to condemn Catholics. According to Jerry H., the Director of Religious Education at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Protestants believe that because of the Catholic emphasis upon Mary, they are guilty of idolatry and are thus breaking the First Commandment. In addition to this is the belief of the communion of the saints and the traditional representation of religious figures in art. Also, it is thought among many Protestants that “Catholics believe that we earn our way into heaven by doing good deeds” when, according to the Bible, this denies the “free gift” of God’s salvation supported by Ephesians 2:8-9. Mr. H. also reports that Catholics are also accused of having “an invalid faith in men and their traditions rather than the true teachings of the Bible.” And yet the Bible itself supports that followers should place their faith in the Church and its teachings in verses 16:18-19 in the Book of Matthew with: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.” Catholicism’s Seven Sacraments also receive criticism from Protestants, but they too are supported by scripture. While infant baptism is condemned by many, Matthew 19:13-15 fully supports the practice. Reconciliation also finds bearing through Mark 2:5-12, as well as the Eucharist in Luke 22:14-20, and the priesthood in 2 Timothy 1:6. Protestants also reject priestly celibacy, but this too is a Catholic tradition that holds its validity in the Bible (1 Corinthians 7:32-35). Furthermore, the general division within Christianity is condemned through God’s declaration that “all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Corinthians 1:10). This suggests that because both sects are at fault, both will go to hell.

 

A common claim among Christians is that upon Jesus’ coming, the Old Testament was nullified and therefore Judaism is false. However, Jesus clearly states in Matthew 5:17-19 that “not the least point nor the smallest detail of the Law will be done away with…so then, whoever disobeys even the least important of the commandments…will be least in the kingdom of heaven.” This applies not only to the Ten Commandments, but also to every stipulation against eating certain animals and applying particular farming practices. Thus because Christians ignore these important rules, they will be punished in hell.

 

Faith in a messiah or a god rather than “self-effort” particularly discredits Buddhism in addition to the faith’s lack of a deity and Hinduism’s use of magic. Humans are flawed; therefore, they cannot be trusted with their own salvation. And yet, is it Buddhism or Hinduism that is correct, and the religions that require faith that are wrong? The former teach that worldly attachments only hinder a soul’s progress toward nirvana and moksha, prolonging one’s suffering. But according to Buddhism, all things are fleeting, including the gods, and attachment and reliance upon a spiritual savior is counter-productive to spiritual freedom, condemning all worship of deities. This belief is shown through the popular Zen Buddhist saying, “If you see the Buddha walking down the road, kill him." Thus Hindus, Christians, Jews, and Muslims must suffer through many rebirths until they accept their own ability to save themselves and are as such are in a kind of living hell. Buddhism also teaches that all souls will eventually pass through all realms of existence before reaching nirvana, and that includes spending time in the hell realms. And because the human realm is the only realm in which one can achieve nirvana, the other faiths are essentially missing a chance to become Enlightened by not subscribing to Buddhist teachings of self-reliance.

 

But even those who do not believe in hell – or any afterlife, for that matter – are still subject to damnation by its definition. Atheists and nihilists ignore the concept of gods and most spirituality, thus violating the tenets of most religions. This will mean little to one who has no fear of hell, thus one must look at the technical definition of hell. According to Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, hell is “the anguish of eternal separation from God” (Madrid, 62). Hinduism supports this as well through the belief that freedom from suffering is existence with Brahman, the One God. That being said, since the original sin of Adam and Eve separated humankind from God, it could be said that the current existence is hell itself (Genesis 3:23). Therefore, reincarnation to nothing at all after death could be construed as the hell of the book religions.

 

Contemporary and artistic thought offer interesting views of the afterlife. In contrast to biblical descriptions of hell as physical pain, Vincent Ward’s conception of the afterlife is that it exists only mentally because “thought is real. Physical is the illusion.” His 1998 movie What Dreams May Come shows that in hell, people do not realize they are dead. Thus they go through their “lives” recognizing no one, entirely alone, but believing they are still alive. This suggests that all humans in this world could be dead and in hell without realizing it. Another interesting perspective given through this film is why suicides end up in hell. There is a natural order to life, it says, and to interrupt it by taking one’s own life results in punishment. In addition to being unaware of being dead, hell to a suicidal soul is “your life gone wrong.” This is seen through Chris Neilson’s (Robin Williams) wife Annie’s (Annabella Sciora) version of hell after she commits suicide. Her home is rundown: the plumbing and electricity are lost, all the furniture is destroyed, and a tarantula crawls about the house. Her children and husband are still dead, but now it is even worse than when she was living. When Chris goes to hell to save her, he tells her that “good people end up in hell because they can’t forgive themselves.” This could apply to anyone who has lived a life worthy of guilt.

 

The ambiguities of the afterlife have been debated for thousands of years. Where souls go and why have been cause for holy wars and breaks within single faiths. But because no one is perfect, and no one can belong to more than one faith without violating another, it only seems fitting that all merit some sort of punishment preceding death. Perhaps if, someday, a happy medium is established, all faiths will be able to coexist peacefully and the need for a hell will no longer exist.

[pandora]

Hey, I liked that. Your teacher must be sympathetic to your views (not that it isn't written well).

 

I think your English class is preparing you well for college! Well done.

[Guest etoileterre]

Hey, I liked that. Your teacher must be sympathetic to your views (not that it isn't written well).

 

I think your English class is preparing you well for college! Well done.

 

Hey, thanks! My teacher is beyond awesome. He said once that he's a WASP, but he really doesn't act like it. I'm pretty sure he doesn't trust the Bible. Like, when I had to do the bibliography I asked him jokingly if I should put God for the author of the holy books, and he said yes if I wanted to make him giggle. I'd really like to have a theological discussion with him. He's extremely liberal and probably my favorite English teacher ever. But school's over now, and I'm going to miss him and his class.

 

Anyway, glad you enjoyed my paper!

[KT45]

Great job man

[loves_learning]

Hi there, are you heading to college next year? Be sure to take some courses in Religious Studies, if your school has them. I taught at my university for a bit, and am a graduate student in the field. You'll learn some stuff that will make your head spin! I bet you'll enjoy it.

[Guest etoileterre]

Hi there, are you heading to college next year? Be sure to take some courses in Religious Studies, if your school has them. I taught at my university for a bit, and am a graduate student in the field. You'll learn some stuff that will make your head spin! I bet you'll enjoy it.

 

Nope, I'll be a senior. But I was considering putting in a bit of theology in my schedule, alongside history, psych, French, Greek, Italian, and maybe even some chem/bio. Whew! I love being a nerd!

[loves_learning]

I'll tell ya, kiddo, I minored in ancient greek in college, and if I could have been exposed to it in high school, it would have been fantastic. That's the hardest damn language I've ever learned...and I've been exposed to quite a few. Granted...I've never tried Chinese...but still, go for it if you're up to the challenge! Just don't burn yourself out...been there, done that.

 

And I like being a nerd too!

[Guest etoileterre]

I'll tell ya, kiddo, I minored in ancient greek in college, and if I could have been exposed to it in high school, it would have been fantastic. That's the hardest damn language I've ever learned...and I've been exposed to quite a few. Granted...I've never tried Chinese...but still, go for it if you're up to the challenge! Just don't burn yourself out...been there, done that.

 

And I like being a nerd too!

 

Sorry, that was completely unclear of me. I meant in my college schedule. Sorry! I'm considering starting Italian at the community college and I'll be continuing with my fourth year of French. I'll be minoring in it. I hope I won't burn myself out. I feel like my curiousity knows no bounds, though!

 

It's been nice chatting with you!