Bababa ba?

It always bugs me how many religions in this world (yes, I believe that religions are from this world only), eternally condemn each other and non-believers. And it pains me to see how people tell each other their going to hell just because the other person does not have the same beliefs that they do.

I picked up this piece a few years back, and it has got me laughing out loud as soon as I finished reading it again this morning. Yes, the nerd in me lives.

A thermodynamics professor wrote a take home exam for his graduate students. It had one question: “Is hell exothermic or endothermic? Support your answer with a proof.”

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle’s Law or some variant. One student, however wrote the following:

First, we postulate that if souls exist, then they must have some mass. If they do, then a mole of souls can also have a mass.

So, at what rate are souls moving into hell and at what rate are souls leaving? I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.

As for souls entering hell, lets look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Some of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to hell. Since, there are more than one of these religions and people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all people and all souls go to hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in hell to increase exponentially.

Now, we look at the rate of change in volume of hell. Boyle’s Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in hell to stay the same, the ratio of the mass of souls and volume needs to stay constant.

So, if hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter hell, then the temperature and pressure in hell will increase until all hell breaks loose.

Of course, if hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until hell freezes over.

It was not revealed what grade the student got.

Of course, you could always debate the authenticity of the article. As snopes.com says, it’s another one of those exam scams. But yes, real or not, the one who wrote it somehow has a point: “since, there are more than one of these religions and people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all people and all souls go to hell.”

But then again, who are we to say that the other person is going to hell, whatever religion that other person has? Is that what God has really told us? Or is it what our religion dictates?

Jesus said it beautifully in John 14. The disciples were asking, “where are You going Lord? We’re scared. Can we go with You?”

Jesus told them,

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

If we really did trust in Him, we would not fear for where we would really be headed.

Well, I guess I’m not really in the rightful place to say these things, as I am not one of the religious. Ultra-conservatives may even tell me that what I’m writing right now is heresy and I will be going to hell for that. But if you really think about it, who did Jesus pick to be His disciples?

I know I am a sinner, and I have no right to be with Him, lest to follow Him. But it was He Himself who called me to believe, and do as He says. And right now, I am trying my best. I hope you guys are, too.