Question on religion for those with children...?

Question

I can feel the flames coming from posters already.../sigh.

Ok, so if your child didn't listen to you, you'd punish them right?
Ok, we're clear there.
And if your child continued not to listen to you and still disobey you, you'd continue to punish them.

But at some point would you finally have had enough with them and lock them in a closet with the worst forms of torture possible? Would you leave them in there for eternity?

Of course you wouldn't. You LOVE them!

So why is it that christians speak of God/Jesus and their love..when there's no way in hell ANY father that has love for their children would EVER cast their children into flames of eternal torture for not doing what they're told?

How could you EVER praise a man that would do this to his own children. I'm pretty sure if your neighbor did this, you'd call the cops and have him arrested, so why then would you believe in God who does the same thing?

I'm glad that some of you appreciate this question.

I've always found it intriguing myself. Never could find an answer as broad/global as the ones I'll get here I'm sure.

And to those of you dumping off the whole "free-will, it's your choice" crap, you obviously didn't read the question.

I didn't say the child DID NOT Have free will, the child has free with as well. The question is in regards to how you would TREAT YOUR CHILDREN IF THEY USED THEIR FREE-WILL TO DEFY YOU! WOULD YOU TORTURE THEM? And if not, then how could you praise a man/god that would?

That's the question, so stop avoiding an intelligent answer.

You "blind-faith" believers give mea headache. Just open up and think for a minute. God GAVE you the FREE-WILL to think don't forget.

Answer 1

As a Christian with a son, I appreciate this question. I have often found myself struggling with this as well. While I have no doubt that there is a God, and He does love us, I cannot fatham that He would want any of us to suffer either. Yes, we are given the free will to choose whether or not to follow God, and if we do not the Bible says we will be cast into Hell. At this point I took the Bible in context, wondering who had the Bible transcribed and for what purpose. King James had the Bible transcribed from ancient scrolls, many of which he did not choose to include in our version as we have it now. Also, as King, he had his own agenda to be sure as to what he had written in our version. When you think about why he did this you may have your answer. The Bible was used by the Church, the King, and the Pope to control the people. What better way to control someone than to threaten them with a fiery eternal torment if they strayed from your commands?

Answer 2

I think the major point for Christianity is that we don't really know what will happen. We have descriptions of flames that cannot be quenched, worms that don't die, etc, but I believe that these are used figuratively and a good portion of Christians missed the point.

You are right in the fact that we consider God the greatest father. I think the point is not that God will punish sinners, but that He lets them have their way. He lets them be separated from Him for eternity if they so chose. I think the fire and worms are merely a figure of speach referring to mental anguish. Hell is not a torture chamber for bad people, it is a place were you can chose to go to be separated from God.

If you read "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis, you may gain new insight to the idea of Hell. Just like Heaven, I don't think Hell is something we can fully grasp. We have nothing to compare it to here on Earth.

Again, Hell is a choice, not a punishment, so God alows you to use your own free-will to decide where you will go. I really don't know if you might somehow have an opportunity in the future to leave if you find yourself there. I think the point is that you chose to be there, you probably won't want to leave anyway. Anyway, read that book. It is short and a good read either way.

Answer 3

God would not do that to his own children. The meaning of the word hell is, mans common grave. God does love us! If he didn't he would have ended this world long ago. But God has given us free will. If we choose not to serve him, then our destination is death for all eternity. You brought out some really good points about what a parent would do to a disobedient child. But know that God loves us way more than we could ever love our own children. God is love!! He loves his children and that is the reason he has not destroyed all the evil in the world. He does not wish for any to perish.

I think if you really were to find out the true meaning of hell you would see that our Loving Father is worth everything. There is no way God would want his children,(even wicked children) in a pit of hell suffering for all eternity. For him to hear our cries of torment day after day. Something would be wrong with this picture, very wrong. But he would not. In the end, the wicked will be wiped from God's memory forever. They will not be in torment or pain, they will just cease to exist. God is a very gracious, kind, and loving Father.

Answer 4

As baby gurl rightfully pointed out.

You obviously overlook the fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross. God already took your place for the punishment of sin so you would not have to spend your eternity in hell.

God came off his throne already, lived his life as a man and died on the cross and shed his blood and life on the cross already for you so you, me, or anyone else does not spend eternity there in eternal punishment.

So don't say God didn't do his part. It's up to man whether he chooses God's gift of salvation or decides to reject what God did for him already and spend eternity in the lake of fire without him.

God loved man so much he already sacrificed his life for man already.

Answer 5

Well, remember, that is a Middle Eastern religion. We hear about atrocities committed in that region against women and children on nearly a daily basis in the less civilised regions though such things are illegal thanks to modern society. See the correlation there?

Disclaimer: I am by no means suggesting that the average, modern, intelligent Middle Easterner advocates such behavior. It was just prevalent in the past there, as it was in many other societies. Our religions grew and changed with an improved sense of morality while some of the Middle Eastern sects did not.

~Morg~
PS - No such thing in my faith. Asatruar don't believe a loving father would do that. It's considered a serious crime no matter who, or what, commits said crime.

Answer 6

Your understanding of creation might not be complete. None of our perceptions of all creation is. Hell is a place that exists. There are laws in creation that cannot be broken. Laws as strong as creation itself. One of these laws says that if a man sin he must be put in Hell after they put off this earthy flesh. God, in love, wants to save you from this horrible place. So, as the creator, He came and, according to "universal law", His sinless blood has the authority to overide this law of sending you to Hell because of your sins. He's trying to rescue as many as He can. And your blaming Him. How can you ever allow Him to rescue you if your busy blaming Him? Stop believing the devils lies. Accept His hand of deliverance today.

Answer 7

Wow, this a really good question. In order to be saved you don't have to live a perfect life. The Lord knows that people will sin, thus the reason his son died for our sins. All you have to do to be saved is ask for forgiveness. All you have to do to spend an eternity with God is be saved. :)

Answer 8

Hold on to your seat. Here come the spin doctors. Time to twist the wording in that little book of lies to suit and answer this question. You cannot hurt or kill a child but God can. That's what makes him superior.
Sad to say that this is the thinking of a lot of Christians.

Answer 9

GOD gave you a free will... If you end up in hell it your fault, you sent yourself there. How many people do you know that would die for every person on this planet?? EVERYBODY!!! Killers, child molester, liars, theifs. It doesn't matter. He died so we can all have a chance to go to heaven, heaven is such a holly place that sin cannot be permitted.

Answer 10

First of a;; Muslims dont believe that humans are Gods children..We humans are his creations. Next yes God loves all his creations..therefore if creations dont accept to be good to other of his creations. he will punish them.

he loves all his creations equally. and yes ghe is just. so if a child kills another sibling..how easy is it for the mother to love the killer child and justice with the first child would be that he should be killed the same way as the first unless the second child seek forgiveness fromm mother. What would he be if he was stubborn and said "I did the right thing to kill my brother. haha".