: One question which many religious people have a hard time answering is the idea of hell. Let us first assume that God is all powerful. This of course would imply God has the power to stop such a thing as hell, or anything for that matter. : Now, this a simple issue that doesn't involve any mathematics, or physics, or historical knowledge. I simply ask you to think about the idea of eternal damnation? I personally have a huge problem with this idea when God is supposedly all loving etc etc. You could take the evilist person ever to exsit in the world. Hypothetically this person never accepted ----- (you put in the word, depending on your religion) as his savior. Now, this fella didn't choose to be born. He was born because his parents made love and a chemical reaction was set in motion. The person is born, they live, say 60 years. He lives this horrible life, dies, and is damned for all eternity. Wouldn't a billion years be enough? Or how about just letting him float into non-existence. Well, tough luck buddy, its to bad you blew your one chance to be "Saved" and now your going to hell forever. Even though you didn't choose to be born to begin with. The whole idea seems rediculous when you really think about it. : I have always viewed the punishment/reward system that religion employs simply as a means to convince people they had better adopt that religion and follow its teachings. Just sit down and ponder the idea for awhile. Think about Adolf Hitler as an example. Wouldn't 100 years in hell for each person that died in Nazi Germany be enough? That would be approaching a billion years of absolute misery.

: H

I don't think its as cut and dry as you have it understood. The Bible talks about hell in many fashions. But quickly I would like to make the point that hell was not created for us. Hell is an existence that is out of existence with God. It exists because it is where satan and his demons will be damned. Now, first off I would also like to qualify your assumptions that "because God is all loving, how could he damn anyone. "

Well, I think you need to first understand that none of us, not one is righteous before God. This isn't God's fault, but rather the burden lay upon ourselves; for we made the choice to "be like gods". It is our rebellion that separates us from an all loving perfect creator. Remember, in perfect love comes perfect justness. One cannot exist without the other. God does not wish to send anyone to hell, and actually he in a sense doesn't. We send ourselves. It is out of perfect love however, that God does have a way out through his Son.

Another point I would like to clarify is that it says in scripture that God knows our heart and reveals Himself to each and everyone of us in our life. It is how we respond to His calling that forms our free will. Jesus says, " It would be better that you don't know me, than to know me then reject me"... This means that to each one of us God calls us, and to each one of us we have a choice. God promises us that if we respond to His natural revelation that the Truth will be made known to us and the Holy Spirit will reveal to us the need of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Lastly, I would like to expound upon pre-destination. This subject is a hot one. Because it deals with free will and Gods sovereign will of predestination. This is where we have an ultimate choice, but that God knows each of our hearts and those who will harden their hearts to His calling. God's purpose with His creation is thus fulfilled in His chosen people, and those who He has given them over to depravity. His will would not be complete without those who accept and reject His plan.

This is where I would like to clarify in one other aspect. The Bible also gives hint that there will be those who neither go to hell or heaven, but rather in a cessation of existence, both physically and spiritually. But, this is where we trust God, because if He is the ultimate Truth and fulfills his plan in ultimate fairness, we have our responsibility to trust in Him that His perfect will be done, and not that of our own.

-nåte

• Re: God is Just. Wherefore, who are you to say? - H - February 5, 1999 - 20:42 UTC
  • Re: God is Just. Wherefore, who are you to say? - LegendLength/">LegendLength - February 7, 1999 - 06:02 UTC
    • Re: God is Just. Wherefore, who are you to say? - nåte - February 7, 1999 - 20:43 UTC
      • Re: God is Just. Wherefore, who are you to say? - Phil.o.Sofir - February 9, 1999 - 18:44 UTC
• Re: God is Just. Wherefore, who are you to say? - Phil.o.Sofir - February 9, 1999 - 18:36 UTC