Is Hell a real place or a metaphor to deter evil-doers?

Metaphor

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by Patrick Sills

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Hell is a metaphor created by man to deter evildoers. Conversely, Heaven is also a man-made metaphor to encourage righteousness. Religion is a defense mechanism created by humans to alleviate a fear of physical death. In essence, it is a form of organized behavioral modification designed to differentiate inherently good people from individuals deemed as bad. Nobody wants to believe that death signals the end of our existence, and this rang true thousands of years ago just as it does today. Thus, religion was created as a means to calm people's fears of that which is unknown. Regardless of just what we're taught; depending on location and upbringing, we want to believe that a Supreme Being created all forms of life; and we want to believe that our spirits, souls, or consciousness; whichever term one prefers, will endure for eternity.

Depending on creed, there are many names for this Supreme Being; including God, Allah, Buddha, The Great Spirit, and several others. In the Christian faith, it is believed that The Creator sent His only son to the world to die for the sins of humanity. The problems with religion are as follows: Who is to say which one; if any, is right? Why would those who are either unfamiliar with a particular faith or simply believe a different interpretation be condemned to an eternity in Hell if they were otherwise good people? To be bold, who says Hell is necessarily a punishment, anyway? Consider this for a moment: Satan (or Lucifer) was once an angel who resided in Heaven alongside God. He decided that the rules were too tough to adhere to, so things like lust and greed were more his style. As a result, he was shunned from the Kingdom of God and cast into a place called Hell. He became the sworn enemy of God.

Let's look at society today. Most people do not adhere to the teachings of the Bible. This series of books was written centuries ago, at a time when people thought about things differently. Times have changed. It has been learned that attributes such as lust and greed are a part of normal human behavior. Evidence of this can be found by scientists who specialize in the various functions of the brain. Therefore, if we take what the Bible says in a literal sense, about 99% of the human population has a one-way ticket to Hell waiting for them at the second they gasp their last breath. If Satan knew that humanity would not be able to unequivocally comply with God's authority at all levels, would he not welcome these individuals as opposed to condemning them to eternal despair? If Satan represents all that is in opposition to God, wouldn't those who likewise break the Commandments be praised as they entered the gates of Hell? Why would Satan turn around and torment those who are like-minded? This wouldn't make sense.

Then there is the fact that some sins are far worse than others, and this is perhaps the biggest problem facing religion. If you swipe a pen from a drive-up window at a bank, is this as bad as going inside, pointing a sawed-off shotgun at the teller, and demanding that he or she turns over all of the money within their facility?

If an attractive woman who lives next door happens to be sunbathing in a skimpy bikini and you admire her beauty as you gaze out the window and then fantasize about what it would be like to have sex with her, is this as bad as actually having an extramarital affair with her?

If you disagree with a politician's stand on an issue and refer to him/her as an idiot, is this as bad as plotting and then carrying out an assassination?

If your mother-in-law has your family over for dinner and the food tastes like a soiled tennis shoe was included in the recipe, but you nevertheless tell her it tasted good, is this as bad as lying to a jury in a courtroom?

The answer to all of these hypothetical questions is yes; if you take what the Bible says to heart. And that is ridiculous, for if statutes worked this way, we'd spend a life behind bars whether we knowingly kept $1.00 too much change from a cashier or ordered the mass genocide of millions of innocent people as Adolph Hitler did.

The concept of good and evil has been with humanity ever since our species first roamed the earth. It is therefore the opinion of this author that Heaven and Hell are metaphors that were created thousands of years ago to encourage goodness and to deter evil. The difference today is just what is construed as evil. The reality today is that next to nobody follows Bible teachings to the letter. There are too many of us who are wedged in between these two extremes. In these circumstances, it would seem quite incredible for these two entities to exist in such a black and white fashion. With that said, the religious teachings that hold the most logic are those that suggest we are continuously reincarnated until we achieve as much virtue as we possibly can, and then we finally enter Paradise for eternity.

From a scientific standpoint, we will endure following physical death in the form of energy. How this energy is harnessed is still anyone's guess. Perhaps this eventual Paradise is a return to where it all began: The Big Bang.

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