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Is there "Hell" and "Heaven" after life?

Debate Information

Is hell and heaven real, or just something made up to scare people into obedience?
billpassed
  1. Live Poll

    ?

    24 votes
    1. Hell and Heaven are real
      41.67%
    2. Hell and Heaven just made up
      58.33%
It's kind of fun to do the impossible
- Walt Disney



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    Arguments


  • WhyTrumpWhyTrump 234 Pts   -  
    It is neither real or made up.  The definition of hell is figurative and many religions have different versions of it.
    WhyTrump - a good question
  • LogicLogic 279 Pts   -  
    No one can say for sure, But believing a heaven and hell, Has a better reward, Then a non purposeful life. I mean if you ARE right, You get heaven.
    If you aren't, Well... To put it simply, You might not even be aware to care that it doesn't exist. 
    DrCereal
  • inc4tinc4t 186 Pts   -  
    @Logic, great point. If it is real to you then it's real and provides a purposeful life. The downside of believing in that is rather little for more people.  That said, some people would rather not believe in it, and it is completely their right - nothing wrong with that too.
  • LogicLogic 279 Pts   -  
    @inc4t  Well said man! It's all about free will. So we should all use it the way, In which it pleases us.
  • AveMariaAveMaria 36 Pts   -  
    Excellent points from @inc4t and @Logic.  The very nature of Heaven and Hell implies that they cannot be proven to be true or false.  Science can only prove what exists physically.  Heaven, Hell, God, etc. by definition are not physical entities, so we can never prove their existence using science.  It's simply a question of faith, which is why I say they do exist.
    inc4t
  • WhyTrumpWhyTrump 234 Pts   -  
    @AveMaria, as you pointed out it all comes back to faith. No one will be able to categorically prove to disprove. So it it reasonable for you to believe In whatever makes you more comfortable. 
    billpassedLogic
    WhyTrump - a good question
  • billpassedbillpassed 146 Pts   -  
    I agree with @whytrump .
  • averyaproaveryapro 150 Pts   -  
    I really think it depends because different religions believe in these things. I personally believe in it because for Christian people if you sin, you might go to hell because that's what people believe. But when you stay free of really bad sins because then God wants you to go heaven and live with him in the afterlife. I do think it depends for everyone but I think these things exist.
  • ImbsterImbster 149 Pts   -  
    It's a metaphor about having an eternal state even after death because everyone will remember and talk about your existence because of your good deeds or good achievements. Hell is where you're always remembered for your sins and therefore tortured burning and gnashing of teeth.
  • SilverishGoldNovaSilverishGoldNova 1201 Pts   -   edited August 2017
    That depends on what you are talking about. Religions have many different views of heaven or hell and some have neither, and we all have different interpretations. 
    I am no longer active on DebateIsland or any debate website. Many things I have posted here and on other sites (Such as believing in the flat Earth theory or other conspiracy theories such as those that are about the Las Vegas Shooting or 9/11) do not reflect on my current views. 

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p6M-VgXHwwdpJarhyQYapBz-kRc6FrgdOLFAd3IfYz8/edit

    https://debateisland.com/discussion/comment/18248/#Comment_18248 (Me officially stating that I am no longer a flat-Earther)
  • NopeNope 397 Pts   -  
    Logic i Disagree if you are wrong then you might have spent your only moments of existent trying to get in to heaven rather then trying to enjoy life as much as possble and you miss 
  • ViceRegentViceRegent 68 Pts   -  
    Yes, very real.  And Hell has nothing to do with scaring people into obedience.  You are dead in sin but for God saving you, which means you are unable to obey.  You go to Hell as the just punishment for your sin.
    DrCerealanonymousdebaterAceTheCosmo
  • missmedicmissmedic 43 Pts   -  
    Hell contradicts the Christian God's loving and just nature as most Christian believers in the idea of Hell will tell you that it’s a place of punishment for sinners and evildoers. But does that idea have a scriptural basis? According to Romans 6:7, “he that is dead is freed from sin.” So if a person’s sins are cleared with his or her death, then what’s with the additional punishment of Hell? Well, Romans 6:23 goes on to state that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Note that there is no mention of sinners being condemned to everlasting torture, they simply don’t get the reward for living a righteous life.
  • LogicLogic 279 Pts   -  
    @Nope I have managed to perfectly enjoy my life as i pray 5 times a day and fast [and other religious acts].  I am quite surprised you are under the impression religion will make you miss out on many "enjoyable" things in life, As many religious people live perfectly fine lives even with the minimal restrictions of religion [which all benefit them].
    Regards - Logic
  • ViceRegentViceRegent 68 Pts   -  
    Yes, very real.
    DrCerealanonymousdebater
  • ale5ale5 263 Pts   -  
    @ViceRegent, what is your evidence for it being real?
    DrCereal
    It's kind of fun to do the impossible
    - Walt Disney
  • NopeNope 397 Pts   -  
    Logic That is why I said might. For people like me who only believes things with a convincing amount of evidence preying because I have nothing to loose won't be that enjoyable. Devoting their lives to god or just paring may be enjoyable to some to others such as myself may find in not enjoyable. My point was some people may have something to loose. 
  • ImbsterImbster 149 Pts   -  
    There is no physical heaven or hell. Let me state that in revelations there is a lake of fire where people get thrown into and erased from existence. There is no eternal torture and surely with any interpretable description made by bible scholars, none of those descriptions fit a place in our observable universe. It is now in my lifetime that I realised that Jesus is the man responsible for mentioning the gnashing and burning of teeth with his parable of the talents in the end. This therefore simply refers to sufferings and consequences for men and women who don't do things at all or properly. 

    Heaven on the other hand is usually depicted as some water vapour realm I myself wouldn't want my two feet to step on and live mindlessly for the rest of my life. 

    All these are simply depictions and interpretations, until a lie detector turns green to someone who states they've seen heaven and hell, I'm not believing in such realms. Thinking of heaven more than your present life is exactly why I'd rather make the most of my time and have something to lose which is my life because it helps to actually pray never but do more. 


  • WilliamSchulzWilliamSchulz 255 Pts   -  
    Imbster said:
    There is no physical heaven or hell. Let me state that in revelations there is a lake of fire where people get thrown into and erased from existence. There is no eternal torture and surely with any interpretable description made by bible scholars, none of those descriptions fit a place in our observable universe. It is now in my lifetime that I realised that Jesus is the man responsible for mentioning the gnashing and burning of teeth with his parable of the talents in the end. This therefore simply refers to sufferings and consequences for men and women who don't do things at all or properly. 

    Heaven on the other hand is usually depicted as some water vapour realm I myself wouldn't want my two feet to step on and live mindlessly for the rest of my life. 

    All these are simply depictions and interpretations, until a lie detector turns green to someone who states they've seen heaven and hell, I'm not believing in such realms. Thinking of heaven more than your present life is exactly why I'd rather make the most of my time and have something to lose which is my life because it helps to actually pray never but do more. 


    Thanks for the post, I am going to attack some misguided points here, in that heaven and hell do in fact exist.

    To begin, you state that in Revelations, there is a lake of fire where people are thrown in and erased from existence, which proves that there is no eternal torture. For starters, Revelation was written by John, a theologian of the church, John is referencing a critical fact, as the end of time, God will wipe Hell out of existence and all the people inside, but that doesn't mean the torture stops. Heaven and Hell are eternal places, wiping Hell out of existence does not prevent eternal torture. The torture continues, but since Hell is so significantly small in the eyes of God, he can blot out the place while turning to people in joy in heaven.

    You mention the gnashing of teeth parable, mentioning that he refers to the sufferings and harm of people who don't do things at all. However, this is precisely what Hell is, Jesus further mentions, "If an eye sins against you, pluck it out so that your whole body does not descend into Gehenna." This is another reference, people who come dressed to the party who are commoners are people who know their place and put on their best to appear fit in the eyes of the kind. The commoners who don't are not prepared and don't understand the caliber of the event, and are therefore tossed out. The people who prepare go to Heaven, the people who don't go to Hell.

    Despite how heaven is depicted, no person knows what heaven or hell look like, the representations are symbols for other attributes, like joy, mystery, seeing God, unity. The people can't see heaven, but based off of what heaven is taught to be from the Catholic Church, we can make depictions that represent something we don't understand. For instance, I don't know what the inside of the White House is, but making a depiction is not lying, I am drawing the lavishness of the inside compared to what I know and what I have been shown through previous images. 

    Hope this helped.


    A good debate is not judged by bias, but in the context of the debate, where objectivity is key and rationale prevalent. 


  • JudaismJudaism 180 Pts   -  
    WilliamSchulz

    Imbster 

    Now you're thinking Jewish! that's great! Our focus is not on contemplating on the hereafter, but focusing all our energies on this world, to make it a better place for our children. 
  • JudaismJudaism 180 Pts   -  
    Imbster 

    Great response, you're now thinking Jewish - our goal here on earth is not to contemplate about the hereafter but to focus all our energies on this world, in making it a better place for our children. 

    WilliamSchulz 

    You wrote earlier about heaven and hell and how the talmudic view was wrong, I must advise you that you're coming from a Christian perspective, and me, a Jewish one. Of course we won't agree on anything else rather than G-d is divine, and that He created everything we see, even good and evil. 

    You wrote: "@Judaism mentions that after 12 months in a hell-like area studying the Torah, they can go to heaven. This sounds like the equivalent of Limbo, which I have shown doesn't exist. People who are in hell have made a choice. In life, they chose not to follow God, instead of following their own desires and actions. As a result of their own free will, they choose to be in Hell rather than to be in Heaven with God."

    Okay, firstly, Limbo and Purgatory are one of the same, at least I thought so, right? Secondly, you said later in the same post: "As hmans, we are not perfect, but we have to be perfect to get into Heaven. In a place of eternal joy and love, is there place for any hint of sin? No! Therefore, in order to make us perfect, God created Purgatory, a place in which we all will atone for our sins and eventually make it into God's heavenly Kingdom. We are not perfect beings, so God helps us get there, as a way of "atonement for the dead." Even saints had to go through Purgatory, but some can go through faster than others if they led a more virtuous life. Nevertheless, even the murderer who repents can still be in heaven if he makes the choice to remorse of his wrongdoing and be willing to repent for his sins."

    I don't mean to debate the matter here, but being Judaism obviously came first, doesn't it make logical sense to claim that your Catholic ideology simple "stole" our concept of hell? That souls must spend some time, in this case, 12 months before entering heaven. You claim the talmudic view is wrong, but then go on to mention Purgatory! It's exactly the same thing just with a Christian spin!

    To prove this to us, you make mention of 2 Maccabees 12:44-45, we don't believe it as canonical, and secondly, I believe you've got the context wrong. Sheol is a real place, whether one is Christian or Jew. But the main crux is this: You contradict yourself, you first claim that once in hell, you're there for good, then you lay claim that we can get out of hell. But which one is it, you certainly can't have both! Of course, Christianity is full of such errors. 

    Shalom

  • JudaismJudaism 180 Pts   -  
    Imbster 

    Great response, you're now thinking Jewish - our goal here on earth is not to contemplate about the hereafter but to focus all our energies on this world, in making it a better place for our children. 

    WilliamSchulz 

    You wrote earlier about heaven and hell and how the talmudic view was wrong, I must advise you that you're coming from a Christian perspective, and me, a Jewish one. Of course we won't agree on anything else rather than G-d is divine, and that He created everything we see, even good and evil. 

    You wrote: "@Judaism mentions that after 12 months in a hell-like area studying the Torah, they can go to heaven. This sounds like the equivalent of Limbo, which I have shown doesn't exist. People who are in hell have made a choice. In life, they chose not to follow God, instead of following their own desires and actions. As a result of their own free will, they choose to be in Hell rather than to be in Heaven with God."

    Okay, firstly, Limbo and Purgatory are one of the same, at least I thought so, right? Secondly, you said later in the same post: "As hmans, we are not perfect, but we have to be perfect to get into Heaven. In a place of eternal joy and love, is there place for any hint of sin? No! Therefore, in order to make us perfect, God created Purgatory, a place in which we all will atone for our sins and eventually make it into God's heavenly Kingdom. We are not perfect beings, so God helps us get there, as a way of "atonement for the dead." Even saints had to go through Purgatory, but some can go through faster than others if they led a more virtuous life. Nevertheless, even the murderer who repents can still be in heaven if he makes the choice to remorse of his wrongdoing and be willing to repent for his sins."

    I don't mean to debate the matter here, but being Judaism obviously came first, doesn't it make logical sense to claim that your Catholic ideology simple "stole" our concept of hell? That souls must spend some time, in this case, 12 months before entering heaven. You claim the talmudic view is wrong, but then go on to mention Purgatory! It's exactly the same thing just with a Christian spin!

    To prove this to us, you make mention of 2 Maccabees 12:44-45, we don't believe it as canonical, and secondly, I believe you've got the context wrong. Sheol is a real place, whether one is Christian or Jew. But the main crux is this: You contradict yourself, you first claim that once in hell, you're there for good, then you lay claim that we can get out of hell. But which one is it, you certainly can't have both! Of course, Christianity is full of such errors. 

    Shalom

  • MayCaesarMayCaesar 5965 Pts   -  
    There is no evidence of existence of either, but there is also no evidence of the contrary. So I would say it depends on your personal philosophical preference.

    Practically speaking, if I was a creator of a virtual world, then introducing Hell and Heaven for dead people would seem obsolete to me. When a person is dead, their influence on the material world nullifies, hence keeping them in the database would be a waste of resources, at worst, and an irrelevant complication, at best. If the God existed and wanted to decide what to do with people whose biological forms decayed to the point of unrecoverability, then I could think of many more practical things to do with the corpses and the entities hidden behind their shells, than send them out to abstract dimensions of Hell and Heaven which they can never leave.
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