On Hell and Forgiveness

[Whateverist]

My thoughts in simpler terms:

Hell exists because God is not a tyrant who is going to force us to choose Him. He gives us the choice to choose God, or to choose "not God."

Hell is not a dark cave with fire and little demons running around torturing you. It is simply a separation from God.

Since God is Himself pure love, by separating our souls from God in the afterlife, you are separating yourself from beauty, joy, and love. That is why Hell sucks. Not because of torture or punishment.

I think I get what you are saying and this notion of hell is not so hellish.  It is merely making do without the 'best' alternative in ones life.  That assumes there actually is such a thing which is best for all without regard to one's personal preferences, something I doubt.

Of course if one thinks of God as an entirely natural component of consciousness which had nothing to do with creation of the world but rather is a kind of keeper of some wisdom regarding fulfillment for creatures such as ourselves .. then you could see choosing God as choosing completeness.  But then God is about a psychological reality, not a hypothetical post-death existential choice.