[so_real]

If it were clear that:

1.) God was not real; and

2.) God's goodness was purely idealistic

Why have Christians following the idealistic good been persecuted throughout history? Why are Christians assassinated for preaching the Word?

I am glad that you would not fight tooth and nail against God after establishing His existence. But that still leaves you with a hurdle that you may need help crossing.

[David Gould]

The simple answer is that there are some nasty people in the world.

A more complex answer could start along these lines:

1.) If someone told you that unless you believed a certain thing that could not be proven true, you would go to eternal damnation, how would you feel towards them? (how do you fell towards Muslims?)

2.)What if they told you that even if you believed a certain thing, all of your dead relatives who had not believed were already suffering in hell?

Throw in the fact that some Christians did not preach love but burned and massacred Christians of other sects and what do you get? A confusing mess. If all Christians lived by the Word then maybe it wouldn't be so hard to believe. Unfortunately, not many of them seem to.

I do have a long way to go in my search for knowledge and truth - it is an infinite journey in a finite lifetime. However, if i fail to find the same truths you have, why then do I deserve hell? Surely God could have designed things better than that. Why not, for example, give me another shot (reincarnation)? Or even just mercifully put me out of my eternal torment? So many questions....