If you were going to write the inferno how would it agree and disagree with that of Dante? The idea of making up a "Hell", or inferno, is not an experience in which I, even in my wildest thoughts, had started to imagine. Call me an optimist, but the idea of imagining Hell never appealed to me. However, as I read through the Bible, I have come across many images of hell and will now attempt to create a partial picture. As I sit imagining my inferno, I see that it would be significantly different from Dantes inferno. I do agree that an Inferno should have stages, or circles, but fewer than that of Dante. And I do agree that the stages should be categorized by severity of actions, or sins, but I feel it more important to look at the heart of the sins instead of trying to analyze which sins were "worse". Because of my personal study, I find my worldview strikingly different then that of Dante.In my inferno I would only have three rings set up in a similar manner to Dante's. (The outer rings being that of lesser magnitude than that of the center ring.) Unknowing would be the first and outer circle. In this area we would find people who did not get to hear the good news, and so, because not knowing is no excuse, they were condemned to Hell. (Based on Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.)An example might be an African who has never heard of Christ and followed a false religion not knowing any other way. Second, I would place those who knew yet did not follow; those that refused belief or those that only pretended to believe for their own benefit. In this place we would see both the hypocritical Christians as well as the atheists. Also included would be those that consciously chose a false religion over Christianity. Many in this category are walking among us today. We...
