The Problem of Hell

SetiAlpha6

SetiAlpha6

Come Let Us Reason Together
Valued Senior Member
The basic premise for the belief in Hell is in the Bible which teaches the following three points of doctrine as truth.

1. An omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnibenevolent (all-loving) God exists.
2. Some people will be consigned to Hell forever, and will be eternally punished or tortured there.
3. According to the Bible, Hell is an actual place and is located beneath your feet in the center of the earth. Yes, it really does teach this!

Ladies and Gentlemen I have a few basic questions:

1. Why would an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent God allow the creation of souls foreknowing those souls would end up in Hell?

2. All human beings are born into a fallen condition, according to the Bible, and deserve death and eternal punishment in Hell. How is it just or loving to punish humans for a condition which no human can avoid?

3. How can God give such flawed, ignorant, and fallen creatures as ourselves the responsibility for our own eternal destinies?

4. Humans can commit only a very finite amount of sin or wrong-doing in one lifetime, yet Hell is an infinite punishment. In fact, the Bible even teaches that all it takes is just one single sin to deserve an eternity in hell. How is this justice or loving?

5. How can God punish a person for not believing in him when, as an omnipotent being, he can make his existence known with certainty to every person, but He still chooses not to?

6. If Hell is the choice of every individual who goes there how is it plausible that any informed, rational person would ever deliberately and knowingly really choose to go there?

7. It is clear that the religion a person subscribes to is largely a result of the culture they are born into. How can a person be thrown into hell because of his place of birth, because of geography? This alone makes the Hell of the Bible seem profoundly unfair.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on this topic?

Thank You!
 
If humanity is held to be so fallen, how is it proper for an omnibenevolent God to give forgiveness?
 
generally the problems of hell are resolved once it is determined that hell is not eternal, since eternity rests on god and one's relationship with god (nevertheless, a little bit of time in hell feels like a long, long , long time)
 
lightgigantic said:
generally the problems of hell are resolved once it is determined that hell is not eternal, since eternity rests on god and one's relationship with god (nevertheless, a little bit of time in hell feels like a long, long , long time)
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But all the problems of hell are resolved once it is determined that it doesn't exist at all.
 
KennyJC said:
But all the problems of hell are resolved once it is determined that it doesn't exist at all.
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a high school dropout also has no problems with physics either by adopting the same means of knowing (ie - outright rejection)
 
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Ahemmmmmm ..

When I was a wee one - I never learned about God beeing omnibenevolent ????

I guess he might be omnibenevolent to all and everything in Paradise ....
But then the " apple-eating incident " occured, and Adam and Eve were evicted........ I am not sure God has any omnibenevolent obligations for the human mankind anymore ..........at least not untill your souls enter Paradise again ....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnibenevolence
 
1. An omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnibenevolent (all-loving) God exists.
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God is just and does not love evil. This concept that God is all loving has been twisted. God is all forgiving to those who accept the truth but He wills not to have eternity with those who love a lie. God does not love those who love evil. But is willing to forgive those who turn from their love of evil.



1. Why would an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent God allow the creation of souls foreknowing those souls would end up in Hell?
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God has given us free will a great and wonderful gift. But with free will comes the freedom to chose evil. Yes God foreknew that some would chose evil. He will put up with them for the sake of those who will choose Good.

Romans 9
22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?



2. All human beings are born into a fallen condition, according to the Bible, and deserve death and eternal punishment in Hell. How is it just or loving to punish humans for a condition which no human can avoid?
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We are not condemned for the condition. People are condemned for shaking their fists as God and saying their evil condition is not evil but good. If people agree with God that evil is in fact evil and if they agree with God that they are by their nature, evil. Then they will accept the forgiveness freely open to them via the Messiah Jesus with joy. Otherwise they can choose to remain as vessels of wrath.



3. How can God give such flawed, ignorant, and fallen creatures as ourselves the responsibility for our own eternal destinies?
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What? Would you prefer that someone else have control of your eternal destination? wanna be a zombie?



4. Humans can commit only a very finite amount of sin or wrong-doing in one lifetime, yet Hell is an infinite punishment. In fact, the Bible even teaches that all it takes is just one single sin to deserve an eternity in hell. How is this justice or loving?
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Those who love evil will face the eternal consequences of their earthly life’s stance on the issue. And again it is not the single sin that condemns its the attitude to that sin.



5. How can God punish a person for not believing in him when, as an omnipotent being, he can make his existence known with certainty to every person, but He still chooses not to?
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He has made himself known. It’s just that some people hate what God has revealed about Himself. Those who hate the will of God will not spend eternity with Him. Most people do not reject God because of lack of evidence they reject God because the hate what the evidence reveals. Just as you are doing here in your post. You are revealing your hate for the will of God. Nothing you are stating here either proves or disproves the existence of God, it only reveals your hate for His revealed will.



6. If Hell is the choice of every individual who goes there how is it plausible that any informed, rational person would ever deliberately and knowingly really choose to go there?
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Easy. Because pride in self is an incredibly powerful motive for some. People want to be independent to do what they will to do. To be masters of their own destiny. The knowledge that they are a created being and that the Creator is by His very nature superior and a level above them offends the hell out of them. You know a lot of people will cut of their own nose to spite their face. Pride makes people do stupid things but they will do anything to keep their pride intact.


7. It is clear that the religion a person subscribes to is largely a result of the culture they are born into. How can a person be thrown into hell because of his place of birth, because of geography? This alone makes the Hell of the Bible seem profoundly unfair.
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I believe people are thrown into the lake of fire for rejecting the love of the truth. Thereby showing that they embrace the opposite of the Love of the Truth.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days
 
lightgigantic said:
a high school dropout also has no problems with physics either by adopting the same means of knowing (ie - outright rejection)
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I reject it because I care about evidence. There are many things that are true that currently have no evidence or even any reason for us to think about, but we can't guess them, we need evidence to uncover them before we can then make a credible claim. There is nothing about god, heaven or hell that stands up to scientific scrutiny. All these religious folk are simply making claims that an electron exists before finding evidence for it.
 
I'm yust wandering but what happend to all the people who where born and died before the bible was written, where are they?

I've never truly read the bible, but isn't the bible yust a cencord little part of a collection of books.
 
perhaps I should read it to think of my old days. Can't say I give death much tought I yust hope that the wings are not compulsatory.
 
Prince_James said:
If humanity is held to be so fallen, how is it proper for an omnibenevolent God to give forgiveness?
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Good Question!

1. This is kinda like asking, how is it proper for a loving father to forgive his own newborn baby daughter for having aids?

She had nothing to do with it and did not ask to be born? She contracted it from her mother as a result of her mother's immorality and sin. It was the mother's sin not the daughters. It would be insane to blame the daughter for the sins of the mother. Do you agree? But God does indeed punish children for the sins of their parents. Of course the Bible teaches that this is both true and false! So pick the side you like the best.

2. Now I am a "fallen" father myself and I have 3 "fallen" children of my own and I am completely able and willing to forgive all of their sins against me whenever they ask me to, if not before. In fact, it delights me to do so. And I never, ever require them to kill any of their pet fish or their dog or any of their friends as payment. What is wrong with me anyway? I must be really messed up! Why cannot God do such a simple thing?

3. Even my own "fallen" children can forgive each other without the shedding of blood. How can this be, when according to the Bible, without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sin?

4. How is it also possible for an omnibenevolent God to kill His own Son? How does causing injury to your own son, and blood letting, and death pay for anything?

Perhaps He is not omnibenevolent, just as others have said! And perhaps the doctrine of "unconditional love" is made up as well. Someone really needs to tell all those pastors that teach this doctrine that they are in serious error.

I look forward to your comments.

Thanks!
 
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Nickelodeon said:
So where is Hell? Is it still under our feet? The literal translation of the Bible?
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Yes, according to the Bible, Hell is indeed under our feet in the heart of the earth, that is, unless God moved it or something and did not tell us. It is supposed to be somewhere between where I live and China. I will be happy to find the references for you if you wish.

There are even rumors that you can hear the screams of people at some of the volcanoes around the world. Find one and check it out yourself on your next vacation! I frankly do not believe this, however.
 
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Hell and heaven are nothing more then "manipulating" tools to fool the masses. Do as we demand, and your soul will enter in heaven, a place of bliss and be close to god..bla,bla,bla bull shit!! Hell is a place of damnation, disobey us, disobey our doctrine and your soul will burn for eternity, tourture and you will be with the devil! Ya! nothing more than made up bull shit, to get people to do what religious leaders wanted!!

Don't you suppose this is exactly how these molesting priest got children through the ages! These molestation of children is nothing new, it's been going on since ancient past.
 
lightgigantic said:
generally the problems of hell are resolved once it is determined that hell is not eternal, since eternity rests on god and one's relationship with god (nevertheless, a little bit of time in hell feels like a long, long , long time)
Click to expand...

As far as I can tell, LG, according to the Bible, Hell is supposed to be eternal torment. So, the problems remain.

Do you have any other thoughts?

Thank You!
 
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