00:00:05 Many religions teach that God condemns
00:00:07 the wicked to eternal torment after they die
00:00:10 and hope that this fear of torment
00:00:13 prevents them from doing bad.
00:00:16 Does God really punish people after they die?
00:00:33 The Bible reassures us
00:00:35 that the dead are unconscious
00:00:37 and that “[they] know nothing at all.”
00:00:39 If the dead are unconscious,
00:00:42 they cannot suffer.
00:00:44 Does that mean God does not
00:00:47 punish wicked people at all?
00:00:49 No.
00:00:51 God explained to the first human couple
00:00:54 how they would be punished if they rebelled against him.
00:01:01 God said nothing about torment or hell.
00:01:05 He simply said:
00:01:07 “You will certainly die.”
00:01:10 And after being expelled from the garden of Eden,
00:01:13 that is exactly what happened to wicked Adam and Eve
00:01:18 —they passed away and became dust.
00:01:21 The Bible says that after death,
00:01:23 one is no longer accountable for past mistakes
00:01:27 because “the one who has died
00:01:29 has been acquitted from his sin.”
00:01:32 But there is an even greater reason
00:01:34 why a hell of torment could never exist.
00:01:37 The Bible tells us: “God is love.”
00:01:43 Would a loving God command that sinners be tormented,
00:01:47 not just for minutes, but for all eternity?
00:01:52 Consider the following:
00:01:55 In Bible times, God condemned the practice
00:01:59 of sacrificing children in the fire to false gods.
00:02:04 He said that such a cruel deed
00:02:08 ‘never even entered his heart.’
00:02:12 We hate the idea of such brutality
00:02:15 because we are made in the image
00:02:17 of a loving, merciful God.
00:02:21 Clearly, we do not need to worry that our dead loved ones
00:02:25 might be suffering punishment somewhere.
00:02:28 The Bible tells us that they are at peace, at rest.
00:02:34 But why do good people die?
00:02:38 What happens to them when they die?
00:02:42 What hope is there for our dead loved ones?
00:02:47 To learn more, go to jw.org
00:02:50 and search for these topics
00:02:53 or fill in the online request
00:02:55 for one of Jehovah’s Witnesses to contact you.
