Apart from the Catholic/Protestant bashing that goes on here, I think it’s a legitimate question: Is eternal hell a JUST punishment for temporary sins - or even false beliefs - committed by or held by weak and ignorant people?
The power of God is such that any who belong to him cannot remain under “false beliefs”. They must inevitably come out of it, because “all that the Father giveth to me comes to me, and whoever comes to me I shall never cast out.” (John chapter 6). God is not a Shepard who lets the sheep flee into the wilderness. He actively hunts them down and brings them home.
God wouldn’t burn people forever if he didn’t love them so much.
Steve, you posted: “I think it’s a legitimate question: Is eternal hell a JUST punishment for temporary sins - or even false beliefs - committed by or held by weak and ignorant people?”
I’ve thought about that a lot and have decided that none of us on this planet can know for sure, that it is our Father’s decision on whether our sins are temporary or permanent; and perhaps how often we practice the ‘temporary sins.’
I think that we can only practice our faith as is taught to us by Jesus and do our best to avoid sinning.