Hell facts for kids
In many mythologies and religions, Hell is a place where souls (minds, separated from material body) of wicked people go after their life on Earth end. It is a virutalized reality which accommodates the quantum mind which is administered by either God, the creator of all Life and Heaven (which is like Hell a virtual reality place where souls go, but is pleasant has human beauty truth and honor), and Earth, or by some underling deity, assigned to being the warden for beings in Hell. It is often thought of as the opposite of Heaven, and a place where no love is. In many religions, Hell is the place where the souls of dead people go if they have done evil things in life. It is used in the Old Testament to translate the Hebrew word for "the grave", Sheol, and in the New Testament the Greek ᾅδης, Hades, and γεέννα, Hebrew Gehenna.
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Jewish beliefs about Hell
Many believe that Jews do not believe in Hell, but Jews really do believe. But it does not consist of eternal torture. Rather, there are lower levels of Heaven that a person can descend to considering the number of mitzvot (commandments) that they have obeyed. Gemorah writings tell the Jews of devil beliefs, but these are stories and are taken lightly. Jews also believe that Satan did exist, but he was an angel that quarreled with God, such as the story of Job.
In Hebrew the word for "the grave", Sheol, is used for the place where people go when they die. Sheol Is the source of the English word "Hell" and so Hell as a place of an after-life of torment (rather than a grave In which the body lies) could be a misunderstanding as some scholars have suggested.
Christian beliefs about Hell
In Christianity, Hell is usually the place where the souls of people go who broke important rules set forth by God. In Hell, souls suffer and wait for the Last Judgement, a time when the souls of the dead will be judged by God. The concept of Hell in Christianity comes from the Bible and the "casting out" of Lucifer. In being cast out, he was removed from the presence of God. Therefore, if taken in its most literal sense, Hell is separation from God. Stated another way, to the Christian mind being separated from God is to be in Hell. Some Christians believe that Hell has real fire and flames, but others do not.
Many Christian groups believe that once a soul goes to Hell, it stays there forever and cannot leave. However, some Christian groups do not believe this and think Hell is only a temporary place, and that souls may leave Hell at some point. Others believe in a permanent Hell but a temporary Purgatory. Another group believe that those who do not go to Heaven simply stop existing and do not go to Hell. These Christians are called annihilationists.
Other religions' beliefs about Hell
- The Ancient Greeks believed that souls would go to different places within the underworld. One of those places, called Tartaros, was like Hell. The god Hades was the ruler of the underworld.
- In Buddhism, there are three types of hells, called Naraka. Unlike in Judaism and Christianity, souls are born into these places based on their karma. They spend a certain amount of time there and are then reborn somewhere else.
- In Islam, Hell is called Jahannam, and it is a place of punishment. However, some Muslims believe almost everyone will eventually be forgiven and taken to the Islamic Heaven (Jannah). The only people who will not be forgiven are those who choose to believe in many gods, or no god at all.
- In Shintoism, Hell (Yomi) is similar to the Greek Hades, in that all souls go there, no matter their actions in life, to have a miserable existence forever.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Belief in Hell by country (2017-20)
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Preserved colonial wall painting of 1802 depicting Hell, by Tadeo Escalante, inside the Church of San Juan Bautista in Huaro, Peru
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In this ~1275 BC Book of the Dead scene the dead scribe Hunefer's heart is weighed on the scale of Maat against the feather of truth, by the canine-headed Anubis. The ibis-headed Thoth, scribe of the gods, records the result. If his heart is lighter than the feather, Hunefer is allowed to pass into the afterlife. If not, he is eaten by the crocodile-headed Ammit.
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"Gehenna", Valley of Hinnom, 2007
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The parable of the Rich man and Lazarus depicting the rich man in hell asking for help to Abraham and Lazarus in heaven by James Tissot
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Muhammad requests Maalik to show him Hell during his heavenly journey. Miniature from The David Collection.
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Yama's Court and Hell. The Blue figure is Yamaraja (The Hindu god of death) with his consort Yami and Chitragupta 17th-century painting from Government Museum, Chennai.
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Visit to hell by Mexican artist Mauricio García Vega
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See also
In Spanish: Infierno para niños
