Very simply, there is no hell.
I do not believe there is a literal, absolute, objective or common hell. Like Dogbrain said, I consider it more to be a condition than a place. Hell is a literary construct. It is a label with a negative connotation. It is something to explore and contemplate (like God), not something to be defined.
It is something created by man to enslave and control, and many have been because of it.
That is the effect in many Christian communities and churches, but I do not believe that that was the original intention behind the concept. I believe it was used as a motivational concept, not a method of intimidation. I realise that intimidation is a form of negative motivation and I do not mean that kind of motivation, but the kind that involves an honest and realistic reflection by the individual on his/her own attitudes and behaviours without any established rules or imposed standards. Each individual will decide for themselves what is appropriate. It was a gentle request to people to reflect on their lives, not to demonise, condemn and vilify what they were doing.
Dogbrain couldn't have been more right with the second. We are not judged by faith or by righteousness, but each man according to his own ability, according to the works he has done.
I did NOT say that we are judged "according to the works he has done". I stated that any judgment will be according to our capacity, not an "objective" standard.
1 Corinthians 3
13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
Revelation 20
12The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
Being judged according to the works you have done does not mean that you are subjected to an objective standard, but allows for the possibility that what makes you different as a person, as an individual will be taken into account, rather than one rule for everybody.
The purpose of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is not to show that there is an eternal hell. It is to, just as the last verse of it says, proclaim that: "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."
Hell has no definition. First and foremost, it is a literary construct. Secondarily, you can make it into whatever you like. You could deny its existence. I can understand why people hate the idea of hell. People are repelled by the possibility of something as painful and distressing as that described in Christianity. Some may even think it ridiculous and pointless to contemplate.
But if you want to get a taste of hell, why don't you just go to Africa or some impoverished slum? I think the truth is that we have always been in a position to experience hell. Hell has always been around. Hell can be conquered, but many people choose to avoid it in this lifetime. They never conquer it as a result. Luke 17:33 says that whoever tries to preserve his life will lose it and whoever loses his life will gain it. Maybe there is some truth to that. Face hell now or suffer the consequences of facing it later. Tragedy and adversity makes you stronger.
There is injustice, persecution and oppression in this world. Injustice used to be punished. Improvements in technology and the quality of life in developed countries have given many of us the idea that hard labour (maybe with physical beatings) is no longer necessary. Maybe it isn't. Maybe spending the rest of your life in jail is bad enough.
A justice system was set up to punish people for crime and injustice. Could hell not be God's instrument of punishment? Could it not be a way for God to catch criminals and evildoers who escape established earthly and human authorities? Is it God saying, "If you don't get caught by the justice systems of this world, you will be caught by me?"
Maybe that was what the God of the Tanakh meant when He said, "the wicked say there is no God and keep doing evil." I think by denying hell, many of you are also denying the possibility of a cosmic justice system that catches the bad guys even if the humans couldn't hunt them down. So maybe you got away with ripping off millions of people but maybe you can't escape God.
Obviously most people are not so bad to have to be pursued by a God for doing malign things. But if you live in Africa or some impoverished slum and you are betrayed and ripped off, your father killed by thugs and no reason was given, I think you'd think differently.
If Africa is hell, if an impoverished slum is hell, God could banish a person to an Africa-like reality or an impoverished slum for an indefinite amount of time. This would be like the Immigration Department of a developed country deporting you.
This might be a fit punishment for the people responsible for the American housing crisis, for baiting Americans into taking home loans they could never pay off because they didn't have a job. Can you think of any other examples of injustice in this world? The slave trade? Sweat shops? Labour exploitation? Wrongful eviction from homes?
Besides that, a parable is merely a story that isn't necessarily true, like a fable. But just for fun, I searched up which word is used for "hell" in verse 23, and it is "sheol," understood to be the place where all souls go until the return of Christ and judgment.
However, I do not believe that Jesus was joking.
Hell as something painful and distressing was supposed to be something to contemplate, not a story or joke to be thrown at someone as something that could happen but was unlikely to happen because God was too nice.
When you cross the road, you should look both ways, lest you be hit by a car, truck or bus. The driver could be very alert or responsive, but if they're drunk or distracted, you cannot rely on them being able to stop. I could joke about the risk of being hit by a bus and getting killed, but when parents and teachers warn kids to look out for oncoming vehicles when crossing the road, it is no joke.
