The Ghouse Diary: Is Hell Dead?

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Is Hell Dead?

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/04/is-hell-dead.html

Hell is not dead, nor will it die but dying it is.

Texas Faith is a weekly column at Dallas Morning News where a dozen religious panelists opine on issues facing the nation. I am blessed to be one sharing a pluralistic perspective on issues of the day. No group has a monopoly on good, bad and ugly things of life, we are equally responsible for creating a cohesive society where you and I can live without apprehension of the other and live the life and let others live theirs. This weeks question is responded by 14 Panelists in the following link: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/04/texas-faith-is-hell-dead.html

Here is my take

Hell is not dead, nor will it die but dying it is.

Hell is different things to different people; to some it is a real thing where one burns on renewable embers for eternity. At the other end of the spectrum it is pure anguish to some, and yet to some it ain’t there.

But one thing is certain, an increasing number of people believe hell is a thing of the past used as a deterrent to prevent wrong doing. The latest research from Barna Associates shows that only 32 percent of adults see hell as, "an actual place of torment and suffering where people's souls go after death.”

"I don't think fear, as a tactic, really moves people toward faith these days," Pastor Bill Hybels said. "So, tactically, I think there are better ways to interest the uninterested in the claims of Jesus Christ." Pope Benedict reiterates, "Jesus came to tell us everyone is wanted in paradise, and that hell, about which little gets said today, exists and is eternal for those who shut their hearts to His love."

People simply don't want to hear about Hell any more, they have enough of it in their own lives to listen to another one.

They are searching for a door to escape momentarily and prefer attending a Church, Mosque, Synagogue, Temple or other place of worship to hear about peace and hope, where no one is apprehensive of the other under the big tent. This phenomenon is part of the people regardless of their religion, some Muslims go to a Mosque at the tail end of a sermon to catch up with the prayers and avoid hearing about hell.

Author Theologian RC Sproul writes, "Many evangelical pastors have bristled at the thought of being labeled a "fire and brimstone" preacher and turned to a kinder, gentler approach.

Joel Osteen has captured that market well; he understands their needs and consistently delivers a message of hope to over 30,000 a week including me. People are also turning to silent mediation centers to get away from the hell pounding in the sanctuaries.

An empirical research is warranted to determine a correlation between decline in church attendance and the sermons of hell, hate and fear.

The hell is indeed dying, and the individuals are discovering the myths of Santa Claus and the myths of Hell.

Bottom Line:

Here is a possibility you may want to ponder. Every item of the universe, life or matter is created to seek its own balance for survival. Matter is programmed to seek its own balance, where as humans are not, they have the free will to find that elusive balance through a variety of religious, psychological, social or common sense guidance.

In life when someone wrongs you, you cry out loud seeking justice in a variety of formats; it is indeed a balance seeking mechanism. Religions offer the scenario of hell or reincarnations in lower forms as a punishment; it gives hope to the victims of oppression that no one will go scot free and yet God offers an alternative plan; forgiveness. It is Central to the teachings of Jesus and found in every religious and spiritual tradition. In Islam, Quraan Guides one with this thought; the one God loves most is the one who forgives.

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Mike Ghouse, President of America Together foundation is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and the public. He is available to speak at your place of worship, campus, work, seminars and conferences. He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Islam, interfaith, India and Peace. Mike's work is reflected in 4 websites and 27 Blogs at http://www.mikeghouse.net/

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Profiles :http://pluralismspeaker.blogspot.com/

3 comments:

JasumohApril 20, 2011 at 1:52 PM
Mr. Ghouse,
My name is James Umoh. I do not believe for one moment that hell is dying, rather it is living as ever. For everything good, there is something bad. For example, there is god, and the flip side is satan. There is Heaven, and the flip side is hell. There is man, and there is woman. There is ON and OFF, but just because no one is switching OFF does not mean that OFF is dying. I do not want to go off on this so I will stop there.

James Umoh
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AnonymousApril 20, 2011 at 6:03 PM
¿Do Mr.James Umoh mean that women are bad? Besides, the general statement he makes is false. There is not any reason to think that there is something bad for anything good, so the argument is based in a false premise. Salam aleikom. Inés
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April 21, 2011 at 2:27 AM
Hey, Mike, methinks ye meant
"renewable embers" not "renewable ambers."
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INTRODUCTION

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions to media and to the public on important and complex issues of the day and is available to speak in a variety of settings such as schools, seminars, conferences, and places of worship, or the work place.

Mike is a frequent guest on Fox News, (The Hannity Show), and has been interviewed on nationally syndicated Radio shows along with Dallas TV, Print and Radio networks and occasional interviews on NPR. He is a member of the Texas Faith panel of Dallas Morning News and writes on issues facing the nation every week. He has spoken at international forums including the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions, in Melbourne, Australia, Middle East Peace Initiative, in Jerusalem, the International Leadership conference, in Hawaii, and in Washington

The Foundation for Pluralism champions the idea of co-existence by respecting and accepting the otherness of those different from ourselves. The World Muslim Congress is committed to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam. Heavily involved in both, Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and has produced outstanding public events to bring Americans together of different religions, ethnicities and races on common grounds of building a safe and secure America.

He is a speaker, thinker, collaborator and a writer on the subjects of Pluralism, the interfaith movement, cohesive societies, Islam, India, hope and world peace. Over 1000 articles of Mike’s have been published worldwide and two books are poised to be released this summer. His work is reflected in 4 websites and 27 Blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/
C
oncerned by the divisiveness, he saw the need to bring Americans together and founded America Together Foundation committed to building a cohesive America, indeed it is in response to ACT America which is bent on pitching one American against the other. We will be holding series of educational programs, conferences and workshops to address the issues that divide us such as Civil Right, GLBT, Quraan, Abortion, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, Racial Profiling and Stereotyping.

The Annual Unity Day USA is in its 7th year now, it is a purposeful event to bring Americans together, on this Unity Day, we the people of the United States of America of every faith, race, ethnicity, culture and background will gather to express our commitment to co-existence, unity, prosperity and wellbeing of our nation.

Thanksgiving Celebration is in its 15th year showcasing cultural diversity.

The 5th Annual Reflections on Holocaust and Genocides is to learn and to acknowledge and reflect upon the terrible things we have inflicted upon each other and commit to avert such tragedies. Through this event non-Jewish people have consciously learned about Holocaust for the first time, it was also for the first time that people of 14 faiths came together to join in to commemorate the Holocaust that commemorated within the Jewish Community for years. They are not alone anymore in their anguish, we are all in it together with them, and it is a Muslim initiative to effect a positive change.

The programs, seminars and workshops conducted by the Foundation for Pluralism have become a part of the America Together Foundation. While the Foundation for Pluralism continues championing the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other, the commitment to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress continues.

Mike is a speaker, thinker, collaborator and a writer on the subjects of Pluralism, the Interfaith Movement, Cohesive Societies, Islam, India, Hope and World Peace. Over 1000 of his articles have been published worldwide and two books are poised to be released this summer. His work is reflected in 4 websites and 27 Blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net

To engage Mike in a dialogue, conference or a talk, write to Ghousespeaks@gmail.com and email dedicated for this purpose or you can call him on a short notice at 214.325.1916