Posted on 07/28/2020 8:56:05 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
You will get what you want in the afterlife. If you want God you will get God, forever.
If you want yourself you will get yourself, forever.
He is a living God but also a just God who sometimes has to apply tough love.
God’s perfection is absolute. He is not able to be in the presence of sin. In our sinful state we cannot approach God. Only by hiding in the cleft of the rock, Jesus, are we able to be in His presence.
“If Heaven is a place where you are eternally in the presence of God, why would an atheist want to be there?”
I didn’t make it all the way through the book, but a Christian writer devoted a book to the idea that there is no Hell. EVERYONE will be in the presence of God.
However, for those that have not believed in Jesus and forgiven of their sins, being in the presence of God will be hell. Can you imagine having every sin exposed every moment for eternity?
I’m not sure if I believe it, but he did make some reasonable arguments I thought.
Anyone can write a book and have a theory but is that because they don’t like what the bible says?
Perhaps. He did have some reasonable arguments (God is omnipresent, scripture talking about how God will be revealed to all, etc.).
Either way, being full of sin in the presence of God or being in hell, it would be terrible way to spend eternity. It wasn’t the type of thing were he was saying “God loves everybody and everyone will make it to heaven and it will be great.”
As I said, I didn’t read the entire book. I’m not sure how he would explain the presence of all of that agony in heaven. Hopefully all of them would be set apart from those that are saved so we don’t have to listen to their wailing.
Hmm. Even if friends and loved ones are in Hell - how will we handle that in Heaven? I’m guessing God has it figured out somehow. I spend enough time on earth thinking “what could I have done better with that person”. I’d hate to have to go through eternity with those thoughts!
Old but apropos Jewish joke: Bad guy dies and an angel is sent to show him heaven. Angel opens the door to heaven, and all the bad guy sees are long tables with chairs, at which men sit studying Torah. Bad guy says, “This is heaven?!? I’d rather go to hell!” Angel shoves him inside and slams the door, saying, “Okay — for you, it’s hell!”
“Okay — for you, it’s hell!”
For some reason I hear that line in Jackie Mason’s voice!
You wrote:
The complete absence of God’s influence is something no mortal has ever experienced....Whatsoever entices us to do good comes from God. Remove that influence and He’ll is the natural result
You neglected to mention another aspect of God's ministry: the Holy Spirit's restraint of evil, which is removed in Hell because God grants their wish to be completely free of Him and His influence. But the larger point is that God still loves every Hell-dweller and wants the best for them. He doesn't want others torturing them--He wants their torment to be only what they've actually earned.
So He surrounds each person with fire, proportional to their well-demonstrated evil. Every time they lunge at their neighbors, which is often indeed, these flames agonize them, while the neighbors remain unscathed--meanwhile, the neighbors are lunging into their own flames. Hitler and Vlad the Impaler have massive conflagrations about them, while harmless Aunt Minnie has a little one. Eternally.
Hell is real.
My WWII vet grandfather’s last words right before he died were “I feel hot” as the look of terror encompassed his last gaze. He was terrified of whatever he saw and this dude was a strong hombre.
Many other people testify to hearing similar stories of folks who right before they died see demons or feel hot.
This life is not a game!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.