The Bells of Hell Go Ting-a-ling-a-ling

[LongTomH]

Poll question: The Bells of Hell Go Ting-a-ling-a-ling

Supposedly this song is from WWI:

The Bells of Hell go ting-a-ling-a-ling
For you but not for me:
For me the angels sing-a-ling-a-ling,
They've got the goods for me.

Oh! Death, where is thy sting-a-ling-a-ling?
Oh! Grave, thy victory?
The Bells of Hell go ting-a-ling-a-ling
For you but not for me.

The idea of Hell - a place of eternal damnation and punishment - has been questioned by liberal, even mainstream clergy and theologians for some time. Now, Rob Bell, an evangelistic pastor has published a book questioning the idea of Hell. He's catching all-out......shall we say Heck from his fellow evangelicals? He is however, attracting a lot of attention and support.

The idea of Hell is one that I think actually drives a lot of thinking people away from organized religion. It's not easy to reconcile the ideas of a loving and benevolent God with one who runs his own S&M dungeon (Tired of hot wax? Wait until you try brimstone!); although I will give theologians credit for some very creative answers to the question.

What about you? Do you believe in Hell or not? Do you doubt the existence of a hell?

Me? I always joke with people that I only believe in Hell when I'm driving on Kansas City freeways. After all, you need somewhere to consign those arrogant, tailgating assholes in the SUVs, especially the ones who shine their brights in your rearview mirror to get you to move over.

[izquierdista]

1. If there is a Hell

I'll be be sitting in between Jerry Falwell and Ayatollah Khomeni.


Just meeting one of those two is enough to scare me into repenting.

[saras]

2. Hell is for believers

I believe that there is a hell, it is exclusively reserved for believers, and the lowest circle of hell is populated by those who told innocents that they would go to hell if they did not adopt the cultural practices of the prosletyzers.

Threatening someone with murder (i.e. waving a gun in their face while screaming in rage) is TRIVIAL compared to threatening someone with hell.

[RandomThoughts]

3. I really don't think about the theology of it much.

except to know that any imperfect system must have two components, education to help people think and feel of batter paths, and some form of enforcement.

I think the idea of the fire burning the chaff makes more sense.

I don't worry about it honestly.



I am however due beer and travel money.



I do think a bit on what Dante wrote, and those motivated by fear of hell, I think it is better to be motivated by thinking that some day you will know more then you know today. So anything you got wrong, wont seem that sweet then. So if you get it right now, you will have those memories to cherish and share, but things you learn were mistakes they would fade away. So maybe the difference between heaven and hell is the stories you have left to muse on, your victories when you learn of what victory is in the end.

I have thought a bit about it, it motivates me to think and feel on my actions.

[PassingFair]

4. I don't have any particular beliefs regarding an "afterlife"...

But it would be nice if there was something else.

(I'm an atheist, by the way. Not afraid of death,
just afraid of pain and not being there for my
husband and kids.)

Probably nothing else, but who knows? People who
say they "know" bother me.

[LongTomH]

5. Thanks for the thoughtful comments!

I thought there would be at least a few responses from people still associated with organized religion who don't believe/have doubts about the existence of Hell. Surely there are some Unitarian Universalists on this board!