What does the hell doctrine say about the character of God?

[St. SteVen]

What sort of monster would create such a thing? The most sadist tyrant imaginable.

How does it work and what is the purpose?
There is no purpose other than eternal torment on the grandest scale.
We have all experienced a burn at some point in our lives.

Maybe we touched the stove. We immediately removed our hand,
And learned an important lesson. NEVER touch the stove.

We are also familiar with the burn ward at the hospital.
Severe burn victims are treated there. Recovery is horrible.
Requiring skin grafts and a slow and painful healing process.

Yet no human has fallen into a volcano (lake of fire) and survived.
Is this what God has planned for those who refuse the free gift of eternal life?
Seems pretty harsh. Receive the free gift of eternal life, or if you prefer
you will be incinerated. That is one VERY expensive FREE GIFT.

Imagine being thrown into a volcano. What a horrible thing. But wait...
That's not the end. God has created this lake of fire so that you cannot die.
You will endure this torture with no hope of escape.

Your flesh will be burned away only to be replaced with fresh flesh to be burned again and again.
Hard to imagine a more sadistic or cruel punishment for a temporal crime. Justice? Nope.

Couldn't this have been avoided with a simple discussion?
Ten seconds in hell would be enough for anyone to get the message.

[

 

[Bob]

Thank you for your provocative post!

What do think happens to those who have denied God? Also: If they have denied God AND broken Love Thy Neighbor in all conceivable ways?

Blessings.

 

[St. SteVen]

Thank you for your provocative post!

My pleasure. Thanks for taking interest. I appreciate it.
I expect that we will see a lot of push-back on this one. That's fine.
To be expected.

What do think happens to those who have denied God? Also: If they have denied God AND broken Love Thy Neighbor in all conceivable ways?

Good questions.

Ultimately none of that matters. IMHO
We will all enter the afterlife with issues. The wood, hay, and stubble will be burned up.
Awards given for any remaining gold, silver, costly stones. But the builder who has none will
suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 NIV
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.
It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.
14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.
15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—
even though only as one escaping through the flames.

[

 

[Jack]

It says God is very merciful in warning gays they are heading for Hell fire with Satan FOREVER in the worst place that ever existed with the WORST beings that ever lived!

 

[quietthinker]

Thank you for your provocative post!

What do think happens to those who have denied God? Also: If they have denied God AND broken Love Thy Neighbor in all conceivable ways?

Blessings.

The gift of life is given to all mankind. If it is not wanted, if it is rejected, the promise remains....you shall surely die ie, not die a little bit, not be transformed into a spirit being....no no, 'surely die'. In other words, life will be withdrawn and you will be as if you had never been.

Some descriptors used to describe this are: outer darkness, lake of fire, hell etc.

Who will this apply to? The devil, his minions and all whose reality operates on violence, exploitation, oppression, hate, self righteousness etc. They will self destruct because they refuse righteousness as their reality. They embrace and harbour principles and practice the outcome of which is destruction.

Here is are three texts describing the end of the wicked including Satan.

Malachi 4:1
Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them

Isaiah 14:12-20
How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
13You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
14I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
15But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
to the depths of the pit.

16Those who see you stare at you,
they ponder your fate:
“Is this the man who shook the earth
and made kingdoms tremble,
17the man who made the world a wilderness,
who overthrew its cities
and would not let his captives go home?”

18All the kings of the nations lie in state,
each in his own tomb.
19But you are cast out of your tomb
like a rejected branch;
you are covered with the slain,
with those pierced by the sword,
those who descend to the stones of the pit.
Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
20you will not join them in burial,
for you have destroyed your land
and killed your people.

Ezekiel 28:12-19
“ ‘You were the seal of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13You were in Eden,
the garden of God;
every precious stone adorned you:
carnelian, chrysolite and emerald,
topaz, onyx and jasper,
lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made of gold;
on the day you were created they were prepared.
14You were anointed as a guardian cherub,
for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
15You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.
16Through your widespread trade
you were filled with violence,
and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
and I expelled you, guardian cherub,
from among the fiery stones.
17Your heart became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
I made a spectacle of you before kings.
18By your many sins and dishonest trade
you have desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I made a fire come out from you,
and it consumed you,
and I reduced you to ashes on the ground
in the sight of all who were watching.
19All the nations who knew you
are appalled at you;
you have come to a horrible end
and will be no more.’ ”

 

[Bruce-Leiter]

What sort of monster would create such a thing? The most sadist tyrant imaginable.

How does it work and what is the purpose?
There is no purpose other than eternal torment on the grandest scale.
We have all experienced a burn at some point in our lives.

Maybe we touched the stove. We immediately removed our hand,
And learned an important lesson. NEVER touch the stove.

We are also familiar with the burn ward at the hospital.
Severe burn victims are treated there. Recovery is horrible.
Requiring skin grafts and a slow and painful healing process.

Yet no human has fallen into a volcano (lake of fire) and survived.
Is this what God has planned for those who refuse the free gift of eternal life?
Seems pretty harsh. Receive the free gift of eternal life, or if you prefer
you will be incinerated. That is one VERY expensive FREE GIFT.

Imagine being thrown into a volcano. What a horrible thing. But wait...
That's not the end. God has created this lake of fire so that you cannot die.
You will endure this torture with no hope of escape.

Your flesh will be burned away only to be replaced with fresh flesh to be burned again and again.
Hard to imagine a more sadistic or cruel punishment for a temporal crime. Justice? Nope.

Couldn't this have been avoided with a simple discussion?
Ten seconds in hell would be enough for anyone to get the message.

[

The burning lake of fire is not literal fire; it's a place where all the things and people we trusted in this life for happiness and security will be taken away. If we lived our life without God, we get our wish in the next one without him as well as all our comforts that we relied on. That's God's perfect justice.

 

[St. SteVen]

The burning lake of fire is not literal fire; it's a place where all the things and people we trusted in this life for happiness and security will be taken away. If we lived our life without God, we get our wish in the next one without him as well as all our comforts that we relied on. That's God's perfect justice.

What's perfect about that? Sounds like pointless torture.

[

 

[Bob]

 

[Bruce-Leiter]

What's perfect about that? Sounds like pointless torture.

[

It's not pointless or torture. It's the same punishment that people have wanted their whole lives--to leave God out of their lives by living for self. It's God's right justice.

 

[Jack]

The burning lake of fire is not literal fire;

An eternally FATAL opinion!

 

[St. SteVen]

It's not pointless or torture. It's the same punishment that people have wanted their whole lives--to leave God out of their lives by living for self. It's God's right justice.

That's the "blame the victim" apologetic. (hellgate)
An attempt to whitewash the injustice of hell by blaming those God sends there.
With the ridiculous claim that it was what they wanted. Or that they would not be happy in heaven with God.
No one puts their hand on a hot stove and leaves it there because it is what they always wanted.

[

 

[Jack]

I Cor 6 Gays will burn in Hell FOREVER!

 

[Bruce-Leiter]

An eternally FATAL opinion!

No, it is a figurative picture, as most of Revelation is, of a horrible place variously described as "outer darkness" and a "burning lake," which is the absence of God's presence and of everything and everyone people rely on for security and happiness. If people don't want to love their Creator in this life, that situation will just continue into the next one plus the absence of all their idols, because this old universe will be replaced with a new one lacking those things and people.

 

[Jack]

No, it is a figurative picture, as most of Revelation is, of a horrible place variously described as "outer darkness" and a "burning lake," which is the absence of God's presence and of everything and everyone people rely on for security and happiness. If people don't want to love their Creator in this life, that situation will just continue into the next one plus the absence of all their idols, because this old universe will be replaced with a new one lacking those things and people.

That's a JW opinion. 'The Bible doesn't mean what it says!' Hell will be filled with people who don't believe in Hell!

 

[Bruce-Leiter]

That's a JW opinion. 'The Bible doesn't mean what it says!' Hell will be filled with people who don't believe in Hell!

No, the JWs have the wrong god. The true God is the one in John's Gospel, three Persons in the one eternal Creator-and-Rescuer God. Some passages are figurative, especially Revelation (look at chapter, where some of the symbolism is explained; while others, like the teachings and history, are literal. Don't take me for a JW; I'm not, but my education in the Bible and my preaching and teaching experiences have helped me interpret it well, all to God's credit.

,

 

[Ritajanice]

I think we just have to trust God, without trying to figure everything out by our own human understanding, let’s face it, we’ve/ we’re all doing that.

Gods ways are much higher than our ways, just leave it in God’s hands, he has the overall plan...his plan is also “ Perfect “...there’s a real peace beyond my understanding, when I hand everything over to God.

Nothing wrong in talking about it though, just my thoughts.

 

[Bruce-Leiter]

I agree with you, completely!

 

[Ronald Nolette]

What sort of monster would create such a thing? The most sadist tyrant imaginable.

How does it work and what is the purpose?
There is no purpose other than eternal torment on the grandest scale.
We have all experienced a burn at some point in our lives.

Maybe we touched the stove. We immediately removed our hand,
And learned an important lesson. NEVER touch the stove.

We are also familiar with the burn ward at the hospital.
Severe burn victims are treated there. Recovery is horrible.
Requiring skin grafts and a slow and painful healing process.

Yet no human has fallen into a volcano (lake of fire) and survived.
Is this what God has planned for those who refuse the free gift of eternal life?
Seems pretty harsh. Receive the free gift of eternal life, or if you prefer
you will be incinerated. That is one VERY expensive FREE GIFT.

Imagine being thrown into a volcano. What a horrible thing. But wait...
That's not the end. God has created this lake of fire so that you cannot die.
You will endure this torture with no hope of escape.

Your flesh will be burned away only to be replaced with fresh flesh to be burned again and again.
Hard to imagine a more sadistic or cruel punishment for a temporal crime. Justice? Nope.

Couldn't this have been avoided with a simple discussion?
Ten seconds in hell would be enough for anyone to get the message.

[

What is the purpose? divine Justice! As God gives eternal reward for those who accept the death and resurrection of Jesus- He gives eternal punishment for those who reject!

To try to discern a perfect god and what He has decreed with an imperfect and finite mind is a fools adventure!

He said it,I don't understand it, but we must accept it! He is God we are not.

 

[St. SteVen]

To try to discern a perfect god and what He has decreed with an imperfect and finite mind is a fools adventure!

He said it,I don't understand it, but we must accept it! He is God we are not.

So God was happy to create us as sheep to be slaughtered?
Nothing questionable about that divine plan for humankind?
Sorry, I don't buy it.

[

 

[Eternally Grateful]

It proves God is a God of love

1. Hell was created for satan and his angels. Being who walked with God and knew him intimately, who decided to rebel.

2. Mankind was created, and fell also. God had every right to just snap his fingers and send them all to hell also. But he did not. He sent his son, to pay the penalty in mans place. and redeem mankind to himself.

3. God is also a god of love in that he refuses to force people to recieve his love, he wants them to willingly chose as free will agents.. Sadly many will chose to remain defiant, and remain in unbelief, to remain Gods enemy. So in the end. they send themselves to this hell prepaired for satan and his angels.

The audacity of anyone to call out God as anything but a loving God considering these facts. just amaze me. Especially in a so called Christian chat room