“[If] God creates the good, who created evil?”
“That’s not Christianity, and never was, but then again we already know that. I am only making a point for lurkers.”
Here’s something for the “lurkers”, when do you suppose God created hell? Was this an after-thought when He saw man sin?
“The Greek tradition has hell in the sense of an underworld where the dead await resurrection, but the damned are thrown into the fire on Judgment Day, not at death. The Eastern Orthodox Church teaches that both the elect and the lost enter into the presence of God after death, and that the elect experience this presence as light and rest, while the lost experience it as darkness and torment.[10] The Orthodox see this doctrine as supported by Scripture and by the patristic tradition.”
“The afterlife for the damned is dreadful anticipation of Judgment Day, while the elect happily await the resurrection of the dead. The Eastern Orthodox pray for the dead, and they believe that sometimes a lost soul can be saved after death through the prayers of the living.”
There is a difference between testing/trials and temptation. When a teacher gives a “true and false” exam, the false questions aren’t there to teach the students to think wrong, but to assess their competency and to help them learn from their errors. Temptation is intended to lead one into a state of error.
1 Cor. 10: 13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
And if per chance we do succomb to temptation, He has made a further way back,
1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
That is Christianity.
God did not create hell for man. Man can be redeemed. Fallen angels cannot.
The Eastern Orthodox Church teaches that both the elect and the lost enter into the presence of God after death, and that the elect experience this presence as light and rest, while the lost experience it as darkness and torment.[10] The Orthodox see this doctrine as supported by Scripture and by the patristic tradition.”
Yes it is. It is appointed for man to die but once and then the judgment says the author of Hebrews. This is where the Church (both Latin and Greek) draw this. There is no "underworld" of "Sheol" (as Luke believes) but an intermediate state of the soul which has been judged.
This judgment is known as the particular judgment (based on our deeds). Because we believe the soul lives it knows its fate after the judgment, namely if it is condemned or saved.
Those who die with "baggage" so to say will have it exposed before God and all the saints and the shame they will experience when their true selves is the the torment (shame) that the spirit "feels."
Since they can't repent after physical death, they experience various degrees of darkness (separation from God) and the prayers and services are intended to provide enough "light" for them to not feel lost. Being in the dark can be disheartening.
The particular judgment is therefore an intermediate state of the soul and the final salvation or damnation does not take place until the Final Judgment.
That's Christianity, as it was taught for 2,000 years, by the Church. What heretics taught or teach is of no concern to me.
i>There is a difference between testing/trials and temptation
Tempting exploits our weakness. The tempter profits from it. Those who are attached to passions can be tempted.
Unlike temptation, testing is done entirely for our benefit. It tells us where we are. If we ask God to test us, as the Psalimists do, we believe God will test our resolve (be careful what you ask for).
But this is entirely for our assurance. God being God would already know if our resolve is true or false. He doesn't need to test us to find out. He profits nothing from your strength or weakness.
And if per chance we do succomb to temptation, He has made a further way back, 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” That is Christianity.
Yes, that is Christianity as taught by the Church. That's why confession is an integral and regular part of our church life. That is not the Reformed way of life, which believes that your sins are forgiven for all eternity when you "allow" Christ not only to pay your bill but carry your luggage as well.