I believe we have scared the OP away. I really don't feel too bad about this one, though. He/she didn't present a very strong argument and couldn't stick with it very long. On the other hand, I am not too willing to head over to a Christian forum and debate 20 Christians at a time either. This thread was doomed for several reasons like that.

Maybe only be allowed one hour of heathen computer time a day. Any more than that and it's burn time.

(October 3, 2016 at 5:55 pm)Jesster Wrote: I believe we have scared the OP away. I really don't feel too bad about this one, though. He/she didn't present a very strong argument and couldn't stick with it very long. On the other hand, I am not too willing to head over to a Christian forum and debate 20 Christians at a time either. This thread was doomed for several reasons like that.

Right. This is precisely why I question why a school would do this. Is it prep for Apologetics 200? Who knows?

(October 3, 2016 at 6:08 pm)mh.brewer Wrote: Any more than that and it's rama lama ding dong time.

Fixed that for you.

Yeah, I could have been nicer. I have an edge where 'school projects' are concerned and especially when told/asked to be mature.

I don't believe this individual for one SECOND.

(October 3, 2016 at 5:31 pm)Crossless1 Wrote:

(October 3, 2016 at 5:24 pm)Arkilogue Wrote: False dichotomy. I'm going to Figi.  

Um, ok.  Have fun with Figi, wherever the hell that is. 

Hah! Crap...Fiji!

(October 3, 2016 at 6:14 pm)Whateverist Wrote: Yeah, I could have been nicer.  I have an edge where 'school projects' are concerned and especially when told/asked to be mature.

I was kinda waiting for a Min-ism. Another unfulfilled prayer.

(October 3, 2016 at 5:05 pm)lighthouse Wrote:

(October 3, 2016 at 4:31 pm)Aroura Wrote: Hi Lighthouse.

So, the only choice humans are given is to love God or to suffer eternal punsihment.  Do you feel those are very equal options?

As to your analogy, if I had 5 children, I think it is pretty extreme to assume that they will either be murderers or saviors.  Perhaps some of them will chose not to follow in my footsteps, and perhaps even become estranged from me for one reason or another, but they will still be good, decent people.  Perhaps those that chose to suck up to me will secretly be serial killers.  You analogy makes no sense to me, at all.  It is very black and white.  It seems that you see people as either good which means those that love God, or evil which is those that do not.

Our job as parents is to raise children that will go be productive members of society independent of their parents.  If my children do not love me back, nor cling to me forever, I would not send them to eternal punishment.  How is that part loving?  My love for my child is unconditional. Any punishment I do give them will fit the crime, and have the intent of making them better in the long run.  Eternal punishment, by definition, cannot make a person better, as you cannot learn from it and maybe then come back to god.  It's eternal.

The god you describe demands love in return for his kindnesses, and if it is not received, punishes.  Please explain to me how a God that cannot even do what a human mother can do, can be called a God of Love?

He does not demand love. He does not punish. It is simply if you love him you spend eternity with him if you do not love him you go to the only place where he is not. Perhaps it was a bad analogy. How about one about marriage. Would you want an arranged marriage or one created out of love. He does not force us to love him because that wouldn't actually be him loving us now would it.

According to you, he created the options: Love him or suffer in hell. How is that not a threat? Its a very clear threat. He created the universe correct? Then he created the options.

If he was a truly loving and all powerful God, couldn't he create more than those 2 options?

Also, could you, even for a single second, choose to top believing or loving your God? Go on, I'll give you a moment to try.
You can't, can you? Well, guess what, those who no longer believe, or never did, didn't choose that either. I could no more believe in the biblical God right now than I could sprout wings and fly. It isn't a choice. That is just another lie religious people tell themselves to make their monstrous God seems less so.

Fortunately, he is completely fictional, so billions of good, decent, hardworking people aren't suffering eternally because of him.

According to King David in Psalms, there is no place one can flee from the Spirit of God. Pslam 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

The inability to escape God's presence/wrath/judgment externally and especially internally is part of it's hellish nature.

I say this also out of personal experience.