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Can anyone here name one person who deserves infinite torture?

That is, is there anyone for whom any finite amount of torture (e.g. a trillion years of excruciating agony) would feel like an injustice had been carried out, and that people would not be properly dissuaded from repeating their mistakes? What did they do to deserve this? What crimes could someone possibly commit for a trillion years of agony to be considered getting off lightly?

Update:

Hitler? Is it not just to limit him to, say, a billion years per life cut short?

Update 2:

@WATCHER: Not really. I can't envision any situation where someone would choose this. I also cannot conceive of an evil great enough to order it or administer it.

Update 3:

@Under Seige: No amount of torture, not even infinite, would fix what he did. That's not the point of punishment though. I mean, no amount of torture fixes any crime whatsoever; that's not the point of justice. How long could you look at Hitler, in agony, screaming out in pain, before you felt he has paid enough for his crimes? Let's not forget: he is a human being, and he would instantly be filled with regret for what he did. Can you really tell me that an eternity could pass, and you would never feel that he has suffered enough?

21 Answers

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  • ?
    Lv 7
    8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    I can't.

    Fortunately for me, it's possible to be a Christian without buying into the infinite-torture notion. In fact, it makes it much easier, if we recognize that the whole notion derives from our own tendency to be unforgiving.

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    I can't. And to your point the bible does not teach that that is the case. The idea of a torturous underworld is babylonish. The faithful servants such as Abraham had no such belief (Hebrews 11:19). This idea does not coincide with God's love or justice.

    At Genesis 2:16+17 we see how after creating man he gave him everything he could want and need. Life was a gift bestowed upon him. However willful disobedience which was a sin would mean death. So death, ceasing to exist is the punishment for sin. Adam would have remained sinless wouldn't. Have died. Eternal life is a gift bestowed on the righteous not the wicked.

    Romans 6:7 For he who has died has been acquitted from his sin.

    6:23 For the wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.

    Further while many believe hell to be a place of torture the bible shows otherwise.

    The hebrew word sheol and its greek equivalent hades are have the meaning resting place. And hollow place. These refer to mankind's common grave or being in a state of gravedom. Interestingly the faithful man Job who was suffering very much at the hands of satan while alive on earth, had this to say to God: Oh that in sheol you would conceal me, that you would keep me secret until your anger turns back,that you would set a time limit for me and remember me!

    Clearly sheol was a place of rest not torture. Verse 14 further shows that those worshiping Jehovah the God of the bible looked forward to being resurrected.(John 11:21-24) Even Jesus is spoken of as being in hades after his death and before his resurrection.( Acts 2:27) surely then hades, sheol or hell are not places of torture.

    What is more at Revelation 20:14 Hades is fittingly along with death thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur. This means that since death will be no more there will certainly be no need for graves.(Revelation 21:4)

  • 8 years ago

    Its the internet, so everyone is going to say Hitler. But if you're just going by attributed body count (your one billion years per life), you'll get much closer to eternity if you go the Mao Zedong route. Including the famines of his 'great leap forward', I believe death toll estimates top out at, like, 75 million people. He killed nearly 30 million in prison camps alone, so he definitely beat Hitler on the frontier.

    But if you're going by population percentage, that changes things slightly. Leopold of Belgium ruled (actually owned, because that's how things went back in the day) the Congo Free State at the turn of the century. He was in it for the rubber. He used to cut off the hands and feet of the children and wives of his 'workers' when they didn't meet their quotas. There were reports of canabolism and other atrocities, too. At the time, all of Africa had between 90 and 125 million people. Leopold killed anywhere between 2 and 22 million, although theres not much to base those estimates on. His enforced labour and rule is believed to have wiped out 20% of the regional population, whatever the specific death toll may be. And all for more rubber faster. I'm half inclined to think that's somehow worse than the political and religious motivation of other genocides.

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    George Bush Jr. and Richard Nixon. The problem with infinite torture is that it is simply not possible as we envision torture. The mind or the body break. Either way, the tortured individual becomes immune to pain. Regardless, pain purifies and builds moral strength. The more you suffer, the closer you are to God.

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  • 8 years ago

    Adolf Hitler

    Edit: Why limit him? Even a billion years doesn't fix the torture he inflicted on people. In my books, starving innocent children, slicing them open, shooting them, separating them from their parents- he deserves to suffer for eternity and I hope he screams every second of it. There's no eye for an eye when millions of lives were cut so tragically short. Nothing can atone for what he did. May as well suffer.

  • 8 years ago

    No, I cannot.

    5 Wherefore, I revoke not the judgments which I shall pass, but woes shall go forth, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, yea, to those who are found on my left hand.

    6 Nevertheless, it is not written that there shall be no end to this torment, but it is written endless torment.

    7 Again, it is written eternal damnation; wherefore it is more express than other scriptures, that it might work upon the hearts of the children of men, altogether for my name’s glory.

    8 Wherefore, I will explain unto you this mystery, for it is meet unto you to know even as mine apostles.

    9 I speak unto you that are chosen in this thing, even as one, that you may enter into my rest.

    10 For, behold, the mystery of godliness, how great is it! For, behold, I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, for Endless is my name. Wherefore—

    11 Eternal punishment is God’s punishment.

    12 Endless punishment is God’s punishment.

  • Paul
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    No worries -- there's no such thing as "infinite torture" anyway.

    And no, nobody no matter how horrible, would deserve infinite punishment for finite crimes.

  • 8 years ago

    I would say Hitler, but since he's a Christian, he got salvation or something like that.

    I'm sure I can think of some other ruthless warmongers, but not enough caffeine.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    Your question would mean something if it were at all true, but it isn't. There is no finite amount of torture, only death. That may not sound like much to you now, but it will.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    no souls of humans will be confined in Hell... Hell is hot yet open for business... it has been prepared by God, for satan and those angels who followed satan in rebellion against God...... those mortalwho fail to come to God in The Way he prescribes... will not be accepted by God... and will be cast into the lake of fire and consumed

    Source(s): God's Word
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