Thena323 Wrote:Hell. My goodness, what to say? Let's say that God and Hell do exist, for the sake of argument. The idea that a massive number of kind, just and loving people will be sentenced to the ultimate suffering and torment forever is insane.
Thank you for using the word torment, torture isn't in the scriptures as many would have them say. To us many people are kind, just and loving, however we judge compared to other humans, God judges all people who do not accept Christ against His Holy self. No one can live up to that standard, if we could Christ's sacrifice would not have been required. What you're calling insanity is actually equal justices. There being (we're still assuming scriptures true, right) eternal life with God, then the equality in justice would be an eternal punishment. I really can't see how people can't understand this.
Thena323 Wrote:Theists may chime in with some wisdom on obedience, gifts and grace, but it has no bearing on the bigger issue.To describe God sentencing good people to an infinite Hell as an overreaction, doesn't do it justice. It's beyond an overreaction. An implementation so unreasonable and unfair, so over-the-top that I'm having difficult time understanding why I ever believed any of this.
Could be you believe in God's truth at one time. God wasn't overreacting and He isn't unreasonable or unfair, God gave His Son so we could live eternally in heaven, we chose our eternal destination, not God. God gives us our choice, no forcing us which way to choose, yes He has told us the consequences of our choice, that's only fair, right. If God didn't tell us the consequences then we could call hell torture.
Thena323 Wrote:But, keeping with the premise that all of this happens to be true....good grief, we're all screwed aren't we? As in all of humanity. A completely unreasonable, highly sadistic maniac is running the show. He's not made himself very clear....and he likes setting people up. That combination doesn't bode well for any of of us, does it? Can worship really tip the scales? Why bother?
In this last quote it seems you've got things mixed up in your mind. All Christians have nothing to worry about, hell is not in the equation for us, through Christ who we have chosen God sees us a sinless people, without Christ standing between people and God they haven't Christ's protection and will be seen as sinful, God made it simple for people to be saved, yet people want to trash Him, it's beyond me why, it's as clear as a sunny afternoon. God doesn't set anyone up, He gave us simple choices, so simple children can understand and choose Christ. There's only one way to tip the scales, choosing Christ.
GC
God loves those who believe and those who do not and the same goes for me, you have no choice in this matter. That puts the matter of total free will to rest.
