If There Was No Heavenly Reward Or Hell Punishment Would You Still Love God?

Question

If a parent holds a child’s hand over a burning stove and says,

‘Love and obey me and I will let you enjoy your favourite dessert. If you do not love and obey me I will burn your hand off!” The child can choose to love the parent get a reward or choose the opposite and get his hand burnt off. But the REAL question is, did the child have freewill to make that choice?

Freewill is defined by Concise Oxford Dictionary as [n] the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one’s own discretion or [adj.] voluntary

If the choice is made out of fear of punishment or hope of reward it cannot be FREEWILL can it?

Isn’t that the measure of REAL love when it is voluntary? Isn't God's awesomness enough to inspire love in us?

So my question is, if everyone underwent the same soul learning process throughout eternity and there was no eternal punishment or reward would you still believe in God and do good and treat others well? Think about it.

Answer 1

As a Jew, I do not believe in heaven or hell, but I still believe that doing right is important. To me, the simple fact that God asks us to do certain things to make the world a better place is the only reason I need. While I suppose it could be argued that I do this for my own reasons, I also do this from an ethical sense that there are certain things that are simply good and decent and right; they won't get me into heaven or keep me out of hell (since I don't believe in those, especially hell); they're just a question of doing the will of God to the best of my ability.

Answer 2

I would believe in Him regardless now that I know him. I didn't believe in Him to escape hell, I just wanted to know if He was real. The bible says if you seek Him, you will find Him, so I did. What I found showed me that He was working, I can see things happening as He said they would. So now that I knew He was real, I sought out what He wanted me to do. He said I had sin and so I couldn't be with Him, so I found the answer was to accept the Gift of Jesus so that I could be with Him. I'm not after some sort of treasure, I do not seek riches or fame, I just want God to be with me.

God doesn't force you to join Him. He tells you plainly that all sin will be thrown into the lake of fire, you have it in you. How can he destroy all sin but not the carrier of the plague? Surely He must destroy disease for it to never surface again later. He tells you over and over He is going to do this, you choose to accept it and be made clean, or you choose to hold on to it.

I saw it the way you do too when I didn't believe, but now that I do, I see it much more clearly. It IS a choice. Once you relize you have sin in you, why would you WANT it??? It's easy to get clean, but many feel they are being forced into it when they are not. You CAN turn around and walk away, but you know what you face in doing so. It is not to scare you to faith, but a request that you heed the warning you are given.

Your example of the parent is cruel. Instead it is more like this: A child is wandering towards the stove and is too young to understand what "hot" means. It reaches out it's hand to touch the stove, but a loving parent says "Dont touch, hot.". The child not understanding the danger of "hot" sticks our their hand and burns it. Such is the danger of sin, until you know just how much it hurts you, you will never know how dangerous it is. Once you know, you will WANT to get rid of it, and God gave you a way to do that. He rewards you for accepting the truth and trusting that you will be cured.

Answer 3

I doubt that a self-professed Christian would fail to believe if there were no rewards or punishments.

The Christian world view is the only one that makes sense of a world full of violence and hate. That we have a notion of "good" and "evil" would not mean anything without a belief in a higher moral authority. The concept of loving our neighbor as ourselves makes perfect sense as a moral absolute worth guiding our daily actions, personally or in business.

All of these things and more tells me that my faith is worth the effort despite any rewards or punishments.

Answer 4

You know, there aren't wonderful questions like this often, but back on track, great point! Just like Jesus' fate, He chose to be the one to sacrifice His body for our sins, but didn't He know what heaven was about and it's pre - requisites to enter also? We may not know I guess.
I believe you are right, we are so close to learning the truth about life & "death" ~but if you think about it there is a difference between believing in God and KNOWING He exists and that you will one day be rejoined with Him in Heaven. But yes, I know in my heart I would continue to be pleasant & God loving without and reward or punishment in a foreseeable future. I love God. I love people.

Answer 5

HI
I don't believe in a fiery hell as punishment I believe you just die and don't get a ressurection, I don't believe people get a reward of going to Heaven I believe they are resurrected on the earth and yes I do still love God, and his son jesus.
LAmmy

Answer 6

"If There Was No Heavenly Reward Or Hell Punishment Would You Still Love God?"

whether there is a conditional "reward" which has got to be fake seeing as it was MAN KIND who wrote the bible...

so, even if there is a man made fake reward available then i would still not "love god" as it is pretty clear to all that MEN wrote these self proclaimed "holy" books and there all a load of hearsay and superstition.

Just my humble opinion :-)

Answer 7

You are a confused person. the things that happen to bad people happen because they have chosen to be bad, not because God punishes them . God WARNS us that bad things will happen to us if we are bad. that is a loving act. He doesn't " put our hand on the stove" we do that. you're doing it right now and will doubtless recieve your recompense in the long run.

Answer 8

Wow. That was a really good analogy. I know that I wouldn't, because I don't love him now. I don't believe in him. But what you just said is an excellent point that many Christians should take into consideration.

Answer 9

yes...simply because God expects no reward from us...I do good things because I believe they are good for me and for others on earth....do I have to commit sins ??? simply no.

even if there is no God at all...it is a matter of "stay away from wrong doings".

life is different than afterlife.

good luck

Answer 10

A true loving being as described, wouldn't require you to believe, and love you just the same.