It is better to cut off your hand then to spend an eternity in hell.?

Question

I am a struggling christian and i love to self educate myself from reading and so on. In the bible there is a phrase suggesting for example "if your sin is stealing isnt it better to cut off your hand and spend an eternity in heaven than to remain stealing and go to hell". Now i know not to take that phrase to the literal but in away wouldnt it just be better to cause yourself to go blind than to live a struggled life of lust and mental adultry? in some ways i feel it would be. I suppose it is a perminant self destructive solution to the adultry issue, but to spend an eternity in hell ...no thanks i would gladly make the trade

Answer 1

I think of "hell" as the place you put yourself by stealing.



Most people would rather be without a hand than rotting in a prison cell full of violent inmates.



The point to take from it is you shouldn't be stealing period as it's wrong.

Answer 2

I'm christian and all, but there is no hell. Hell is a state of mind that people throughout the years have shoved into our brains as a place of sin, when in reality it's just the core of the earth. As for heaven, I do not think there is one either, just another state of mind. So cutting your hands off won't help you. Just make you physically impaired. So yeah..

Answer 3

Who are you to decide what's literal or not? EVERY part of the bible should be followed, not just the parts that you like.



Seriously. WTH slavery illegalized when the bible said it is OK?



And, 9/10 people commit REAL adultery. I don't think adulterers necessarily "spend an eternity in hell" as you stated.

Answer 4

You are mistaken about this verse. It states that if your hand leads you to sin cut it off . If you are not saved but you lust after the flesh and seek it then it is better to cut it off. The Flesh is anything that is not Spiritual . If you lust after the world you cannot enter into the Spiritual Kingdom of God which is present on this earth today but is a Spiritual Kingdom as Jesus told Pilate .



He will establish a Physical reign on earth after the Tribulation and not before.

Answer 5

If your hand prevents you from getting into Heaven it might be better to enter Heaven without it. Easier said than done of course. But as for an eternity in Hell I would go so far as to say, better to have your head cut off than to spend an eternity in Hell.

Answer 6

I agree. I'd much rather cut of a hand, or any other body part for that matter, than spend an eternity in hell. Maybe I should do that.

Answer 7

It may have something to do with the thought process of the time it was written. In that area of the world, for thousands of years, if someone stole something they could have their hand cut off as a punishment. I think it's a verbal picture that people of the time would've understood. I think it means that it's better to purge yourself of unclean thoughts and actions then to let them be your downfall. Hope that helps!

Answer 8

Yes. I often feel the same way. However, at this point, I do not think that poking out my eyes would prevent me from recalling what I've seen and using it to invent lustful and mentally adulterous scenarios. They'd have to erase my memory as well!

Answer 9

Well, if you don't steal in the first place, no cutting off hands.

It's more of a metaphor I think, to just don't do anything stupid.

Hell is very real, and God wants you to do everything to avoid going there.

Answer 10

not being born is the wonderful decision, The Earth is tens of millions of years previous and you will in user-friendly terms draw close the belief of time of your existence. i'm pessimistic, and if I had option to reason me to not be born i might do it. specifically because of the fact i'm a gay and an atheist. there is surely 0 area of existence, different than duplicate... which for sure I fail at doing.

Answer 11

My input would be that it is better for me to cut off my hand than to touch the girl I desire out of lust or madness.

Answer 12

Please for the love of god, do not cause yourself to go blind.



There is no need to suffer. Here is a realistic and logical solution: you need is to either talk with your spouse or find someone who will get down and dirty with you to help channel some of that mental imagery and turn it into reality.



^_^

Answer 13

Jesus tells us we must be very strict with ourselves, and not try to delude ourselves.

Matthew 5:20

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Answer 14

Removing body parts: beats having self control any day.

Answer 15

It is not your eyes that make you sin, it is you pinto and you must cut it off!



Be a good Christian, these words come from Jesus Himself so, man up and cut that pinto off.

Answer 16

Well according to Mark 9:47 you have to do this, but I have good news for you that bible was written by man and has many contradictions so god doesn't exist (God loves you is pure nonsense!).

Answer 17

i would adhere only if i had gone to heaven or hell. but yet i'm still here so no way i could make further comments as i haven't seen it yet. lol.

Answer 18

It's even better to have both hands intact and no fear of a nonexistent hell

Answer 19

I'm ganna keep my hand, because I'm going to hell anyways. If there is such place.

Answer 20

Try rational thought. It worked for me.

Answer 21

If it was real, then yes id cut off my hand.. It's not real though.. Mythology.....

Answer 22

by all means... you, first.