Eternal separation from God??

Question

Some Christians say that hell is all about being eternally separated from God.
1.) How is this possible if, as the Bible claims, God is everywhere? Wouldn't he be in hell, also?

2.) Why is it such a big deal? The majority of humans don't worship BibleGod, anyway, so being separated from him would be no different than it is now. BibleGod can go swallow Drano and die for all I care.

3.) If hell also involves eternal torture, then what, exactly, is going to BE tortured? Souls are immaterial entities without nerves or brains, so they don't feel pain. What difference does it make if they get tossed into fire?

4.) How can anyone consider it fair to provide INFINITE punishment for FINITE sins? That's like punishing a person every single day of his life just for one bad thing that he did when he was three!

John: God is indeed everywhere. So he is present in Hell. "Separation from God" is a metaphor for "separation from the love of God".

Me: Ah, so God hates people who are in hell? I thought God could not hate anyone.

John: Good things happen to all people, whether Christian or not. All good, and all good things on earth, ultimately come from the Christian God

Me: Humans worship hundreds of gods, how do you know it is YOUR God who causes all good? Besides, the Bible does not agree with you. Isaiah 45:7 states: "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things." So, God does evil as well as good.

John? Even if a soul can not experience physical pain, it can still experience emotional pain.

Me: How is this possible if it has no brain? Your emotions originate in the brain; without it, you wouldn't be doing, thinking, or feeling anything. All of your answers are pure speculation, with no scripture to back it up.

Dorksunite: idk? Too Long. Sorry!

Me: Gosh, dear, so sorry to have confused you with SOOO many big words! Perhaps you should stick to "The Pokey Little Puppy" from now on.

seekthetruth: I was going to answer you until I read number 2 and realized that you would not read or attempt to understand the answer I was about to give. You are not looking for an answer to a question, you are just ranting and wasting everyone's time.

Me: If you don't want to bother answering, then why waste MY time with a pointless post? How do you know what I would do? As it is, you've just made yourself look like an idiot. I am sure that Jesus is proud of you, since he only wants the simple-minded, anyway.

Answer 1

If hell is truly an eternal separation from the God described in the Torah, Bible, and Koran, than that is actually something to look forward to. Too bad it doesn't really exist.

Answer 2

I take issue with number 1. According to most Christian religions God made everything. So he isn't IN hell, he created it.

I say we appease both the reincarnation fans and the Christians by saying that this is hell right here. You will eternally be reincarnated whenever you die to live more time in this place that is separate from God.

I can show you that BibleGod can't swallow Drano and die due to the factors related to a disembodied existence which you stated in number 3.

Final Answer: These are but a few small pinholes compared to the gaping chasms in the rest of the belief system and it's "history".

Answer 3

Good questions :)

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1.) Some Christians say that hell is all about being eternally separated from God. How is this possible if, as the Bible claims, God is everywhere? Wouldn't he be in hell, also?
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God is indeed everywhere. So he is present in Hell. "Separation from God" is a metaphor for "separation from the love of God".

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2.) Why is it such a big deal? The majority of humans don't worship BibleGod, anyway, so being separated from him would be no different than it is now.
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All humans (no matter what their religion) experience the blessings and the mercy of the Christian God while in this life -- even if they take his blessings and mercy for granted and spit in his face.

Good things happen to all people, whether Christian or not. All good, and all good things on earth, ultimately come from the Christian God (either by his express doing, or by his permission).

In hell, people experience the justice of God (much more so than the love of God -- which we experience in our lives today). In hell, people will experience negative consequences that are proportional to how evil their lives were on earth (and this includes the extent to which they rejected the Christian God etc).

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3.) If hell also involves eternal torture, then what, exactly, is going to BE tortured? Souls are immaterial entities without nerves or brains, so they don't feel pain. What difference does it make if they get tossed into fire?
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Souls are conscious entities (even apart from the body).

Even if a soul can not experience physical pain, it can still experience emotional pain.

Analogy: if you were conscious, but heavily anesthetized so you can not feel any physical pain. Given that you are conscious, you can still experience emotional pain. This shows that a being can experience emotional pain even if it can not experience physical pain.

Having said that, it is rationally possible for a soul to have alternate interfaces with external reality (analogous to our nerves and touch/pain sensors) even in the absence of a physical body (in the sense that we know of a physical body).

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4.) How can anyone consider it fair to provide INFINITE punishment for FINITE sins?
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Excellent question...

I started typing out an answer, but it is growing too long for this post... so I hope to make it available at the following site this coming weekend -- http://www.GodSci.org

Feel free to email me if you would like more info...

Cordially,
John

Answer 4

Oh jeez! You're going to hell. You poor wretched soul. How dare you defy the Christian God. I'm half tempted to copy a whole bunch of meaningless psycho babble Bible quotes to prove my contention, but I can tell by your question that you have a sound and logical mind. You wouldn't understand the idiocy behind my insane rant.

God's love be with you! Hate the sin, love the sinner. That's what I always say when I'm trying to insult a Godless heathen without sounding judgmental.

Answer 5

As a theologian, pastor, and biblical languages scholar, my research over the past 35 years has resulted in the following understanding regarding hell and eternal separation from God. Scripture when read through thoroughly and sorted with the most prudently applied science of systematic theology indicates that only life with God is ETERNAL. Hell and ALL references to it as an after-life abode of the wicked does NOT exist in eternity. It is eventually cast into a "lake of fire" along with ALL its inhabitants. There is absolutely ZERO mention of this "lake of fire" being an eternal state of existence, but rather the eternal remedy for God's total and complete final judgment against ALL unrighteousness. Most confusion and debate over this stems from misunderstanding the difference between two concepts of judgment. For a judgment to be rightly considered ETERNAL it merely means that once pronounced, there is absolutely NO reprieve or commutation. Many wrongly assume that the biblical languages indicate a perpetual punishing, while they really indicate the perpetual state of the PUNISHMENT = exclusion from life for eternity. The latter implication is the absence of life, non-existence, total destruction. Once this judgment has been proclaimed, it is irreversable, therefore it is eternal in consequence, but NOT in a conscious, expereintial existence. Because it is DEATH and an END to life, it is NOT a further perpetuation of life in some STATE OF CONTINUAL PUNISHING. scripture labels this FINAL JUDGMENT the "2nd Death", from which there is no resurrection. Only the unrighteous will experience this 2nd death, because Eternal life is free from such unrighteousness; it is a completely RIGHTEOUS existence, and ONLY righteousness will exist. Only those clothed in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ shall enjoy eternal life. Life and death are absolute opposites. Although God is indeed present everywhere, once hell and death are destroyed by being cast into the lake of fire, they will no longer exist and therefore it can rightly be said that they have been eternally separated from God. For a fuller detailed explanation and scriptural proof visit my blog @ http://mjthompsons.wordpress.com/2014/10/04/eternal-separation-from-god/

Answer 6

1)God is everywhere.....BUT since he is SO holy he cannot be related to anything evil...

2) it WILL be a big deal when judgement day comes and people realize the mistake they made...thats why people are hyped about it NOw because they never know when the second coming is (rapture)

3) hell is hell.....torture is torture...

4) if you have EVER read the bible you will know that God isnt going to punish you for EVERY sin that you have committed...."Confess through the mouth and believe in the heart and you WILL be saved" being saved means that you GO TO HEAVEN....you will still have to answer up to your sins..but you wont go to hell...as long as you believe Jesus is your Lord and Savior...AND when youre three unless your incredibly smart you DONT KNOW RIGHT FROM WRONG therefore you wont be punished for it!! and if you repent your sins YOU SHALL BE FORGIVEN!!!

Answer 7

I was going to answer you until I read number 2 and realized that you would not read or attempt to understand the answer I was about to give. You are not looking for an answer to a question, you are just ranting and wasting everyone's time.

Answer 8

Since religious belief systems have nothing to do with reality beyond Earth, the questions are all meaningless. The christian religion is a belief system and is not based on actual reality outside of this physical world.

Answer 9

God reveals himself and his truths to those who have value in them all things are possible with God but the seperation from God is by your choice not his on one hand you state this is a good thing and on the other hand you are trying to hold it against God..if the idea of hell is apealing to you then I really dont see what you are complaining about...what you dont seem to understand is that it is you that decides your eternal fate and you seem to be happy with that and at the same time complaining....makes no sense are you happy to be seperated from God or is it unfair? only an insane person would try to argue both sides of the same arguement...Now rational thought all mankind are sinners and all subject to death which is eternal seperartion from God now those that have value in an eternal life will not try to know god and will accept this as all ....others who see the wonder in God will seek him and follow him with all that they have...If the choice is yours and god came to mankind to be tortured and die so that you can have that choice seems pretty sill to try to blame God.

Answer 10

First off, Lucifer beleved that he was greater than God, so he was cast into hell, and there he will stay untill armageddon. Secondly, as it says in the Bible, "Do not test the Lord God"