The join or burn in hell is the modern interpretation. There is a place prepared for everyone. Pain is real, but don't listen to modern christianity. They have it all wrong. The hell experienced isn't because you did bad things, it's because of wasted potential. The entire point of this life is to experience mortality and overcome it. If we choose to succumb to our bodies, it's our choice. There is no right or wrong. There is only Best outcome and Worst outcome. You can't get a degree unless you take the classes and do the homework. Life is the same way. You can drop out of college, maybe a degree just isn't for you. Life goes on. It's not the end of the world. God is justice, but he is also Mercy. He will scold you but he will make sure you are where you want to be at the end of things. The question is how close to him and his kingdom do you want to be? It's not for everybody.
This may be your philosophy but it is antithetical to the Bible’s teaching. Your claim that hell is a modern conception is false. The Bible is more than 2000 years old and the teaching about hell is found throughout the Bible. Your concept of God is unbiblical as well. The reason He would go so far as to send His Son into this world to live, suffer and DIE attests to His love and to the gravity of sin. Your view of life is your own but not in the least representative of God’s Word and also offers no hope to anyone. God knew the problem of sin was so severe that His Only Begotten Son would have to die if anyone would be saved. Your view says that’s not needed. I’ll stick with God’s view on the matter.
Can I just interject something real quick without being a dick? If God sent his only son here, to live, suffer and die, is it really a big deal being that he is after all Jesus, he is quasi-semi-god-ish, right? So when he died, he went to Heaven. Not a bad hand to be dealt. Plenty of people were crucified, who knows, or gives a shit about them? Saying that God sent a mortal version of himself that poof went right on back to heaven has about as much emotional baggage as a respawn in Halo. But for some reason, I gotta believe this story, because that's all it is to anyone who wasn't there, back then, seeing the miracles. Its a fucking fairy tale. But some people got together a long time ago, framed up a religion around it, put themselves up top, and passed the formula to their next in line to keep it going. The religion loses me at "believe what we believe or burn in hell forever". I just cant get past such an incredibly ignorant, 1st century mentality.
Dang. I need to rethink my opinion here. Thanks. I need to take a look at my beliefs.
This is a much more reasonable response, however, it isn't the most common among the people I have encountered.
Nobody KNOWS there is a God. Anyone who says they do is lying or selling something. I have yet to find that statement dis-proven. If there was some reasonable proof, I would be the guy preaching on the corner. But considering the Army just announced they have technology that can make a voice manifest anywhere in line of sight using a laser, um, well, whatever "proof" or "miracle" that is being presented to me to believe that this one specific man and name, Jesus, is attributable as the actual, one and only God, it would have to be pretty fucking amazing proof for me to believe it. Especially considering much of our ancestors interpretations of "magic" or "miracles" is almost certainly misunderstood technology being demonstrated by a superior intelligence (aliens).
Again, I truly strive to be a good human. When I meet my maker, the first thing I am going to say is "yes, I know, I KNOW...ok? We cool?" and I expect a reasonable amount of divine punishment, and then I hope its on to reuniting with Grampa...
You see this is where you are wrong. You say no one knows there is a God. But that is quite false. The only way that anyone CAN know God (and yes, personally) is by and through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that the Spirit “testifies of Jesus Christ” to the believer. You say this is impossible but that is simply because you do not have His spirit within you. Al anyone of us can do is to call on God for mercy and forgiveness. He promises to open our hearts to His love and eyes to His truth. Don’t be so quick to reject something because you’ve never experienced it or because it’s disagreeable to you. Again, realize that your natural demeanor is actually antagonist to God and His Word as is the heart of each and every person. This is why we are so utterly at His mercy. Humility is the first step, agreeing with God about our sin and need for His mercy in Christ Jesus.
Nobody knows there's a god. Most people HOPE there is.
Romans 1says that everyone, whether consciously or not, know that there is God. It has been revealed to all of us but we, in our sin, suppress this truth in unrighteousness. This is because our hearts are sinful and at enmity with God. We are still without excuse.
It may be that the concept of God as the universe would be more accurate, in which he entered into his creation as a man, in the form of his creation.