Hell

Then if god plays no role in determining your fate, how is it important?

Originally posted by Alliance
Then if god plays no role in determining your fate, how is it important?

How is what important?

god

Originally posted by AOR
Truth is found in the most strangest of forms. But no religion holds all of it.

However in regards to the idea of Hell: My Catholic views (as I can't speak on behalf of every Catholic let alone Christian) is that HEll is the final alternative. Hell is defined as "The Abscence of God". A place where it's not just fire or brimstone but literally NO GOD! Our worst times in life (whatever they may be) always have some God in them, no matter how bad.

You speak of time from all religions. Well you have plenty of time here. Heaven or Hell is a choice. By your daily actions you constantly prove whether or not you merit Heaven or Hell. God may be merciful, but he isn't stupid. When someone says "no God!" all there life, God in the end isn't going to ask him, "do you want me now?" No, if you didn't want him then, why should you want him now? So Hell is the result. But God doesn't send you there, you send yourself. And no not literally...

Sorry bro, I don't buy this whole "gaining merit for Heaven or Hell" BS.

The very fact that we are God's children (if we indeed are) means we deserve every bit of Love he can give. A loving parent would never send thier child to a horrible place like Hell, no matter how bad they were, so why would a Superior Being who has more maturity than ANY of us flawed beings, do a thing EVEN LOWER than us as to send his own child to a place of eternal torment ?

Jesus even said "I am with you when you suffer" so its contradicting for Hell to be a place of eternal torment which LACKS Christ and God.

Sorry bro. Hell is nothing more than what many people ALREADY experience many times....unreasonable suffering that they cannot make sense of.

There is a saying that a human being can take ANY PAIN as long as they can find a reason in it. Without the reason, without justification, intense pain becomes HELL.

Originally posted by Alliance
god

He has a point—if you denied God throughout your life and had never known what his presence felt like, what would be so bad about Hell? (assuming that Hell is simply existence with no God)

And in any case, isn't one of Christianity's main beliefs to "turn the other cheek"? Why would God punish us for all eternity, after telling us that?

Originally posted by Darth Revan
He has a point—if you denied God throughout your life and had never known what his presence felt like, what would be so bad about Hell? (assuming that Hell is simply existence with no God)

And in any case, isn't one of Christianity's main beliefs to "turn the other cheek"? Why would God punish us for all eternity, after telling us that?

You're a very smart man indeed. 😉

Originally posted by Lord Urizen
The very fact that we are God's children (if we indeed are) means we deserve every bit of Love he can give. A loving parent would never send thier child to a horrible place like Hell, no matter how bad they were, so why would a Superior Being who has more maturity than ANY of us flawed beings, do a thing EVEN LOWER than us as to send his own child to a place of eternal torment ?

But that implies god is all loving to everyone. It wouldn't make sense if he was. There would be no motivation then to make decisions that religion dems are "good."

The Chirstian god is all forgiving, but not all loving. He requires that you obey him before you get any "benefits." Without it the system doesn't work.

If my kid (hypothetically) broke the law, I'd send him to jail and not bail him out. Let him stay there for a while. THat doesnt mean i don't love him, I'm just helping him to see the "right way."

THough this raises what I think is a more pertainant question. If you're in hell, and you repent, can you get out. I think this is a true test about the nature of "the one true god" (in reference to jehova).

Originally posted by Alliance
But that implies god is all loving to everyone. It wouldn't make sense if he was. There would be no motivation then to make decisions that religion dems are "good."

The Chirstian god is all forgiving, but not all loving. He requires that you obey him before you get any "benefits." Without it the system doesn't work.

If my kid (hypothetically) broke the law, I'd send him to jail and not bail him out. Let him stay there for a while. THat doesnt mean i don't love him, I'm just helping him to see the "right way."

THough this raises what I think is a more pertainant question. If you're in hell, and you repent, can you get out. I think this is a true test about the nature of "the one true god" (in reference to jehova).

There is a MAJOR difference between letting ur kid spend a few nights in jail, and then sending your child to Hell for all eternity.

It is made very clear in the Bible that Hell is eternal punishment, and that life is our only chance to repent.

I don't beleive the God in the Bible to be one of true love, i beleive that version of God to be a fabrication of people's ideas.

A God of true love, of universal love, would love us all unconditionally. Obviously, the God in the Bible, his love and mercy is totally conditional. Hell would not exist for a God who is Absolute Love.