Is Hell Endothermic or Exothermic?

When I was in college in 1997,. there was an e-mail floating around that I thought was hilarious. I was so green then, i took it as a true, but humorous story about a student who got a question a final exam in science that is nigh impossible to answer. At the time i thought that it was plausible because there are some mean-spirited hazing  professors in academia.. It is however just a joke. I have found several versions of it. Here is the one most like the first one I saw.

Dr. Schambaugh, of the University of Oklahoma School of Chemical Engineering, Final Exam question for May of 1997. Dr. Schambaugh is known for asking questions such as, "why do airplanes fly?" on his final exams. His one and only final exam question in May 1997 for his Momentum, Heat and Mass Transfer II class was: "Is hell exothermic or endothermic? Support your answer with 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 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, let's 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, then 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 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 in 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. Two options exist:

1. 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.
2. 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.

So which is it? If we accept the quote given to me by Theresa Manyan during Freshman year, "that it will be a cold night in hell before I sleep with you" and take into account the fact that I still have NOT succeeded in having sexual relations with her, then Option 2 cannot be true...Thus, hell is exothermic."

The student, Tim Graham, got the only A.

The most funny alternative ends with hell being endothermic.

If we accept the postulate given to me by Sandra during my freshman year, that "it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number 2 must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is endothermic and has already frozen over.

The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is extinct…leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being - which explains why, last night, Sandra kept shouting
"Oh my God."

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY
"A".

I know what you are thinking: it's just a joke why bring it up? or "what's Endothermic/exothermic?". Endothermic means absorbs heat and exothermic means gives off heat. As for the reason for bringing it up, other than I think it's funny, is because it shows a lack of understanding theology and where faulty premises can lead you astray. Here are some examples?

1. Souls do not have mass, but just because something is immaterial does not mean it does not exist. The Bible tells us that both those going to heaven and those going to hell will get new bodies...that I think will have mass.
2. The Bible says that hell is enlarging itself

Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. Proverbs 27:20

Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it. Isaiah 5: 14

3. Assuming that all humanity is going to hell is assuming that all religions are wrong. That can't be assumed without proof.
4. I don't think that there is enough information to say whether of not hell is exothermic or endothermic.
5. It doesn't matter because hell and death will be cast into the lake of fire. - Revelations 20:14

The only way out of finding out first-hand if hell is endothermic or exothermic is to put your trust in Jesus and believe.

snopes.com: Endothermic or Exothermic?

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