For everyone: Do you believe that there is anyone that really deserves an eternity of pain and torment?

An infinite punishment for a finite transgression is much unjust.

If you ask me, the concept of Hell is not only horrible, it's pointless. The victim suffers forever, never gets out, never learns his lesson. It's terrible to think that anybody deserves such a fate.

Also, Hitler was a Catholic. According to the Bible, anyone who believes in God goes to Heaven, and Hitler definitely believed. If he does go to Hell, however, he should get out after maybe 180 billion years? What's the point of punishment if you're never given the chance to learn your lesson?

Heaven and Hell isn't supposedly separated by good and evil, but by believers and nonbelievers. Religion shouldn't determine your eternity; I'd must rather stop existing than have to live forever.

At one time my mother believed "This is HELL, and we all die and go to heaven". The problem is we do not get to decide what is heaven and hell. We are not the authors; we did not come up with the concept. If I decided to walk out in front of the bus and take my own life instead of living it out according to God's plan or some semblance thereof. Who am I going to blame...well no one I will be dead. Will you blame or critique someone? God? Walking in front of the bus was my choice. So is happiness. Happiness is a state of mind. God says here I am. My yoke is easy. Cast off your burden and we say no. God made us with choice so that we could have a relationship with him. I did the same thing by having children...well I hope to have a relationship with them. I will make it as easy as possible and help them in any way I can if they will let me. We copy God: he is the same way, but we; his creation have the same choice. If you decide that you do not want to accept the gifts from God then that is your choice. I think anyone would find you foolish, ignorant; having hurts,and hangups that hinder you from making a sane decision once you knew the decision to be made. Now the choice is yours and please stop thinking that the parent/God is wrong because you decided against their gift and went it on your own or went with the other rebellious and accept their reward. It was your Choice; no one to blame or praise but yourself and the giver.

Not all Christians believe in hellfire. I am a Jehovah's Witness Christian and according to these scriptures it is clear God is not a God of torture and hate. 1 John 4:8; Eccl 9:10; Revelation 20:14; John 5:28. We do not believe in hellfire but from these scriptures it is clear that God is love, he will resurrect many, and those deserving of death will be eternally destroyed with no resurrection.

I am a Catholic. I believe any human person who lives a life doing TRULY to the best of their ability what they believe is morally right then i believe that I can see no reason why God would not accept them into Heaven. God is a God of mercy and if there was a place we go after death and Christ existed I like to think there's an option for that soul: to feel sorry and accept Christ before them or to not. If someone take the NO option then God can not enter into them and cleanse them of sin; or wrong doing. In this way they can simply not be with God. as God is all good. You can not have a drop of egg yolk to make fluffy egg-whites. Hell is interpreted to be many things. In simplest it is just a sate of being furthermost away from God as possible.

Eternal torment is separation from God, who is eternal, by rejecting Him. We do not live well. We sin. The wages of sin is death. Scripture testifies that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels, and "enlarged itself". The consequence of not being family with God is spiritual death. Hell is spiritual death.

Hopefully few people believe that anyone deserves to die - even if they smoke or drink, or otherwise abuse their bodies. If they do die from these things we in a sense knew it was coming, and so it is with hell. Does the child who sticks a finger in the light socket deserve to die?

Here's the good news that Christians believe that is greater than any other issue - that God fully affirms every person twice: First through creating them (and it was good), Second through giving of Himself in the greatest and fullest possible way to save those people from their own death-dealing faults. The Biblical order of creation, sin, and redemption is the big elephant in the room, not hell.

Besides, isn't complete and total annihilation of every individual in a naturalistic world view not infinitely more brutal?

No finite being deserves eternal suffering. Not all Christian churches believe in eternal punishment, only those who have retained this part of Catholic theology in their doctrine. Any book or website guide to Christian denominations should be able to give you the history and beliefs of several different churches that more closely reflect what you believe.

The idea of burning for eternity is obviously ridiculous. With regards to how a "perfectly just, wise, and benevolent being allow for such existence", I would like to propose a much simpler question which is much easier to answer to answer:

Why would perfectly just, wise, and benevolent being need to be worshiped for eternity rather than just appreciate what he has created silently and without pride?

With respect I think you are asking the question with the wrong perspective in mind. The Bible begs us to not reject God's help in this. He offers complete salvation which none of us deserve since we are from the loins of the disobedient Adam. Let me invoke a question which might help. If members of the SS followed blindly or knowingly the doctrine of Adolf Hitler, and even worshiped him (and they did), are they Innocent then? So, if we are disobedient to God as our original father Adam was, are we not worthy of judgment? I suggest that God doesn't send us to a torturous eternity; we send ourselves there, even though God offers us the Way in Christ that we would not be subject to damnation.

This whole conversation is moot. No one is going to spend eternity in agonizing pain. All of this is just a way to control the masses. Be good and be rewarded in heaven, be bad and go to hell for eternal damnation. Come on folks....really?

Religions are the means by which we humans help ourselves exist. We need to believe in something greater than ourselves. It helps the weak become stronger knowing, believing in something. And aren't all the messages the same in all religions, be good go to heaven, be bad and your screwed.

Just be a good person and be happy you even exist.

I could only imagine a completely evil, unforgiving, maniacal barbaric sicko imposing that onto anyone. It's funny how they think this is a loving being who demands blood sacrifice (jeebus) for our supposed sins when the consequences for not knowing about a fairy tale started by a small group of tribal desert dwellers thousands of years ago, translated, edited and re-written, is cause for eternal torture.