If "hell" is my own choice, why continue "warning" me about it?

Question

Assuming that heaven and hell exist, I would choose hell. I strongly believe that a god who sends people to burn for eternity, doesn't deserve me to be close to him. I want to be as far away as possible from such a being.

Thank God for giving me that choice. I think many people should choose the same, simply to stand up to such an amoral god. Maybe He'll learn something from it, and with that we can save future generations from God's obvious wrong view of what punishment is.

That leads me to the question: Why continue on "warning" people about Hell? Many have made their choice, with fully understanding the concepts of heaven, hell and God.

Why not just stop "warning"?

Answer 1

The conventional theological answer given to your question has to do with the concept of free will, meaning that people aren't like puppets on a string for God to manipulate. Instead, He calls on us to make rational decisions of our own choosing.

Consider this analogy: Your mother has prepared a sumptuous feast for your birthday. You can over indulge and pay the consequences, or you can eat sensibly. Of course, if you choose to gorge yourself, you'll pay for it later. But although Mom cautions you not to over do it, she loves you too much to demand that you eat all your broccoli and leave off that second helping of cake.

One of the major tenets of Christianity is to share Jesus' teachings on how to live life: Loving your neighbor as yourself and turning the other cheek don't sound like amoral concepts to me. Actually, I can't remember when I've last heard a sermon on Hell. Most ministers concentrate more on helping their listeners live the most meaningful and well-meaning lives on this side of death.

I've often heard the idea of Hell explained as a separation between an individual and God. Someone separated from God, in turn, distances him or herself from other people as well. If this definition is in any way correct, doesn't Hell begin in this life?

Answer 2

When we are born we all have Free Will. I may not want to choose to be bullied,but the one doing the deed has made that choice to bully. A person may not choose to be discriminated at work,but those doing have made the chose to do so. There is nothing that is done without Free Will. Some woman are Prostitutes,many have been forced,but then you have those who are by Choice.Or Their Free Will. You have those who engage in sex because they have a mental condition called Nymphomania. This is brought about by bad family relationships. I have also known many Gay's who when confronted or just talking about their past have admitted that they were abused as a child. Then there are those who decided to experiment and found that they enjoyed it and so continued to do it. This is a clear cut case of Free Will. But regardless of how it may have happened. Free Will has been there taking a part in the process. God doesn't approve of it no matter how you got into doing it. It is still a sin. However anyone can be cured of it. Many people have. Just seek out Christ and He will show you the way.

Answer 3

Gen.8:21;
The imagination of man's hear is evil from his youth.

Make sure anything you think there is to be believed, is investigated to the limit of all collectable knowledge.

Acts 2:27-31-35;
If Jesus was resurrected out of cave, sepulchre, tomb or grave hell, then where is everyone else resurrected from, John 3:13-17; If only Jesus returned to heaven, where he came from, until enemies are down on footstool earth Matt.22:42-44; phrophecy and Heb.1:1-13; prophecy and Rom.16:20; Satan to be under feet of John 6:39,40,44; raised up at the last day apostles, 14:3; when a place is prepared for them where Rev.12:1-12;
there is no satan and 1/3 unholy angels, and Satan has a short time in the end time before to 1Thes.4:15-17; the caught up to be with Jesus. 1Cor.15:22-28,51-53; Rev.20:1-6,12,13; No Satan 1000 years and the heavenly Rev.3:12; for the new heavens are with Jesus, to resurrect [ out of hell ], the earthly for the new earth Heb.9:27; 2Pet.3:13; Rev.21:1-5; All is made new.

Answer 4

1) If it's a choice then you can't blame God for being there can you?
2) Love is only Love if it is freely given. You can not "impose" love and as such, the free will to chose, and to love or not, is fully yours. God could offer nothing else. He allows and honors our choices, and follow our own path - even if that means to remain apart from Him forever.
3) As to Christian warnings - If from my vantage point I can see that the bridge you about to cross has collapsed, it would be cruel and indifferent of me not to warn you of the approaching danger. You can chose to ignore the warning, but I am baffled by the anger and resentment you express at the well intentioned and heart felt concern of your peers. Appreciate and at least acknowledge their concern for you - don't judge their intention but relish their good will, weather you believe their concern is ill founded or not.
- If a man chooses to reject the law of gravity and jumps off a building, he has expressed and experienced his freedom to chose, but plunges to the rocky bottom none the less.

Answer 5

Your attitude sounds much like a 3 yr. old saying he will touch the fire even though his parents told him not to, because it would hurt him. If the kid touches it, is it the parent's fault for allowing fire in the house? Or is it the stubborn child who thinks he knows better? People who care about you will warn you until you take your last breath, because none of us want to see you going to Hell, it would be heartbreaking even to God. Hell will not be the partying, do what you want place you think it will be. It will be the total absence of good. That is far reaching, you should consider that before making decisions that reach farther than this life, because this life is only a shadow of what God has prepared for us on the other side.

Answer 6

First off maybe you shouldn't contradict yourself it would make your comments more plausible. You say you don't believe in God and don't want to be around a God like that yet you thank God for giving you the choice. Secondly, I would be absolutly scared to death to make such comments. But you question why "warn" people about Hell....because praise the Lord not all people feel the same way you do. I will definately put you on my prayer list and be praying that God shows you mercy and opens your eyes! It's like you said...thank God for the choice!

Answer 7

lol we "warn" you because we believe "you know not" what you are doing!

Unfortunately, we care.

"Knowing" the concepts and "understanding" the concepts are 2 different things. Many whom have always thought about writing a book think they know and understand what it all entails until they actually are faced with the reality....

I myself look at a bookcase and think "why, how SIMPLE...what's so HARD about making that!" LOL I'm aware that it will need to be sanded and stained, etc., as well as the other stuff, but, hey, "simple"...right?

LOL same can be said about repairs for the car...."looks" simple, "sounds" simple....right?

However, the "reality" really is far from what we "believed"

Answer 8

You have made your decision...My only advice is make sure you have all of the facts first. If you feel you do, then "...eat, drink and be marry because tomorrow we die". (Isaiah 22:13, 1 Corinthians 15:32, Matthew 24:37-39) Live it up while you're here, because this is the best it's going to get for you if you don't humble yourself and accept attonment for your sin.

I personally don't want to live with a Creator who allows sin in His camp. I have seen it for too long in this world and am longing for the day that it will be removed.

Answer 9

the idea of hell as a 'place' is an error. Hell is a state of mind, not some sort of spiritual planet or prison. Heaven is all of creation, but the grosser levels, like earth, are where souls like us grow into the spiritual beings we were meant to be (or actually already are but may not realize it). We evolve from animalistic, selfish tendencies into finer, more compassionate and sophisticated sensitivities and understanding. Like that old analogy of the caterpillar becoming the butterfly. Sure, it sounds dumb and unlikely from a 'normal' point of view, but it's the truth nevertheless.

Answer 10

You are blaming the wrong "god" for sending people to "hell".
The god of organized religion sends people to an everburning hell. The God of the Bible has been grossly misrepresented.

The people who worship the god of organized religion believe they are doing you a favor by "warning" about the consequences of getting on the bad side of their little cruel god.

The God of the Bible loves you and there's not a darn thing you can do about it. Read His letter to you.