God's Nature and character

[jesus_wept]

So killing children is actually doing them a favour because they'll go to heaven and avoid any chance of going to hell?

LOL - I didn't type it out, but reasoning such as this is probably another reason that the doctrine isn't spelled out more clearly.

I'm a bit confused by this non-answer. Are you saying I'm correct and the reason it's not spelt out clearer is to stop Christians doing their children a favour?

[FatAndFaithless]

Well you said that everyone has been exposed to some truth of God in creation. What truth is that?

It's not that Jesus is Lord, but rather that there is a creator god.

Alright...but you didn't answer my question. If someone has never been exposed to Christianity, and doesn't accept Jesus or the Christian god, what happens to them? If all you're supposed to conclude from looking at creation is that there is a creator...well hell, every religion claims that,. there's nothing Christian about it.

[John V]

I'm a bit confused by this non-answer. Are you saying I'm correct and the reason it's not spelt out clearer is to stop Christians doing their children a favour?

I'm saying that you can't trick god, but some people would try as you suggest. It's not like the doctrine is something outside of god to which he's bound, and such people would have found a loophole for their children.

[Losty]

I'm a bit confused by this non-answer. Are you saying I'm correct and the reason it's not spelt out clearer is to stop Christians doing their children a favour?

I'm saying that you can't trick god, but some people would try as you suggest. It's not like the doctrine is something outside of god to which he's bound, and such people would have found a loophole for their children.

So if a person killed their child for the selfish reason of wanting them to be able to avoid hell more easily and therefore trying to trick god, would he then not accept their child into heaven?

[John V]

Alright...but you didn't answer my question. If someone has never been exposed to Christianity, and doesn't accept Jesus or the Christian god, what happens to them? If all you're supposed to conclude from looking at creation is that there is a creator...well hell, every religion claims that,. there's nothing Christian about it.

It depends on how they respond to that knowledge. Also note that my answer was not intended as an exhaustive discourse on the topic. Creation is one piece of non-Biblical revelation. The conscience is another.

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So if a person killed their child for the selfish reason of wanting them to be able to avoid hell more easily and therefore trying to trick god, would he then not accept their child into heaven?

It would be up to god.

[Losty]

Obviously everything would be up to god if he existed. I am asking for your personal opinion.

[FatAndFaithless]

Alright...but you didn't answer my question. If someone has never been exposed to Christianity, and doesn't accept Jesus or the Christian god, what happens to them? If all you're supposed to conclude from looking at creation is that there is a creator...well hell, every religion claims that,. there's nothing Christian about it.

It depends on how they respond to that knowledge. Also note that my answer was not intended as an exhaustive discourse on the topic. Creation is one piece of non-Biblical revelation. The conscience is another.

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So if a person killed their child for the selfish reason of wanting them to be able to avoid hell more easily and therefore trying to trick god, would he then not accept their child into heaven?

It would be up to god.

Someone's own conscience is supposed to reveal the Christian God to them? And you really didn't answer my question again. If someone was never exposed to Christianity and hadn't accepted Jesus, what happens to them?

[Dystopia]

It's illogical by nature. The case of omnipotence conflicting with other characteristics is best pointed out and solved by Epicurus (check my signature). As for where god gets his nature, theists will argue that god is infinite and has always existed, he doesn't need to be created. Of course I think this makes zero sense, after all, the argument used by many theists is 'everything needs a creation, there is no known cause to the universe, therefore god exists.'. So what caused god? 'god doesn't need a cause'. Didn't you just say everything needs a creation?

[John V]

Obviously everything would be up to god if he existed. I am asking for your personal opinion.

My personal opinion is already explained - God left ambiguity in order to avoid the situation in the first place.

[FatAndFaithless]

Obviously everything would be up to god if he existed. I am asking for your personal opinion.

My personal opinion is already explained - God left ambiguity in order to avoid the situation in the first place.

Yup. When discussing truth and actions that can have consequences on your eternal soul, ambiguity is the best option.