Hell (a discussion)

What is Hell? and why did God create it, if indeed you believe that he did?
If the soul is immortal and heads north or south at death, what is the earths purpose?

Christianity
"Gehenna", Valley of Hinnom, 2007Main article: Hell in Christian beliefs
The Christian doctrine of hell derives from the teaching of the New Testament, where hell is typically described using the Greek words Tartarus or Hades or the Arabic word Gehenna.

Hebrew OT Septuagint Greek NT times in NT Vulgate KJV NIV
Sheol[16] Hades Hades[17] x10 infernus[18] Hell Hades
Ge Hinom[19] Ennom[20] Gehenna[21] x11 infernus Hell Hell
tartaro[22] x1 infernus Hell Hell

These three terms have different meanings and must be recognized.

Hades has similarities to the Old Testament term, Sheol as "the place of the dead". Thus, it is used in reference to both the righteous and the wicked, since both wind up there eventually.[23]
Gehenna refers to the "Valley of Hinnon", which was a garbage dump outside of Jerusalem. It was a place where people burned their garbage and thus there was always a fire burning there. Bodies of those deemed to have died in sin without hope of salvation (such as people who committed suicide) were thrown there to be destroyed.[24] Gehenna is used in the New Testament as a metaphor for the final place of punishment for the wicked after the resurrection.[25]
Tartaro (the verb "throw to Tartarus") occurs only once in the New Testament in II Peter 2:4, where it is parallel to the use of the noun form in 1 Enoch as the place of incarceration of 200 fallen angels. It mentions nothing about human souls being sent there in the afterlife.
In many Christian churches, such as the Catholic Church, most Protestant churches (such as the Baptists, Episcopalians, etc.), and some Greek Orthodox churches,[26] Hell is taught as the final destiny of those who have not been found worthy after they have passed through the great white throne of judgment,[27][28] where they will be punished for sin and permanently separated from God after the general resurrection and last judgment. The nature of this judgment is inconsistent, with many Protestant churches teaching the saving comes from accepting Jesus Christ as their savior, while the Greek Orthodox and Catholic Churches teach that the judgment hinges on both faith and works. However, many Liberal Christians throughout Liberal Protestant, Anglican, Catholic and some Orthodox churches believe in Universal Reconciliation (see below) even though it might contradict the "official" teachings of their denomination.

Some Christian theologians of the early Church and some of the modern Church subscribe to the doctrines of Conditional Immortality. Conditional Immortality is the belief that the soul dies with the body and does not live again until the resurrection. This is the view held by Orthodox Jews and a few Christian sects, such as the Living Church of God, The Church of God International, and Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Annihilationism is the belief that the soul is mortal unless granted eternal life, making it possible to be destroyed in Hell.

Jehovah's Witnesses hold that the soul ceases to exist when the person dies[29] and therefore that Hell (Sheol or Hades) is a state of non-existence.[29] In their theology, Gehenna differs from Sheol or Hades in that it holds no hope of a resurrection.[29] Tatarus is held to be the metaphorical state of debasement of the fallen angels between the time of their moral fall (Genesis chapter 6) until their post-millennial destruction along with Satan (Revelation chapter 20).[30]

Universal Reconciliation is the belief that all human souls (and even Demons) will be eventually reconciled with God and admitted to Heaven. This view is held by some Unitarian-Universalists.

See, dear Eva, that's why I consider you my friend.

We have opposite views on these matters but allow sufficient room for others beliefs if they don't try to force us on them.

Tolerance is the operative word..

Btw, I cannot imagine what real hell is. Tough situations are not hell...