The Bible, specifically Matthew 25:41-46. I'll also add that this teaching was part of my education at a Conservative Christian college (now a university).
God's Holy Word (Revelation 21:8-10) clearly states that unbelievers will be "tormented day and night for ever and ever."
The Almighty Lord is not responsible for the endless suffering. That is strictly the fault of the sinner, who is deserving of eternal punishment.
Go here http://www.jeremyandchristine.com/articles/eternal.php
And search for Matt 25:46. It is discussed there. Frankly, pretty much every single scripture “proof” of everlasting punishment that is “felt” unending is discussed there.
My best friend and ex pastor (who now works at a Christian university) told me this a few months ago: most Christians spend their first few years as a Christian studying scripture to form their personal theological beliefs and the rest of their life studying scripture to defend it.
I am not like that, but my challenge is in the opposite direction. That is, I hear some new interpretation and immediately think, “Wow, I never thought of it that way before.” However, I do study to see if it has enough veracity to alter my perspective on Christianity. It is how I went from being a strong Pre-tribulationist to a Mid tribulationist (aka post-trib, pre-wrath).
Fact is, a lot of us believe what we believe about the bible because of something someone told us in our “formative” years, much as liberals believe what they do because of what a respected college professor told them in College. I do not respect ANY man in that way so I’m at least more immune than most people - but still must deal with it.
The article I linked above caused me to, for the first time in my life, really STUDY this concept - and I am convinced. I do believe there is something going on there that both “sides” are wrong about, but I’ll find out after I die. In the meantime, I present the gospel to people and avoid the “turn or burn” message. That message is also what has turned off a lot of would be Christians. That alone should cause one to at least ask the important question about the veracity of the interpretations of scripture used to support it.
>>The Almighty Lord is not responsible for the endless suffering. That is strictly the fault of the sinner, who is deserving of eternal punishment.<<
But what does the word “eternal” really mean?
If I take my car to an “eternal” junk yard, I could say I took my car to a junkyard which lasts for eternity where its car crushers never sleep. However, we know that what happened to my car is that it was parted out, crushed and melted down. It’s long gone.
And would an omnipotent God really create someone who He knew would sin so that He could put him somewhere where he would suffer for days without end, a trillion times a trillion, and in ways beyond the person’s comprehension? And it the answer is “yes”, where is the proof of that in the bible that is not highly suspicious in its use of language as well as context?
Sure, it’s what I believed all my life, because I was told so - until I studied it myself. And my relationship with my Creator is my responsibility and nobody els’s. Everybody dies alone. Even those vaporized in Hiroshima.