You're using a bit of a weak comparison -- a person with fingers and who can see can put 1 and 1 together and come up with 2. That does Not require a mathematician -- anyone Could try to say that 1+1 = 3 and it's obvious that it doesn't. However, in higher mathematics -- a certain amount of trust is required to be put in the instructor. He's done his 'homework' and knows what he's teaching. And also, math facts build on each other. Multiplicaton / division build on each other. A person getting much higher needs a qualified instructor to teach them -- a mathematician.
There are lay Christians who I'd give more credence to than some scholors. A 'bottom line' -- communication -- that which makes sense -- God gave all of us brains and He expects us to use them. And the Holy Spirit guides us, also. If something doesn't sound right -- then there's probably a Reason. And sometimes, people Will try to put their own 'twist' on a subject. Some people will go to the Greek / Hebrew / Armaic and try to manipulate the meaning of the word and do the same with the English. They will be 'bound and determined' that Their conclusion is the Right one. But, to someone Else -- it just doesn't sound 'right'. And when 'their' conclusions go against Other Scriptures that are clearer, well, then there's a problem.
If My inner instincts tell me One thing and someone Elses' inner instincts tells them something Different. Well -- sometimes people simply have to agree to disagree. If it pertains to salvation, well, God's Word Is specific.
Now -- This subject has been about the various names of 'hell' and where various areas are. And whether or not it's eternal. The title is -- Does anyone believe in hell. Well -- God's Word teaches it and His Word is Correct. So, yes, there Is hell.
And there are those who thrive on digging deeper and deeper -- but the bottom line is that it Does exist -- accept God's Word -- He's given 'us' His Word for a Reason.
Now -- maybe some of these comments don't apply to you, personally. There Is another poster who is 'bound and determined' in another area. But the basic concept is still there.
You made my case when you said, "There are lay Christians who I'd give more credence to than some scholors". That's my whole point. Just because someone is a scholar doesn't necessitate that what he says is correct. There are Scholars who teach that a person can lose their salvation and those that teach that they can't. These are two opposing positions they cannot both be true. Thus, some scholars no matter how much they have studied are wrong.
About the word hell, I would argue that the Bible doesn't teach it. The word hell is an English word that is not in the original texts. The Bible uses words like Hades, Gehenna, tartarus, and the Lake of Fire. The English word hell is imposed onto these words. Tartarus is described in the Bible as a place where wicked angels are held, bound in chains. There's nothing said about eternal suffering. Hades, is described as the grave. People are said to go alive into Hades, buried alive. Some are said to have taken their weapons. Fire and Hades are connected figuratively as God's anger. That leaves Gehenna, where Jesus indicates the wicked will go. This is a literal location on earth, the Valley of the Son of Hinnom. It's associated with the sacrifice of children to pagan gods. Jesus referred to it as Gehenna fire. The last place is the Lake of Fire. This Lake of Fire is only mentioned in Revelation. That means other than John the apostles hadn't heard of the Lake of Fire. All of the Christians before Revelation hadn't heard of the Lake of Fire. We find this Lake of Fire in a book that is full of symbolism. John said that it was into this Lake of Fire that the wicked would be cast. How do we reconcile this with what Jesus said? Since the Lake of Fire is in a book full of symbolism, what if this Lake is a symbol? Imagine if you will. Jesus quoted Isaiah 66 and called this place Gehenna Fire.
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.1
24 And they shall go forth,
and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. (Isa. 66:22-1:1 KJV)
We see from Isaiah that this place called Gehenna, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, has dead bodies burning in it. However, Jeremiah also speaks of this place.
38 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner.
39 And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath.
40
And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east,
shall be holy unto the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever. (Jer. 31:38-40 KJV)
We see here from Jeremiah that the valley is full of dead bodies. If we combine what we find from these two prophets we see that the whole valley is full of burning dead bodies or carcasses. If we could see this what would it look like? With the entire valley burning would it not look just like a lake of fire? It seems to me that the picture is clear that Gehenna and the Lake of Fire are one and the same. Additionally, as already mentioned, in order to reconcile Jesus' and John's descriptions of where the wicked go we have to conclude that Gehenna and the Lake of Fire are one and the same.
We also see from this prophecy that this place, Gehenna does not burn forever. Jeremiah says that one day it will be made holy to the Lord. Some will argue that Isaiah said the fire shall not be quenched therefore it burns forever. However, that's not so. The word quench means to extinguish or put out. It doesn't mean the fire won't go out. It means it is not put it out. It will burn until it consumes it's fuel.
