Damnation - Christianity

Christianity

Further information: Hell, Sin, Last Judgement, Christian eschatology, and Universal reconciliation

In some forms of Western Christian belief, damnation to hell is what humanity deserves for its sins. Much of the time, these sins are related to those of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis. Only through the grace of God and salvation through Jesus Christ, can one atone for their sins and escape damnation. One conception is of eternal suffering and denial of entrance to heaven, often described in the Bible as burning in a Lake of Fire. Another conception, derived from the scripture about Gehenna is simply that people will be discarded (burned), as being unworthy of preservation by God. The reasons for being damned have varied widely through the centuries, with little consistency between different forms of Christianity (i.e., Catholic or Protestant). Sins ranging from murder to dancing have been said to lead to damnation. In some belief systems, only the sins that the Ten Commandments describe cause damnation, but others apply more strict terms.

In Eastern Christian traditions (Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy), as well as some Western traditions, it is seen as a state of opposition to the love of God, a state into which all humans are born but against which Christ is the Mediator and Redeemer.