Why do Christians believe in hell?

Answer 1

The simple answer is, "yes."

The problem with "believing" something, however, is... what is it that you are believing? Have you studied and proved to yourself what you are believing... or merely accepted what you've been taught to believe?

The word "hell" in the King James Version is a "melting pot" of different meanings, translated from different "God-inspired" words.

The words, "sheol" in the Old Testament, and "hades" in the New are translated - "hell" - and they both mean "the grave." You know... where the dead go.

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, IN THE GRAVE [sheol, hell], whither thou goest." (Eccle.9:10)

The word, "tartarus" or "tartaroo"... also translated "hell" [II Peter 2:4]... is only used in regard to what men call the "fallen angels" [demons, unclean spirits] who followed Satan in his rebellion against God's throne in heaven in the beginning, who were cast back down to earth where they are still "imprisoned," prevented from leaving the confines of earth, and awaiting Judgment Day, today. [Jude 1:6]

This "hell" is more of a "condition of restraint or confinement" instead of an actual "place."

The last word, "Gehenna" is used by Christ when He speaks of "hell fire" or "Gehenna fire." [see Matt.5:22; 18:9; Mark 9:43, etc]

These are the "hells" in the King James Version of The Bible... of which most professing Christians are unaware, because they've never been MADE aware of them by their particular denomination... and most of whom have never read and studied the Bible.

Modern professing Christianity has actually fallen for [and believes in] "another hell" outside of the Bible. This hell was foisted on the world by the Catholic Church, who endorsed the works of Dante Alighieri, the author of the epic poem -- "The Divine Comedy."

In this satirical expose' of the teachings of "comical pagan religious beliefs" straight out of the imagination of its author... he takes the reader on a "guided tour" of "Heaven, Hell and Purgatory" -- ficticious places that, amazingly, meet the descriptions of what most modern professing denominations of Christianity teach today... instead of what the Bible says.

In Dante's "Inferno" or "hell"... everything is molten and/or flaming... yet nothing ever "burns up."

In Jesus' "Gehenna fire" that He elsewhere calls the "Lake of Fire" that, by His mention of it, shall be kindled in the "Valley of Hinnom" or "Gehenna Valley" just outside Jerusalem when He returns to earth with the Kingdom of God. This Lake of Fire shall burn all during His thousand year rule. It's in this Lake of Fire where all the wicked shall be cast.

There is no mention of the things thrown into it "never burning up" but:

"...the Day cometh, that shall burn as an oven... and all that do wickedly, SHALL BE STUBBLE: and the Day that cometh shall BURN THEM UP, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch... and ye shall go forth... and ye shall tread down the wicked; for THEY SHALL BE ASHES UNDER THE SOLES OF YOUR FEET in the Day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of Hosts." (Mal.4:1-3)

For the time being... the majority of the modern professing Christian denominations "believe" in Dante's "Inferno" -- as "hell." They've never studied the "hells" of the Bible to know and believe otherwise.

But, yes... Christians do "believe" in "hell."

Answer 2

For the same reason everybody else believes in Disney World. We believe because we've read the "brochure". Except, Disney World looks a lot better than Hell. Hell is told about in the Bible. Disney World is told about in brochures you get in the mail.

Another Answer:

Believe it or not but the 'hell' many faithful Christians believe in is closer to that described by the book, Dantes Inferno, than you will find in the Bible. The Scripture uses 3 terms in Greek and one in the Hebrew for hell. The Greek 'hades' and the equivalent Hebrew 'sheol' simply mean the grave or a pit for burial. The Scripture tells us death is like 'sleeping' awaiting the Judgement process spoken of often in the Bible.

The other 2 terms are the Greek 'tartaroo/tartarus' which is used only once and is a special restraining place for the fallen angels. The last term is 'Gehenna' which represent the Lake of Fire that will enlarge after the final Judgement and consume all the Earth and Heaven as Peter has told us. Then a New Earth and New Jerusalem will come down with God the Father to the Earth where He will tabernacle with His new family of spirit born again sons and daughters (see Revelation 21).

Answer 3

Do Jehovah Witnesses believe in hell