god would never allow a place of torment and anguish exist at all if he were truly omnibenevolent. so the fact is he created and allows such a disgusting place to exist, which proves he is not even remotely benevolent, sadistic in fact.
god-is-not-benevolent
thoughts?
2007-05-17 09:07:07 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
IF hell exists, then no, its existance was not my choice. god is responsable for everything that happens in his universe, because he would be all powerful
2007-05-17 09:17:27 · update #1
No.
Cheers :-)
2007-05-17 09:13:26 · answer #1 · answered by chekeir 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, and your premise is faulty.
God's willingness to forgive us IS his omnibenevolence.
All real torment on earth is brought about by human choices. He gave humans free will to make our own decisions and to repent or suffer the consequences.
If you had two children, and one willfully hurt the other--but was not the least bit remorseful--don't you think that deserves punishment? Or should he be left to continue harming others intentionally without consequences?
I cannot explain the reasons for strife arising from nature such as disease, severe weather, and earthquakes (a.k.a. "Acts of God") except to offer the old saying: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger."
It may seem sadistic on the surface, but consider He is testing human nature--what WILL we do when our fellow man is in danger or pain? Will we show bravery or compassion? Or will we be cowardly and selfish and walk away?
And what if WE are the ones wracked with disease? How will we react--by blaming God? Or should we be thankful of our lives to date and attempt to make the world a better place before we are taken from it?
What about if we suffer the loss of a spouse or child? Do we lash out at a "sadistic God" or accept our loss has to do with part of some grand design we couldn't possibly comprehend, and endeavor to help others cope with their losses?
It all comes down to free choices--the only genuine "pro-choice," the other is pro-murder at it's core.
Free will is a heavy responsibility--it means we are ultimately going to have to answer for what we do here on earth and to our fellow humans.
Maybe that is why so many choose to not believe in God. So many simply want to be permitted to do whatever they wish and be free from the consequences...
Drugs, casual sex, abortion. Yeah, it's your body, but how will you feel when your number is called? How will you explain why you spent your life so selfishly and wrecklessly?
Life is a precious gift to be cherished and protected. We are blessed with the opportunity to find joy in raising our families and helping others. It's about celebrating all that is good in the world and working to make it better. And we have the ability to feel closer to God by being benevolent ourselves.
2007-05-17 20:37:25 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If I thought there was an eternal place of torment, then I would have to agree. But never/always are rare.
I believe that hell is a state of nothingness and estrangment. It may also be a place of torment in which one experiences a second and total death.
The christian bible has conflicting views of hell. I know, I am a minster. :)
it is possible that there is a god, and that there is no hell. i don't think so.
it is possible that after this life we are tortured by evil gods and that no good god ever existed. I don't think so.
2007-05-17 16:12:16 · answer #3 · answered by KelticPete 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Good Biblical ignorance display-if you were conversant in Holy Writ, you would know that it [hell] was originally created as a holding place/prison for the devil and his angels, evidently being made after the rebellion by Satan's host. Man is sent there, but only as a misfit, due to following the ways of the old serpent, himself, sometimes known as Beelzebub, among other wicked, evil names!
Matthew 25:41
Then shall he (Jesus Christ) say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
10:25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
2007-05-17 16:15:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
God loves us, but show me one time in the Bible where He tells us that without repentance our acts will go unpunished?
You have the choices. In Deuteronomy, God says choose life, so you have the choice, life or death? Which one will it be? He has to set a standard, or heaven would be just like earth, and the standard is accept Christ. That's it nothing more, you don't have to be the best person, just forgiven.
Tell me this, if you have commited a murder or some other crime and knew that you would spend life in prison if you didn't apologize what would you do?
Refuse to apologize and go to prison, or apoogize and recieve another chance?
That's all we have to do, is go to God and ask for His forgivness....
2007-05-17 16:13:18 · answer #5 · answered by Dream with God 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My believe in a place called hell is not that it is a place of horror and anguish, nor a place created specifically for torture, but a place that appears as anywhere else, Where the torment comes from is then, after death, coming to the realization that we could have, should have, trusted in God, but blatantly chose not to. Realizing that we "blew our chance" is where the hell and torment come from. Not from anything God did, but from what we did to ourselves.
2007-05-17 16:11:23 · answer #6 · answered by Kerry 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
ABSOLUTELY CORRECT
the theory of hell as stated in the bible disproves the existence of an all knowing, loving God.
It creates a cruel deity that creates people who he knows are destined for an eternity of pain. That is unavoidable if you believe that God is all knowing (as the bible teaches) the creator (as the bible teaches) and that hell exists (as the bible teaches)
In essence, every verse in the bible that calls god a loving and benevolent being, purely contradicts the existence of hell.
2007-05-17 16:12:12 · answer #7 · answered by ɹɐǝɟsuɐs Blessed Cheese Maker 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'm sorry, but I don't really see where you are coming from. God is loving, yes, but did you expect him to let everyone come into heaven? Hell is Satan's place. That's a bit of a stupid question.
2007-05-17 16:12:01 · answer #8 · answered by sunnygirl 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Satan came from heaven, right? God created him, Satan came from God, so he could be seen as an extension or part of God. Just like everything else in life there is a balance. Light, dark. Positive, negative.
2007-05-17 16:14:28 · answer #9 · answered by James C 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The God of the Christian Bible does little other than punish. I could never understand why he is considered a loving God either. He seems angry all the time.
2007-05-17 16:11:57 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, because hell does not exist. There is in fact no evidence to suppose either that god exists, or does not, and it follows that any belief either way is useless.
2007-05-17 16:10:38 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋