I try to help those believers who think eternal punishing is a reality...
It's not helpful to lie (Ga 5:9, Heb 13:9). :burnlib:
I try to help those believers who think eternal punishing is a reality...
The accusation of " Cherry picking" the bible is an interesting one, lets examine it closer.
Sin is the only civil reason why a human could be denied a life in God's Kingdom, or to be killed for eternity.
You don't tremble at his word (Is. 66:2, 5). You're not going to heaven (Rom. 2:8, 9). :burnlib:
"[L]ets look at Matt. 24:21 and examine it much closer; " For then shall be Great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of time, no, nor shall ever be again!" Here Jesus completely destroys the concept of eternal hell..."
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.Let me show you something about one of the churches of God, one of the stages it always goes through. In Rev. 2: 13-17 it describes the church in Pergamos, and this description fits any church of God now that is doing the same thing they were doing at that time. In verse 14 Jesus clearly has a " Few things against them", so it was more than just one offence against Christ. What Jesus really did not like, in fact in vs. 15 Jesus said he " Hated" this thing HIS church was doing. They held to " The doctrine of Balaam", or the doctrine of the Nicolitians. Well what are those?
To put in short terms, its paganism. Holding to pagan doctrines is something Jesus hates...
:yawn: God determines what is just (Deut. 32:4). Don't hate us because we're beautiful (Mt 25:41). :straight:"Why would God need a hell? To satisfy the Christian lust for it?"
This life is not a game (Pr 16:18)."To imprison the bad guys so they cannot run around in eternity? To always have an example of God winning the game?"
"Is 57:16. For—referring to the promise in Is 57:14, 15, of restoring Israel when “contrite” (Ge 6:3; 8:21; Ps 78:38, 39; 85:5; Mic 7:18). God “will not contend for ever” with His people, for their human spirit would thereby be utterly crushed, whereas God’s object is to chasten, not to destroy them (La 3:33, 34; La 3:33, 34, Mic 7:8, 9). With the ungodly He is “angry every day” (Ps 7:11; Rev 14:11)." Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 495). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.[Isaiah 57:16]
Mt 7:20...Col. 3:11...HOW we live, is also an expression of what is inside of our consciousness.
The wicked will experience a second death (Re 21:8).You just have to wonder, if Jesus abolished death, how could he then allow humans to die forever? 2 Tim. 1:10, Jesus has abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. How can he have abolished death, if millions of humans will be put to death forever in the Great White Throne judgment?
:yawn: Rev. 22:18, 19, 2 Cor. 4:2"...Why is Christianity and many religions teaching this eternity in hell? Are they evil?"
:noway: You're projecting again (Eph 4:14)."Now, can the truth of God be perverted and changed into something totally different than its original intent? It most certainly can, and mostly in believers of God! Romans 1:25, " Who changed the truth of God into a lie!""
God can destroy both body and consciousness of a human, I have never seen him destroy both in scripture, and I await you showing him doing both to a human. And I have no doctrines to hold on to; I am not in a religion, and I follow no man or group; I walk alone in my view.
Well, I "made a fair point" already, so I'm not sure that the direction to 'think' is necessary.Now, I used the above scenario deliberately this time around and taking into account your belief so please think before answering.
First, God cares for all human beings. We have to eliminate some of your scenario if such is true. Does this mean 'no hell!' I don't think it does. I try not to 'emote' when thinking of such things. Do we 'need' to emote? I think we do, but it should be set aside when we go to looking at what are facts and what we cannot change. Dealing effectively with information at that point, is more important than 'how I feel about it.' You and I will agree that if it is all true, as given, we are in a desperate need. The cure is given as faith and trust in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. Those are the larger things on the 'reality table.' I'm hoping that I'm not side-stepping your scenario so much as taking your greater concerns by the horns as it were and addressing that which is. There is a LOT of emoting in this thread. My concern, as I've repeatedly stated is not 'what we'd like to have happen' but rather 'what is.' We all necessarily have to live with what is actually.Fair point Lon, I should have fleshed it out a bit more. In my initial example it was from the perspective of having no altruistic motives towards the child but now I'm thinking let's take it a step further. Supposing I do have method and there's a reason why I inject your child with a fatal disease. It needs to be done for the sake of many in a community as it could be the only possible test for the antidote. It won't work for all if it succeeds and it may still kill the child in the process - but it's the only feasible way at hand, so I do it. Regardless of whether it works or not am I a hero, villain or someone just trying to do what's best within limited means, or something else?
The point was that "I" can't make hell subjectively go away. You? It seems that "if I can argue logically against it, it must not exist" is more than a little 'subjective.' I personally know I have no control whatsoever over the existence of hell.For a lot of people Calvinism traverses doctrinal boundaries etc so hey, even on here. So?
Well, I think its about official here after so many rounds with you, that this discussion isn't going anywhere,...there comes an exhaustion point, where one would rather choose to believe a literal dogmatic rendering of words in a book he deems 'infallible', with a whole host of misconceptions, illogic, ridiculousness and insanity. This kind of person has traded reason, logic, sanity, conscience and the highest principles of truth, for a narrow dogmatic inflexible, and damnable view of reality, portraying 'God' by that same constrained view which is 'damnable'.
By principle alone, on moral/ethical grounds, by reason, logic, fairness, goodness, mercy, real justice.... ECT fails, and its 'god' also is a mirage, a frightful ghoul of older dark times when human imagination concocted horrible images and torments, to the delight of misguided religionists who by their concept of justice would punish the wicked to no end, but keep them alive and conscious in an eternal state of agony/suffering from which God could not save them, nor apparently even attempt to do so. So much for love, much less an omnipotent God whose will is all-supreme.
:carryon:
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“I am as sure as I live that nothing is so near to me as God. God is nearer to me than I am to myself; my existence depends on the nearness and the presence of God.”
—Meister Eckhart
The word "hell" refers to the grave. Death and the grave will be destroyed in a lake of fire.
God is only calling a few into a relationship with Jesus Christ at this time.
Of course you haven't seen him destroy both soul and body. That hasn't happened yet, it will happen on the Day of Judgment and Destruction of the Ungodly. 2 Peter 3:7
That is one, here's another, eternity without God.