Omnipotent God + Eternal Damnation = Evil God

[Metatron]

I have never received an adequate justification for the doctrine of eternal damnation here at DC&R so I'm posting it as a topic.

Many Christians claim that their God is omnipotent/omniscient. They claim that their God is a god of compassion, love, and mercy. Yet, with all of this, they claim that God punishes all people who do not accept Jesus as their savior with eternal torment in Hell, i.e. the vast majority of mankind numbering into the billions.

What possible compassionate purpose can infinite torture have? The punishment doesn't even serve a remedial purpose because the tormented one is not allowed to repent. It's only conceivable purpose is sadism.

How is this not evil?

[Easyrider]

Many Christians claim that their God is omnipotent/omniscient. They claim that their God is a god of compassion, love, and mercy. Yet, with all of this, they claim that God punishes all people who do not accept Jesus as their savior with eternal torment in Hell, i.e. the vast majority of mankind numbering into the billions.

Personally I believe there will be those not only from Old Testament days who believed in God, but also those who never had a fair hearing about Christ, who may well make it into heaven. Recommend you review Romans chapter 2 for that. But for those who have heard and reject Christ, I see little hope in their eternal fortunes.

What possible compassionate purpose can infinite torture have? The punishment doesn't even serve a remedial purpose because the tormented one is not allowed to repent. It's only conceivable purpose is sadism.

That's bull. Have you ever heard of Justice? That concept is usually absent in today's secular mindset. As the Bible says, all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.

And if anyone around here winds up in hell, it will probably be for their rejection of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior for the remission of their sins. I think many believe they are "good" people, but not necessarily in God's eyes.

[Metatron]

Many Christians claim that their God is omnipotent/omniscient. They claim that their God is a god of compassion, love, and mercy. Yet, with all of this, they claim that God punishes all people who do not accept Jesus as their savior with eternal torment in Hell, i.e. the vast majority of mankind numbering into the billions.

Personally I believe there will be those not only from Old Testament days who believed in God, but also those who never had a fair hearing about Christ, who may well make it into heaven. Recommend you review Romans chapter 2 for that. But for those who have heard and reject Christ, I see little hope in their eternal fortunes.

What possible compassionate purpose can infinite torture have? The punishment doesn't even serve a remedial purpose because the tormented one is not allowed to repent. It's only conceivable purpose is sadism.

That's bull. Have you ever heard of Justice? That concept is usually absent in today's secular mindset. As the Bible says, all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.

And if anyone around here winds up in hell, it will probably be for their rejection of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior for the remission of their sins. I think many believe they are "good" people, but not necessarily in God's eyes.

How does infinite torture equate with justice? What purpose does it serve other than for God's sadistic thrills watching his confused creations scream in torment?
If you told me that God punished people for some remedial purpose so that they can see the error of their ways, I might at least understand if not accept. If you told me that God simply snuffed out the creations that don't cut it with him, I can understand this as well. But simply torturing people for all eternity because they cannot make the leap of faith or were raised in another religion is just sick. It's a level of evil beyond what any mere mortal would be capable of.

[Cogitoergosum]

Many Christians claim that their God is omnipotent/omniscient. They claim that their God is a god of compassion, love, and mercy. Yet, with all of this, they claim that God punishes all people who do not accept Jesus as their savior with eternal torment in Hell, i.e. the vast majority of mankind numbering into the billions.

Personally I believe there will be those not only from Old Testament days who believed in God, but also those who never had a fair hearing about Christ, who may well make it into heaven. Recommend you review Romans chapter 2 for that. But for those who have heard and reject Christ, I see little hope in their eternal fortunes.

What possible compassionate purpose can infinite torture have? The punishment doesn't even serve a remedial purpose because the tormented one is not allowed to repent. It's only conceivable purpose is sadism.

That's bull. Have you ever heard of Justice? That concept is usually absent in today's secular mindset. As the Bible says, all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.

And if anyone around here winds up in hell, it will probably be for their rejection of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior for the remission of their sins. I think many believe they are "good" people, but not necessarily in God's eyes.

Easyrider seems to think that if you do not believe in Jesus even if you lead a good life it is JUSTICE for god to torment you forever. Why does he think that? who knows, who knows how a delusional mind works.

[Jagella]

What possible compassionate purpose can infinite torture have? The punishment doesn't even serve a remedial purpose because the tormented one is not allowed to repent. It's only conceivable purpose is sadism.

How is this not evil?]

There is no compassion in torture, of course. The dogma of hell is evil. Simple.

Jagella—Lover of Humanity

[Jagella]

That's bull. Have you ever heard of Justice? That concept is usually absent in today's secular mindset. As the Bible says, all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.

There is no justice in torture.

And if anyone around here winds up in hell, it will probably be for their rejection of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior for the remission of their sins.

I cannot reject something that doesn't exist. I do reject people who make wild claims with little to back those claims up.

Jagella—Lover of Truth

[twobitsmedia]

I have never received an adequate justification for the doctrine of eternal damnation here at DC&R so I'm posting it as a topic.

Many Christians claim that their God is omnipotent/omniscient. They claim that their God is a god of compassion, love, and mercy. Yet, with all of this, they claim that God punishes all people who do not accept Jesus as their savior with eternal torment in Hell, i.e. the vast majority of mankind numbering into the billions.

What possible compassionate purpose can infinite torture have? The punishment doesn't even serve a remedial purpose because the tormented one is not allowed to repent. It's only conceivable purpose is sadism.

How is this not evil?

And it is not likely you will get an "adequate" justification for it because "justification" doesn't appear to fit what you have already defined as "justice" and "evil." In pure humanistic terms, the God you define is uncompassionate and evil because he won't let you do whatever you want and give you "one more last chance." That God truly does not exist so you are not wrong in saying, under that criteria, that God does not exist.

[Fisherking]

People will be in hell because they choose to be there, not because God sent them. If people do not love God or spend any time with him in the here and now, why would they want to for all of eternity? Hell is exactly where many people want to spend eternity----it's a place where God isn't. Mankind without God will make their own little 'heaven" in hell. When man is left to himself without God he has cut himself off from the source of all goodness. Many won't realize they are not quite as good as they think they are until they are in eternity with a bunch of others who aren't quite as good as they think they are. The source for morality and justice in hell will be the creation instead of the Creator. That may sound like paradise to many....It sounds like hell to me. We all have a choice--- there will be nobody to blame but ourselves.

[Metatron]

And it is not likely you will get an "adequate" justification for it because "justification" doesn't appear to fit what you have already defined as "justice" and "evil." In pure humanistic terms, the God you define is uncompassionate and evil because he won't let you do whatever you want and give you "one more last chance." That God truly does not exist so you are not wrong in saying, under that criteria, that God does not exist.

And you seem to be totally avoiding the point. If God exists and I don't measure up to his criteria, he doesn't have to give me "one more last chance". He can snuff my life out like a candle in the wind. We can debate the fairness of that, but we could at least agree that God was not being cruel and sadistic. But you appear to be perfectly fine with the idea that your allegedly loving and compassionate God is going to torture me and untold billions of others for lacking faith in a deity who refuses to give evidence of his existence. His punishments have nothing to do with the morality of the people involved but instead rest entirely on faith alone.

I repeat, why is this not evil.

[Metatron]

People will be in hell because they choose to be there, not because God sent them. If people do not love God or spend any time with him in the here and now, why would they want to for all of eternity? Hell is exactly where many people want to spend eternity----it's a place where God isn't. Mankind without God will make their own little 'heaven" in hell. When man is left to himself without God he has cut himself off from the source of all goodness. Many won't realize they are not quite as good as they think they are until they are in eternity with a bunch of others who aren't quite as good as they think they are. The source for morality and justice in hell will be the creation instead of the Creator. That may sound like paradise to many....It sounds like hell to me. We all have a choice--- there will be nobody to blame but ourselves.

This is interesting. So are you saying that you believe that Hell is not a place of eternal torment as is classically represented but rather a place apart from God where man lives by his own rules?