why wouldn't we be allowed to grow and learn, to evolve- just like a child who learns from their mistakes and then makes different choices?
2006-11-26 08:07:14 · 20 answers · asked by zentrinity 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I have some dear friends who are Mormon, and I like the perspective they have on punishment in Hell:
It's like any other sentence to jail. Eventually, you pay your debt, and are released into Heaven. There is no "Eternal damnation." You do your time, and then you are given a chance to start anew.
I'm not sure I believe in the Judeo-Christian concepts of the afterlife, but I like the Mormon's way of thinking about that.
2006-11-26 08:14:36 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because he doesn't!!! Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God will punish forever. But it does say that those who refuse to turn from doing wrong/harm will be punished with a terminal punishment -- the second death, in the lake of fire; they will be completely and utterly destroyed (Matthew 10:28). The Bible gives NO support for the erroneous doctrine of an immortal soul.
The time for Christians to learn to do the will of God is NOW!!! (1 Peter 4:17). All those who have never had a chance to learn of God and his ways will get their chance in the second resurrection.
2006-11-26 16:45:20 · answer #2 · answered by BC 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are being allowed to grow, learn, and evolve. And you can make different choices. You just are not allowed all of eternity to do it. Why? Because that would not be believing by faith. Once you see God and hear Him then there is no longer a doubt that He exists. Right?
2006-11-26 16:13:09 · answer #3 · answered by Mikki 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
You should base your conclusion on what you believe, not what other people are telling you to believe. However I will assume, for all intents and purposes, that you are a Christian. Christians believe that anyone who believes in God will have eternal life in heaven. They also believe that non-believers will be cast into hell for eternity in the afterlife. But I'm sure you knew this. In both cases, heaven or hell, our souls are eternal, hence the word eternity (forever). There is no connection between our souls being eternal and God punishing anyone for all eternity. God does not punish anyone for all eternity. God gave us free will- he does not control our minds. On Earth, like you said, a child learns from their mistakes and then makes different choices. We are allowed to grow and learn. (I'm not even going to go in to evolution.) What we choose to do with this free will will determine where our souls will live for all eternity after we die. God does not decide this- we do. And in the unfortunate event that an unbeliever winds up in the hell, it is Satan who is inflicting the punishment, not God. This is what Christians believe anyhow. Hope this clears things up for you.
2006-11-26 16:35:58 · answer #4 · answered by singingkitty01 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You do have every right to grow and learn...Noone is stopping you from that..God don't punish,,you willingly go to hell yourself..He made it simple but many choose not to follow now the ones who do, don't you think it isn't fair that you would get to go and them working hard to stay out of sin they get to go to the same place that some else gets to go just for not caring to grow in the Lord.
2006-11-26 16:12:15 · answer #5 · answered by I give you the Glory Father ! 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
God is a just and holy and God is love. If God were not holy and just, then you would not have a conscience to do good. Why would anyone be good unless there is an all-knowing and just God that we will ultimately answer to?
Man is afraid his bad deeds will be revealed if he believes in hell and man is afraid that if he believes hell exisits he will go there. We all have a life in eternity, either heaven or hell. It is necessary to believe in hell, not to be afraid you will go there, but to know that you will be going to a better place, heaven.
Anyone who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ will go to heaven.
2006-11-26 16:25:20 · answer #6 · answered by Cycler 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
For we have the choices to make our eternity what it will be by the grace of God. We have been given the ablilty to choose what our fate will be and the answers to saves ourselves.
2006-11-26 16:11:15 · answer #7 · answered by yeppers 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because - and I say this in all humility - there is no God. You are making assumptions that rational people just should not make. It's time to grow up, and put aside the tihings of a child. That includes belief in a god or gods.
2006-11-26 16:11:24 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
Because then all the people who believe in God wouldn't be able to say I told you so.
2006-11-26 16:11:56 · answer #9 · answered by RoboTron5.0 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think your right. He must allow for us to learn. After all what value would we be to him? I think he's kind of investing in us. It seems wrong to not get a good return on his investment.
2006-11-26 16:30:54 · answer #10 · answered by Bear 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋