Eternal Torture?

This is one aspect of the question of evil. What actually is evil? It cannot be exactly the same as suffering because every living thing endures suffering at one point or another. And it cannot be exactly the same as inflicting suffering if you believe in a benevolent God because He is responsible for creating a world in which suffering is inevitable. He is responsible for even more suffering f there is such a thing as Hell as it is classically described.

If God is good He is not God.

If God is God He is not good.

Given all that, I chose to be in awe of the mystery and majesty of creation and vow not to add to the suffering, in fact, to work towards less suffering.

But I don't believe in Hell.

That's where a lot of Christians are wrong! It may be an eternal flame but the ones that are thrown into the fire are "defeated" by the fire, in other words gone ended or finished. After we all die good or bad we go into a state of spiritual sleep, where we are unaware and know nothing. We will be awaken on judgment day and sent to hell or heaven. At some point in revelations the bible does say Satan and his followers will be defeated. So in reality, hell is merely seizing to exist!

Only a sadistic God, could consider Eternal Punishment to be just.

What is the point to such a punishment, if the person involved never has a chance to change their ways afterward?

The basic religious belief is that you go to hell for violating the laws of God and man. Taking anothers life is the ultimate crime against both man and destroying the creating of God. What happens is actually out of our hands....the maker will make the decision for him at the murderers time of death. He may be able to redeem himself on earth by punishment here, or by good works. And what about if that person killed your loved one by accident or did it because they mistakenly thought your loved one was a burgler. What about killing your loved one in an armed conflict....is a soldier a murderer? The mystery of what happens in the here after is just that....a mystery.

Also consider....the murderers victim is going to be resurrected whole and sound and have the same chance as all on a paradise earth to learn about God and Jesus.

So the "evil" that murderer did is only of TEMPORARY duration. Would he not at most only deserve the same number of years of punishment as his victim spent dead in the grave? Yet, he is burned eternally for killing someone briefly (and the dead feel no pain in the grave).....Eccles. 9:5, 10....so he burns eternally, for putting someone to peaceful sleep for X number of years.

Debbie debbiepittman@yahoo.com

If somebody killed the people I love most in the world I wouldnt worry too much about them being tortured for eternity. Whatever happened to that person wouldnt bring back my loved ones but I certainly wouldnt expect him or her to get off lightly.

Its fair, we are given responablities and told to obey God's rules for the small time we are here and we would be rewarded with heaven basically. Something so easy to do with such a great reward should have an extreme punishment.

It was never meant to be "fair". We are apparently at the whim of an omnipotent being who loves us, yet is willing to send us to a lake of fire where we will burn, be tortured and rithe in agony for eternity (despite not having a physical body).

But that's only if you take the whole Christian myth system seriously.

If the murderer repents, then he's fine. When you totally ignore God for eternity, only then will you go to Hell.

You miss the point, hell is being out of the presence of God, that will be far worse than the lake of fire. If you want nothing to do with God, he will not force you, so if you end up on your own, then who is to blame?