Difference between revisions of "Hell" - New World Encyclopedia

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[[Image:Hortus Deliciarum - Hell.jpg|thumb|180px|Medieval illustration of Hell in the [[Hortus deliciarum]] manuscript of [[Herrad of Landsberg]] (about 1180)]]
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[[Image:Hortus Deliciarum - Hell.jpg|thumb|250px|Medieval illustration of Hell in the Hortus deliciarum manuscript of Herrad of Landsberg (about 1180)]]
  
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A '''hell''', according to many religious beliefs, is a place or a state of suffering where the wicked or unrighteous dead are punished. Hells are almost always depicted as underground. In Christianity and Islam, hell is fiery. Hells from other traditions, however, are sometimes cold and gloomy. Some hells are described in graphic and gruesome detail (for example, Buddhist [[Naraka (Buddhism)|naraka]]). Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell as endless (for example, see [[Hell in Christian beliefs]]). Religions with a cyclic history often depict hell as an intermediary period between [[reincarnation|incarnations]] (for example, see Chinese [[Di Yu]]). Modern understandings of hell often depict it abstractly, as a state of loss rather than as fiery torture literally under the ground.
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In many world [[Religion|religions]], the concept of '''Hell''' refers to a literal or symbolic place (or sometimes an existential condition) of [[damnation]] where the wicked and unrighteous are punished for their transgressions. The concept of hell is prevalent in many religions although its exact description varies from one religion to another. In traditional [[Christianity]], [[Islam]], and the popular imagination, hell is frequently depicted as a fiery pit located underground where [[soul]]s are tormented by their past [[sin]]s and demonic forces. Alternatively, hell has been described (e.g., in [[Dante|Dante's]] ''Inferno'') as a freezing cold and despondently gloomy place.  
  
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According to many religions, the [[afterlife]] accords evildoers to suffer eternally. In some [[monotheism|monotheistic]] doctrines, Hell is often populated by [[demon]]s who torment the damned. The fallen angel [[Lucifer]] in Christian cultures, (sometimes identified as the same individual as [[Satan]]) is portrayed in popular culture as the ruler of Hell. Christian theologians portray Hell as the final resting place for the Devil and the fallen angels (demons), prepared as their punishment by [[God]]. Hell is also defined as complete and final separation of God's love and mercy from sinners who have rejected his moral standards of goodness and have chosen to live a rebellious life of sin. [[Purgatory]], as believed by Catholicism, is a place of [[penance]] for the sinner who has ultimately achieved [[salvation]] but has not paid penance for the sins committed in life. Hell on the contrary is commonly believed to be for eternity with no chance of redemption or salvation for those who suffer there. Some branches of the Christian faith teach it is a domain of boundless dimension, scope, and torment. Many monotheistic religions regard Hell as the absolute ultimate worst-case-scenario, per se. For some [[Gnostics]], including the [[Cathars]], hell was none other than this present life on earth. Furthermore, hell is sometimes thought by others to be a permanent state of unconsciousness for all eternity, i.e. permanent death. All ideas of Hell as a physical place existing in some kind of realm are regarded as antiquated myths by most modern scholars.{{citation needed}} Every account of Hell is usually interpreted as a purely symbolic way of describing states of mind causing pain and suffering, and the actions which supposedly result in one's soul being sent to Hell (i.e. the so called "sins") are precisely those actions that in everyday life cause those states of mind.  
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Many moderns describe hell as an existential or [[psychology|psychological]] state (or condition) of the soul. Modern literary understandings of hell often depict it abstractly, as a state of loss rather than as fiery [[torture]] that is literally under the ground. Thus, hell can be seen as the complete and final separation of [[God]]'s love and mercy from sinners who have rejected his moral standards of [[good]]ness and have chosen to live a rebellious life of sin. In this light, the actions which supposedly result in one's soul being sent to Hell (i.e. the so called "sins") are precisely those actions that in everyday life cause those states of mind. Hell in the [[afterlife]] is but an intensification of the pangs of hell on earth, intensified because the material props of a self-centered life have been removed.
  
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Another issue is whether or not hell is eternal. Religions with a linear view of history typically depict hell as an endless, infinite abyss; conversely, religions with a cyclic view of history often depict hell as an intermediary period between [[reincarnation|incarnations]] (for example, the Chinese [[Di Yu]] or the [[Buddhist]] [[Naraka]]). The widespread notion of hell as [[purgatory]] is helpful in reconciling the justice of God with his ultimate mercy upon his children.
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{{toc}}
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Despite these variations, the common ground among the descriptions is a place of estrangement and [[alienation]] from [[divinity]], which translates into unbearable [[pain]] and [[suffering]].
  
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In [[polytheism|polytheistic]] religions, the politics of Hell can be as complicated as human politics. Many [[Hellenic polytheism|Hellenistic Neopagans]] believe in [[Tartarus]], which may also be considered a version of Hell.
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==Etymology==
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The origin of the [[English language|English]] word "hell" comes from the [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] language. Originally, "hel" meant "to cover." The word was also used to designate the goddess of the [[Norse mythology|Norse]] underworld ([[Niflheim]]) and daughter of [[Loki]].  
  
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==Etymology==
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In [[Christianity]], the word "hell"—in [[Latin]], ''infernus, infernum, inferi''; in [[Greek language|Greek]], ''{{polytonic|ᾍδης}}'' ([[Hades]]); in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], ''שאול'' ([[Sheol]])—is used in [[scripture]] and the [[Apostles' Creed]] to refer to the abode of all the dead, whether righteous or [[evil]], unless or until they are admitted to [[heaven]].<ref> [http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p122a5p1.htm Paragraph 1. Christ Descended into Hell, 633], in ''Catechism of the Catholic Church,'' Section 2: The Profession of the Christian Faith; Chapter 2: I Believe in Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God; Article 5: “He Descended into Hell on the Third Day He Rose Again.” Retrieved January 15, 2008.</ref>
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The [[English language|English]] word "hell" comes from the [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] "[[Hel (realm)|hel]]", which originally meant "to cover". "Hel" later referred to the goddess of the Norse underworld and daughter of [[Loki]], [[Hel (being)|Hel]]. Compare [[Anglo-Saxon language|Anglo-Saxon]] ''helan'', Greek ''kalyptein'' and Latin ''celare''="to hide, to cover" (all from [[Proto-Indo-European language|PIE]] ''[[wiktionary:*kel-|*kel-]]''[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=hell]).
 
  
 
==Religious accounts==
 
==Religious accounts==
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[[Image:Dore woodcut Divine Comedy 01.jpg|thumb|A vision of hell from [[Dante]]’s ''[[Divine Comedy]]''. Illustration by [[Gustave Doré]].]]
 
  
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Hell appears in several [[mythology|mythologies]] and [[religion]]s . It is commonly inhabited by [[demon]]s and the [[soul]]s of dead people.
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===Judaism===
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The [[Judaism|Jewish]] equivalent of hell is [[Gehenna]], which is described as a fiery place of torment. The word “Gehenna” originates from the Hebrew גי(א)-הינום (Gêhinnôm) meaning the "Valley of Hinnom's son"—a real place outside the city walls of [[Jerusalem]], where child sacrifices were once made to the idol [[Moloch]], and bodies of executed criminals and garbage were once dumped. Fires were kept burning in the valley to keep down the stench. Consequently, Gehenna became associated with abomination of child sacrifice and the horror of burning flesh.
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However, Gehenna in Judaism is not exactly hell ''per se,'' but a sort of [[Purgatory]] where one is judged according to their life's deeds. The [[Kabbalah]] describes it as a "waiting room" (commonly translated as an "entry way") for all [[soul]]s (not just the wicked). The overwhelming majority of rabbinic thought maintains that people are not in Gehenna forever; the longest that one can be there is said to be 12 months, however there has been the occasional noted exception. Some consider it a spiritual forge where the soul is purified for its eventual ascent to ''Olam Habah'' (''heb.'' עולם הבא; ''lit.'' "The world to come," often viewed as analogous to [[Heaven]]). This is also mentioned in the Kabbalah, where the soul is described as breaking, like the flame of a candle lighting another: the part of the soul that ascends being pure and the "unfinished" piece being reborn.
  
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Hell is often depicted in art and literature, perhaps most famously in [[Dante]]'s [[Divine Comedy]].
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===Ancient Greek religion===
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Another source for the idea of ''Hell'' is the Greek and Roman [[Tartarus]], a place in which conquered gods, men, and other spirits were punished. Tartarus formed part of [[Hades]] in both [[Greek mythology]] and [[Roman mythology]], but Hades also included [[Elysium]], a place for the reward for those who lead virtuous lives, while others spent their afterlife in the [[asphodel]]s fields. Like most ancient (pre-Christian) religions, the underworld was not viewed as negatively as it is in [[Christianity]] and [[Islam]].
  
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===Rabbinic Judaism===
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When the [[TaNaK|Hebrew Bible]] was translated into Greek (see [[Septuagint]]), the word that was used to designate the gloomy afterlife was not "hell" but "hades." The Jews preferred the word "hades" as the best translation of the Hebrew word "Sheol." In early [[Judaism]], "[[Sheol]]" referred to the comfortless place beneath the earth, where both slave and king, pious and wicked went after [[death]] to sleep in silence and oblivion in the dust ([[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]] 38:18; [[Book of Psalms|Psalms]] 6:5, 88:3–12; [[Book of Job|Job]] 7:7–10, 3:11–19; [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] 2:7, 3:19). By the first century, Jews had come to believe that those in Sheol awaited the resurrection either in comfort (in the [[bosom of Abraham]]) or in torment. This belief is reflected in the later Jewish concept of a fiery [[Gehenna]], which contrasts with Sheol.  
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[[Gehenna]] is defined in [[rabbi|rabbinic]] literature. It is sometimes translated as "Hell", but this doesn't effectively convey its meaning. The term [[Gehenna]] (also prononuced [[Gehennom]]) is originally taken from the name of a valley (Gai' ben-Hinom - the dry valley of the son of Hinom) in Jerusalem. In ancient Israel, this area was a site of human sacrifice.
 
  
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In [[Judaism]], Gehenna is not hell, but rather a sort of [[Purgatory]] where one is judged based on their life's deeds. The [[Kabbalah]] describes it as a "waiting room" (commonly translated as an "entry way") for all souls (not just the wicked). The overwhelming majority of rabbinic thought maintains that people are not in [[Gehenna]] forever; the longest that one can be there is said to be 12 months, however there has been the occasional noted exception. Some consider it a spiritual forge where the soul is purified for its eventual ascent to [[Jewish eschatology#The afterlife and olam haba (the world to come)|Olam Habah]] (''heb.'' עולם הבא; ''lit.'' "The world to come", often viewed as analogous to [[Heaven]]). This is also mentioned in the [[Kabbalah]], where the soul is described as breaking, like the flame of a candle lighting another: the part of the soul that ascends being pure and the "unfinished" piece being reborn.
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The [[New Testament]] (written in Greek) also uses "hades" to mean the abode of the dead (sheol). Western Christians, who do not share a concept of "hades" with the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]], have traditionally translated "Sheol" (and "hades") as "hell." Unlike hell, however, Sheol is not associated with [[Satan]].  
  
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===Ancient Greek religion===
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It is likely that the in the course of history, older conceptions of Hades as the generalized abode of the dead differentiated into heaven and hell. This can be explained as due to the greater availability of [[salvation]] in the newer [[mystery religion]]s that spread throughout the Hellenistic world, which advocated a clear distinction between the abodes of light and darkness, as well as in Judaism with the doctrine of the [[martyr]]s enjoying eternal blessedness; hence conceptions of hell as a dark and terrifying place developed in tandem with belief in bright abodes as the dwellings of the righteous.
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Another source for the modern idea of 'Hell' is the Greek and Roman [[Tartarus]], a place in which conquered gods, men and other spirits were punished. Tartarus formed part of [[Hades]] in [[Greek mythology]] and [[Roman mythology]], but [[Hades]] also included [[Elysium]], a place for the reward for those who lead virtuous lives, whilst others spent their afterlife in the [[asphodel]]s fields. Like most ancient (pre-Christian) religions, the underworld was not viewed as negatively as it is in [[Christianity]] and [[Islam]].
 
  
 
===Christianity===
 
===Christianity===
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{{main|Hell in Christian beliefs}}
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[[Image:Hieronymus Bosch - The Garden of Earthly Delights - Hell.jpg|thumb|180px|right|''Hell,'' the right panel from the triptych ''The Garden of Earthly Delights'' by [[Netherlands|Dutch]] painter [[Hieronymus Bosch]].]]
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Most Christians see hell as the eternal [[punishment]] for unrepentant sinners, as well as for the [[Devil in Christianity|Devil]] and his [[demons]]. Virtuous unbelievers (such as [[pagans]] or members of divergent Christian denominations) are said to deserve hell on account of [[original sin]], and even unbaptized infants are sometimes said to be damned. Exceptions, however, are often made for those who have failed to accept [[Jesus]] [[Christ]] but have extenuating circumstances (youth, not having heard the [[Gospel]], mental illness, etc.). As opposed to the concept of [[Purgatory]], damnation to hell is considered final and irreversible. Various interpretations of the torment of hell exist, ranging from fiery pits of wailing sinners to lonely isolation from God's presence. Dante's [[The Divine Comedy]] is a classic inspiration for modern images of hell. Most Christians believe that damnation occurs immediately upon death ([[particular judgment]]), others that it occurs after [[Judgment Day]]. Attitudes toward hell and damnation have softened over the centuries (for example, see [[Limbo]]), and several Christian denominations reject the traditional concept of hell altogether (see [[Annihilationism]], [[Seventh-day Adventists]], [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], [[Mormons]], [[Unitarian-Universalists]], and [[Universalists]]).
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Most Christians see hell as the eternal [[punishment]] for unrepentant sinners, as well as for the [[Devil in Christianity|Devil]] and his [[Demon|demons]]. As opposed to the concept of [[Purgatory]], [[damnation]] to hell is considered final and irreversible. Various interpretations of the torment of hell exist, ranging from fiery pits of wailing sinners to lonely isolation from God's presence.  
  
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===Islam===
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Most Christians believe that damnation occurs immediately upon [[death]] ([[particular judgment]]); others believe that it occurs after [[Judgment Day]]. It was once said that virtuous unbelievers (such as [[Paganism|pagans]] or members of divergent Christian denominations) are said to deserve hell on account of [[original sin]], and even unbaptized infants are sometimes said to be damned. Exceptions, however, are often made for those who have failed to accept [[Jesus Christ]] but have extenuating circumstances (youth not having heard the [[Gospel]], mental illness, etc.). However, attitudes toward hell and damnation have softened over the centuries (for example, see [[Limbo]]).  
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[[Islam|Muslims]] believe in ''[[jahannam]]'' (in [[Arabic Language|Arabic]]: جهنم) (which is similar to Hebrew ''ge-hinnom'' and resembles the versions of hell in other [[Abrahamic faith|Abrahamic]] religions). In the [[Qur'an]], the holy book of [[Islam]], there are literal descriptions of the condemned in a fiery Hell, as contrasted to the garden-like Paradise enjoyed by righteous believers.
 
  
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The meaning of ''jahannam'' is to do with hotness (whereas in Hebrew Gehenna is said to mean a narrow deep valley). The word for paradise is ''[[jannah]]'' which means ''garden''.
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Several Christian denominations reject the traditional concept of hell altogether. [[Seventh-day Adventists]] and [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] do not believe in hell. They teach that [[soul]]s in the grave remain asleep until the final judgment, at which time the righteous will be resurrected to heaven and the wicked will simply be annihilated. [[Unitarian-Universalists]] see the traditional belief in hell as incompatible with a God of love—inasmuch as God is sent to send sinners there to suffer eternally. They advocate universal salvation, whereby Christ intercedes to save the souls of everyone, even those living in hell.  
  
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In addition, Heaven and Hell are split into many levels depending on the actions taken in life, where punishment is given depending on the level of evil done in life, and good is separated into other levels depending on how well one followed God (Arabic: [[Allah]]) while alive.
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Modern Christian understandings of hell depict it as the condition of being separated from God's love. Having accepted Jesus Christ and received remissions of sins while on earth opens the gate to receiving God's love, and hence entry to the realms of [[Paradise]]. On the other hand, [[atheism|atheists]], nominal Christians whose belief is only conceptual, and hypocrites who profess faith but act in the contrary manner, are among those who dwell in hell. However, the faithful of other religions as well as people of good conscience do not dwell in hell but rather in the higher realms appropriate to their belief systems. The judgment leading to hell is self-made, as the newly-departed spirit finds his or her own level with others of similar nature. The realms of hell are populated by people whose character is primarily self-centered. The development during earthly life of a character of [[altruism]] or of [[selfishness]] is the dividing line that determines whether one will go to heaven or hell.
  
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There is an equal number of mentions of both hell and paradise in the Qur'an.
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The predominant Christian view is of an eternal hell, from which escape is impossible. An alternative view that hell is eternal, but not necessarily so, has been proposed by a number of Christian writers. For example, [[C. S. Lewis]] suggested the possibility that spirits in hell can be induced to repentance, and thereby be raised to a higher realm. This view is also held by many [[Spiritualism|spiritualists]], supported by testimonies and stories of souls whose mission it is to travel to the hells and rescue spirits for whom hell's torments have softened their hearts.<ref>For example, see Franchezzo, [http://www.angelfire.com/ne/newviews/wsltoc.html ''A Wanderer in the Spirit Lands],'' transcribed by A. Farnese. Retrieved January 15, 2008.</ref>
  
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The Qur'an also says that some of those who are damned to hell are not damned forever, but instead for an indefinite period of time. When Judgement Day comes, the formerly damned will be judged as to whether or not they may enter into Paradise. In any case, there is good reason to believe that punishment in Hell is not meant to actually last eternally, but instead serves as a basis for spiritual rectification.<ref> 1, William C. Chittick, Imaginal Worlds: Ibn al-‘Arabī and the Problem of Religious Diversity. Albany, N.Y.: State University of New York Press, 1994. 2. See Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah. Hādī al-Arwāh, ed. M. ibn Ibrāhīm al-zaghlī. Al-Dammām, Saudi Arabia: Ramādī lil-Nashr, 1997.</ref>
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===Islam===
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The [[Islam|Islamic]] view of hell is called ''[[Jahannam]]'' (in [[Arabic language|Arabic]]: جهنم), which is contrasted to ''[[jannah]],'' the garden-like [[Paradise]] enjoyed by righteous believers. In the [[Qur'an]], the holy book of Islam, there is literal descriptions of the condemned in a fiery Hell. Hell is split into many levels depending on the actions taken in life, where punishment is allotted according to the amount of [[evil]] perpetrated. The Qur'an also says that some of those who are damned to hell are not damned forever, but instead reside there for an indefinite period of time. When [[Judgment Day]] comes, the formerly damned will be judged as to whether or not they may enter into Paradise. In any case, it is indicated that punishment in Hell is not meant to last eternally, but instead serves as a basis for spiritual rectification.<ref> William C. Chittick, ''Imaginal Worlds: Ibn al-‘Arabī and the Problem of Religious Diversity'' (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1994); see Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, ''Hādī al-Arwāh,'' ed. M. ibn Ibrāhīm al-zaghlī (Al-Dammām, Saudi Arabia: Ramādī lil-Nashr, 1997).</ref>
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===Chinese and Japanese religions===
 
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:''Main article: [[Di Yu|Di Yu, the Chinese Hell]]''
 
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The structure of Hell is remarkably complex in many [[China|Chinese]] and [[Japanese mythology|Japanese]] religions. The ruler of Hell has to deal with politics, just as human rulers do. Hell is the subject of many folk stories and [[manga]]. In many such stories, people in hell are able to die again.
 
  
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The Chinese depiction of Hell doesn't necessarily mean a long time suffering for those who enter Hell, nor does it mean that person is bad. The Chinese view Hell as similar to a present day [[passport]] or [[immigration]] control station. In a Chinese funeral, they burn many [[Hell Bank Notes]] for the dead. With this Hell money, the dead person can bribe the ruler of Hell, and spend the rest of the money either in Hell or in Heaven.
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===Chinese religions===
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The structure of hell is remarkably complex in many [[China|Chinese]] religions. The ruler of hell has to deal with politics, just as human rulers do. Hell is the subject of many folk stories and in many cases people in hell are able to die again. In some folk stories, a sinner revives from the dead only to writhe and groan as he testifies to his appalled neighbors about the torments he has been suffering in hell. In a Chinese funeral, they burn many [[Hell Bank Notes]] for the dead. With this Hell money, the dead person can bribe the ruler of Hell, and spend the rest of the money either in Hell or in Heaven.
  
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====Taoism====
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The Chinese depiction of hell does not necessarily involve a vast duration of [[suffering]] for those who enter Hell, nor does it mean that person is bad. For some, Hell is similar to a present-day [[passport]] or [[immigration]] control station in so far as a person may be held up there before continuing their spiritual journey. Other depictions follow the [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] tradition, seeing Hell as a [[purgatory]] where the spirits suffer in recompense for their earthly crimes.
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Ancient [[Taoism]] had no concept of hell, as morality was seen to be a man-made distinction and there was no concept of an immaterial soul. In its home country [[China]], where Taoism adopted tenets of other religions, popular belief endows Taoist Hell with many deities and spirits who punish sin in a variety of horrible ways.
 
  
 
===Hinduism===
 
===Hinduism===
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In Hinduism, there are contradictions as to whether or not there is a hell (referred to as 'Nark' in Hindi). For some it is a metaphor for a conscience. But in [[Mahabharata]] there is a mention of the [[Pandavas]] and the [[Kauravas]] going to hell. Hells are also described in various [[Purana]]s and other scriptures. Garuda Purana giives a detailed account on hell, its features and enlists amount of punishment for most of the crimes like modern day penal code. 
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In [[Hinduism]], there are contradictions as to whether or not there is a hell (referred to as ''Nark'' in Hindi). For some, it is a metaphor for human conscience, where as for others it is a real place. It is believed that people who commit ''paap'' ([[sin]]) go to hell and have to go through the punishments in accordance to the sins they committed (even if they have been fundamentally good). For example, the [[Mahabharata]] states that both the [[Pandavas]] and the [[Kauravas]] went to hell. Thus, the heroes of the Mahabharata, who symbolized righteousness, still went to hell because of their past sins. However, in contrast to the typical Western view of hell as a place of ''eternal'' suffering, in Hinduism hell is seen as a temporary stop in the cycle of [[reincarnation]].
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It is believed that people who commit 'paap' (sin) go to hell and have to go through the punishments in accordance to the sins they committed.  
 
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The god [[Yama (Hinduism)|Yama]], who is also the god of death, is the king of hell. The detailed accounts of all the sins committed by an individual are supposed to be kept by [[Chitragupta]] who is the record keeper in Yama's court. Chitragupta reads''' out''' the sins committed and Yama orders the appropriate punishments to be given to the individuals. These punishments include dipping in boiling oil, burning in fire, torture using various weapons etc. in various hells. Individuals who finish their quota of the punishments are reborn according to their [[karma]]. All of the created are imperfect and thus have at least one sin to their record, but if one has led a generally pious life, one ascends to [[Heaven]], or [[Swarga]] after a brief period of expiation in hell.  
 
  
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[http://veda.harekrsna.cz/planetarium/index.htm Tour of Vedic universe]
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According to Hindu lore, the god [[Yama]], the god of [[death]], is also said to be the king of hell. The [[Garuda Purana]] gives a detailed account of hell, its features, and the different punishment for most crimes (analogous to a modern-day penal code). The detailed accounts of all the sins committed by an individual are supposed to be kept by [[Chitragupta]], who is the record keeper in Yama's court. Chitragupta reads out the sins committed and Yama orders the appropriate punishments to be given. These punishments include dipping in boiling oil, burning in fire, torture using various weapons, etc. However, individuals who finish their quota of the punishments are reborn according to their [[karma]]. If one has led a generally pious life, one ascends to [[Heaven]], or [[Swarga]] after a brief period of expiation in hell.<ref>''Vedic Knowledge Online,'' [http://veda.harekrsna.cz/planetarium/index.htm Vedic cosmology – planetarium]. Retrieved January 15, 2008.</ref>
  
 
===Buddhism===
 
===Buddhism===
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As diverse as other religions, there are many beliefs about Hell in [[Buddhism]].
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As diverse as other religions, there are many beliefs about hell in [[Buddhism]].
  
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Most of the schools of thought, [[Theravāda]], [[Mahāyāna]], and [[Vajrayāna]] would acknowledge several hells{{citation needed}}, which are places of great suffering for those who commit evil actions, such as cold hells and hot hells. Like all the different realms within cyclic existence, an existence in hell is temporary for its inhabitants. Those with sufficiently negative [[karma]] are [[rebirth (Buddhism)|reborn]] there, where they stay until their specific negative karma has been used up, at which point they are reborn in another realm, such as that of [[Human beings in Buddhism|humans]], of [[Preta|hungry ghosts]], of [[Animals in Buddhism|animals]], of [[Asura (Buddhism)|asuras]], of [[Deva (Buddhism)|devas]], or of [[Naraka (Buddhism)|Naraka]] (Hell) all according to the individual's karma.
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Most of the schools of thought, [[Theravada Buddhism|Theravāda]], [[Mahayana|Mahāyāna]], and [[Vajrayana|Vajrayāna]] acknowledge several hells, which are places of great [[suffering]] for those who commit [[evil]] actions, such as cold hells and hot hells. Like all the different realms within cyclic existence, an existence in hell is temporary for its inhabitants. Those with sufficiently negative [[karma]] are [[rebirth (Buddhism)|reborn]] there, where they stay until their specific negative karma has been used up, at which point they are reborn in another realm, such as that of [[Human beings in Buddhism|humans]], of [[Preta|hungry ghosts]], of [[Animals in Buddhism|animals]], of [[Asura (Buddhism)|asuras]], of [[Deva (Buddhism)|devas]], or of [[Naraka]] (Hell) all according to the individual's karma.  
  
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There are a number of modern Buddhists, especially among Western schools, who believe that hell is but a state of mind. In a sense, a bad day at work could be hell, and a great day at work could be heaven. This has been supported by some modern scholars who advocate the interpretation of such metaphysical portions of the Scriptures symbolically rather than literally.
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There are a number of modern Buddhists, especially among Western schools, who believe that hell is only a state of mind. In a sense, a bad day at work could be hell, and a great day at work could be heaven. This has been supported by some modern scholars who advocate the interpretation of such metaphysical portions of the scriptures symbolically rather than literally.
  
 
===Bahá'í Faith===
 
===Bahá'í Faith===
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The [[Bahá'í Faith]] regards the conventional description of hell (and heaven) as a specific place as symbolic.<ref name="lafd">{{cite book | title = Life After Death: A study of the afterlife in world religions | last = Masumian | first = Farnaz | publisher = Oneworld Publications | location = Oxford | year = 1995 | id = ISBN 1-85168-074-8}}</ref> Instead the [[Bahá'í literature|Bahá'í writings]] describe hell as a "spiritual condition" where remoteness from God is defined as hell; conversely [[heaven]] is seen as a state of closeness to God.<ref name="lafd" /> [[Bahá'u'lláh]], the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, has stated that the nature of the life of the soul in the afterlife is beyond comprehension in the physical plane,<ref name="lafd" /> but has stated that the soul will retain its consciousness and individuality and remember its physical life; the soul will be able to recognize other souls and communicate with them.<ref name="lafd" />
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The [[Bahá'í Faith]] agrees with modern Christian views in regarding the traditional descriptions of hell as a specific place to be symbolic language. Instead the [[Bahá'í literature|Bahá'í writings]] describe hell as a "spiritual condition" where remoteness from God is defined as hell; conversely [[heaven]] is seen as a state of closeness to God. The soul in the afterlife retains its consciousness and individuality and remembers its physical life; the soul will be able to recognize other souls and communicate with them.<ref>Franaz Ma’sumian, ''Life After Death: A Study of the Afterlife in World Religions'' (Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 1995 ISBN 1851680748).</ref>
  
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Bahá'u'lláh likened death to the process of birth. He explains: "The world beyond is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the [[womb]] of its mother."<ref name="gwb">{{cite book |author=Bahá'u'lláh |authorlink=Bahá'u'lláh |year=1976 |title=Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh |publisher=Bahá'í Publishing Trust |location=Wilmette, Illinois, USA |id=ISBN 0-87743-187-6 | pages = pp. 157 |url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/GWB/gwb-81.html#pg157}}</ref>  The analogy to the womb in many ways summarizes the Bahá'í view of earthly existence: just as the womb constitutes an important place for a person's initial physical development, the physical world provides for the development of the individual soul. Accordingly, Bahá'ís view life as a preparatory stage, where one can develop and perfect those qualities which will be needed in the next life.<ref name="lafd" /> The key to spiritual progress is to follow the path outlined by the current [[Manifestations of God]], which Bahá'ís believe is currently Bahá'u'lláh. Bahá'u'lláh wrote, "Know thou, of a truth, that if the soul of man hath walked in the ways of God, it will, assuredly return and be gathered to the glory of the Beloved,"<ref name="gwb2">{{cite book |author=Bahá'u'lláh |authorlink=Bahá'u'lláh |year=1976 |title=Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh |publisher=Bahá'í Publishing Trust |location=Wilmette, Illinois, USA |id=ISBN 0-87743-187-6 | pages = pp. 162 |url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/GWB/gwb-82.html#gr7}}</ref>
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==Hell in literature and popular culture==
 +
[[Image:Dore woodcut Divine Comedy 01.jpg|thumb|200 px|A vision of hell from [[Dante]]’s ''[[The Divine Comedy]]'' (illustration by [[Gustave Doré]]).]]
 +
In Western religious [[iconography]] and popular culture, Hell is often depicted as a fiery place underground where the [[devil]] lives. It also is thought to be inhabited by the [[soul]]s of dead people and by [[demon]]s who torment the damned. Christian theologians portray Hell as the abode of the fallen angel [[Lucifer]] (also known as [[Satan]] and the Devil). The devil is seen as the ruler of Hell and is popularly portrayed as a creature that carries a pitchfork, has red skin, horns on his head, a black [[goatee]] beard, and a long, thin tail with a [[triangle]]-shaped barb on it. Hell itself is described as a domain of boundless torment and the absolute, ultimate worst-case-scenario, ''per se.''
  
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The Bahá'í teachings state that there exists a hierarchy of souls in the afterlife, where the merits of each soul determines their place in the hierachy, and that souls lower in the hierarchy cannot completely understand the station of those above.<ref name="lafd" /> Each soul can continue to progress in the afterlife, but the soul's development is not dependent on its own conscious efforts, but instead on the grace of God, the prayers of others, and good deeds performed by others on Earth in the name of the person.<ref name="lafd" />
+
Many of the great [[epic]]s of European literature include episodes that occur in Hell. In the Roman poet [[Virgil]]'s Latin epic, the ''[[Aeneid]],'' Aeneas descends into ''Dis'' (the underworld) to visit his father's spirit. The underworld is only vaguely described, with one unexplored path leading to the punishments of Tartarus, while the other leads through Erebus and the Elysian Fields.
  
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===Unification Church===
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[[Image:William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) - Dante And Virgil In Hell (1850).jpg|left|thumb|200px|''Dante And Virgil In Hell,'' by [[William-Adolphe Bouguereau]]]]
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The [[Unification Church]] teaches that hell is the condition of being separated from God's love. Hell can be said to exist in this world as well as in the afterlife.  Those in the state of hell can repent and change their condition, both before and after death.  The [[Divine Principle]], the main textbook of church teachings, says:
+
[[Dante|Dante Alighieri]]'s ''[[The Divine Comedy]]'' is a classic inspiration for modern images of hell. In this work, set in the year 300, Dante employed the conceit of taking Virgil as his guide through [[Inferno]] (and then, in the second canticle, up the [[mountain]] of [[Purgatory|Purgatorio]]). Virgil himself is not condemned to Hell in Dante's poem but is rather, as a virtuous pagan, confined to [[Limbo]] just at the edge of Hell. The geography of Hell is very elaborately laid out in this work, with nine concentric rings leading deeper into the Earth and deeper into the various punishments of Hell, until, at the center of the world, Dante finds Satan himself trapped in the frozen lake of [[Cocytus]]. A small tunnel leads past Satan and out to the other side of the world, at the base of the Mount of Purgatory.
  
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:It is not God who decides whether a person's spirit enters heaven or hell upon his death; it is decided by the spirit himself. Humans are created so that once they reach perfection they will fully breathe the love of God. Those who committed sinful deeds while on earth become crippled spirits who are incapable of fully breathing in the love of God. They find it agonizing to stand before God, the center of true love. Of their own will, they choose to dwell in hell, far removed from the love of God.[http://www.geocities.com/unificationism/edp-creation.html#Sec6]
+
[[John Milton]]'s ''[[Paradise Lost]]'' (1668) opens with the [[fallen angels]], including their leader Satan, waking up in Hell after having been defeated in the [[war in heaven]] and the action returns there at several points throughout the poem. The nature of Hell as a place of punishment, as portrayed by Dante, is not explored here; instead, Hell is the abode of the demons, and the passive [[prison]] from which they plot their revenge upon [[Heaven]] through the corruption of the human race.
  
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==Hell in mystic accounts==
+
[[C.S. Lewis]]'s ''[[The Great Divorce]]'' (1945) borrows its title from [[William Blake]]'s ''[[Marriage of Heaven and Hell]]'' (1793) and its inspiration from the ''Divine Comedy'' as the narrator is likewise guided through Hell and Heaven. Hell is portrayed here as an endless, desolate twilight city upon which night is imperceptibly sinking. The night is actually the [[Apocalypse]], and it heralds the arrival of the demons after their judgment. Before the night comes, anyone can escape Hell if they leave behind their former selves and accept Heaven's offer, and a journey to Heaven reveals that Hell is infinitely small; it is nothing more or less than what happens to a soul that turns away from God and into itself.
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===The Rose of the World===
 
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The account of [[Russian Orthodox Church|Christian]] [[Mysticism|mystic]] [[Daniil Andreev]] given in his [[Magnum opus|opus magnum]] ''[[Roza Mira]]'' significantly departs from the Christian tradition, depicting an entire [[hierarchy]] of multiple ''[[Sheol]]s'' different in appearances, purposes and relationships to [[Humanity|human]] [[culture]]s and to '[[Demon|diabolic]]' worlds co-existing with the visible [[Universe]].
 
  
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==Hell in Literature==
+
One modern symbolic interpretation of Hell was portrayed in the 1998 [[Hollywood]] film, ''[[What Dreams May Come (film)|What Dreams May Come]],'' based on the eponymous novel by [[Richard Matheson]]. In the film, the actions that result in the soul being sent to hell are precisely those actions in everyday life that cause the mind pain and suffering. The state of the mind's pain and suffering is the basis of hell. Thus, while hell is the abode of spirits who have rejected God's goodness—such as the [[suicide]] in the film, it is the suicide's depressed state of mind which dominates her thoughts and keeps her trapped in that place. Her husband thus can rescue her from hell by opening her mind to the fact that she is loved above all.
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[[Image:William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) - Dante And Virgil In Hell (1850).jpg|right|thumb|250px|''Dante And Virgil In Hell'' - [[William-Adolphe Bouguereau]]]]
 
−
Many of the great epics of European literature include episodes that occur in Hell. In the Roman poet [[Virgil]]'s Latin epic, the ''[[Aeneid]]'', Aeneas descends into Dis (the underworld) to visit his father's spirit. The underworld is only vaguely described, with one unexplored path leading to the punishments of Tartarus, while the other leads through Erebus and the Elysian Fields.
 
  
−
In his ''[[Divina commedia]]'' ('Divine comedy'; set in the year [[1300]]), [[Dante|Dante Alighieri]] employed the conceit of taking Virgil as his guide through [[Inferno]] (and then, in the second cantiche, up the mountain of [[Purgatory|Purgatorio]]). Virgil himself is not condemned to Hell in Dante's poem but is rather, as a virtuous pagan, confined to [[Limbo]] just at the edge of Hell. The geography of Hell is very elaborately laid out in this work, with nine concentric rings leading deeper into the Earth and deeper into the various punishments of Hell, until, at the center of the world, Dante finds Satan himself trapped in the frozen lake of [[Cocytus]]. A small tunnel leads past Satan and out to the other side of the world, at the base of the Mount of Purgatory.
+
==Vernacular usage==
 +
[[Image:Gustave Dore Inferno34.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Satan frozen at the center of [[Cocytus]], the ninth circle of Hell in [[The Divine Comedy|Dante's Inferno]].]]
 +
The word "Hell" used away from its religious context was long considered to be [[profanity]], particularly in [[North America]]. Though its use was commonplace in everyday speech and on television by the 1970s, many people in the [[United States]] still consider it somewhat rude or inappropriate language, particularly involving children.<ref>Michael A. Fuoco and Eleanor Chute, [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04036/269490.stm Girl suspended for saying h-e-double-hockey-sticks], ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,'' February 5, 2004. Retrieved January 15, 2008. </ref>
 +
Many, particularly among religious circles and in certain sensitive environments, still avoid casual usage of the word.
  
−
The [[1976]] novel ''[[Inferno (novel)|Inferno]]'' by [[Larry Niven]] and [[Jerry Pournelle]] is set in
+
An example of the common use of “hell” in daily language is the saying "a cold day in hell.” This statement hinges on the paradox that most imagery of hell depicts it as hot and fiery, such as in the [[Bible]] in [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]], where sinners are cast into a [[lake of fire]]. Therefore, an event that will transpire “on a cold day in hell” will never occur. Similar or related phrases include: “over my dead body,” “when hell freezes over,” “a snowball's chance in hell,” “when the devil goes ice-skating,” and “[[flying pig|when pigs fly]].” Still, the phrase "cold as hell" is understood to describe something very cold.
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Dante's Hell with 20th century protagonists.
 
  
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[[John Milton]]'s ''[[Paradise Lost]]'' ([[1668]]) opens with the [[fallen angels]], including their leader [[Satan]], waking up in Hell after having been defeated in the [[war in heaven]] and the action returns there at several points throughout the poem. The nature of Hell as a place of punishment, as portrayed by Dante, is not explored here; instead, Hell is the abode of the demons, and the passive prison from which they plot their revenge upon Heaven through the corruption of the human race.
+
Interestingly, [[Cocytus]], the bottom circle of Hell, which held traitors, in [[Dante]]'s ''[[The Divine Comedy]],'' is depicted as an [[ice]]-covered [[lake]].
  
−
[[C.S. Lewis]]'s ''[[The Great Divorce]]'' ([[1945]]) borrows its title from [[William Blake]]'s ''[[Marriage of Heaven and Hell]]'' ([[1793]]) and its inspiration from the [[Divine Comedy]] as the narrator is likewise guided through Hell and Heaven. Hell is portrayed here as an endless, desolate twilight city upon which night is imperceptibly sinking. The night is actually the [[Apocalypse]], and it heralds the arrival of the demons after their judgement. Before the night comes, anyone can escape Hell if they leave behind their former selves and accept Heaven's offer, and a journey to Heaven reveals that Hell is infinitely small; it is nothing more or less than what happens to a soul that turns away from God and into itself.
+
==Notes==
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+
<references/>
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In the play "[[Man and Superman]]", [[George Bernard Shaw]] pictures Hell as a place of idle worship of youth and beauty.
 
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The idea of hell was highly influential to writers such as [[Jean-Paul Sartre]] who authored the play "[[No Exit]]" about the idea that, "hell is other people". Although not a religious man, Sartre was fascinated by his interpretation of a hellish state of suffering.
 
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19th century French poet [[Arthur Rimbaud]] alluded to the concept as well in the title and themes of one of his major works, "[[Une Saison en Enfer|A Season In Hell]]". Rimbaud's poetry portrays his own suffering in a poetic form as well as other themes.
 
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In [[The War Hound and the World's Pain]] by [[Michael Moorcock]] the central character, [[Ulrich von Bek]] is taken on a visit to Hell by [[Lucifer]] who charges von Bek with recovering the [[Holy Grail]] (the world's pain of the title) in order to attempt a reconciliation between [[God]] and Lucifer.
 
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==Hell in entertainment and other popular culture==
 
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Hell is often depicted as a place underground, with fire and molten rock where the devil lives. The devil is popularly depicted as a being or creature who carries a pitchfork (which in turn is actually a [[trident]]), has flaming red skin, horns on his head, a black [[goatee]] beard, and a long thin tail with a triangle shaped barb on it.
 
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* The most imaginative and famous depiction of hell can be viewed in several paintings by [[medieval]] [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[painter]] [[Hieronymus Bosch]].
 
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* ''[[What Dreams May Come (film)|What Dreams May Come]]'', a 1998 movie that won an Academy Award for its depiction of heaven and hell as the subjective creations of the individual, was an essentially new age model of heaven, hell and reincarnation. It was based on the eponymous [[What Dreams May Come|novel]] by [[Richard Matheson]].
 
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* In the film ''[[Big Trouble in Little China]]'', there are continuous references to the Chinese version(s) of Hell. The specific references are interspersed throughout the movie ("Chinese have a lot of hells," "Hell of boiling oil," "Hell of the upside-down sinners," "Hell where people are skinned alive," etc.).
 
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* The [[BBC Radio 4]] comedy series ''[[Old Harry's Game]]'' is set in Hell. It was written by [[Andy Hamilton]] who also stars as [[Satan]].
 
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* In the ''[[Family Guy]]'' movie ''[[Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story]]'', [[Stewie Griffin]] is being a bad boy, so when a lifeguard chair collapsed and "killed" him, he wakes up in "Hell" -  a bedroom with a headboard sign that said "Welcome to Hell". [[Steve Allen (comedian)|Steve Allen]] greets him and takes off his shirt in an apparent sexual advance, scaring Stewie back into life. Allen then puts his shirt back on, wondering why Stewie would be frightened at a request to fix a button on it. Allen then turns on the [[TV]], curious as to what's on TV in Hell; the opening theme from ''[[Who's The Boss?]]'' begins playing, and when he tries to change the channel, the TV won't respond. In the episode "[[Holy Crap]]" Peter Griffin imagines being in Hell when he was depressed after having his father say what a failure he is to him; imagining criminals like Al Capone, Adolf Hitler, John Wilkes Booth and Superman. When Peter asks what he's doing in Hell, Superman responds that he killed a hooker for making a joke about him being "[[impotence|faster than a speeding bullet]]".
 
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* [[Matt Groening]]'s [[comic strip]] [[Life in Hell]] shows a satirical look on our society, based on all the bad things that can happen, thus the title. Groening claimed his move to [[Los Angeles]] inspired the title.
 
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* In [[The Simpsons]] Hell is depicted numerous times. In [[Bart Gets Hit by a Car]] Bart enters Hell due to a car accident. The [[Hieronymus Bosch]] painting [[Garden of Earthly Delights]] is parodied. Satan seems to have a computer on which he can view details about everyone who enters Hell. Bart's arrival is, however, too early, so the Devil sends him back to Earth, advising him to continue to "lie, cheat, steal and listen to [[heavy metal]]." Homer's ended up in Hell numerous times in the [[Treehouse of Horror]] Halloween episodes.
 
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* In the television show ''[[Futurama]]'', the characters go to [[Robot Hell]] on occasion, where the Robot Devil and other evil robots reside. In "Hell is Other Robots" [[Bender Bending Rodriguez|Bender]] was put in there to be tormented in a series of ironic punishments such as being rolled into a giant cigar for smoking. In "The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings" [[Phillip J. Fry|Fry]] and Bender go to hell to make a deal for Fry to get robot hands so he can play the [[holophonor]]. The robot whose hands Fry will get is determined by a large wheel with every robot on it. Fry winds up with the Robot Devil's hands (I just put my name on there as a show of good faith to the other robots). The Robot Devil proceeds to use a "circuitous plan" involving Bender and [[Leela (Futurama)|Leela]] to convince Fry to trade hands back.
 
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* In many episodes of the television show ''[[South Park]]'' ([[Do the Handicapped Go to Hell?]]/[[Probably]],...), [[Satan (South Park)]] appears. On many occasions he is accompanied by his homosexual lover [[Saddam Hussein]], who ironically seems to be even more malicious than Satan himself. Hell in the series is an overpopulated place where several famous people as [[Frank Sinatra]], [[John F. Kennedy]], [[Walter Matthau]], [[Dean Martin]], [[Lady Diana]] and [[Mahatma Gandhi]] seem to live next to more obvious people as [[Adolf Hitler]]. Only [[Mormons]] seem to go to [[Heaven]]. South Park's version of Hell can also be seen in the film [[South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut]]
 
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* In a deleted scene from the 1999 theatrical theological comedy ''[[Dogma (movie)|Dogma]]'', the ex-[[Muse]] Azrael (played by actor [[Jason Lee (actor)|Jason Lee]]) explains that there have been past and current "versions" of Hell. When Hell was first formed it was meant to hold Lucifer and the rebel angels and was merely a place devoid of the presence of God. To those who had previously been in the presence of God, this was punishment enough. Azrael goes on to say that when humanity was created, Hell was infected with a disease of sorts. Believing that God could never forgive their sins, many humans came to Hell and subconsciously demanded to be actively punished, although that was not their due. Slowly but surely (and reminiscent of the doctrine of [[responsibility assumption]]), Hell became a "suffering pit" to contain all these gluttons for punishment. According to Azrael, Hell is far more horrifying for the fallen angels residing there than for the Damned themselves, as the angels not only have to endure the absence of God, but also the unending howls of the Damned as they undergo torture essentially at their own hands. This concept of Hell, originally found in [[DC Comics]]' [[Swamp Thing]], as written by [[Alan Moore]], also appeared in [[Neil Gaiman]]'s successful [[The Sandman (DC Comics/Vertigo)|Sandman]] series of graphic novels.
 
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* The 2004 [[Insane Clown Posse]] album ''[[The Wraith: Hell's Pit]]'' is a concept album about Hell.
 
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* The video game series ''[[Devil May Cry]]'' features Hell as a location to battle through. The name of the main character Dante is a reference to ''[[The Divine Comedy]]'', as is his twin brother Vergil.
 
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* The first ''[[Fear Effect]]'' game deals extensively with the Chinese concept of hell, replete with its aforementioned political ramifications. Several of the later levels actually take place in the Chinese hell.
 
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* The famous PC game series ''[[Doom]]'' also involves the concept of Hell, but with a science-fiction twist, as a future teleportation experiment accidentally opens a gate to Hell, releasing demons. Hell is treated in the Christian conception, replete with Satanic symbols and corporeal demons, as a parallel universe of crimson skies, black mountains and oceans of fire. In Doom 3 the player must travel to Hell to obtain a powerful Martian artifact.
 
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* The first game in the ''[[Quake]]'' computer game series involves an invasion by forces from Hell, more exactly the Great Old Ones. Note however, that the rest of the series has nothing to do with this concept.
 
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* In the [[comic book]] series ''[[Hellboy]]'' by award-winning artist [[Mike Mignola]], Hell is shown in the two page story "Pancakes" (1999 ''[[Dark Horse]] Presents Annual'') to be a dark, alternate dimension filled with flames and demons and where the infernal capital city of [[Pandæmonium (Paradise Lost)|Pandemonium]] resides. In issue one "Seed of Destruction" the [[Nazis]] with aid of the mad monk [[Grigori Rasputin|Rasputin]] successfully breach the transdimensional boundary of Hell via magic and call forth the infant Hellboy so that he may bring about the end of the world. They are stopped, however, by the [[World War II|Allied Forces]] who also rescue Hellboy and raise him.
 
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* The 2005 Warner Bros. film ''[[Constantine (film)|Constantine]]'' depicts as graphic a version of the traditional Christian version of Hell as can be found in cinema: it shows a parallel plane with many of the same buildings and structures as the normal world, but twisted, ruined and perpetually seared as if eternally hit by the [[blast wave]] of a nuclear bomb. This movie is based on the DC/Vertigo comic series [[Hellblazer]].
 
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* In the first of the ''[[Diablo (computer game)|Diablo]]'' series of games, a "leaked-out" portion hell is featured as a pit deep under the ground largely characterized as a place of suffering, as the bodies of hundreds of apparently tortured people reside there. The game manual refers to this place as actually part of the mortal realm whose barriers with the metaphysical Hell have weakened, causing it to take on hellish attributes combined with more worldly ones. None of the apparently tortured bodies show any signs of life or torment, and as such may simply be the Decor that Diablo, the lord of Terror, has chosen for his home in the mortal world. This fits with the view of the actual Hell as portrayed in ''[[Diablo II]]'', which features Hell as a bleak landscape populated by grotesque monsters and souls in active torment.
 
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* [[Lobo (comics)|Lobo]] in the [[DC Universe]] was banned from hell, as he caused too many problems there, thus achieving immortality, as he was also banned from heaven for much the same reason. Incidentally, God apparently got some mirth from watching Lobo's antics.
 
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* In the game [[Tony Hawk's Underground 2]], there is an unlockable level (within 2 others) that depicts Hell. Little Demons, rural citizens, and a jazz dancing Satan are in the level.
 
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*The 2006 film [[Silent Hill (film)|Silent Hill]] depicts Hell numerous times throughout the movie. It implies a private hell, where we punish ourselves by denying our guilt and fate, only prolonging our suffering and agony. The overall concept of the film is the lengths a mother will go to for her child, travelling to 'Hell and back'. Hell is also depicted as a modern world, but decayed and rusted, populated by strange and horrific creatures. In a number of respects, this concept is rather far removed from the game setting.
 
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*In [[Doctor Who]], the 10th Doctor comes across a being which identifies itself as [[List of Doctor Who villains#B|'the Beast']], resembles popular interpretations of the Devil, and makes numerous references to Hell.  In a later episode, "Hell" is said to be a [[synonym]] for the [[Void]], the coordinates of which are [[666|all sixes]]
 
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*In the fourth edition of the game series [[Elder Scrolls]], [[Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]], the main quest in the game involves preventing and stopping monsters from coming through gates linking to a place called Oblivion. It is widely believed that this is synonymous with Hell. However, the realm seen in the game is only one of 16 realms of Oblivion, the one belonging to the daedra lord Mehehrunes Dagon. The other 15 realms of Oblivion (one for every other daedra prince) are not the same as Dagon's, and the realms of the more benevolent daedra (such as Azura and Mereida) are probably not hell-like at all. Also, Oblivion is not an afterlife for the sinful.
 
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* In the [[Dungeons & Dragons]] role-playing game, Hell is an [[Outer Plane]] of existence called Baator and is comprised of nine levels, sometimes called the Nine Hells or the Nine Hells of Baator. In the expansion pack [[Hordes of the Underdark]] for the game [[Neverwinter Nights]], the player gets banished to the eighth level of hell, a frozen wasteland called Cania.
 
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* In the [[1991]] film [[Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey]], the title characters end up in Hell.
 
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* In the popular fighting game series, "Street Fighter", the character Akuma uses a move called "[[Shun Goku Satsu]]" which sends the opponent's soul to Hell.
 
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* In film ''[[Deconstructing Harry]]'' by [[Woody Allen]], the protagonist descends into Hell where he has a chance to learn from the [[Devil]] himself (played by [[Billy Crystal]]), among other things about the significance of having [[air conditioning]] in Hell, and then proceeds to discover his own father. After learning those reasons, Harry grants [[absolution]] to his ancestor and suggests that latter is to be taken to [[Paradise]] - only to be reminded: ''I am [[Jewish]] and do not believe in Paradise!''.
 
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* In the one-panel [[Comic strip|comic]] ''[[The Far Side]]'' (created by [[Gary Larson]] in the [[eighties]]) Hell is featured among other recurring themes, depicting [[Satan]] and his [[minions]] as grim-looking figures in robes with horns and [[pitchfork]]s, running the place in [[business]]-like manner: in one instance, the bespectacled [[secretary]] behind the [[typewriter]] asks her boss seen as a [[silhouette]] behind the [[office]] door: ''There is an [[insurance]] [[salesman]] here. Should I admit him in or tell to go to [[Paradise]]?''
 
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* In the [[comic strip]] ''[[Dilbert]]'' (created by [[Scott Adams]]) "heck" is a lesser version of hell reserved for people who have done misdeeds that are not evil enough to warrant hell.  Heck is ruled by [[Phil, the Prince of Insufficient Light]] who carries a giant spoon instead of a pitchfork.
 
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*In the popular sci-fi tv series [[Stargate SG-1]], "Hell" is used several times by then [[Colonel Jack O'Neill]] to describe the prison planet of the [[Goa'uld]] [[Sokar]], an alien who took on a persona reminiscent of the Christian [[Devil]] while on Earth enslaving primitive humans.
 
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*Hell is portrayed as a battlefield frozen in time in the video game [[Painkiller (video game)|Painkiller]].  Everything from bullets to trenches to [[mushroom cloud|mushroom clouds]] are present in stark stasis, allowing the player to move about the vista to get a good look at it.  The most notable omission from the stage is that of people; the player is the only living thing in the scene, occasionally accosted by [[wraiths]]—presumably ghosts of the dead soldiers.  Being the final level in the game it is relatively short and culminates with a showdown with [[Satan]] himself.
 
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*In the [[Star Trek]] universe the [[Klingon]]s believe in a version of Hell called [[Gre'Thor]].
 
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==Non-religious context==
 
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The word "Hell" used away from its religious context was long considered to be [[profanity]], particularly in North America. Although its use was commonplace in everyday speech and on television by the 1970s, many people in the US still consider it somewhat rude or inappropriate language, particularly involving children.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04036/269490.stm|title=Girl suspended for saying h-e-double-hockey-sticks|publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=[[2004-02-05]]}}</ref>
 
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Many, particularly among religious circles and in certain sensitive <!-- ???—> environments, still avoid casual usage of the word. In [[British English]] and some parts of North America, the word has fallen into common use and is not considered profane; often considered to be a safer and less offensive alternative to swearing.
 
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===[[Euphemism|Euphemistic]] ways of saying hell===
 
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"Hell" is sometimes used as a [[minced oath]], as "''H-E-double-hockey-sticks''", "''H-E-double-toothpicks''", "''heck''" or "''Sam Hill''" ("What in the Sam Hill is going on here?"). Another common euphemism for Hell is "The Other Place" (which is also the formal term used in the UK parliament to refer to the [[House of Lords]] by a member of the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]], and vice-versa and was used by Hamlet, both as a silent threat addressed to Claudius and as a hint to Polonius's location).
 
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Example: "Gosh darn you to heck and tarnation" in place of "May God damn you to hell and eternal damnation."
 
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====Cold day in hell====
 
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Another example of common use of “hell” in daily language, a “cold day in hell” is a [[paradox]] and an [[idiom]], since most imagery of hell depicts it as hot and fiery, such as in the [[Bible]] in [[Revelation]], where sinners are cast into a [[lake of fire]]. Therefore, an event that will transpire “on a cold day in hell” will never occur. Similar or related phrases include: “over my dead body,” “when hell freezes over,” “a snowball's chance in hell,” “when the devil goes ice-skating,” and “[[flying pig|when pigs fly]].” Still, the phrase "cold as hell" is understood to describe something very cold.
 
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Interestingly, [[Cocytus]], the bottom circle of Hell, which held traitors, in [[Dante]]'s ''[[Divine Comedy]]'', is depicted as an ice-covered lake.
 
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==See also==
 
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{|width=100%
 
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|-valign=top
 
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|width=50%|
 
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*[[Gehenna]]
 
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*[[The Inferno]] by [[Dante Alighieri]]
 
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*[[Malebolge]]
 
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*[[Theodicy]]
 
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*[[Eschatology]]
 
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*[[Purgatory]]
 
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*[[Problem of Hell|The problem of Hell]]
 
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|width=50%|
 
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*[[Annihilationism]]
 
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*[[Demon]]s
 
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*[[Book of Revelation]]
 
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*[[Heaven and Hell (Allan Kardec)|Heaven and Hell]] book ''by [[Allan Kardec]]''
 
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*[[Heaven]]
 
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*[[Ose]]
 
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*[[Doom]]
 
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|}
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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<div class="references-small">
+
*Chittick, William C. ''Imaginal Worlds: Ibn al-‘Arabī and the Problem of Religious Diversity''. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1994.
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<references/>
+
*Ma’sumian, Franaz. ''Life After Death: A Study of the Afterlife in World Religions''. Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 1995. ISBN 1851680748
−
</div>
 
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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{{wikiquote}}
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All links retrieved December 14, 2017.
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{{commons}}
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*[http://www.HellHappens.com Christian site with paintings, audio, and video about hell, Satan, and demons.]
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*[http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Religions/iranian/Zarathushtrian/hell.htm Concept of Hell in Iranian culture]
+
*[http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/beliefs/hell.htm Christian Doctrines of Hell] - statements from the Old Testament, New Testament, Church Fathers, and modern denominations on Hell, plus common arguments for and against Hell.
−
*[http://www.HellHappens.com Christian site with paintings, audio and video about hell, Satan and demons.]
 
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*[http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/beliefs/hell.htm Christian Doctrines of Hell] - statements from the Old Testament, New Testament, church fathers and modern denominations on Hell, plus common arguments for and against Hell.
 
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*[http://www.languedoc-france.info/120101_beliefs.htm A Cathar perspective on Hell]
 
 
*[http://www.tentmaker.org/books/Aion_lim.html Hell as non-eternal] (Universalist study)
 
*[http://www.tentmaker.org/books/Aion_lim.html Hell as non-eternal] (Universalist study)
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*[http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2002/7/15/article_02.htm The Jehovah's Witnesses perspective]
+
*[http://veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/dying.htm Dying, Yamaraja, and Yamadutas] at Vedic Knowledge Online
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*[http://veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/dying.htm Dying, Yamaraja and Yamadutas + terminal restlessness]
+
*[http://www.khandro.net/doctrine_hells.htm Example of Buddhist hells]
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*[http://www.khandro.net/doctrine_hells.htm example Buddhist hells]
+
*[http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/heaven-hell/ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Entry on Heaven and Hell in Christian Thought]
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*[http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/heaven-hell/ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on Heaven and Hell]
+
*[http://www.chabad.org/search/keyword.asp?scope=6198&kid=9562 The Jewish View of Hell]
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*[http://www.chabad.org/search/keyword.asp?scope=6198&kid=9562 The Jewish view of Hell]
 
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*[http://uk.geocities.com/frege@btinternet.com/afterlife/afterlife.htm Aquinas on The Inferno (parallel Latin English text)]
 
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*[http://www.carelinks.net/books/dh/bb/4-9.htm 'Hell' in the Bible interpreted as the grave]
 
  
 
[[Category: Philosophy and religion]]
 
[[Category: Philosophy and religion]]

Latest revision as of 15:48, 14 December 2017

Medieval illustration of Hell in the Hortus deliciarum manuscript of Herrad of Landsberg (about 1180)

In many world religions, the concept of Hell refers to a literal or symbolic place (or sometimes an existential condition) of damnation where the wicked and unrighteous are punished for their transgressions. The concept of hell is prevalent in many religions although its exact description varies from one religion to another. In traditional Christianity, Islam, and the popular imagination, hell is frequently depicted as a fiery pit located underground where souls are tormented by their past sins and demonic forces. Alternatively, hell has been described (e.g., in Dante's Inferno) as a freezing cold and despondently gloomy place.

Many moderns describe hell as an existential or psychological state (or condition) of the soul. Modern literary understandings of hell often depict it abstractly, as a state of loss rather than as fiery torture that is literally under the ground. Thus, hell can be seen as the complete and final separation of God's love and mercy from sinners who have rejected his moral standards of goodness and have chosen to live a rebellious life of sin. In this light, the actions which supposedly result in one's soul being sent to Hell (i.e. the so called "sins") are precisely those actions that in everyday life cause those states of mind. Hell in the afterlife is but an intensification of the pangs of hell on earth, intensified because the material props of a self-centered life have been removed.

Another issue is whether or not hell is eternal. Religions with a linear view of history typically depict hell as an endless, infinite abyss; conversely, religions with a cyclic view of history often depict hell as an intermediary period between incarnations (for example, the Chinese Di Yu or the Buddhist Naraka). The widespread notion of hell as purgatory is helpful in reconciling the justice of God with his ultimate mercy upon his children.

Despite these variations, the common ground among the descriptions is a place of estrangement and alienation from divinity, which translates into unbearable pain and suffering.

Etymology

The origin of the English word "hell" comes from the Germanic language. Originally, "hel" meant "to cover." The word was also used to designate the goddess of the Norse underworld (Niflheim) and daughter of Loki.

In Christianity, the word "hell"—in Latin, infernus, infernum, inferi; in Greek, ᾍδης (Hades); in Hebrew, שאול (Sheol)—is used in scripture and the Apostles' Creed to refer to the abode of all the dead, whether righteous or evil, unless or until they are admitted to heaven.[1]

Religious accounts

Judaism

The Jewish equivalent of hell is Gehenna, which is described as a fiery place of torment. The word “Gehenna” originates from the Hebrew גי(א)-הינום (Gêhinnôm) meaning the "Valley of Hinnom's son"—a real place outside the city walls of Jerusalem, where child sacrifices were once made to the idol Moloch, and bodies of executed criminals and garbage were once dumped. Fires were kept burning in the valley to keep down the stench. Consequently, Gehenna became associated with abomination of child sacrifice and the horror of burning flesh.

However, Gehenna in Judaism is not exactly hell per se, but a sort of Purgatory where one is judged according to their life's deeds. The Kabbalah describes it as a "waiting room" (commonly translated as an "entry way") for all souls (not just the wicked). The overwhelming majority of rabbinic thought maintains that people are not in Gehenna forever; the longest that one can be there is said to be 12 months, however there has been the occasional noted exception. Some consider it a spiritual forge where the soul is purified for its eventual ascent to Olam Habah (heb. עולם הבא; lit. "The world to come," often viewed as analogous to Heaven). This is also mentioned in the Kabbalah, where the soul is described as breaking, like the flame of a candle lighting another: the part of the soul that ascends being pure and the "unfinished" piece being reborn.

Ancient Greek religion

Another source for the idea of Hell is the Greek and Roman Tartarus, a place in which conquered gods, men, and other spirits were punished. Tartarus formed part of Hades in both Greek mythology and Roman mythology, but Hades also included Elysium, a place for the reward for those who lead virtuous lives, while others spent their afterlife in the asphodels fields. Like most ancient (pre-Christian) religions, the underworld was not viewed as negatively as it is in Christianity and Islam.

When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek (see Septuagint), the word that was used to designate the gloomy afterlife was not "hell" but "hades." The Jews preferred the word "hades" as the best translation of the Hebrew word "Sheol." In early Judaism, "Sheol" referred to the comfortless place beneath the earth, where both slave and king, pious and wicked went after death to sleep in silence and oblivion in the dust (Isaiah 38:18; Psalms 6:5, 88:3–12; Job 7:7–10, 3:11–19; Genesis 2:7, 3:19). By the first century, Jews had come to believe that those in Sheol awaited the resurrection either in comfort (in the bosom of Abraham) or in torment. This belief is reflected in the later Jewish concept of a fiery Gehenna, which contrasts with Sheol.

The New Testament (written in Greek) also uses "hades" to mean the abode of the dead (sheol). Western Christians, who do not share a concept of "hades" with the Eastern Orthodox, have traditionally translated "Sheol" (and "hades") as "hell." Unlike hell, however, Sheol is not associated with Satan.

It is likely that the in the course of history, older conceptions of Hades as the generalized abode of the dead differentiated into heaven and hell. This can be explained as due to the greater availability of salvation in the newer mystery religions that spread throughout the Hellenistic world, which advocated a clear distinction between the abodes of light and darkness, as well as in Judaism with the doctrine of the martyrs enjoying eternal blessedness; hence conceptions of hell as a dark and terrifying place developed in tandem with belief in bright abodes as the dwellings of the righteous.

Christianity

Hell, the right panel from the triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights by Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch.

Most Christians see hell as the eternal punishment for unrepentant sinners, as well as for the Devil and his demons. As opposed to the concept of Purgatory, damnation to hell is considered final and irreversible. Various interpretations of the torment of hell exist, ranging from fiery pits of wailing sinners to lonely isolation from God's presence.

Most Christians believe that damnation occurs immediately upon death (particular judgment); others believe that it occurs after Judgment Day. It was once said that virtuous unbelievers (such as pagans or members of divergent Christian denominations) are said to deserve hell on account of original sin, and even unbaptized infants are sometimes said to be damned. Exceptions, however, are often made for those who have failed to accept Jesus Christ but have extenuating circumstances (youth not having heard the Gospel, mental illness, etc.). However, attitudes toward hell and damnation have softened over the centuries (for example, see Limbo).

Several Christian denominations reject the traditional concept of hell altogether. Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in hell. They teach that souls in the grave remain asleep until the final judgment, at which time the righteous will be resurrected to heaven and the wicked will simply be annihilated. Unitarian-Universalists see the traditional belief in hell as incompatible with a God of love—inasmuch as God is sent to send sinners there to suffer eternally. They advocate universal salvation, whereby Christ intercedes to save the souls of everyone, even those living in hell.

Modern Christian understandings of hell depict it as the condition of being separated from God's love. Having accepted Jesus Christ and received remissions of sins while on earth opens the gate to receiving God's love, and hence entry to the realms of Paradise. On the other hand, atheists, nominal Christians whose belief is only conceptual, and hypocrites who profess faith but act in the contrary manner, are among those who dwell in hell. However, the faithful of other religions as well as people of good conscience do not dwell in hell but rather in the higher realms appropriate to their belief systems. The judgment leading to hell is self-made, as the newly-departed spirit finds his or her own level with others of similar nature. The realms of hell are populated by people whose character is primarily self-centered. The development during earthly life of a character of altruism or of selfishness is the dividing line that determines whether one will go to heaven or hell.

The predominant Christian view is of an eternal hell, from which escape is impossible. An alternative view that hell is eternal, but not necessarily so, has been proposed by a number of Christian writers. For example, C. S. Lewis suggested the possibility that spirits in hell can be induced to repentance, and thereby be raised to a higher realm. This view is also held by many spiritualists, supported by testimonies and stories of souls whose mission it is to travel to the hells and rescue spirits for whom hell's torments have softened their hearts.[2]

Islam

The Islamic view of hell is called Jahannam (in Arabic: جهنم), which is contrasted to jannah, the garden-like Paradise enjoyed by righteous believers. In the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, there is literal descriptions of the condemned in a fiery Hell. Hell is split into many levels depending on the actions taken in life, where punishment is allotted according to the amount of evil perpetrated. The Qur'an also says that some of those who are damned to hell are not damned forever, but instead reside there for an indefinite period of time. When Judgment Day comes, the formerly damned will be judged as to whether or not they may enter into Paradise. In any case, it is indicated that punishment in Hell is not meant to last eternally, but instead serves as a basis for spiritual rectification.[3]

Chinese religions

The structure of hell is remarkably complex in many Chinese religions. The ruler of hell has to deal with politics, just as human rulers do. Hell is the subject of many folk stories and in many cases people in hell are able to die again. In some folk stories, a sinner revives from the dead only to writhe and groan as he testifies to his appalled neighbors about the torments he has been suffering in hell. In a Chinese funeral, they burn many Hell Bank Notes for the dead. With this Hell money, the dead person can bribe the ruler of Hell, and spend the rest of the money either in Hell or in Heaven.

The Chinese depiction of hell does not necessarily involve a vast duration of suffering for those who enter Hell, nor does it mean that person is bad. For some, Hell is similar to a present-day passport or immigration control station in so far as a person may be held up there before continuing their spiritual journey. Other depictions follow the Buddhist tradition, seeing Hell as a purgatory where the spirits suffer in recompense for their earthly crimes.

Hinduism

In Hinduism, there are contradictions as to whether or not there is a hell (referred to as Nark in Hindi). For some, it is a metaphor for human conscience, where as for others it is a real place. It is believed that people who commit paap (sin) go to hell and have to go through the punishments in accordance to the sins they committed (even if they have been fundamentally good). For example, the Mahabharata states that both the Pandavas and the Kauravas went to hell. Thus, the heroes of the Mahabharata, who symbolized righteousness, still went to hell because of their past sins. However, in contrast to the typical Western view of hell as a place of eternal suffering, in Hinduism hell is seen as a temporary stop in the cycle of reincarnation.

According to Hindu lore, the god Yama, the god of death, is also said to be the king of hell. The Garuda Purana gives a detailed account of hell, its features, and the different punishment for most crimes (analogous to a modern-day penal code). The detailed accounts of all the sins committed by an individual are supposed to be kept by Chitragupta, who is the record keeper in Yama's court. Chitragupta reads out the sins committed and Yama orders the appropriate punishments to be given. These punishments include dipping in boiling oil, burning in fire, torture using various weapons, etc. However, individuals who finish their quota of the punishments are reborn according to their karma. If one has led a generally pious life, one ascends to Heaven, or Swarga after a brief period of expiation in hell.[4]

Buddhism

As diverse as other religions, there are many beliefs about hell in Buddhism.

Most of the schools of thought, Theravāda, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna acknowledge several hells, which are places of great suffering for those who commit evil actions, such as cold hells and hot hells. Like all the different realms within cyclic existence, an existence in hell is temporary for its inhabitants. Those with sufficiently negative karma are reborn there, where they stay until their specific negative karma has been used up, at which point they are reborn in another realm, such as that of humans, of hungry ghosts, of animals, of asuras, of devas, or of Naraka (Hell) all according to the individual's karma.

There are a number of modern Buddhists, especially among Western schools, who believe that hell is only a state of mind. In a sense, a bad day at work could be hell, and a great day at work could be heaven. This has been supported by some modern scholars who advocate the interpretation of such metaphysical portions of the scriptures symbolically rather than literally.

Bahá'í Faith

The Bahá'í Faith agrees with modern Christian views in regarding the traditional descriptions of hell as a specific place to be symbolic language. Instead the Bahá'í writings describe hell as a "spiritual condition" where remoteness from God is defined as hell; conversely heaven is seen as a state of closeness to God. The soul in the afterlife retains its consciousness and individuality and remembers its physical life; the soul will be able to recognize other souls and communicate with them.[5]

Hell in literature and popular culture

A vision of hell from Dante’s The Divine Comedy (illustration by Gustave Doré).

In Western religious iconography and popular culture, Hell is often depicted as a fiery place underground where the devil lives. It also is thought to be inhabited by the souls of dead people and by demons who torment the damned. Christian theologians portray Hell as the abode of the fallen angel Lucifer (also known as Satan and the Devil). The devil is seen as the ruler of Hell and is popularly portrayed as a creature that carries a pitchfork, has red skin, horns on his head, a black goatee beard, and a long, thin tail with a triangle-shaped barb on it. Hell itself is described as a domain of boundless torment and the absolute, ultimate worst-case-scenario, per se.

Many of the great epics of European literature include episodes that occur in Hell. In the Roman poet Virgil's Latin epic, the Aeneid, Aeneas descends into Dis (the underworld) to visit his father's spirit. The underworld is only vaguely described, with one unexplored path leading to the punishments of Tartarus, while the other leads through Erebus and the Elysian Fields.

Dante And Virgil In Hell, by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy is a classic inspiration for modern images of hell. In this work, set in the year 300, Dante employed the conceit of taking Virgil as his guide through Inferno (and then, in the second canticle, up the mountain of Purgatorio). Virgil himself is not condemned to Hell in Dante's poem but is rather, as a virtuous pagan, confined to Limbo just at the edge of Hell. The geography of Hell is very elaborately laid out in this work, with nine concentric rings leading deeper into the Earth and deeper into the various punishments of Hell, until, at the center of the world, Dante finds Satan himself trapped in the frozen lake of Cocytus. A small tunnel leads past Satan and out to the other side of the world, at the base of the Mount of Purgatory.

John Milton's Paradise Lost (1668) opens with the fallen angels, including their leader Satan, waking up in Hell after having been defeated in the war in heaven and the action returns there at several points throughout the poem. The nature of Hell as a place of punishment, as portrayed by Dante, is not explored here; instead, Hell is the abode of the demons, and the passive prison from which they plot their revenge upon Heaven through the corruption of the human race.

C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce (1945) borrows its title from William Blake's Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1793) and its inspiration from the Divine Comedy as the narrator is likewise guided through Hell and Heaven. Hell is portrayed here as an endless, desolate twilight city upon which night is imperceptibly sinking. The night is actually the Apocalypse, and it heralds the arrival of the demons after their judgment. Before the night comes, anyone can escape Hell if they leave behind their former selves and accept Heaven's offer, and a journey to Heaven reveals that Hell is infinitely small; it is nothing more or less than what happens to a soul that turns away from God and into itself.

One modern symbolic interpretation of Hell was portrayed in the 1998 Hollywood film, What Dreams May Come, based on the eponymous novel by Richard Matheson. In the film, the actions that result in the soul being sent to hell are precisely those actions in everyday life that cause the mind pain and suffering. The state of the mind's pain and suffering is the basis of hell. Thus, while hell is the abode of spirits who have rejected God's goodness—such as the suicide in the film, it is the suicide's depressed state of mind which dominates her thoughts and keeps her trapped in that place. Her husband thus can rescue her from hell by opening her mind to the fact that she is loved above all.

Vernacular usage

Satan frozen at the center of Cocytus, the ninth circle of Hell in Dante's Inferno.

The word "Hell" used away from its religious context was long considered to be profanity, particularly in North America. Though its use was commonplace in everyday speech and on television by the 1970s, many people in the United States still consider it somewhat rude or inappropriate language, particularly involving children.[6] Many, particularly among religious circles and in certain sensitive environments, still avoid casual usage of the word.

An example of the common use of “hell” in daily language is the saying "a cold day in hell.” This statement hinges on the paradox that most imagery of hell depicts it as hot and fiery, such as in the Bible in Revelation, where sinners are cast into a lake of fire. Therefore, an event that will transpire “on a cold day in hell” will never occur. Similar or related phrases include: “over my dead body,” “when hell freezes over,” “a snowball's chance in hell,” “when the devil goes ice-skating,” and “when pigs fly.” Still, the phrase "cold as hell" is understood to describe something very cold.

Interestingly, Cocytus, the bottom circle of Hell, which held traitors, in Dante's The Divine Comedy, is depicted as an ice-covered lake.

Notes

  1. ↑ Paragraph 1. Christ Descended into Hell, 633, in Catechism of the Catholic Church, Section 2: The Profession of the Christian Faith; Chapter 2: I Believe in Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God; Article 5: “He Descended into Hell on the Third Day He Rose Again.” Retrieved January 15, 2008.
  2. ↑ For example, see Franchezzo, A Wanderer in the Spirit Lands, transcribed by A. Farnese. Retrieved January 15, 2008.
  3. ↑ William C. Chittick, Imaginal Worlds: Ibn al-‘Arabī and the Problem of Religious Diversity (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1994); see Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Hādī al-Arwāh, ed. M. ibn Ibrāhīm al-zaghlī (Al-Dammām, Saudi Arabia: Ramādī lil-Nashr, 1997).
  4. ↑ Vedic Knowledge Online, Vedic cosmology – planetarium. Retrieved January 15, 2008.
  5. ↑ Franaz Ma’sumian, Life After Death: A Study of the Afterlife in World Religions (Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 1995 ISBN 1851680748).
  6. ↑ Michael A. Fuoco and Eleanor Chute, Girl suspended for saying h-e-double-hockey-sticks, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 5, 2004. Retrieved January 15, 2008.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Chittick, William C. Imaginal Worlds: Ibn al-‘Arabī and the Problem of Religious Diversity. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1994.
  • Ma’sumian, Franaz. Life After Death: A Study of the Afterlife in World Religions. Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 1995. ISBN 1851680748

External links

All links retrieved December 14, 2017.

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