Mainstream Christianity seems to hold conflicting beliefs. First they believe that man is born with a soul that lives on after physical death and they also believe as Christ stated, that Christ died so that we may have eternal life. If you are born with a soul that lives on after death, why did Christ need to die? You are born with eternal life, a soul! And I don't want to hear the heaven/hell bit. At no time did Christ say He died so we don't go to hell. "The wages of sin is death"(not hell). Just curious.

I can see how that might be a bit confusing. But, will these be enough to convince you that Jesus acknowledged both heaven and hell? If not, please let me know and I will provide several more.

JESUS REGARDING HEAVEN -
Matthew 4: 17. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Matthew 5: 10. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

John 14:
2. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

JESUS REGARDING HELL
Matthew 10: 28. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 23: 33. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

In closing the answer to your question is yes, God gives us the free will to choose between eternal life in heaven or eternally dying in hell.

What is your definition of hell, it seems to be vaguely mentioned in the Bible. It also seems to be confused with the lake of fire in Revelations. Also, what is your definition of heaven? It seems the Utopian heaven described be many are referring to the "New Jerusalem" also in Revelation.

I'm starting to think the spirit is to soul as mind is to body. The mind controls the animal body and spirit control the transidental body, the soul. Keep in mind, I'm not trying to convince you of anything, I have not yet found my faith in life, I'm still seeking the so-called truth. I do however believe in the message of Christ, however, I see it a little different sometimes such as the goal of being saved is through a state of "Christhood." I don't neccessarily believe in the traditional hell unless it is a state of final death. I heard others speak of the afterlife as being a place where you go with other people like you. This makes to me, if your an ass here, you'll be stuck somewhere full of asses. To me that wold be hell. I guess we'll all know sooner or later.

Hell is eternity spent apart from God.
Prisoner, to answer you question. Yes your soul is eternal. Heaven/hell is part of the equation but i won't use it. When you die if you have sought salvation in Jesus you will be given a new and perfect body that will live for eternity.
Probably just confused you more but I hope not.

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People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp92vkXcC0w

It depends which type of death we are talking about. In Christianity we believe in 3 types of death: physical death, living spiritual death (as in those who are physically alive but not saved), and eternal spiritual death such as those who go to hell. When referencing the Bible it is important to remember which type of death we are talking about.

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"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything." Alexander Hamilton

The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.
Plato

I have alot of diffrent belifes. I believe that life does not end after death. But that life is one big lesson. What we take when we leave this world. Is what we learned down here. I wonder if this aint h--- on earth.

why did Christ need to die? To purchase our will back from being invested in disbelief:-)

Main stream Christianity call themselves;

Christ-ians' or replicas, not real, of a split mind, believing in both heaven and hell, the old teaching of the hidden liar, the fatherless god, abraxis)

BUT, what they NEED to BE, is IN CHRIST and vice versa.

The crucifixtion was only the blood payment:-O

THE MESSAGE was the Resurection, (the defeat of Death), and the GIFTof the holy spirit.

I will take a mathmatical formula, and translate it into words, using a combination of Plato, Socrates, Newton, and Galileo's Logic shuffled up and translated the into words:-)

I will post it in Perception versus KNOWLEDGE:-)

It will be long.

The First one to reverse engineer the words back to numbers will win a PRIZE, but you will first have to tell me the author of the formula:-)

Be patient it may take a day or three before I can get to it:-)

Even for me , that might be interesting to see how your mind works.

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Archimedes
Because they can't wait use Rescue 8
self closing flotation rescue device.

O wow, I've got to see this.

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"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything." Alexander Hamilton

The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.
Plato