[dsc]

"That most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell." (Diary 741)"

I've recently been quibbling with some of those people on a local site. They made the usual arguments about "a god who would judge and punish is no better than we are," and "I can't believe in a god that would punish us for all eternity because that's so petty" et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

I failed to answer them correctly.

While looking at the Divine Mercy image, it came to me: it's not that God is punishing us; it's that He's honoring our own decision to go with Satan instead of with Him.

We have our choice. He wants us to choose Him. But if we don't, if we choose Satan, He allows Satan to take us.

Is that theologically sound?

Still, that leaves the problem of those who are born into societies that routinely practice evil. One could argue that some people were and are not given a "fair" chance to choose God.

Can anybody respond to that one?

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

We have our choice. He wants us to choose Him. But if we don't, if we choose Satan, He allows Satan to take us.

Sounds accurate to me.

[rwfromkansas]

Actually, we are predestined. If God left the choice up to us, truly we would all reject the Son of God.