Is it just me or is hell used as an argument? The Quran constantly tells people to believe or fear hell. is this an argument? if so, this is what is called appeal for force or appeal to the stick.
Why does god need to use force and propaganda to convince us? was there no other way?
I theorize that the antecedents of Hell arose among primitive hunter-gathers for very specific reasons.
I believe that authority and social order were neccesary to prepare for the future, with a specific example being storing large supplies of food for the winter.
If everyone was good and selfless, then the community had a better chance of surviving the winter in ease and comfort. If everybody defies authority and only cares about themselves, then winter means starvation, disease, and death.
It seems–at least to me–that there are paralells between planning for a future of ease, health, and harmony when the year “dies” with winter and an afterlife of paradise if one is “good.”
When humans became aware of our own mortality, and this was coupled with the need for co-operative behavior with seflessness and authoritative leadership to survive winter . . . then this morphed into an afterlife predicated with heaven and hell based on one’s behavior in this life.
In many ways, we are still cavemen.
Please note that these are only my ideas, and–not being an anthropologist–I only claim that this is something I believe, and not something I know.
I don’t believe in any gods but I think people use the notion of hell to get the behavior they want out of others because it’s and easy way to do it and they are lazy.
There are plenty of other ways. I was taught how to behave as a decent person without any gods or hell and I raised children without gods and hell and they are decent people.
Which god? Which version of hell?
When I see independently verified data on how hot and big hell is, and how many demons are torturing me for eternity, and where it’s located, I might then accept it as a terrifying argument.
You may mot be an actual tenured anthropologist, but my first reaction upon reading this was “wait, this makes much more sense than the guff mythology fanboys come up with on the matter”. 
I would even venture that it’s worth tracking down an actual anthropologist to run this by, and see if it makes sense to a professional - more kudos to you if it does of course!
It’s also worth tracking down the recent writings of Francesca Stavrakopoulou, to see if this thought of yours meshes with her ideas, as this sounds to me like just the sort of idea she would devise as an explanation for the “hell” meme, though to be fair, the exact details connected to the concept of a post-death difference of destinies based upon moral judgement are wildly divergent even across ancient civilisations. I’m pretty sure the Ancient Egyptians, for example, had a significantly different take on this.
Indeed, if memory serves, contemporary Jews themselves had a different view on the matter to the frankly diseased picture painted by American Christian fundamentalists. Again, I suspect Stavrakopoulou would subject their witterings to a well deserved hosing with the discoursive flamethrower. I’d pay for ringside seats for that spectacle. 
IMO religious beliefs serve primarily to explain the observed world in an age of technological illiteracy (they just happen to be wrong) and for the rich and powerful to control others. The idea of a hell would fit very nicely with such a control idea.
UK Atheist
Thank you very much for your kind words and the validation.
I have started to look into the works of Stavrakopoulou, and I will follow up. This may take a while, because I am about halfway through my BSN degree, and I never have enough time for everything.
Thank you again.
Damn, Kev… 
That was pretty friggin’ good. Very interesting and fascinating angle you presented there. Gonna have to remember that for future reference should I ever get the opportunity to use it. Cool. 
Thank you very much.
How are you doing, BTW? Keeping busy?
Oh, doin’ fair to middlin’ 'round these parts.Trying to keep up with a four year old grandson several days a week, while still having to help care for my Uncle in the assisted living home. Also working quite a bit in my “wood shop” making gifts for the upcoming Christmas holidays. (That’s not counting the couple of rocking chairs I made for my Uncle over the last few months. Even starting on one for my wife now.) A couple of concerning matters with my grandson’s (useless) “father” recently, but only time will tell how that will work out. Meanwhile, just taking it easy as much as possible. Good to be back on here, I must say, after being away for quite awhile. Gonna be hit-n-miss on how often I can pop in, but a little bit is better than nothing, I suppose.