With the recent advent of June 6, (6/6/6) and the sudden appearance of news stories and TV programs about the number (numerology), the anti-Christ, and the Devil, I was recently asked by a reader of my book to explain again why I don't believe in Hell. The easiest answer is that I don't think God needs Hell. It was likely originally created by human beings as a prop useful in telling a campfire story. It wasn't a lie to start with, but by layering the story, by way of retelling and "embellishment", it changed. Later it simply became a Big Lie. Hell comes to us from a very old creation story from ancient Persia. Originally, Hell was a place of exile. The Persians transmitted it to the Hebrews. From them to us. This whole idea comes to us from a very old creation story from ancient Persia. The Jews were defeated, in something like 450 years BC, and taken into slavery in Persia. They were kept there for about a hundred years. That was long enough time to learn a little Persian. Time enough to listen to stories around camp fires, and at night before bedtime. Since most people in those days were illiterate, that is how culture was transmitted. The cultural myths were also told during religious festivals. Culture includes folk tales about mythological "heroes". Add in the Stockholm syndrome, in which the conquered, the hostages, begin to sympathize with their captors. They begin to respect some things about their captors. Add in the fact that eventually the Persians, decided for religious reasons that it was not a good idea to continue to enslave the Jews and sent them home. What's not to like about that? Not everything about the Persian "enslavement" was such a bad thing. They turned out to be OK guys. We can show a little respect, and adopt / adapt some of their stories and make them "our own". That was the mechanism. The Hebrews had "picked up" the idea of "God" developing a "rival", which today we call, the "Devil". The Hebrews are a very conservative people. Once they adopt an idea, it is theirs. And they keep it, with as is to be expected "little changes" to make it "their own". I've been told that the concept of Hell is only mentioned a few times in all of the Old Testament. In that large of a book? A book which is intended to preserve a religion and a culture? That does not indicate that a huge importance is placed on the entire idea. It is there. We don't, won't forget, but it is really no big deal. Then Christianity came along. Christianity was a Jewish "sect". Christianity is now a full grown child of the Hebrew religion. Christianity kept the idea of Hell. For about a thousand years, or so, Hell had little importance to Christians. About as much as it had had with the Hebrews. The exception to this is Revelations and all the eruptions about 666 and the Anti-Christ. Little is definitely known about the author of Revelations or even exactly when it was written. It may in fact be allegorical political commentary written at a time when freedom of speech was not even a concept. Visions of this type, if it really was a vision, belong in the same category as dreams brought about by too much wine, tainted food, of over consumption of “mind expanding” natural drugs of the peyote, mushroom, or ergot organic varieties. The other “natural” explanation is something like a brain tumor. Revelations, and the concept of an Anti-Christ, is simply too generic. It can mean anything you want it to mean, which makes it useful to demagogues, charlatans, and snake oil salesmen. It belongs in the category of multi-layered lies. One lie generating another, building up in layers until unraveling the truth becomes impossible. In such a situation, a good general rule is to go back to the source: in this case, Jesus. Nothing I know of in what Jesus is purported to have said suggests anything like the events in Revelations. Which to me, indicates that it was made up by humans for their purposes at that time, and is meaningless today. The persons for whom it was created are long dead and drifting dust. The Devil, Hell, 666, and the Anti-Christ are concepts that are chiefly useful today and yesterday to religious leaders in maintaining the status quo. It was good then, and it serves the same purpose for modern day religious leaders. Then several things happened. The Roman Empire fell apart, slowly, over that thousand years. What had been former parts of the Roman hegemony became by default, independent states. Europe fractured into an immense number of small countries. Countries that essentially were at war with each other for centuries. Constant wars meant constant threat of pillaging, casual murder, and rape. Things changed very slowly. Waves of pestilence swept through Europe. Each wave killing huge percentages of people each time. The only stability was the constant threat of violent, horrible change. In such circumstances, people seek out entertainment to "escape" temporarily from their constant worry and stress. About the same way people do today with thrill rides at amusement parks, and with horror films in theaters and on TV. We may be able to add in “thrill” sports like downhill skiing, white water rafting, hang gliding, sky diving, base jumping, and bungee jumping. Entertainment a thousand years ago was much harder to come by. The church was the center of religion, culture, learning, and entertainment for villages and towns. People had as their main entertainment, the stories that village priests told as a part of their sermons. In most cases, the only person in a village that might be literate, would be the priest. By definition, the best and the brightest in the countryside. A few times a year the local priest told stories about the suffering of "sinners" in Hell. The folks really sat up, in the pews and paid attention. Hell sounded a lot like their own lives, and they could identify with Hell. They understood Hell. And, in the stories, someone else was suffering. That made it more interesting. The priests were not immune to having their congregations actually sit up, and pay attention in church services. It stroked their egos. They could feel that they were doing a good job. They told more of the stories, and "embellished" them. After all, they were just “explaining” things to ignorant peasants. The people "flocked" to the Hellish services. Much in the same way as today when folks go to amusement parks and horror movies. Where "scary" amusement park roller coaster rides carry full loads and “scary” flicks gather a big box office. It is the adrenaline rush and heart pounding action that thrills. Since nearly everyone was illiterate, art, carvings and paintings were much more important than today. The paintings of the suffering of "sinners" in Hell was the "porn magazine" of the middle ages of Europe. All those naked people being tortured by demons and imps, scandalous! Yes; however, they are just getting what they deserve. See there, John, keep it up, and that is going to happen to you. Then Gutenberg came on the scene, and made books relatively cheap. More people had an opportunity to learn to read, and books became widely available. Enter now the power of the pen. This should be a lesson to all. Be careful about creating an enemy of a skilled writer. Dante Alighieri, an Italian poet, in his book, The Divine Comedy, told the story of the poet's journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. Dante had a lot of enemies. He disliked a lot of famous people. Read his life story to know why. Because he was writing a "comedy" he could "get away with" putting his enemies in his story and placing them in Hell. He had a vivid imagination, had a flair for humor, and told a great tale. He also redefined the popular concept of Hell. Dante took Hell to a new level. Today, almost everything people think they know about Hell comes from Dante Alighieri. Almost everything they believe about Hell also comes from Dante Alighieri, or possibly the English poet, John Milton, author of Paradise Lost. These are modern works of FICTION. They are not divine works inspired by a holy spirit. Dante was inspired by hate and revenge. Milton sought fame and money. The stories were made up by very human, and identified people. Human imagination created Hell in the first place. Dante and John "embellished" and polished the story.
(c) Copyright 2006: George Wallace recently published a book on religion which lashes out at nearly all of the comfortable ideas about God, the trappings of organized religion, and the priesthood. His pithy comments and suggestions for a return to a God-centered personal religion will interest everyone. This article may be freely reprinted so long as all copyright attributions, and the full content of this resource box are included. www.OhGodIsThatYou.com
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