How can I, as a Christian, free myself from the fear of Hell?

This ties in, as I said in my welcome post, with a thread I recently posted, under the same username, at Dreamviews (dot org, not dot com - that was hacked.)

I am a Christian who does not want to be ruled by fear anymore. I want to free myself from and turn my back on my religion. When I say religion I refer to the set of beliefs I retain, currently bundled into the religion of Christianity. I would like to keep some of these beliefs, just not the religion itself. Preferably I would like to be of no religion, remaining open to all religions and faiths, while adding to my systems of beliefs those things which ring true in my personal experience, or which I have no reason to doubt or question.

This is hard to explain... I know, for example, that the Law of Intention works and I use it every day. This is not directly taught in the Christian faith. But this is a truth I have experienced, and which rings true. On the other hand the Bible says that Jesus is God's Son. I have no reason to question or doubt this. If He's not that's really His business, isn't it? Whether or not Jesus is who the Bible, who He through the Bible, says does not concern me. I can be open to Him being who He says He is, and if undeniable proof comes along that shows He isn't I can change my belief. For now I can accept it as truth, it is something I have no reason to doubt or question. I can spend my energy in far more important pursuits. But the idea of Heaven and Hell being all there is? This does not ring true, and obviously I have a reason to question it, so I am.

Which brings us to the fear I mentioned. What is it? It's the fear, the threat, of Hell and eternal damnation. According to the Christian religion and its book, the Bible, there is only Heaven and Hell waiting for me when my physical body dies.

However I have read a number of books on Astral Projection, and the picture painted there, by the real experiences of people, including one Christian, is different. According to these there are numerous vibrational states, with Heaven and Hell at either extreme end. That means that yes, it may be true that the only way into Heaven is how it is detailed in the Bible, by believing in Jesus Christ as God's son and what He did for us. But that also means that there are other states you can end up in that may not be as high as Heaven, but are just under it. I like that idea. If this is true I could accept God's terms if I want to get into Heaven, but I don't have to constrain myself in some religion and fear Hell - it ultimately just means that I will go into some lower vibrational state. Nothing wrong with that as far as I can see.

So I seek what I call the Truth. Unfortunately seeking to know the truth, I have come to understand, traps you in mind and ultimately the ego. So I have decided to make one change here - to state my intention to be aware of the truth. Now I just need to prove or disprove the accuracy and validity of the Bible, or the truth of Heaven VS Hell. I can't just turn my back on my faith at the cost of my eternal soul, the part of me that is real and truly me, the part that lives on in a spiritual form.

So how can I free myself of the fear of hell, and disentangle myself from the confines of the Christian religion? I would appreciate any thoughts, instructions, insights, advice etc.

Please be aware I am not challenging anyone's faith here. I do not seek to argue with anyone here, I do not want to offend. This is something I want, that I would say I need. This is my path, it may not be yours, and that's OK.

Please also respect that I do not want your faith forced on me. I became a Christian out of obligation to my mother, who "saved" me. It was not really my choice, I was 12 at the time. It was my parent's faith, and on my dad's side his parent's faith. It was never really my faith. I have stuck with it so long because of the aforementioned fear, and because I have stuck with it so long. Neither of these are good reasons, in my opinion, to keep a faith.

I really do appreciate your understanding, and your help!
- DreamBliss

[psychoslice]

By understanding that there is no hell, that is how i was free from that stupid belief when as a christian.

[Seawolf]

Hi DreamBliss,

Sorry to hear you're suffering, I understand the pain. Actually it's not uncommon from what I've heard from others. One thing to realize is that Christianity is just one religion among many. Chances are you were born in a Christian society, and it's normal that you would believe in it. Depending on the religion you were brought up around, you'll have those beliefs ingrained in you. Even people who's parents were not religious and never attended church will be influenced by their environment's religious beliefs to some degree. That's why it's not easy to change those beliefs when you want to, because they're a part of who you are.

The good news is that you can change if you want to, it just takes a little time and perseverance. Have faith in your intuitions and feelings, don't disregard them or think of them as evil or dangerous if they don't agree with others around you or what you've been taught by others. Spend time learning about different beliefs, try to get to know others who believe differently.

Remember that ingrained beliefs that seem so strong are just memories that are part of your unconscious, and they can change as you a acquire new memory and information.

I wish you the best on your journey.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by psychoslice

By understanding that there is no hell, that is how i was free from that stupid belief when as a christian.

By following what your teacher, master, guide, savior, Lord, guru (whatever) Jesus told you to do. ..or suggested, taught, directed, advised you to do...
(which happens to be my rock):

Do not worry.
Give him your burdens.
Cast you cares.
Be anxious for nothing.
Be not afraid.
Have no fear.
Fear not...

Alright, Paul and Peter said some of those things...so sue me.

Then, delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Stay your mind on him and he will give you perfect peace.
Focus on the things above and not the things on the earth...
Don't be double minded - never have doubt (the root of double).

I could go on.

You either follow what Jesus told you to do... or you don't.

One week (ok, 3 days) do the above and see how you all of a sudden get the secret formula of this life that Jesus tried to teach...trust in the Father.
Rely on Him for everything, seek the Kingdom of Heaven first..and all else will come.

Life is very simple when you follow the instruction manual...no worries -
no cares.

[RabbiO]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Don't be double minded - never have doubt (the root of double).

Etymology of doubt:
Middle English douten, from Anglo-French duter, douter, from Latin dubitare to be in doubt; akin to Latin dubius dubious

Etymology of double:
Middle English, from Anglo-French duble, double, from Latin duplus (akin to Greek diploos), from duo two + -plus multiplied by; akin to Old English -feald -fold

B'shalom,

Peter

[7luminaries]

I am not a Christian, but I never really thought of Hell as a place but a choice, a state of being. We are never cut off from God/Spirit, though we may perceive that we are in the afterlife in very dire and unusual sitations (very rarely I feel) . To my awareness, most of what we commonly think of as Hell is what we have already lived through and hopefully survived or overcome or made our peace with by the time we pass over.

To me, Hell is how we treat one another here and now when we "give" apathy, cruelty, unbending judgement, and hatred.
And Hell is when we "receive" or accept shame, unworthiness, self-loathing, hopelessness, and despair.
Hell is the roadblock we place on our own path to love and acceptance and community in this lifetime because we feel unworthy...or worse (IMO), because we feel others are unworthy of us.
Hell is turning away from our relationship with God because we feel unworthy...or worse (IMO), because we are too arrogant to care.
Hell is living under the illusion of the need to be perfect, and thus constantly failing -- rather than owning the beauty and grace of our human imperfections and needs.
Hell is living under the illusion that we need no one and nothing...rather than owning the partnerships of our existence...with one another, and with Spirit.

So theology aside..I have always understood from my own personal spiritual exploration, that hell is a "state of mind".
By that, I mean our perception of the state of the soul. If we perceive we are unredeemable, we experience existence as Hell, whether in life or after life.

I would HIGHLY recommend reading Rabbi Harold Kushner's book, "How Good Do We Have to Be?"

It is one of the most insightful books I have ever read, short and sweet,
-on "original sin" -- a moving and beautiful recasting of the way most have been taught to understand it...
-on the concept of sins generally
-on guilt and shame,
-on the place of God and Spirit and spirituality in our lives to heal the wounds of shame & guilt
He speaks of what it truly means to be human and to walk with God.
Once we understand that we are always loved, you may worry less about Hell in the afterlife sense.
But here is my other bit based on experience. The final choice is always yours. No matter what has gone before, choose Light.

Peace & blessings,
7L

[RabbiO]

Originally Posted by 7luminaries

I would HIGHLY recommend reading Rabbi Harold Kushner's book, "How Good Do We Have to Be?"

It is one of the most insightful books I have ever read, short and sweet,
-on "original sin" -- a moving and beautiful recasting of the way most have been taught to understand it...
-on the concept of sins generally
-on guilt and shame,
-on the place of God and Spirit and spirituality in our lives to heal the wounds of shame & guilt
He speaks of what it truly means to be human and to walk with God.
Once we understand that we are always loved, you may worry less about Hell in the afterlife sense.


Peace & blessings,
7L

7L -

Rabbi Kushner would be embarassed to be called such, and some more traditionally minded among us might vehementally object to him being called such, but he is in many ways a true צדיק, tzaddik, whose warmth and compassion and insight are always worth careful consideration.

B'shalom,

Peter

[7luminaries]

Originally Posted by RabbiO

7L -

Rabbi Kushner would be embarassed to be called such, and some more traditionally minded among us might vehementally object to him being called such, but he is in many ways a true צדיק, tzaddik, whose warmth and compassion and insight are always worth careful consideration.

B'shalom,

Peter

RabbiO, agreed.
I would agree..,he is a true tzaddik. For those on the thread...that usually means a wise and learned man of God...blessed by Spirit with insight and humility.

I am always struck by how his presence illuminates the simplest statements, seemingly so straightforward and direct, yet revealing insights that were always there, just waiting for you to receive them.


l'shalom!
(to peace! and toward peace...!)
7L

Place your faith in God. He will not lead you astray. Remember that Jesus Christ died for your sins. But the Gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. He will not lose one of His sheep...Love God above all, and love your neighbor as yourself.

who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. (Romans 4:25).

peace be within you...

Originally Posted by DreamBliss

This ties in, as I said in my welcome post, with a thread I recently posted, under the same username, at Dreamviews (dot org, not dot com - that was hacked.)

I am a Christian who does not want to be ruled by fear anymore. I want to free myself from and turn my back on my religion. When I say religion I refer to the set of beliefs I retain, currently bundled into the religion of Christianity. I would like to keep some of these beliefs, just not the religion itself. Preferably I would like to be of no religion, remaining open to all religions and faiths, while adding to my systems of beliefs those things which ring true in my personal experience, or which I have no reason to doubt or question.

This is hard to explain... I know, for example, that the Law of Intention works and I use it every day. This is not directly taught in the Christian faith. But this is a truth I have experienced, and which rings true. On the other hand the Bible says that Jesus is God's Son. I have no reason to question or doubt this. If He's not that's really His business, isn't it? Whether or not Jesus is who the Bible, who He through the Bible, says does not concern me. I can be open to Him being who He says He is, and if undeniable proof comes along that shows He isn't I can change my belief. For now I can accept it as truth, it is something I have no reason to doubt or question. I can spend my energy in far more important pursuits. But the idea of Heaven and Hell being all there is? This does not ring true, and obviously I have a reason to question it, so I am.

Which brings us to the fear I mentioned. What is it? It's the fear, the threat, of Hell and eternal damnation. According to the Christian religion and its book, the Bible, there is only Heaven and Hell waiting for me when my physical body dies.

However I have read a number of books on Astral Projection, and the picture painted there, by the real experiences of people, including one Christian, is different. According to these there are numerous vibrational states, with Heaven and Hell at either extreme end. That means that yes, it may be true that the only way into Heaven is how it is detailed in the Bible, by believing in Jesus Christ as God's son and what He did for us. But that also means that there are other states you can end up in that may not be as high as Heaven, but are just under it. I like that idea. If this is true I could accept God's terms if I want to get into Heaven, but I don't have to constrain myself in some religion and fear Hell - it ultimately just means that I will go into some lower vibrational state. Nothing wrong with that as far as I can see.

So I seek what I call the Truth. Unfortunately seeking to know the truth, I have come to understand, traps you in mind and ultimately the ego. So I have decided to make one change here - to state my intention to be aware of the truth. Now I just need to prove or disprove the accuracy and validity of the Bible, or the truth of Heaven VS Hell. I can't just turn my back on my faith at the cost of my eternal soul, the part of me that is real and truly me, the part that lives on in a spiritual form.

So how can I free myself of the fear of hell, and disentangle myself from the confines of the Christian religion? I would appreciate any thoughts, instructions, insights, advice etc.

Please be aware I am not challenging anyone's faith here. I do not seek to argue with anyone here, I do not want to offend. This is something I want, that I would say I need. This is my path, it may not be yours, and that's OK.

Please also respect that I do not want your faith forced on me. I became a Christian out of obligation to my mother, who "saved" me. It was not really my choice, I was 12 at the time. It was my parent's faith, and on my dad's side his parent's faith. It was never really my faith. I have stuck with it so long because of the aforementioned fear, and because I have stuck with it so long. Neither of these are good reasons, in my opinion, to keep a faith.

I really do appreciate your understanding, and your help!
- DreamBliss

Deprogramming yourself takes a bit of time.

It's just an adjustment to change the things that you believe in. And you are Not your beliefs.

Christianity and any other 'religion' is just a realignment of Faith around something very beautiful.

Like Slice said- There is no hell.

Anything or anyone who tells you there is something to be afraid of re something that is based on Love, has become victim of control.

Just remember,

There Is No Hell.