Guys like Christopher Hitchens would have LOVED you as God. He said, while he was still alive (though I seriously doubt he's saying it now) that he couldn't imagine a WORSE way to spend eternity than worshiping and singing the praises of the merciful God. He'd be DELIGHTED to believe he would just cease to exist, be annihilated, poof! no more consciousness. Can you tell me how such a construct would be a deterrent to people who HATE God?
If God truly loved the whole of humanity that He gave His only begotten Son so whosoever believed in Him would not perish but have everlasting life, would not be condemned, would be redeemed not because they deserved it but purely by God's grace, then why wouldn't He want to have everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth? But God is not a puppet master and we are not puppets. Choices of free will have consequences. A just and holy God would not be just and holy if rejecting Him cost nothing.
Just getting around to glancing through some of these posts.
The concept of either eternal life or a “poof” you’re done; based on your belief of Jesus; doesn’t make sense to me. It would seem that either people have no soul at all, or they have a soul, which would seem to have to follow some sort of spiritual law of everlasting. Sort of like the physical laws of nature that apply to ALL of us.
I can see the concept of no souls, and just “poof” when we die. And I can see the concept that people have souls that are everlasting. But the idea that some souls might continue, and others not doesn’t seem reasonable.
I read some book where the author made the case that ALL will see the glory of God, and be in his presence. And that those who don’t “like” God (like Christopher Hitchens perhaps), will be in agony as His light shines continuously on them.
I’m not so sure about that though, as sin separates us from God. So why would the sinful be able to be in God’s presence (but suffering because of it)?