those are his exact words.
I said “eternal fire” and “torment” are his descriptions of hell. Exact words are different
OK.
I guess exact words was inappropriate phrasing on my part, but Jesus Christ does throw around words like that all the time. I’m sure those exact phrases are in certain popular translations, I’d bet my life on it. He obviously condemns people to eternal torment in the afterlife. The reason I’m such a huge fan of the Bible’s words on hell and judgement is because I think it exposes how dark and grim the mythology really is. It makes for a much better narrative within the Bible itself (and I really enjoy the stories and mythology of the Bible), but it makes for a more difficult-to-believe-in religion in the modern age.
I agree with you : the Bible contains maybe the most beautiful texts of antiquity, whatever we believe in it or not.
Showing respect to these texts is also not pretending that Jesus “exactly” said something that he didn’t.
I’m not pretending anything. I’ve read the Bible many times in different English translations. I’m not making shit up here. I stand by what I’ve said that the only legitimate way to interpret the Bible’s description of hell is as a place of eternal torment. Perhaps the original Greek is a bit different. I don’t speak Greek, so I don’t know, but Jesus did “exactly” say that hell was a place of torture, fire, sorrow, and it’s at the very least heavily implied to be eternal. Perhaps I shouldn’t have said “exact,” but it’s pretty close.