CHISTIANS PLEASE EXPLAIN

[Lek]

[quote='Lek' pid='581759' dateline='1389565720']
Hey, Lek. I was a Christian for most of my life. Went through an introspective period from age 25-30 and found that I simply could not believe in god any longer. I'd like you to mull a few things over. This is not something I'm asking you to answer, just something for you to ponder to yourself.

You guys are really making me work today. Thanks, I will ponder your questions. I hope this comes out ok on the post because I'm not sure if I know to deal with multiple quotes.

1.)God created hell. Why? I mean really why? If God is loving then why would he create a place of eternal torment? If you were God would you create a place like hell? If not does that mean you are a more loving being than God?

The space isn't big enough to address the subject adequately, but if you google http://www.thenarrowpath.com, he has a zillion lectures on mp3. If you scroll down the page you'll find one that address three different views of hell. They're all views that have been held by christians since the days of the early church. In addition to a hell of eternal torment, there's probably more biblical evidence for a hell to which a person goes for an appropriate time and then dies forever. Another view, which seems to be the most prevelant view in the early church is that a person goes to hell and stays until he eventually accepts Christ and then goes to heaven. In any view it's a terrible place, but not necessarily eternal. I found it most interesting. This guy thinks out of the box, but supports his views from the bible.

2.)God loves us and want us to all go to Heaven right? He personally cares about you as an individual. Now I assume you were raised Christian. Most Christians think Muslims are going to go to Hell. Most people stick with the same religion they were raised with. They frequently change denominations, but usually stick with the base religion.

If you were raised in Saudi Arabia you would most likely have been raised Muslim. And if so, and you were a good, kind, decent human, you very well probably would have stayed Muslim your entire life surrounded by your proud family and community members. And then, according to most Christian belief, you would burn in eternal torment forever. For why? For being raised in an incorrect religion? Even though God cared and loved that individual?

If you were God would you have created a reality where the majority of his beloved children would end up in Hell even if they were kind, gently, loving, good persons?

Does that make any sense to you? Cause it never made sense to me. A god that would let this happen would either be malevolent, indifferent, or incompetent.

Read Romans, Chap 1. Paul states that everyone is responsible for believing because God reveals himself clearly to us in the world around us. When I read this I believe that he places us in different places and situations during this life on earth. He reveals himself more fully to some than to others. If someone llived all his life in a place where he never had the opportunity to hear the gospel, he wouldn't be responsible for professing Christ specifically, but for responding to the light that God gave him. By responding to that light, he wouldn't know Jesus' name, but he be responding to Jesus by following what God has revealed to him. This doesn't absolve anyone from rejecting Jesus if he hears and understands the gospel and it doesn't apply to someone who totally rejects God.

Again, what you brought are things I have pondered. I'll probably never be able to figure it all out. Don't go by what I say, but always go to what the bible says.

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Scroll up on this post to get my whole reply. I guess I did mess up the format.