How, precicely, is threatening to torture someone in fiery damnation for all eturnity, giving them a free choice?
2007-09-21 16:03:30 · 14 answers · asked by wd20x2 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
OMG that's exactly what I said!
It's like holding a gun to someone's head and saying, "Have sex with your mom or I'll kill you!"
2007-09-21 16:09:32 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
You are thinking God is sending you to this fiery place.
No Way! Explanation: In the
afterlife there are 2 places to
go (maybe 3 but the Bible doesn't teach that.) There
is Heaven--where God and all
glory are. Then there is the
realm of the Fallen Angel
(Lucifer) is his name.
When God gave Earth to
his creation (humans)..He
gave the devil his kingdom
in the dark regions of the
underworld. (Whether that
is in the inner portion of the
earth or another planet is
unclear.)
It is a place where there is no
more access to God or light.
It's all darkness,death.
If you have ever been in a place that made your "skin
crawl" or made you want to
vomit or was totally repulsive.
this is a little of what hell is.
I won't describe it, but some
violent cartoonists are portraying it pretty accurately.
it's not a pretty place.
God is not sending you there.
He's trying to keep you OUT
OF THERE!
2007-09-22 00:00:58 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Here's a good analogy:
I was on duty on the Coast Guard Rescue boat the other morning, when I spotted what I thought was drowning woman. A mile or so off shore, she was treading water and looked quite weary and dehydrated. We sped over to help her, but she swam away from the life preservers we tossed her, she wouldn't grab hold of the lifeguard hooks we extended to her, and she swam away from the life raft and swimmers we sent out to help her. It was bizarre.
I asked her if she wanted some help--actually expecting her to be relieved and even grateful, and she screamed "no, go away!"--even though every now and then she would literally sink under water for a few minutes at a time, and come up frantically gasping for air. She said she was "doing fine without help", and that she intended to stay out there forever like that, just "doing fine".
I pointed out to her that she looked exhausted, dehydrated, seemed ready to drown any minute, and that she would be too tired to make it to shore if she waited much later--and she denied it. She said it wasn't really all that bad, that she had made it okay so far on her own, and that she could no doubt keep it up indefinitely.
I told her I thought she obviously needed medical attention, rest, water, and she refused. She said she was her "own person" and that I could not force her to get out of the water. You should have heard the curses, threats of lawsuits, murder, suicide from her...as she constantly kept swimming away from our boat and from our every attempt to rescue her...
"I kept sending people out, but she kept evading them....and about sundown she went under for the last time...why wouldn't she accept the free help? I'll never know...I was in anguish for weeks and weeks over this senseless loss...
2007-09-21 23:15:31 · answer #3 · answered by D2T 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The same way one can either choose to be a law-abiding citizen and live in peace or become a criminal and wind up in prison. I don't believe in Hell myself, but I don't think the idea of hell negates the concept of free will or free choice.
2007-09-21 23:20:09 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
God does not force or threaten anyone. God gives you a choice. You can choose the path to Him or the path away from Him. He leaves that all up to you.
2007-09-21 23:13:44 · answer #5 · answered by tebone0315 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
People who interpret metaphor or religios writings and symbolgy as fact and as History Just dont get it.
Hell is a garbage dump in isreal. Jesus was speaking about the inner self. In relation to the trancendental.THe Soul.
Hell is in our minds when we seperate ourselves from God.
Hell is Hell to those who refuse to grow refuse to open themselves up to knew ideas.
Demons are demons to those who cling to ego.WHen we let go and change when we are "born again" the demons become angels.
METAPHORICALLY Tell me you havnt hated a teacher with all your heart but in the end were thankfull.
Tell me that growth wasnt hell. Most people with interesting lives know what that experiance is about.
ITS ABOUT OUR JOURNEY HEAR ON EARTH>
The kingdom of God is spread upon it men do not see it they are in hell.
2007-09-21 23:21:28 · answer #6 · answered by Rich 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it is called 'consequence'. It is possible to make a free choice about a matter which has serious consequences.
2007-09-21 23:09:48 · answer #7 · answered by rebecca v d liep 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am 20 feet tall and I am going to steal your girlfriend. You have the choice to believe me or not.
2007-09-21 23:13:47 · answer #8 · answered by Jet Li 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
You have free choice...you have chosen haven't you? God hasn't forced you to accept Jesus Christ as your savior has he? The fact that you don't believe proves that you have free choice.
2007-09-21 23:09:47 · answer #9 · answered by tas211 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
We have the freedom to choose and we can choose not to feel threatened by those who use fear tactics as a way of limiting choice.
Ironic isn't it?
2007-09-21 23:15:43 · answer #10 · answered by Bluebootz 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It's not a threat, its a promise. You still have free choice because going to hell doesn't stop someone bent on sinning.
2007-09-21 23:08:58 · answer #11 · answered by Fish <>< 7 · 3⤊ 3⤋