Eternal punishment is pointless.

[Chad32]

The problem with that is that in this life there's no proof that god or hell or any of that exists. When you die it's supposedly too late. So the threat of hell only works for people who already believe in that god. To convince those already in to stay, and convert anyone they care about.

Atheists, and people of other groups, are unlikely to convert. Either because they don't believe, or because they have their own version of hell to worry about.

[abaris]

I think the point of Eternal Punishment is to coerce those with free will to buckle and submit. Wouldn't be as fun for God otherwise.

Maybe it's more fun to watch the eternal torturing while having a cold beer.

[IATIA]

Have you ever heard or even read the Epic of Gilgamesh? It predates the oldest versions of the Torah.

And by the way, a large part of said epic talks about the great flood, with Gilgamesh building a boat.

Pretty much where christian flood myth came from. and also it doesn't help that Christianity uses a flood myth when other religions and cultures predates theirs in the book.

Not to suggest any belief in either story, but the timelines are about the same.

Gilgamesh - 2750 BC
Noah - 2457 BC

[abaris]

Not to suggest any belief in either story, but the timelines are about the same.

Gilgamesh - 2750 BC
Noah - 2457 BC

Got nothing to do with believing. It's got everything to do with preexisting myths from the region. The author of the Epic of Gilgamesh would get his day in court and probably a nice little compensation, if he lived today.

[Godscreated]

You may be over-thinking this, Tonus. Perhaps GC is simply God's chosen mouthpiece. It may be that while others toil at deciphering the scriptures, GC actually has the holy spirit whispering the answers in his ear. I mean, we don't have any proof to the contrary.

That's the only way it works, that's the only reason I stated my comprehension was superior, because my comprehension comes from the promised guide, the Holy Spirit.

GC

[abaris]

That's the only way it works, that's the only reason I stated my comprehension was superior, because my comprehension comes from the promised guide, the Holy Spirit.

GC

In the olden days they would have burnt you on the stake for that claim ... or made you a saint, who knows.

Nowadays, well I would be worried when I start hearing voices.

[vermin]

DISCLAIMER This is such a long thread that I didn't read through most of it. So forgive me if what I'm about to say has been said.

Does the Bible say that eternity in hell is supposed to be seen as punishment? I don't think it's meant to be a disciplinary act so much as it's just fear compliance. Like be-headings, back in the day. It wasn't meant to punish to discipline the person being executed so much as it was a show of, "See why you don't want to disobey us now?".

That being said, you can't have an all loving God that endorses it anyway. You can't have an all powerful anything either. Ah, self defeating premises.

[Godscreated]

Sin is not finite, unforgiven it last forever, thus the justified eternal hell.

I do take issue with your use of "justified."

Let me give an example: your deity doesn't forgive someone for being an atheist and lets them be tortured forever. Since the deity is never going to forgive, in their case the sin of atheism lasts forever, and then the conclusion is reached that hell is justified?

No, something is not justified merely because a deity allegedly does it. A god who would justify eternally torturing a human being merely because said god holds a grudge forever, is a complete fucking asshole. Even for someone like Adolf Hitler.

It really is ashame you do not understand how God's justice works. Here's a hint, it doesn't require your cynical opinions and opinions are all you have about this.

GC

[abaris]

It really is ashame you do not understand how God's justice works. Here's a hint, it doesn't require your cynical opinions and opinions are all you have about this.

GC

And that's basically what you're offering: Opinions.

You might feel enlightened and justified to ride the high horse, but for the reast of us, hanging out with the holy spirit, seems a little bit excentric to say it in a polite way.

[Godscreated]

I wouldn't like it.

GC

good you shouldn't like getting punished for eternal sin you see what i am getting at.

No, absolutely not, I'm forgiven because I chose Christ, there will be no unjust punishment for me concerning eternity, as a matter of fact there will be no unjust decision for anyone no matter where they spend eternity.

GC

---

That's the only way it works, that's the only reason I stated my comprehension was superior, because my comprehension comes from the promised guide, the Holy Spirit.

GC

In the olden days they would have burnt you on the stake for that claim ... or made you a saint, who knows.

Nowadays, well I would be worried when I start hearing voices.

It has nothing to do with hearing voices, I've never heard voices.

GC