Logic is Hell
By TheRedneckProfessor ~
The concept of hell, on its surface, seems pretty straightforward. Sin, evil, injustice, inequity, and all manner of human depravity are eliminated in one final stroke of god’s divine retribution. It appeals to our own sense of morality; because there is some part of humanity that earnestly believes in, seeks out, and, indeed, needs, justice, fairness, and equality. Hell seems to provide that. Even when no justice is ever served on earth, in this life. Hell provides the suffering for those who made us suffer. We want the Hitlers and the Dahmers of the world to be punished; yet, at the same time, hell provides the incentive for kindness when mercy, compassion, and humanity fail. Simple, straightforward retribution for the crimes and atrocities of the worst of us.
Yet, as a christian concept, hell is extremely difficult to defend, when viewed in relation to other, very basic, christian concepts. Indeed, as with many other christian concepts, hell has to be isolated, compartmentalized, and viewed only through a single lens. Much like one cannot think about the Amalekites or the Philistines while reading John 3:16; otherwise, our minds might eventually make the connection that “For god so loved the world that he bashed babies against the stones.” That would not make for a very sales-friendly religion.
Over the years of my tenure on this website, I have read any number of topics, posts, and replies dealing with the concept of hell. Most approach the subject from a historical or linguistic analysis of the evolution of hell as a christian concept. I even wrote one such treatise myself some ten years ago. I find such dissertations academically appealing, but offering little comfort to those enslaved by a genuine fear of hell as a literal destination. For fear is an emotional state, against which academia is often largely ineffective. There are certain mental practices one can undertake to eventually adapt to, and learn to control, emotions. One can, for example, observe the emotional state as a thick fog which surrounds, but does not affect, oneself. Another example might be to observe the emotion as merely a dark tunnel in which one finds oneself; but there is a clear light at the other end, and one need only pass through the emotion in order to get back into the light. There are also physical techniques a person can practice when overcome in an overpowering, though temporary, emotional state, such as counting to ten, or making a cup of tea.
However, if Mr. Spock and his Vulcan cohorts have taught us anything, it is that the best defense against emotion is logic. As such, I would like to approach the concept of hell with a logical contrast against two other very basic christian concepts, namely: god’s alleged omnibenevolence and omnipresence.
We often think of the prefix omni in terms of encompassing all things; but we rarely think of it as also meaning “to the exclusion of all else.” Yet that is one of the key perceptions of what it means to be omnibenevolent. The christian god is all-loving to the exclusion of all else. This means that within the christian god, there is only love, in all of its forms and in all of its expressions. There is only compassion, patience, mercy…
Yet, as a christian concept, hell is extremely difficult to defend, when viewed in relation to other, very basic, christian concepts. Indeed, as with many other christian concepts, hell has to be isolated, compartmentalized, and viewed only through a single lens. Much like one cannot think about the Amalekites or the Philistines while reading John 3:16; otherwise, our minds might eventually make the connection that “For god so loved the world that he bashed babies against the stones.” That would not make for a very sales-friendly religion.
Over the years of my tenure on this website, I have read any number of topics, posts, and replies dealing with the concept of hell. Most approach the subject from a historical or linguistic analysis of the evolution of hell as a christian concept. I even wrote one such treatise myself some ten years ago. I find such dissertations academically appealing, but offering little comfort to those enslaved by a genuine fear of hell as a literal destination. For fear is an emotional state, against which academia is often largely ineffective. There are certain mental practices one can undertake to eventually adapt to, and learn to control, emotions. One can, for example, observe the emotional state as a thick fog which surrounds, but does not affect, oneself. Another example might be to observe the emotion as merely a dark tunnel in which one finds oneself; but there is a clear light at the other end, and one need only pass through the emotion in order to get back into the light. There are also physical techniques a person can practice when overcome in an overpowering, though temporary, emotional state, such as counting to ten, or making a cup of tea.
However, if Mr. Spock and his Vulcan cohorts have taught us anything, it is that the best defense against emotion is logic. As such, I would like to approach the concept of hell with a logical contrast against two other very basic christian concepts, namely: god’s alleged omnibenevolence and omnipresence.
We often think of the prefix omni in terms of encompassing all things; but we rarely think of it as also meaning “to the exclusion of all else.” Yet that is one of the key perceptions of what it means to be omnibenevolent. The christian god is all-loving to the exclusion of all else. This means that within the christian god, there is only love, in all of its forms and in all of its expressions. There is only compassion, patience, mercy…
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. I Cor. 13:4-7
There cannot exist, within the christian god, any desire for vengeance, any thought for retribution, any need for wrath, anger, jealousy, or tyranny. Of course, the bible flatly contradicts this fundamental truth, which means that either the bible is not infallible, or that the christian god cannot exist as he is described. Nevertheless, a literal, physical hell cannot exist within the all-lovingness of the christian god…
…Yet it does.
Because the christian god is omnipresent. We generally think of omnipresence in very simple terms: god is everywhere. However, that does not do true justice to the depth and breadth of omnipresence. I must implore forgiveness here as I have to delve into linguistics for a moment in order to explain what omnipresent literally means. The most profound illumination of omnipresence is found in Exodus 3:14, normally translated as “I am that I am.” (Ehyeh asher Ehyeh). The Hebrew verb used here, Ehyeh, generally means “I am;” which denotes existence. However, when coupled with the verb, asher, the complete phrase represents manifest existence. In other words, god described himself as “I am being.” This does not simply mean that the christian god is everywhere at all times. It means that god is in a perpetual state of being present, not just in space; but also in time. There is no past within the christian god, nor is there a future; there is only ever-present. There is no Spain, no Lakepointe Parkway, no 61 Cygni or Horsehead Nebula or dark side of the moon; god is simply here in perpetuity.
For the christian god there is only right here, right now.
...there is no place outside of god’s presence where it (hell) could exist; and there is no time outside of god’s presence for it to exist.
Therefore, if there is a literal, physical hell, it must exist within the literal, physical presence of god. Because there is no place outside of god’s presence where it could exist; and there is no time outside of god’s presence for it to exist. Hell, then, must have always, is currently always, and will forevermore always, exist within god.
But, how is that possible? How can a place of torment, retribution, wrath, and vengeance exist within an eternal perpetuity of pure love? The question is not, “How could a loving god throw anybody into hell?” The question is, “How could hell exist inside of a loving god?”
The answer is that it cannot. It is a logical contradiction. If hell is real, then god is not; for hell is hatred, fear, shame, and wrath. But god is all-loving to the exclusion of all else. Anything that is not love cannot exist within god. Likewise, if god is real, then hell cannot exist; because the all-loving nature of god is ever-present, and there exists no time or place outside of god’s omnibenevolence for the hatred, vengeance, fear, and torment of hell to occupy. To believe in a loving god and a literal hell is to disregard the logical impossibility of both existing at the same time and in the same place.
You are free to choose then, which you would prefer to believe in: a loving god or an eternal conscious torment in everlasting hellfire and brimstone. The catch is, though, that you cannot logically believe in both.
