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There's a difference between evidence and objective, verifiable evidence.
Could be man does not exist. I know, I know, that requires deep thinking and most people are not up to it.
There have been times in my life that I am not for someone else that which I am, but how they perceive me to be and perhaps, they project a mirror image of themselves onto me.
In other words, I exist in a way only they would want for me to exist.
God could plant himself (he has) right in front of you and say to you, I AM. The response, no your not, you are just a figment of my imagination, go away.
A true existence will only go as far as a person wants it to go, some don't even want it to be, in the first place, so therefore existence is yet defined.
A chair can only be a chair if a person wants it to be, a chair.
Not really. I've been to hell and back and seen more death and destruction than the average person, true... but it was my fault for taking my life in that direction in the first place.
Now I live a boring life in the suburbs where I occupy myself with family, restoring an old house, gardening and burning time at a soul-sucking government desk job.
If I'm getting too depressing, it's just because I've seen the worst life has to offer. Hopefully the the best days of my life are ahead of me, now that the worst are behind.
Our experiences do not have to define us. "This too shall pass".
I have a problem with a god who basically says "Love me or I will torture you for eternity".
If a husband did that he would be charged with abuse.
Hell is the consequence for people who continue to be immoral. Hell can mean many things to many different people. For some, just the idea they must pay a consequence, is hell.
FYI, there is no demand from God that we must love him. To love Him or not to love Him, there is still the consequence of ones actions.
A husband can live with his wife and still not love her, yet live with her, just the same.
FYI, there is no demand from God that we must love him. To love Him or not to love Him, there is still the consequence of ones actions.
"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." Deuteronomy 6:5
"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." Mark 12:30
"And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." Luke 10:27
Hell is the consequence for people who continue to be immoral. Hell can mean many things to many different people. For some, just the idea they must pay a consequence, is hell.
FYI, there is no demand from God that we must love him. To love Him or not to love Him, there is still the consequence of ones actions.
A husband can live with his wife and still not love her, yet live with her, just the same.
No, hell (whatever that is) is for those who reject Jesus Christ. Period.
You know what 'free-choice' is fella?? It's the ability to choose something WITHOUT coercion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mythunderstood
If I offered someone a reward for loving me (i.e, $10,000, heaven), with the alternate choice of being tortured forever, is that really a free choice? How is god creating a "race of genuine worshipers", when the "choices" are to love him in order to be rewarded or else you will go to hell?
First. Hell was not made for us. We were meant for Heaven. Our rebellion against God is what made it necessary for God to punish us.
Second. Soooo.... Does the fact that we have a legal system that can send people to jail or to their death mean that we don't have free will?
So basically God has allowed evil to come into existence in the first place,and let it rule for 6000 years or so with His permission,
No. Not with his permission. What would you have him do? FORCE us not to sin? That wouldn't be very nice would it? We would be robots. And him showing himself to us again would influence our free will! He doesn't want to influence us. Not directly anyway. Yes, the threat of eternal punishment is coercion, but if you don't believe in Him, you don't believe in Hell. It's a wash. You still have free will. If you obey Him, you follow His rules, you still have free will, just as we still have free will to drive, even though we choose not to drive 90MPH in the neighborhood. Weighing positive/negative influences doesn't take away free will. IT CREATES FREE WILL!
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