I have been told that some people in Biblical times were just SOOO evil that God had to flood/burn/stone/plague them to death. First of all, how did they get so evil in the first place? Did Satan turn two snakes into a thousand evil snakes like Jesus did when he turned two fish into a thousand fish? And then the evil snakes convinced everyone to be evil? If God is so powerful and loving, it seems like he would be able to be a good mentor and lead these people to be good. But instead he just took the easy road and murdered them like a failed science experiment. And now he takes everyone that looks at him the wrong way and dumps them into the lake of fire for all eternity. Isn't that just tragic?
2006-06-21 12:25:21 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
God warned those doing evil before he did anything. He had prophets preach to them and sometimes even sent signs. Those that were destroyed were so because they failed to listen. Therefore God had every right to destroy them. He gave them a chance change their ways and they failed to accept it.
2006-06-21 12:29:08 · answer #1 · answered by **me** 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Bible teaches that we have two choices: live with Him forever in Heaven or die in the fires of Hell. If you don't choose one, you automatically choose the other. He tells us how we can live forever (John 17:3; John 3:16), but He also gives us the bad news about hell (Romans 6:23).
The teaching that the wicked will burn forever and ever in hell is a lie. The Bible says the wages of sin is death. How are you dead if you're alive and burning forever and ever and constantly regretting your wicked life? God is not a sadist. The wicked will burn until they die (ashes to ashes). (Deuteronomy 32:22; Malachi 4:1; Job 21:30; Psalms 37:38; Psalms 37:20; Psalms 37:9; Psalms 62:3; Psalms 145:20; Psalms 21:9). The words "destroy", "devour", "slain", "cut off", and "consume away" suggest that there's an end to the fire.
I don't know why God decided to flood the earth or fire-bomb Sodom and Gomorrah, but He always warns us first (Amos 3:7; Jonah 3:3-10; Matthew 12:41). If we choose to listen to lies, it's our own fault that we die. God loves us and doesn't want us to die (Romans 8:38,39; 1 john 4:7,8; Jeremiah 31:3; John 3:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; Ezekiel 18:31; 2 Peter 3:9).
2006-06-21 19:50:31 · answer #2 · answered by Mone 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He could, but he gave us free will, along with his plan for us. God didn't punish those people because they were evil, it was his plan for them. I don't think God just makes up his plan as he goes along. God knows everything, and he always did. God knew that those people were gonna turn out evil, right? So why did he even put them here on Earth? Because everybody deserves a chance. That's why abortion is so horrible. Those babies didn't get the chance they deserved. God doesn't punish all the evil people in the world today, right? What about all the terrorists, murderers, etc...? Why shouldn't they die instead of those innocent people who get shot because they admitted that they believed in God? It's only God's plan. We can't change it no matter how hard we try. We can beg and plead, and only God can change things. Great question!
2006-06-21 19:34:55 · answer #3 · answered by Skater_Gurl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People are evil because they choose to be evil, and people are good because they choose to be good. God cannot MAKE you do anything u dont wanna do, and if God can't make u do anything, neither can the devil. God tried to show the people the folly of their ways. In every single bible story God gives the people he destroys a warning and they never listen. ie: Moses warning Pharoah, Sodom and Gomorrah... What would be the point of bringing people into this world if youre gonna kill them for no reason? God always wants you to CHOOSE to do the right thing. He even says that someone who does wrong and then turns from their evil ways is more precious to him then someone who does right all the time. So in conclusion u always have a choice and its never too late.
2006-06-21 19:34:01 · answer #4 · answered by candy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You say that God took the easy road? What would your reaction be if you had ten dogs and after you raised all of them and fed them and loved them, five betrayed you and five stayed loyal? The five dogs that betrayed you continually come back and destroy your fences and break into you house and destroy your possessions that you hand made and on top of that, they killed two of your loyal dogs. Then after that, they come back and attack you while your loyal dogs try to defend you but they are out numbered and you receive many scars from the dogs and you have a broken heart because you gave them life and all you ever did was love them and they come and destroy your possessions and leave you on the ground with tattered clothing and a broken heart regretting that you ever gave them life, and latter you realize they killed another loyal dog. The next move you try is you to give them food and turn them back to you, but they take the food and devour it and destroy the dishes and come to attack you again. You now know that they will never turn back and you decide to end this with your gun. The next time they come you shoot all of them and weep over them because as you raised them and you also ended them. They left you scared by destroying your possessions, your loyal dogs scared and killed some, and they leave you with a broken heart after all you ever did was love them.
2006-06-21 19:48:07 · answer #5 · answered by †ServantofGod† 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes he could. But why doesn't he?
Because there has to be love. So, hell exists for love? Yes.
Why? Well, if God was a giant who would step on you if you didn't believe in him, would you believe in him? Why would you believe in him? Because you love him? No. You'd believe in him because you don't want to get squished.
In order for love to exist, you have to choose to love Him. In order for the choice to exist, faith must exist (or else it isn't a choice if the answer is obvious, as it would be in the giant scenario).
Now, in order for love to truly exist, we must desire to love God on our own. But there has to be a choice. There has to be something that we are choosing. There has to be a way for God to show His love to those who choose Him.
That is heaven. God love you first by creating you, by blessing you, and by offering you eternal life. You love Him back by believing in him (repentence, obedience, and love). He loves you back by giving you eternal life. It's not complicated. It's love.
If hell didn't exist, there would be no alternative, no punishment, no choice, no faith, no love.
A few times in life's existence, God has sent some natural disasters to kill some people who were going to die in hell. If He hadn't then those people would have brought more people to hell and caused more bloodshed.
If we arguing about what God has done, then we are assuming that He IS God. If He IS God, then that means He is omnipotent and omniscient and that He exists. If He is omnipotent, omniscient, and exists (according to the Bible), then He knows who is going to hell, and what will happen if Soddom wasn't destroyed. He would know what would happen if the flood hadn't come. He would know EVERYTHING.
If that's the case, who should question a God who knows EVERYTHING? I certianly wouldn't. Because that would imply that I know enough to challenge an infinite level of knowledge. Can you do that?
In case you can't tell, I believe in God. But I don't believe in God because I'm blind. I believe in God because I read His Word trying to prove it wrong. Then I studied science and all the other religions trying to prove Christianity wrong. It made me into a believer. If you try to prove Chrisitianity wrong by studying his Word and every other source, you will believe as well.
So the answer is, "Yes." =^)
2006-06-21 19:45:50 · answer #6 · answered by edwardnprice 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God loves us so much he gave us freedom of choice, but when evil people get out of hand and try to hurt the people who chose to love God he protects us. Speak to a Pastor or Minister they can explain it better
2006-06-21 19:33:27 · answer #7 · answered by spagetti7 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's the point. He could, but He won't. He won't impose that on us. The deal is this - we can choose anything we want, for any reason, it's the privelege He's given us. The price for this privelege is obviously that we have to live (or die) with the consequences of those choices. God has to be one of those choices also. If someone chooses to be evil, no one made them evil, they chose it for themselves. Each of us is ultimately responsible for what happens to our own soul.
2006-06-21 19:36:31 · answer #8 · answered by kiddprincess 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well....it's sad that evil always takes the easy road...must spread like reproducing bunnies in the lazy of the world...
as much of a ***** as it is to say....free will is why He can't lead everyone to where they should be...
And in reference to the "lake of fire"... Hell isn't described in such a way...it's said more to be an existance in which we Know there is a God and that we aren't with Him and feeling the loss....
It's all tragic really...but your soul is your business - do what you want..... Someones faith is much like their sexuality- it doesn't effect me a damn bit so it's all good :)
2006-06-21 19:32:33 · answer #9 · answered by CuddleyKB 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The difference between God and the devil is that God will NOT infringe the free will rule. The devil will do anything he can to convince people.
2006-06-21 19:29:20 · answer #10 · answered by The Apple Chick 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋