Originally posted by @suzianneMy "Bingo"s are for the consumption of those who see how dj2becker's and Romans1009's clumsy attempts at answering my question just serve to prove my point.
I mean, the reason for the "bingo" in the first place is to acknowledge that someone else "gets" what you're saying.
Originally posted by @fmfGod is the primary doctrine.
The idea that non-believers will be tortured for eternity is not credible to non-believers. So what is the purpose of threatening to torture non-believers for eternity?
Hell is a secondary doctrine.
If there is no God, then of course secondary doctrines related to God's existence do not seem credible.
If you believe there is no God at all, how would you ever believe in doctrines related to the eternal soul and heaven or hell?
Originally posted by @philokaliaThis is a great point and further exposes the shallow thinking behind a flawed premise.
God is the primary doctrine.
Hell is a secondary doctrine.
If there is no God, then of course secondary doctrines related to God's existence do not seem credible.
If you believe there is no God at all, how would you ever believe in doctrines related to the eternal soul and heaven or hell?
Originally posted by @romans1009Bingo!
This is a great point and further exposes the shallow thinking behind a flawed premise.
Originally posted by @philokaliaBingo!
God is the primary doctrine.
Hell is a secondary doctrine.
If there is no God, then of course secondary doctrines related to God's existence do not seem credible.
If you believe there is no God at all, how would you ever believe in doctrines related to the eternal soul and heaven or hell?
Originally posted by @philokaliaIf believers are "saved", then what is the purpose of torturing non-believers for eternity after they die?
God is the primary doctrine.
Hell is a secondary doctrine.
If there is no God, then of course secondary doctrines related to God's existence do not seem credible.
If you believe there is no God at all, how would you ever believe in doctrines related to the eternal soul and heaven or hell?
Originally posted by @philokaliaSo it's not for believers. And it's not for non-believers. Who does that leave? Who's it for?
If you believe there is no God at all, how would you ever believe in doctrines related to the eternal soul and heaven or hell?
Originally posted by @fmfI. What is meant by torture, though?
If believers are "saved", then what is the purpose of torturing non-believers for eternity after they die?
Every description of hell that I am familiar with that is within the Catholic or Orthodox tradition (sorry, that is what I am most familiar with) is like this:
(a) The fire is not necessarily literal; it is figurative. However, the pain of hell is as a fire, and it "burns" in some manner.
(b) The source of the burning is being permanently cut off from God.
(c) People in hell are in pure isolation. This is another element of it.
(d) People send themselves to hell. It is cosmic justice.
(e) There is probably a point at which hell is destroyed, and the only people left to actually suffer for all of eternity is Satan and the Antichrist.
II. Non-believers is way too broad of a term.
Christians are saved.
People who refuse to repent and reject Christ consciously are not saved.
There is a giant nebulous in between these things.
You have made an extreme conclusion that literally anyone who theoretically doesn't fit precisely into the first category is destined for hell.
This is not an accurate description of what most people are saying.
SO:
You just created a really pithy line that might get approval from other hardline atheists, but it falls short of truly addressing anything that Christians say.
