Why do so many people calling themselves Christians, seem to revel in the idea that others will suffer?

Jesus did want everyone to come to God through Him. However, God gave man free will to do as he wants. No true Christian would want anyone to suffer the pains of hell.

There are so many that want to pretend they're christians. Especially some business people and politicians. That is why the church should'nt be involved in politics. Now you have the church trying to write the laws not by what society wants' but by what the church wants. If people had more Christ like values the world would be a better place. Or for that matter Buddist, Hindu, or Muslim values.

Wait a minute. There is a UNIVERSE'S worth of difference between believing someone else is going to burn in hell, and in REVELLING in that idea.

The first is just a belief; if you disagree you're free to reject it. The second is saying that Christians have it in for nonbelievers. Maybe some do (Lord knows that goes both ways, at least on message boards), but most don't.

And if you're going to go on a message board to find "representative" Christians, you are wasting your time.

Jesus gave us an example of His love for His Father's House, the temple when he made the whip and drove out the people selling animals for sacrifice and the people changing to money to buy these offerings. That was love for the temple.

Also, other times He called the people a brood of vipers because they were sinning.

Therefore, I doubt Jesus would be mealy mouthed today if He were here.

While we are not supposed to revel about those in hell, and while some may be accussed of such reveling and are not, does not change that fact that Jesus discussed it. And He did not just casually mention it 1 or 2 times.

While Jesus loved sinners, He was quite clear there was only one way to God and heaven and that was thru Him.

Jn:14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus does intend love toward others. But think of an earthly example. If a murderer appeared in a court and was absolutely guiltly, would it be OK for the judge to say, you are free to go because I love you?

Would you be OK with a judge like that? Setting a murderer, or rapist, or thief free because the judge "loves" them. Or are there other things to be considered like justice?

God wishes none to perish! And so do Christians. That's why they spend time here, and around the world telling people what God says about heaven and hell.

They don't really understand their own book all that well, the fire and brimstone types.

In the original (judaic) old testament, hell was being lost to the presence of God in Sheol, which was supposed to lie under the water. In the more contemporary interpretations hell was a place without memory lost to the presence of God.

For the rather graphic and vivid interpretations we enjoy today, you need to tread down the path of Dantes inferno, to the more prosaic interpretations of John Milton in Paradise Lost.

The brimstone types seem to belong to the particularly conservative religious sects of the Christian doctrine who thrive on condemnation and judgment, lacking the self awareness to realise that the judgments they make are their own and not their Gods.

They seem to resemble a clique more than a religion, in that once adopted into their circle, its a matter of tea, biscuits, gay-bashing and guns than God. They use God as a gateway to the clique nothing to do with the nominal Christian faith they claim to possess.

I agree we need to all portray Jesus as love, kindness, and forgiveness first and foremost. And to fulfill a Christian role is to be able to obtain eternal life. I think that implies if you don't, you already know the outcome as a believer in Him, and no one needs to tell you of that. But if something is bothering me like it seems to you, I call it a conviction of the heart; something that needs to be looked at and the truth for yourself discovered. You can find that in prayer. If someone asks if they are going to hell for not believing or sinning without the redemption of Christ, you can find the answer in His word. Blessings!

God does tell us in the Bible there is a Heaven and Hell. That cannot be denied. But I find there is so much more in the Bible about God's love and joy that I don't dwell on the Hell part. I know in my heart that I am living a good life and living it for him. I guess that I just don't think of Hell like others do. I also don't think God wants us to teach about him like they do. I think he wants people to come to know him by his love not the Hell part. God loved us so much that he gave his only Son so that we might have everlasting life. That is true love for us!

Oh here we go again. An unbeliever telling us all about JESUS.

You know nothing about our LORD and what HE would or wouldn't say.

"I am the Way, the Truth, the Life. No man comes to the FATHER but by ME."

"Then I will tell them - Depart from ME, I knew you not - you evildoers who work iniquity."

"Whoever disowns me before men, I will disown before my FATHER in heaven."

"The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."