Why are we here?

[Dragonetti]

Wait, so God is not powerful enough to guide us to the light? He created something imperfect and dysfunctional? Guess that God is not so great or powerful.

[Ravenshire]

You are right, I have been brought up believing as I do. That does not make a bit of difference in the truth claim though. Each religion needs to be a) weighed on whether it is internally consistent, b) consistent with our observations of the world, c) has a well-defined image of God (tying that all back to a and b), and d) bears fruit.

And have you judged every religion my these criteria?

I'm betting you haven't even judged your own pet belief since internal consistency is on your list.

[Ravenshire]

That doesn't sound like punishment to me.

It depends on what the consequences of a total separation from God might be to one's soul.

Kindly present some evidence of these "soul" things.

[Ravenshire]

Any god that would punish me for not worshiping it isn't one that anyone should worship.

You are missing the point. YOU decided not to mend the relationship that YOUR sin damaged. You cannot be in the presence of God (heaven) without mending that relationship. This is the consequence of your free will--God cannot mend it for you--it MUST be your choice.

Yeah, Kevin! Gawd, the all powerful creator of the universe, cannot forgive you unless you come grovelling, face in the dirt at it's feet. But, somehow, us poor fallible humans manage to forgive each other on a fairly regular basis whether we're asked to or not.

Steve-o, you have a truly low opinion of your gawd.

[Ravenshire]

And you do?  Please.  Some self-awareness would do you some good.  Maybe then you wouldn't be like a record skipping on the same tired, unconvincing 'arguments' and assertions we've all heard a million times.

If you heard a million time, I would think you would understand them better. You still seem to be struggling to see how it all works together. Christianity must be seen as a complete systematic worldview and does not stand or fall on this objection or that.

Nothing can stand as a whole if it's parts fail. That being said, the christer faith is a failing model in whole.

[Pyrrho]

God does not send people to Hell, they send themselves.

This stinky little turd gets a little smellier every time it pops up. No. Just, no. Nobody sends themselves to hell. They are (according to your iron age book of voodoo) judged by gawd. If your gawd finds them unworthy then he casts them into hell.

This sums it up pretty well:

[Dragonetti]

Yes, God makes the freaking rules. Why should I abide by his rules, since he is the one that casts people into hell.

[loganonekenobi]

Take your pick:

1) Because god is an idiot and cannot tell who is worthy of heaven and who isn't without testing people on earth.  

2) Or god is incompetent and cannot properly make people without the earth.  

3) Or god is evil and enjoys torturing people.

4) God does not exist.

For those who need it, with 1, god is not omniscient.  With 2, god is not omnipotent.  With 3, god is not perfectly benevolent.

hmmm that sounds very.... Greek sir

[KevinM1]

You are missing the point. YOU decided not to mend the relationship that YOUR sin damaged. You cannot be in the presence of God (heaven) without mending that relationship. This is the consequence of your free will--God cannot mend it for you--it MUST be your choice.

Yeah, Kevin! Gawd, the all powerful creator of the universe, cannot forgive you unless you come grovelling, face in the dirt at it's feet. But, somehow, us poor fallible humans manage to forgive each other on a fairly regular basis whether we're asked to or not.

Steve-o, you have a truly low opinion of your gawd.

What's really sick about the whole thing is that my greatest sin, Original Sin, is something that I had no part of.  Yet, I'm supposedly to be punished for something an ancient ancestor did?  That's perfect justice?

Pathetic and laughable, in equal measure.

[Pyrrho]

Take your pick:

1) Because god is an idiot and cannot tell who is worthy of heaven and who isn't without testing people on earth.  

2) Or god is incompetent and cannot properly make people without the earth.  

3) Or god is evil and enjoys torturing people.

4) God does not exist.

For those who need it, with 1, god is not omniscient.  With 2, god is not omnipotent.  With 3, god is not perfectly benevolent.

hmmm that sounds very.... Greek sir

I think it pretty well covers the options for responding to the OP.  Of course, we can expect that religious fanatics will pretend that they have an answer that does not make their god look bad.  That is done with obfuscation and deceit.  The usual tools of religionists.