Do you think God should institute a parole policy for the people in and going to hell because eternity is too long to burn?

[Anonymous]

I don’t think any human should suffer forever except for satan and the antichrist. I don’t mean to question God, I don’t think He minds us asking questions. If He does, may He forgive me.

[BCRanger10]

In a way, He technically kind of does... not really... but for the sake of argument. This is what Catholics refer to as Purgatory, which the Church believes to be a place of purification before entry into Heaven. This would be where the souls of the just go after death, but need to have the guilt of their sins cleansed.

Purgatory, however, is not a "break" from Hell. The condemned souls in Hell are there for all eternity. The reason for this is because God is eternal. If God is eternal, so is His justice.

[Juxtapose]

Only the most evil creatures imaginable would torture something forever.

[BCRanger10]

@Juxtapose Okay. Why?

[Juxtapose]

It's eternal torture, the height of suffering. I wouldn't let my worst enemies get tortured forever. Even being tortured for 3 days is unbearable but imagine no end, ever.

If you have absolute power then you have absolute responsibility. An omnipotent being making humans a certain way and then torturing them FOREVER just because they behaved within their biological programming is madness.

[BCRanger10]

@Juxtapose I should ask this then. What is your conception of God?

[Juxtapose]

Yahweh fiction to me but this is how I would judge such a being:

[BCRanger10]

@Juxtapose yes, I'm familiar with Epicurus' theorem. In my opinion, it's a strawman's table of false dichotomies and reductionism. It also, in my observation, reveals some other inconsistencies within atheist thinking. Likewise, it also doesn't really answer the question (and I say so as respectfully as possible).

[Juxtapose]

I have not been able to find a Christian yet who has been able to answer the paradox in a satisfactory manner. Christians fail at a fundamental level to understand what "omnipotent" really means. They ALWAYS make some sort of exception or limit for God which means he is not all powerful. If you are all powerful everything that happens in the universe is your fault, there's really no getting around that. Free will is not a real concept either, it's an illusion. You actually subconsciously make your decisions before you even fully think them through.

My conception of God? It's a fictional being people created because they want to subjugate other people and they don't want to believe they are not being watched over by some cosmic overlord.

[BCRanger10]

@Juxtapose What are we getting wrong about free will and omnipotence?

[Juxtapose]

I explained that in the first paragraph of my last answer.

[BCRanger10]

@Juxtapose Right, but what kind if limitations? And how are they so?

[Juxtapose]

You guys just don't understand omnipotence.

"God can do anything even if it is paradoxical so if it is going to claim to be perfectly good as we understand it, why is there evil?"

"Because of.."

You don't get to have a "because of..." if you are all powerful. You either are good and will immediately bestow perfect goodness upon every thing to ever exist or you admit you don't really want perfect goodness.

Omnipotence means the only thing that can stand in your way is yourself. You are responsible for absolutely everything when you have omnipotence and you can lay blame nowhere by that your own feet.

[Juxtapose]

*but at your own feet

[BCRanger10]

@Juxtapose "Paridoxical" how? As in the classic "could God make a rock so heavy that even He couldn't lift it" argument?

Additionally, why is "perfect goodness" the standard and what have we done to earn it?

[Anonymous]

First of all hell was never ment for people it was ment for satan and the fallen angels, his followers that are demons. God gives you your entire life to receive him. He is actually actively chasing you like a father trying to save his child from death. But see how people make fun of God.. example is the Olympics. They take God for a joke. The bible teaches that no one is without excuse. A matter fact your own conscious will testify against you. God wants you to be saved. Jesus joy is for you to be with him in heaven and takes no joy in your death despite what social media might say.

[Asker]

Thank you for your great answer. I couldn’t have said it better. Peace be with you.

[jennifer_bloom]

Not everyone is punished with everlasting rejection. The bible says only those who reject others are punished with everlasting rejection. Rejection does not have to be social, it could be emotional, where you talk to them and spend time with them, but refuse to treat them with respect and emotional concern or useful disclosure of information about how to live a holy life. Withholding information is a form of rejection if it is information that will save them from hell.

[SugarSugarplum]

I think it is absolutely no human's place to advise God on how to run the universe. That said, I'm pretty sure that language is metaphorical.

[Asker]

I’m merely speaking hypothetically. I know there’s no swaying His mind, it’s foolish to think so.

[NamerOfStars]

Satan is not in Hell; he is loyal servant of God doing exactly what he is supposed to do. The Antichrist is not in Hell; he does not exist. Please consult your Bible. If you don't have one, here's a free online version: https://bible.usccb.org/bible

[strateguy632]

They had a fair warning and fair chance. By then it is too late.