If God gives us free will, why would He allow the existence of Hell to influence our decision to believe?

Question

Wouldn't the better argument for free will and choosing a Godly life be if there WASN'T eternal damnation looming as the alternative? Wouldn't a more sublime arrangement have no apparent negative consequences for rejecting God so that those actually choosing to beleive in Him would be making an uncoerced decision for the purest of reasons?

Note to Q & A Queen who said "There is no scriptural indication that the wicked burn in hell forever after they die." Please check Matthew 25:41-46. Jesus pretty clearly describes a place of everlasting fire and punishment for the cursed, doesn't he?

Note to Human Baby who wrote " If you had children, would you want them to love and obey you? Don't you have reasons for them to obey you (protection etc.)? Aren't there painful consequences to children that don't obey their parents?" Not so much, no. Disobedience is usually handled with a "talking to" and perhaps no desert. If I was God, however, it appears they would be exhiled to the garage for the rest of their existence while I set fire to it.

Note to hoff_mom who wrote "In the arrangement you suggest, we are FORCED to go to heaven, regardless of how hard we have striven against it in life. No choice." Actually what I'm suggesting is that the negative reinforcement of Hell is a much stronger motivation for choosing to believe in God than the positive reasons.

Note to all: There seems to be a popular response to downplay Hell as punishment citing the literal translation of the word and such. Passages are pretty clear to me in the Bible about judging and punishment, however. Revelation 21 says that "the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

Answer 1

you can't have free will without options.

Answer 2

Hi, God does give us free will to choose which ever path we like. Remember, the meaning of 'Hell' does not mean eternal damnation. It is another name for 'grave'. In the past, the bodies of dead people would be thrown onto a fire, to prevent spread of disease. So it was generally called a firey hell, where you would expect to go when you died. Another point to remember,... holy books such as the Bible, Koran, etc, were written by man, inspired or otherwise. God actually didn't get down and write them personally. The big problem we all face is, how man interprets the actual words of these holy books. Generally most people are influenced by other people who think they know everything and yet know nothing. Always go with what your heart believes and it makes sense.

Answer 3

I've heard the argument many times that if God knows what you will choose, then you have no free will. (Faulty logic, since you STILL have the choice; knowing does not imply control on God's part.) But if that were true, how much less would free will exist in a system where the outcome was the same regardless? In the arrangement you suggest, we are FORCED to go to heaven, regardless of how hard we have striven against it in life. No choice.

Personally, I love God because He first loved me, not because of any concept of hell. And I believe that the worst aspect of hell is the absence of God (and therefore good). Which is something a person chooses in life, thus freewill. God doesn't force Himself on anyone. If you don't wish to have fellowship with Him in life, then why would He force you to do so after death? That would certainly contradict the concept of free will, wouldn't you agree?

Answer 4

The idea of Hell is from the Christian Bible. Jesus used the word Ghenna to describe Hell, which was a place where trash was burned outside the city, that's where we get the fire /misery idea. However biblically the idea of Heaven/Hell is that if you want God, who is the source of all that is good, you will pursue Him on His terms and in heaven you will recieve Him. And if you do not want God, on His terms, you will be separated from Him, which is Hell. However, this is not based on the choice of choosing God, but rather the followthrough of repentance for sins. Those who want heaven bad enough to forsake this life for the next are worthy of it.

Answer 5

I totally agree. Since I and almost any other human could come up with a better solution why couldn't God? Why leave the devil around for thousands of years or even give him the earth to "play on". Why not make the choice simply be between a heaven with god and one without?

While I do expect obedience from my children, I certainly do not try to educate them by letting them make lethal choices especially ones that I designed. I don't let them go live under the influence of my enemy and if they choose their surrogate parent over me, disown them.

Answer 6

Where in the Bible does it say that there is a Hell?
A lot of believers believe that un-believers, cultists, Atheists, agnostics, etc. will go to an everlasting hell of fire for not believing in God or their version of Him. Think about this. God made you, he made me, and he made Satan. Where in the Bible does it talk of Satan being an angel? God created Satan to sin and he created us as we are for His own purpose. It is God who let sin come into the world. He knew Adam and Eve would sin. And he knew what the human race would become because of that sin. Just think if they hadn't have sinned then we wouldn't have knowledge of good and evil, we wouldn't have understanding of our universe around us, no technology, no science, no philosophy, no history, etc. It is/was all HIS plan!!! God wants us to have knowledge and understanding. It is said in Genesis, "let us make man in our own image". Do you think this was for merely appearances?
It is said that God is love. Why would God who is infinite love punish his beloved creations in an everlasting damnation of a burning Hell? Does that sound like infinite unconditional LOVE to you? Doesn't he know what sins we are going to make/do before we make/do them? Knowing that we are going to do them why would he punish us? Isn't he supposed to also be forgiving? 1corinthians 13:4-8 says, "4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails." Since God is love, replace Love in these verses with God, (and it with He) then you will Know that God is a loving God NOT a punishing God.
Jesus, says that the un-believers will be cast out--but does he say into hell? Also, in the Bible it speaks of a lake of fire and the second death. That's is where all un-believers and sinners (and those who condemn others to "Hell")will go, they will die the second death. This is a purging. A purification process. And it is not permanent. The Bible says that God loves us and wants us to be with him. And all of his creations will be with him one way or the other.

Answer 7

God being the creator of all things and the ultimate judge, chose eternal torture as a just punishment for exercising 'free will'.

Therefore, as he didn't choose, a spanking, or a stern rebuke or even capital punishment, he is an eternally cruel being who really doesn't care about humans or offering free will.

Free will is a man made concept that tries to cover up the cruelty of God.

Answer 8

You pose your question as though that were THE reason (influence) which is entirely incorrect. The influence He has is His love. If you had children, would you want them to love and obey you? Don't you have reasons for them to obey you (protection etc.)? Aren't there painful consequences to children that don't obey their parents?

Answer 9

Man made up Hell to scare people into doing right. There is no hell because it goes against the thought of an all-loving God. I mean, come on... He loves you right up til you die then poof... He stops and you go to hell? That's stupid

Answer 10

The question is good but the premise is faulty.

There is no scriptural indication that the wicked burn in hell forever after they die. God is Love. Why would he torment forever a person who's sins were confined to a limited number of years at best (worst?)

The truth is stated clearly in two places:

Ezekiel 18:4 "the soul that is sinning it itself will DIE" ... it doesn't say the soul that is sinning will suffer forever.

Ecclesiastes 9:5,6,10 - I wont' quote it cuz it's a bit long. But I would encourage you to look King Solomon's explanation of the condition of the dead in your own bible.

Answer 11

You are correct, sir.
I'm sure alot of the people cramming into those pews every week are there for no other reason than they are afraid of death and the threat of Hell.
But I think the better question is Why would an omnibenevolent God allow the existence of Hell a at all?