Here are some common questions,objections:
“I doubt the existence of a judgmental God who requires blood to pacify
his wrath, a God that must be appeased with pain and suffering can not
exist”…”but why can’t he just forgive us?”
Here are some answers:
- Christians do not/should not think that people are “bound for hell” are less valuable or hold less dignity than them. The bible clearly teaches that all people are equally valuable to God, made in His image and worth his sacrifice. This attitude or perceived attitude from Christians gives non-Christians the impression of a less than loving, God that must be appeased.
- Divine judgment is the most offensive doctrine in the bible, most of the time the feeling people get is one of repulsion and not so much doubt. People have no problem with a God that loves and supports them no matter what they believe, but they do have a problem with a God that condemns someone for their sincere beliefs, even if they are mistaken.”A God of judgment simply can not exist”.
- In ancient times people understood that there are moral laws and that baking them had severe consequences, as severe as breaking a physical law. Modern man instead of trying to fit reality, we now seek to control and shape reality to fit our desires.
- The spirit of modernity is to seek power and control, instead of enjoying the generosity of God’s creation. The spirit of modernity gave us the responsibility to determine what is right and what is wrong. We believe so deeply in our personal rights that the very idea of divine judgment seems impossible.
- Why is forgiveness acceptable, but not punishment? Does a God that does not punish evil really love?
- In the God of the bible is both a God of love and of justice. Even in humans we see that some loving people are filled with wrath, not despite of their love, but because they love. “If you love someone and see someone ruining them, even their own selves, you get angry. Anger is not the opposite of Love, Hate/indifference is.Gods wrath and judgement is born out of his love for his creation, specially humanity. Psalms 145:17-20
- Some believe that God does not approach his enemies with a desire to reconcile with them. The bible teaches exactly the opposite!
- The lack of a believe in a God of vengeance “secretly nourishes violence”. The human impulse/principal to make perpetrators of violence pay for their crimes is almost an overwhelming one.
- If we do not believe in the concept of God’s divine justice, in a God that will eventually put all things right, then you are likely to take up a sword and sucked in to an endless vortex of violence. Only of you believe in God’s divine justice will you have the power to refrain.
- In history we see that atheism, no belief in the after life or divine justice, leads to a more brutal society.
Other common objections or questions:
“A loving God would not allow hell” , how do we reconcile God sending people to Hell for eternity!?
Here are some answers:
- There is a caricature of Christianity, a misconception: God gives us enough time, if we do the wrong things we go to hell, and if then we change our mind and cry for help… God answers: “Too late now you must suffer!”
- The bible teaches that Hell is separation from God, the source of all joy and love, wisdom and good. This is our purpose, what we were created for to be in the presence of God and enjoy relationship with Him, Hell then is the separation from God, form all He provides. Hell is created by self centeredness.
- We have seen what self centeredness (selfishness) creates in people even in this life: piecing bitterness, nauseating envy, paralyzing anxiety, paranoia. What if we do not die, but go on forever in this state??
- Luke 16:24-31, what is amazing to me is how many times does the rich man asks for forgiveness or how many times does he ask to get taken out of Hell?…. zero, not even once. How many times does he blame-shift? He blamed the lack of information or lack of convincing evidence for example.
- Hell is life with out God, always seeking but never satisfied, all there is left is pride, paranoia, selfishness. Romans 1;24
- CS lewis said: “It is not a question of God ‘sending us’ to hell. In each of us there is something growing, in which we will BE Hell unless it is nipped in the bud…”, “there are only two kinds of people those that say ‘Thy will be done’ to God or those to whom God in the end says: ‘Thy will be done’.
- Hell is locked from the inside. Notice that Jesus said “the gates of Hell will not prevail against my church..”, gates are not a weapon, they are a defense, hell is trying to keep people in, Jesus and Christians are trying to get people out.