



    Hmmm... people in the americas before the time of Christ, children who
die young, etc. ?




   But of course, the popular conception of hell (correct or incorrect) is
something akin to eternal perpetuation of consciousness, at the very least.



   I think a good number of atheists believe there is nothing beyond 
bodily death, but it is simply an abuse of language to say they believe
they're going to hell. They believe they're going to _die_. Understand
that you've turned Hell into a verb. Using the same logic, it also follows
that all animals are 'going to Hell.' Are you sure this is what you want
to say? (presumably animals don't have the opportunity to get to heaven,
but this still doesn't change the fact that they're going to Hell (die
a final death))

   I don't claim to know whether or not there is an afterlife of _some_
sort, but if Hell is as you described (final death, and
not eternal perpetuation of consciousness) it will be true that
there will never be a moment when I am aware of my non-existence. 
(assuming I 'go to Hell' and not to Heaven) In other words, I'll
never know I'm dead. Hmmm... 



    Ever hear people say of a loved one who was ill, and has died:
 "At least she's not suffering any more; She's in Heaven now." ?

    Consider the following statement:
 "At least she's not suffering any more; She's in Hell now."

    The above statement sounds odd, but according to your definition of Hell, 
it would be a true statement. The person in Hell would not be suffering. 
Granted, they wouldn't be *anything* (wouldn't be having any
conscious experience whatsoever). 

    You say Hell (death) is eternal. However, this loses its meaning 
to a dead person. And to me, it seems that the threat of some sort 
of eternal punishment only makes sense/has force if one expects to
be conscious throughout this eternity. 

    Many atheists believe that the thirst for an afterlife is simply the
product of propaganda ("Friend, do you want the FREE gift of e-ternal life?"
It's my understanding that the early jews did not believe in an afterlife.
Can anyone back me up on this?) combined with the survival instinct all
animals share. The difference is we have consciousness, and once we get the
idea of eternal life drilled into our brains, we then desire a sort of
super-survival. 

 

    That would depend on what Heaven is like. If God is a King, and 
an eternity in heaven consists of giving thanks and praise to the King,
I might opt for Hell. I read a lovely account of a missionary trying to
convert Eskimos to Christianity in the book _The Illusion of Immortality_
by Corliss Lamont. The missionary started to speak about Heaven. 
"Are there seals in heaven? Will we be able to go hunting?" asked an
Eskimo. The missionary said no. The group of Eskimos then said something
to the effect of, "Well what good is your Heaven if there's no hunting?
Scram." I highly recommend the above book (IOI) to anyone who wants an
account of the other side of the immortality coin (that there is no 
immortality). 




   Pax,