(October 13, 2017 at 12:50 pm)Huggy74 Wrote:(October 13, 2017 at 10:28 am)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: No, really. When your soul is held hostage, what decisions of yours aren't tainted by your god's threat of punishment?
That's kind of like saying to a married person what "decisions of yours aren't tainted by threat of divorce"? You serve God out of love not fear.
Put another way: If I point a gun to your head, and demand your wallet, are you giving your wallet to me truly out of free will?
(October 13, 2017 at 12:50 pm)Huggy74 Wrote: Many of you here have stated that if heaven exists, you wouldn't want to go there, so if all good things come from God, things like joy, peace, love, kindness, and so on... then hell is simply a place where none of those things exist.
It's a good thing I didn't say that, then.
Also, your conclusion is a non sequitur.
(October 13, 2017 at 12:50 pm)Huggy74 Wrote: Let's use the sun as an example for God, I think we can all agree that the sun is a good thing, yet imaging you have a group of people calling the sun evil because millions of people are dying of melanoma (even thought they have been provided with a lifetime supply of free sunscreen), and these folks announce that they would rather live on a planet where there's no sun.
Wouldn't that be a horrible existence?
Except the sun didn't create melanoma, and doesn't will it upon non-worshippers. The sun has no will at all. Your god is alleged to have created Hell, specifically to torment the souls of those who reject him. He holds their souls hostage.
A decision made under duress is by definition not free.
