Do you actually believe that a loving God will torture people in Hell forever?

[YHWH's Lion]

There hasn't been a more damaging teaching to the character of God and to the Christian faith then the teaching: God is Love and Loves You, BUT if you do not love him and accept him, he will burn you and torture you or your loved ones in the flames of Hell for trillions and trillions and trillions of years? This is a God that is FAIR and JUST and WISE? and worthy of worship?

 

[Albion]

I have to disagree, although in a friendly way, I hope. To paraphrase what you wrote...

There hasn't been a more damaging teaching to the character of God and to the Christian faith than the teaching: God is Love and Loves You, BUT if you do not love him and accept him, he doesn't really care about that and will save you just the same as if you had done so.

 

[GQ Chris]

No, I believe that it would be torturous if God permitted people in Heaven who didn't want to be there.

 

[topcare]

No God will not do that. The person him/herself will. If someone does not want to come into to your house would you force them even though the other house they choose if falling down? People choose Hell all by themselves God does not do it. I even as a Traditional Christian believe there is a literal Hell but I believe at the end of time it will be destroyed

 

[MoreCoffee]

Hell is written about in holy scripture. What more need be said?

 

[Albion]

No, I believe that it would be torturous if God permitted people in Heaven who didn't want to be there.

Hypothetically, that's possible, but who would those people be?

 

[Albion]

Hell is written about in holy scripture. What more need be said?

Nothing, but you've been telling me on that other thread that Holy Scripture doesn't define doctrine. So it appears that there are people who think there IS more to be said.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Nothing, but you've been telling me on that other thread that Holy Scripture doesn't define doctrine. So it appears that there are people who think there IS more to be said.

Holy scripture does provide revelation from God which is the foundation and building material for doctrine, in the matter of hell the statements of the Lord Jesus Christ present a good foundation for understanding that hell is a sate of suffering and separation from the faithful and from the presence of God. Have you a view on the matter?

 

[Joyful Mama]

No God will not do that. The person him/herself will. If someone does not want to come into to your house would you force them even though the other house they choose if falling down? People choose Hell all by themselves God does not do it. I even as a Traditional Christian believe there is a literal Hell but I believe at the end of time it will be destroyed

Yes, but what if the person does not know the directions to get to your house?

 

[topcare]

As I believe it was St. Paul no excuses in the end

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

There hasn't been a more damaging teaching to the character of God and to the Christian faith then the teaching: God is Love and Loves You, BUT if you do not love him and accept him, he will burn you and torture you or your loved ones in the flames of Hell for trillions and trillions and trillions of years?
This is a God that is FAIR and JUST and WISE? and worthy of worship?

Holy scripture does provide revelation from God which is the foundation and building material for doctrine, in the matter of hell the statements of the Lord Jesus Christ present a good foundation for understanding that hell is a sate of suffering and separation from the faithful and from the presence of God. Have you a view on the matter?

Excellent!

I also do not believe in the concept of eternal hell fire for lost souls.

From what I know, the religion of Judaism does not view hell in the same way as Christianity and Islam. They describe it as a "washing machine" where they are eventually cleansed and purified:

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1594422/jewish/Do-Jews-Believe-in-Hell.htm

We do believe in a type of Hell, but not the one found in cartoons and joke books. Hell is not a punishment in the conventional sense; it is, in fact, the expression of a great kindness.

The Jewish mystics described a spiritual place called “Gehinnom.” This is usually translated as “Hell,” but a better translation would be “the Supernal Washing Machine.”

The parable/story of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16 has also been used to flame the concept of eternal "hell fire". The Jews however would probably view it differently...IMHO

http://www.herealittletherealittle.net/index.cfm?page_name=Lazarus

The parable of Lazarus and the rich man has been the foundation for many of the erroneous beliefs about "hell" within traditional Christianity. Some have viewed it not as a parable, but as a true story Yeshua told to give details about the punishment of sinners in hell. Yet a thorough, unbiased examination of this story will show that the generally accepted interpretations of this passage of Scripture are erroneous and misleading. In this article, we will go through the parable verse by verse to determine what the Messiah was truly teaching.

Those who insist that this is not a parable but a true, literal story Yeshua told to describe the condition of the lost in hell must overlook several facts to arrive at that conclusion. First, Yeshua the Messiah never accuses the rich man of any sin. He is simply portrayed as a wealthy man who lived the good life. Furthermore, Lazarus is never proclaimed to be a righteous man. He is just one who had the misfortune to be poor and unable to care for himself. ...........................................

CONCLUSION
The parable of Lazarus and the rich man, long used by mainstream Christian ministers to teach the "reality of hell," really has nothing to say about punishment or reward in the afterlife.
Yeshua used this story, which fit the common misconception about life after death in his day, to show the fate that awaited the Jewish nation because of the unbelief and faithlessness which caused them to reject him as the Messiah.
They still suffer from that fate to this very day. Yet the time is soon coming when God will pour on the Jews the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on their Messiah whom they pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for him as one grieves for a firstborn (Zec. 12:10).






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[LittleLambofJesus]

No God will not do that. The person him/herself will. If someone does not want to come into to your house would you force them even though the other house they choose if falling down? People choose Hell all by themselves God does not do it.
I even as a Traditional Christian believe there is a literal Hell but I believe at the end of time it will be destroyed

Can you substantiate that?

The only ones I seen thrown in the lake of fire at the end is "Death and Hades".

Rev 6:8
and I saw, and behold! a pale horse, and he who is sitting upon him -- his name is Death, and Hades doth follow with him, and there was given to them authority to kill, (over the fourth part of the land,) with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and by the beasts of the land.
Rev 20:14
and the death and the hades were cast to the lake of the fire -- this is the second death;


http://www.herealittletherealittle.net/index.cfm?page_name=Lazarus

In contrast to Lazarus, the rich man was buried in Hades.
An understanding of the original meaning of the Greek word hades is necessary to grasp the message of the parable.

Regarding the possible etymology of this word, the The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology states that hades ". . . comes from idein (to see) with the negative prefix, a-, and so would mean the invisible . . .
In the LXX hades occurs more than 100 times, in the majority of instances to translate Heb. she'ol, the underworld which receives all the dead. It is the land of darkness . . ." (p. 206, vol. 2).


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[mmksparbud]

Do you actually believe that a loving God will torture people in Hell forever?
Discussion in 'General Theology' started by YHWH's Lion, Today at 5:18 PM.


NO!!

 

[Jipsah]

No, I believe that it would be torturous if God permitted people in Heaven who didn't want to be there.

So the alternative is to torture them for all eternity. Talk about tough love.

 

[Jipsah]

No God will not do that. Thee person him/herself will.

Really? Who created hell and established it as the default destination for those who aren't saved?

If someone does not want to come into to your house would you force them even though the other house they choose if falling down?

No, I'd torture them for the rest of their lives.

People choose Hell all by themselves God does not do it.

Again, it was God who created hell, and determined that that would be the fate of the unsaved. No one else was consulted as to their opinion.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Do you actually believe that a loving God will torture people in Hell forever?
Discussion in 'General Theology' started by YHWH's Lion, Today at 5:18 PM.
NO!!

That would be because Ellen White says it isn't so?

 

[concretecamper]

If in the garden of Eden everything was clean and holy, then it might be safe to say that there was no uncleanness that existed within the garden. However, in Leviticus chapter 15 verse 16, the Holy Bible gives one instance where uncleanness for a man would be applied. If Adam, while living in the garden of Eden, was clean and not unclean, then it would be safe to say that this verse did not ever apply to him.

There hasn't been a more damaging teaching to the character of God and to the Christian faith then the teaching: God is Love and Loves You, BUT if you do not love him and accept him, he will burn you and torture you or your loved ones in the flames of Hell for trillions and trillions and trillions of years? This is a God that is FAIR and JUST and WISE? and worthy of worship?

As an unrepentant sinner and someone who does not accept Him as He is, is it more of a torture to be in His presence or not be in His presence?

 

[Goatee]

People choose to go to hell by the lives they lead. It is not God that sends them there!

 

[Gregory Thompson]

There hasn't been a more damaging teaching to the character of God and to the Christian faith then the teaching: God is Love and Loves You, BUT if you do not love him and accept him, he will burn you and torture you or your loved ones in the flames of Hell for trillions and trillions and trillions of years? This is a God that is FAIR and JUST and WISE? and worthy of worship?

I think this is more of a "controversial theology" topic, in other news, i'm not much into burning children at the alter either.

 

[Rick Otto]

As an unrepentant sinner and someone who does not accept Him as He is, is it more of a torture to be in His presence or not be in His presence?

Life is a character building experience.