Quote: "Do you think you can accept that possibility, or is it to scary for you?

After all that would mean Hell is real.

Not a nice thought.

Duane"

* * * * *

If God exists and Hell is real then yes, Duane, that would be scary.

The implication is that we were brought into existence by a deity that would choose to torture us in fire until the end of time, simply because we failed to worship Him. The irony is that my sense of moral ethics denies me the ability to worship a god that is capable of such cruelty.

I would ask you why an all-powerful creator would bestow us with an inherently questioning mind (that by nature seeks verification in order to establish the truth or falsity of our beliefs) -- and then punish us with horrific suffering if we used this same mind to question His existence.

If God exists and He is truly omnipotent and benevolent, why doesn't He simply offer us some irrefutable evidence of His existence, thereby saving many souls that might otherwise be damned? Why are parting seas and burning bushes only found in the ancient texts? A single incontestable miracle would be sufficient for me to change my beliefs.

Furthermore, some would argue that Hell already exists here on earth today. Why would a supremely good and all-powerful God allow that to be?

Could it be that the biblical God that you worship simply does not exist?

Perhaps that thought is too scary for you?

• perhaps Hell is relative and the "model" is only partly useful - kantolfir2 - November 1, 2004 - 15:21 UTC
• Must Gods personality be simpler then yours? - duordi - November 1, 2004 - 17:51 UTC
  • More - stormcrow - November 1, 2004 - 18:53 UTC
    • Man - stormcrow - November 1, 2004 - 20:04 UTC
    • re: Stormcrow's distance from ancient Jesus - kantolfir2 - November 1, 2004 - 20:26 UTC
    • God is not condeming you. - duordi - November 1, 2004 - 23:31 UTC
      • Read your Bible :) - stormcrow - November 2, 2004 - 04:31 UTC
        • Part I -Satan was the first to question Gods motives. - duordi - November 2, 2004 - 22:52 UTC
          • Meh - stormcrow - November 3, 2004 - 02:15 UTC
            • God does not cheat. - duordi - November 4, 2004 - 14:00 UTC
              • That doesn't really answer anything - stormcrow - November 5, 2004 - 16:24 UTC
                • You are underestimating God. - duordi - November 10, 2004 - 07:04 UTC
                  • Hrmph - stormcrow - November 18, 2004 - 23:21 UTC
  • Which God are you referring to? - hilbert_space - November 2, 2004 - 02:12 UTC
• Why did God make us? P.2 - duordi - November 1, 2004 - 22:39 UTC
  • If God is perfect and complete, why does He need a wife? - hilbert_space - November 2, 2004 - 02:31 UTC
    • Maybe - stormcrow - November 2, 2004 - 04:22 UTC
      • That reminds me of Ray and Charles Eames "Powers of Ten" - hilbert_space - November 2, 2004 - 22:44 UTC
    • If you could create a robot with free will.... - duordi - November 2, 2004 - 22:57 UTC
• A single incontestable miracle? P.2 - duordi - November 1, 2004 - 22:45 UTC
  • Whose fault is that? - stormcrow - November 2, 2004 - 04:34 UTC
    • Not so. - duordi - November 2, 2004 - 23:11 UTC
  • You can believe in God and still leave "miracles" out - hilbert_space - November 2, 2004 - 22:30 UTC
    • God in the Gaps - stormcrow - November 2, 2004 - 23:05 UTC
      • Eternal matter? - harvey1 - November 3, 2004 - 00:20 UTC
        • That's true - stormcrow - November 3, 2004 - 02:22 UTC
          • Nebulous concepts versus materialism - harvey1 - November 3, 2004 - 16:19 UTC
            • More - stormcrow - November 3, 2004 - 21:49 UTC
              • truth as 'intelligence' - harvey1 - November 4, 2004 - 15:44 UTC
                • Okay - stormcrow - November 5, 2004 - 16:52 UTC
                  • Truth trees - harvey1 - November 6, 2004 - 16:48 UTC
                • Causeless infinite chain - yanniru - November 5, 2004 - 19:28 UTC
                  • infinite chains and what causes them - harvey1 - November 6, 2004 - 17:05 UTC
                    • Why is infinite timeline inconsistent with materialism? - yanniru - November 11, 2004 - 13:00 UTC
            • Did Harv just prove that god is math? - yanniru - November 4, 2004 - 13:24 UTC
              • More than math - harvey1 - November 4, 2004 - 17:38 UTC
                • natural evils (at) play - yanniru - November 5, 2004 - 19:49 UTC
                  • Orders versus consciousness and intelligence - harvey1 - November 6, 2004 - 17:20 UTC
                • Does this mean math is love??? - beandog - February 2, 2005 - 19:07 UTC
      • I'm not championing the Prime Mover argument - hilbert_space - November 3, 2004 - 00:58 UTC
        • One scientific answer: evolution of universes - yanniru - November 3, 2004 - 15:59 UTC
    • The right idea but 180 degrees off. - duordi - November 2, 2004 - 23:35 UTC
      • I'll complete the circle and claim you're 180 degrees off - hilbert_space - November 3, 2004 - 01:26 UTC
        • I hope I have misunderstood your intentions. - duordi - November 3, 2004 - 18:26 UTC
          • Hey Duane - stormcrow - November 3, 2004 - 22:02 UTC
            • I didn't make it up. - duordi - November 4, 2004 - 13:43 UTC
              • Well, not really - stormcrow - November 5, 2004 - 16:27 UTC
            • And what is humility? - duordi - November 4, 2004 - 14:11 UTC
              • No - stormcrow - November 5, 2004 - 16:30 UTC
• Why doesn't God judge? P3 and 4 - duordi - November 1, 2004 - 22:48 UTC
  • Matching Intellects - stormcrow - November 2, 2004 - 04:37 UTC
    • I used the bible to determine His responses - duordi - November 4, 2004 - 13:46 UTC
      • So then - stormcrow - November 5, 2004 - 16:27 UTC
        • People accepted God for who he was.... - duordi - November 6, 2004 - 20:43 UTC