Hell...

[nailit]

Justify it?

[gness]

The Christian love and compassion for fellow man shines through this.....no, on second thoughts.

[Theland]

Its called justice.

[naomi24]

The saddest thing in all of this is that you people consider yourselves worthy.

[Theland]

No not worthy at all. Saved by grace.

[naomi24]

There’s nothing gracious about cruelty.

[Theland]

We don't see sin as much of a problem.
After all, we are all we are all sinful.
God sees it differently.
God treats sin most serious!y, an affront to Him personally.
It rouses His anger and He forewarns us of the consequences.
There is no cruelty.

[gness]

We don't see sin as much of a problem? What an odd thing to say.
Look to religious organisations as a start for examples of sins committed that most of us see as much more than a problem.

Your God must be angry all the time. Does it not worry you having your life ruled by an angry person? Angry folk are dangerous.

[Zacs-Master]

Well said, Gness. God must be really really p'd off that those in charge of a major religion have committed some of the most heinous sins.

[Theland]

Gness, I take your point.
We categorise crimes through a whole spectrum of behaviours, from low level anti social behaviour, through sexual assaults, to murder, all carrying a variety of punishments.
Sin on the other hand is anything less than perfection, and the punishment is death.

[Theland]

Zacs, I agree.

[douglas9401]

The 'punishment' for life is death.

[Zacs-Master]

So why does he not 'smite' them, Theland?

[Theland]

I'm sure He does.

[naomi24]

Perhaps next time you have a word with him, theland, you might suggest he consult a good psychiatrist. It would be a kindness.

[nailit]

//Sin on the other hand is anything less than perfection, and the punishment is death//
My mistake, I thought it was hell and eternal suffering.

Wait, Hang on a min.

Didnt Ecclesiastes say that the dead know nothing?
Oh! Wait, the dead unrepentant sinners are been consciously burned.
Oh, hang on a mo.
Its a bit iffy.
So the dead are all in their graves but some of them are aware that they are in heaven or hell. But maybe not because they know nothing... according to Ecclesiastes
And then at the last judgment all are resurrected.
And the ones in hell are judged and sent back to hell and the ones that are righteous that are in heaven are sent back to heaven.
Some even have new magical bodies)
(Except the ones that live on Earth...because God makes a new heaven and a new Earth...and a New Earth is pointless if the lion lies down with the lamb without anyone to people the Earth.

Anyway, according to Paul, the wages of sin is Death, not eternal torment. (If you are been eternally tormented then you are not dead...obviously)

But wait, if you'r not dead then what about.....

And it goes on & on & on...

Not one single religionist has ever been able to give me a coherent narrative of afterlife events....except to condemn me as an unbeliever worthy of hell.
(At least Paul just had me die)

[nailit]

//We categorise crimes through a whole spectrum of behaviours//
Except Bible God's behaviour...that gets away with anything in the mind of a believer.
//all carrying a variety of punishments//
Except Bible God's.
Thats just worship me or go to hell.
(Or burn for eternity, or just cease to exist or whatever author of the Bible best follows your own moral values)

[nailit]

Some people (myself included in the past) fail to realise
just how much biblical authors had different theologies.
Read the bible without God-Goggles and its a different read.

[Theland]

Its important to read the bible whilst keeping in mind it was written by Jews, for Jews.

[Hopkirk]

I always thought it odd that the old testament is all about Jews. Did God give up on them despite all that stuff about leading them back to the promised land?

[nailit]

Bible writers cant even agree what happens after death (not surprising as non of them had died at time of writing.

Some authors (such as the writer of Ecclesiastes) believed that man was just dead when he died...and that was it. The righteous and believers alike!
Other authors believed that man faced a judgement and faced either eternal life or eternal death (obliteration..lack of conciousness).
Others believed that ALL would come to salvation and eternal life.
Others believed that some would suffer the horrors of a loving God inflicting eternal pain on his creation.

Your own interpretation, amongst many, tends to show you own psyche...