(November 3, 2013 at 12:03 am)ToriJ Wrote: From what I understand, the gist of the story is that bad things happen to good people and that faith isn't something to be set aside the moment it becomes an inconvenience, if you're truly serious about your faith. Though I could be confusing it with the story of Abraham where God demanded he kill his son to prove his devotion.
This was also the story where I learned some rather... interesting beliefs some Christians hold where it comes to the devil and his role in things. Like a lot of people growing up, I assumed the devil was a red guy with horns, wings, a tail and a pitchfork that burned people in hell with his minions. Then I read this story and started wondering what the devil is doing before God and his angels.
That's when the pastor of the church I was going to at the time told me that Satan actually doesn't run hell. He wanders between earth and a specific part of heaven that God allows him into away from the spirits that dwell there (I'm paraphrasing big time here) and is actually as afraid of hell as anyone else. The devil is on a leash, basically. Naturally, I asked who runs hell in that case. Some probably won't be surprised of his answer.
God.
That's right, I was told by my pastor that hell and the people who are there for all eternity are actually being punished by God personally and he didn't seem to see the problem with that.
You should tell your pastor that "hell" is derived from Greek myths.
Then point him to the verse in the NT where it says that people will "turn aside to myths"... That always shuts them up.
