20 Nov '06 23:00>
Originally posted by knightmeisterOh really? What if I want to reject god and not go to hell? How do I end up there, then? Who is forcing me, if not god? If I don't have the option of just being dead, then some external agent is sending me to hell. And that would be god.
God does not send people to Hell , ultimately people send themselves , or had you forgotten about free will? There will be not a single person who genuinely asks for salvation who will be turned down. Everyone will be given a fair opportunity to receive Christ in a personal way , either in this life or the next so in the final reckoning heaven could ea ...[text shortened]... ysterious way. But then that depends on whether you think his presence is with us or not.
This little game you play of saying it's people who send themselves to hell is not very convincing. We have to ask for salvation. If we don't, then we are sent to hell.
If your god just heaped reward upon the faithful, then maybe that would be OK. But by eternally punishing those who maintain a dissenting opinion, your god reveals himself to be a cruel monster. As someone else pointed out, it's only free will if I'm free to take or leave the salvation 'offer' without fear of punishment. If I'm to be punished for rejecting it, then it amounts to coersion. Then it becomes 'believe or else.'
Your assertion that people could "receive Christ without even realising it" simply boggles the mind. I'm no theologian, but I doubt you'll find many orthodox christians who would agree with that statement.