[clue-talk] Re: Bible Academia

[Angelo Bertolli]

David L. Willson wrote:
> Hm.  No answers yet.  OK, let me try another hypothetical question:
>
> Many people, including myself, have or have had trouble with the
> doctrine of Hell.  They just can't bend the knee to a God that cruel.
> Is is possible that Hell is, and God is loving and just, anyway?
>   

Hell (as taught) is unjust for the same reason Pascal makes his wager 
;)  (Infinite punishment for a finite crime.)

> For example:
>
> Could Hell be something that doesn't change, because it's intrinsic to
> the situation, like free will?
>   
It's hypothetically possible.  It's the only way hell can be not 
considered an "infinite punishment" if you always (for eternity) have 
the choice of getting out of it when you change.

> Could living eternally, prohibited from entering God's house, be Hell?
>   

That would be different from it being intrinsic to your current choice, 
and would still fall under infinite punishment.

> Could God be warning us about Hell, not threatening us with Hell?
>   
There isn't really too much talk about hell in the Bible.  Ironically, 
most of it comes from the New Testament, whereas the God of the Old 
Testament is very much more concerned with punishment in "real-time."

> Could God have abilities of mind so far beyond ours that we have no
> right or ability to judge him?
>   
I think we all have the duty to make the best judgment we can, even when 
it comes to God.  In fact, if you believe there is a God and we were 
given free will, I would argue we were MEANT to do this.

> I walked alone for several lonely and trouble-filled years before
> returning my focus to my God and my Jesus.  One of the primary reasons
> that I stopped "being Christian" was that "If Tom's going to Hell, for
> the lack of belief, then I can't worship God."  My friend Tom was and is
> one of my most admired friends, and was and is, a total atheist,
> entirely apathetic to God, and annoyed by most forms of religion.
>   
You could have just rejected the doctrine that said that Tom was going 
to hell, you know.  You don't have to believe in every last syllable... 
we cherry-pick the stuff we want to believe out of the Bible anyway.

For example, is it right or wrong to stone a woman who was caught in 
adultery?  The God of the Old Testament prescribed this measure.  Then 
Jesus changed our thinking about this.  So which is right?  We pick 
which is right.  Most people pick Jesus.

> I got better...  :-)
>   
I'm happy for you.  It's way more comforting and nice to believe.


Angelo