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It seems many people here seem to think the Lake of Fire is nothing more than an eternal torture chamber, designed to inflict as much pain as possible, whether that be physical or spiritual pain.
Why would God do such a thing?
Especially since we know God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-wise, and all-loving... how does a giant eternal torture chamber seem like a reasonable thing to create? Reason would suggest to me that eternal torture is not a loving thing.
Some would say that we cannot understand the ways of God... therefore eternal torture is good. Huh?
Others simply delight in the idea of their enemies being tortured forever, and they have delighted in teaching this to the world. But God does not delight in the death of the wicked... God does not delight in evil.
It seems to me the idea of eternal torture for any reason is pure evil at its most base form. In that sense I can understand why one would conclude annihilation as a reasonable alternative.
Actually it is a place created for Satan and his demons, and unfortunately plenty of people are proudly following them.
It seems to me the idea of eternal torture for any reason is pure evil at its most base form.
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. - Joshua 24:15
I opened a thread about God's great love for mankind. However, if people die in their sins, which means they have rejected God's love, then people will find out that God can hate as much as he loves -- and that's a lot of hate. Hell is judgement.
Proverbs 1
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
If you go to hell, God will forget all about you. Today is the day of mercy.
And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man ... - Genesis 6:3
There are a couple of theories. Mine is that this god you speak of doesn't exist.
Another possibility, which is really unavoidable if he actually did exist, is that he just isn't a very nice guy.
But there is also a third possibility, that He does exist, but He has been severely misrepresented. Perhaps He even intended the misrepresentation, so we would all learn a thing or two.
Why did God create an eternal torture chamber?
Why not just annihilate all those who reject God?
Why not actually correct and chasten those who reject God, until they don't want to reject God anymore?
Yet we see all the usual excuses.
God is holy... so He has to create an eternal torture chamber?!?
God created it for the devil and his angels... oh really, so God changed his plan mid stream and decided to open up hell to everyone?!?
God loves people right up until the point they die, but after that He forgets about them... so God built this torture chamber from the start knowing the majority of mankind would go in there but "forgets" about them later?
We shouldn't focus on the negative, only the positive... oh really, the fact that God created an eternal torture chamber for YOU is an unimportant detail that we shouldn't really think about?
God has great love for mankind... unitl He throws them all into His eternal torture chamber!
Positive Schmositive. The whole message of mainstream Christianity is tainted by the elephant in the room. God tortures most of mankind... (but He loves you!)
He didn't. Man created it when he first went against God.
Quote:
Originally Posted by legoman
Why not just annihilate all those who reject God?
If one cannot be rehabilitated either here or the spirit world, God will annihilate the soul. It will be as if it were never created.
Quote:
Originally Posted by legoman
Why not actually correct and chasten those who reject God, until they don't want to reject God anymore?
God has decreed that His universe, both of men and things, shall be harmonious, and only the creature, man, has become out of that harmony; and as the universe shall continue, the only destiny for man is, that he shall return to that harmony from which he fell by reason of his own misdirected will.
Quote:
Originally Posted by legoman
Yet we see all the usual excuses.
God is holy... so He has to create an eternal torture chamber?!?
God created it for the devil and his angels... oh really, so God changed his plan mid stream and decided to open up hell to everyone?!?
God loves people right up until the point they die, but after that He forgets about them... so God built this torture chamber from the start knowing the majority of mankind would go in there but "forgets" about them later?
We shouldn't focus on the negative, only the positive... oh really, the fact that God created an eternal torture chamber for YOU is an unimportant detail that we shouldn't really think about?
God has great love for mankind... unitl He throws them all into His eternal torture chamber!
Positive Schmositive. The whole message of mainstream Christianity is tainted by the elephant in the room. God tortures most of mankind... (but He loves you!)
God's Laws are fixed and unchangeable and always in harmony with one another and with His Will, and knowing this, every thinking man will know and should know that whenever a proposition or opinion is put forth by preacher or layman or philosopher or scientist that shows that in order for a certain condition or truth to exist, God's Laws will have to work in conflict with or in opposition to one another, then that proposition or opinion is false and has no foundation in fact.
When we, ourselves, fall out of harmony with God's laws, we pay to the last fathing. God does not punish as He is Love and Love is merciful. We torture ourselves. Anything that is outsid eof the harmony of God is hell. To get out of hell, we have to have a new heart or experience the new birth. No one in existence today has a new heart or a soul that is completely in harmony with God. In the spirit world, I don't know how many are in the presence of God as it takes millions of years.
I decide to have 10 children...... only 2 of my children will live strictly to the rules of my home.... off to the torture chamber the other 8 go..... Their crys for mercy for ever and ever and ever and ever will not bother me in the slightest...... and I will give a lobotomy to my other 2 children so that they will forget about their siblings and then we can togther live peacefully in our house. Sounds quite inviting doesn't it ? NOT!
Because it is primitive ignorance, barbarity and blasphemy to credit our loving God and Creator with such heinous evil. If we have not progressed beyond such barbarous and evil thinking . . . it is a sad commentary on the human race. This is the epitome of cognitive dissonance at work. To equate holiness with such evil . . . as justification for it no less . . . exceeds my capacity to relate!
I can not speak to your capacity - however, if sin and holiness is not the issue, why send His Son to die? It was "primitive ignorance, barbarity and blasphemy" that Christ endured on behalf of payment for sin. Why go through all of that if it didn't matter?
It was done so that whomever joined themselves to Christ through faith will use Christ's death to pay for the wages of sin.
I decide to have 10 children...... only 2 of my children will live strictly to the rules of my home.... off to the torture chamber the other 8 go..... Their crys for mercy for ever and ever and ever and ever will not bother me in the slightest...... and I will give a lobotomy to my other 2 children so that they will forget about their siblings and then we can togther live peacefully in our house. Sounds quite inviting doesn't it ? NOT!
Unwittingly you have made the point.
It is not about following the rule of law. It is about relationship. If you believe in Christ, you are born of God (1 John 5:1). If you are born of God, then you are related by spiritual birth - and you are His child - and if you are His child, then it is as you have implied - He will not harm His children.
If the Bible only said that all of mankind are His children, then you would have a point - but it doesn't.
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This is the epitome of cognitive dissonance at work. To equate holiness with such evil . . . as justification for it no less . . . exceeds my capacity to relate!
