I believe GOD exists, by whichever label you address him, but I do not believe in HELL. The concept of Hell is totally ridiculous and at odds with the concept of an all-knowing, loving creator.
Here's why I say this:
A: If God is ALL-Knowing, then he knows what man will do before he ever creates him, and KNOWS that man will inevitably eat from that tabooed tree.
B: If he then creates him anyway, he has knowingly created a man who will be sinful.
With me so far?
C: If that God then punishes the man for his sin, then he has created the guy fully knowing he would need to punish him, and did it anyway.
Doesn't seem very loving to me. I could therefore come to any of the following conclusions:
A: God didn't create me
or
B: He isn't all-loving
or
C: He isn't all knowing
OR!!!!
D: The Eternal damnation/Hell concept is the problem (lie) here.
Not a single person has ever been able to explain this to me in a way that makes sense- because it doesn't. Therefore, I reject this idea of an angry (or worse yet confused) God who doesn't seem to plan very well when he creates man.
Why then do we hear so much about Hell all of the time?
Like an older, taller bully in school who takes your baseball cap and holds it just out of your reach until you give him what he wants, some petty religious bullies throughout history have endeavored to take your relationship with a loving God and hold it out of your reach so you will fall into line. You are told that you must do "this and that" or go to hell and be forever separated from your creator.
Fortunately, GOD by definition is wise and loving enough not to have made such a ridiculous mess of things. No one has been brought into this world to go to Hell simply because they were born.
UNfortunately, many of today's religions have wittingly or unwittingly become custodians of such primitive concepts as "God the Bully" and Hell, and have done some bullying of their own.
Anyways,...
I believe GOD exists, by whichever label you address him, but I do not believe in HELL. The concept of Hell is totally ridiculous and at odds with the concept of an all-knowing, loving creator.
Here's why I say this:
A: If God is ALL-Knowing, then he knows what man will do before he ever creates him, and KNOWS that man will inevitably eat from that tabooed tree.
B: If he then creates him anyway, he has knowingly created a man who will be sinful.
With me so far?
C: If that God then punishes the man for his sin, then he has created the guy fully knowing he would need to punish him, and did it anyway.
Doesn't seem very loving to me. I could therefore come to any of the following conclusions:
A: God didn't create me
or
B: He isn't all-loving
or
C: He isn't all knowing
OR!!!!
D: The Eternal damnation/Hell concept is the problem (lie) here.
Not a single person has ever been able to explain this to me in a way that makes sense- because it doesn't. Therefore, I reject this idea of an angry (or worse yet confused) God who doesn't seem to plan very well when he creates man.
Why then do we hear so much about Hell all of the time?
Like an older, taller bully in school who takes your baseball cap and holds it just out of your reach until you give him what he wants, some petty religious bullies throughout history have endeavored to take your relationship with a loving God and hold it out of your reach so you will fall into line. You are told that you must do "this and that" or go to hell and be forever separated from your creator.
Fortunately, GOD by definition is wise and loving enough not to have made such a ridiculous mess of things. No one has been brought into this world to go to Hell simply because they were born.
UNfortunately, many of today's religions have wittingly or unwittingly become custodians of such primitive concepts as "God the Bully" and Hell, and have done some bullying of their own.
Here's why I say this:
A: If God is ALL-Knowing, then he knows what man will do before he ever creates him, and KNOWS that man will inevitably eat from that tabooed tree.
B: If he then creates him anyway, he has knowingly created a man who will be sinful.
With me so far?
C: If that God then punishes the man for his sin, then he has created the guy fully knowing he would need to punish him, and did it anyway.
Doesn't seem very loving to me. I could therefore come to any of the following conclusions:
A: God didn't create me
or
B: He isn't all-loving
or
C: He isn't all knowing
OR!!!!
D: The Eternal damnation/Hell concept is the problem (lie) here.
Not a single person has ever been able to explain this to me in a way that makes sense- because it doesn't. Therefore, I reject this idea of an angry (or worse yet confused) God who doesn't seem to plan very well when he creates man.
Why then do we hear so much about Hell all of the time?
Like an older, taller bully in school who takes your baseball cap and holds it just out of your reach until you give him what he wants, some petty religious bullies throughout history have endeavored to take your relationship with a loving God and hold it out of your reach so you will fall into line. You are told that you must do "this and that" or go to hell and be forever separated from your creator.
Fortunately, GOD by definition is wise and loving enough not to have made such a ridiculous mess of things. No one has been brought into this world to go to Hell simply because they were born.
UNfortunately, many of today's religions have wittingly or unwittingly become custodians of such primitive concepts as "God the Bully" and Hell, and have done some bullying of their own.
Anyways,...